Argues that American education could benefit from a look at the Japanese participative management system. (FL)

Gives details of a simulated boardroom exercise for communication studies students, which illustrates aspects of role-playing, group processes, and mass media as the board decides on the amount and distribution of cuts for their local television station, taking into consideration competition from other television stations. (EAO)

A Kellogg Foundation-sponsored team leadership development program at the University of Akron is described. It involves planned change, that can be effected by: involving a broad cross section of the university in discussions or problems; providing training in interpersonal relationships and group dynamics; organizing task forces; and setting up…

Describes Sweden's massive effort to bring democracy to the workplace through programs of worker education and participation in industrial decision making. Stresses that the United States can learn much from the Swedish workplace education experience. (Author/MJL)

It is important for governing boards to understand that faculty see themselves less as employees than as officers of the institution, charged with constantly seeking the best for their discipline even if the values they advance seem at odds with those of the administration or board. They cherish collegiality, direct communication, and respect for…

Risk communication is a methodology recommended for rural special education professionals who communicate with parents and teachers. Using rural special education examples, the steps of risk-based decision making are described: hazard identification, hazard assessment, risk assessment, risk management, risk analysis, and risk communication.…

Argues that graduate programs for community college leaders should help students understand democratic models of leadership and recognize the leadership potential of all faculty and staff. Proposes that the programs be based on a cultural model of organizations and a relational model of discourse and communication. (37 citations) (AJL)

Despite ambiguous results of corporate restructuring efforts, higher education has adopted many of the methods used in hostile corporate takeovers and leveraged buyouts, affecting "ownership" of the educational process by faculty and the relationship between faculty and administration. A common element in successful restructuring is the…

Provides suggestions to child care center directors on how to become effective participants at meetings. Suggests that a little planning and careful attention to the subtleties and details of participation can transform meetings into powerful organizational tools. Suggests that good preparation, respect for the ideas presented during the meeting,…

As local pressures mount and state resources dwindle, intermediary organizations are emerging throughout Latin America. Although theoretically enabling people at the grass roots to participate in their own development and reap the benefits of their labor, the costs and tensions are often not worth the burden. Explores the quandaries that new…

Examines parent-teacher relationships in early childhood programs, including those for children with disabilities, across five eras of the 20th century. The general approaches have been the earlier tendency to view parents as learners in need of information and the recent trend to involve them in program decision making. (SLD)

Teachers in a multiage classroom developed a new spelling program that allowed students to select spelling words. Student interviews examined how they chose the words and why they considered words easy, medium, and hard. Three general areas of learning emerged: students' autonomy, real life connections, and the future. (SM)

The study examines relationships among variations in the implementation of participative decision making, instructional improvement, and student learning in 1 school district of about 3,300 students over 5 years. Findings support the conclusion that teacher participation in decision making is related to instructional improvement and better student…

Describes different team approaches to the organization and delegation of teachers' tasks in public schools, offering insights into the types of skills teachers need to ensure the success of the team and providing examples of how a teacher team may function effectively. (SM)

Explores stressors, role changes, and paradoxes encountered by four administrators and two teacher-leaders since their high school began restructuring in 1994. Identifies decision-making anxieties, role conflict and ambiguity, and accountability apprehension as sources of stress. Restructuring was impeded by training inadequacies; bureaucratic,…