Transformational leadership, an innovative learning model, grows out of the recognition that the learner's coordinate system is influenced by a variety of time, place, and person variables. The concept of a tetradigm, which graphically illustrates this model, is symbolized by an equilateral triangle within a larger equilateral triangle with the…

Quality circles, small groups of employees working voluntarily toward performance improvement, have become a popular business strategy in the past decade. When effective, the quality circle may be linked directly to the increased productivity of the work group. The quality circle process may be divided into four components: identification and…

This booklet reviews decision-making, an important part of administrative processes, from the perspective of school teachers and other educators. The two most commonly used processes are the rational decision-making process (identify the problem, evaluate the problem, collect information, identify alternative solutions, select and implement…

The concept of the quality circle (QC) is outlined and a brief history given of its use in Japan and eventual migration to the United States in 1974. The leaders and participants in QC's are trained in communication and problem-solving skills. The essential techniques used in the QC are brainstorming, consensus, cause and effect analysis, data…

Besides the question of the maximal effectiveness of various degrees and varieties of participation, predicting the success of participative decision making (PDM) approaches also involves an understanding of sources of variance (individual employees' characteristics, the cultural milieu, and the job context and level) for planning and instituting…

Questionnaires concerning secondary teachers' involvement in decision-making and their perceived levels of job satisfaction were completed by 266 teachers from 23 Wisconsin middle and junior high schools. Urban, suburban, and rural schools enrolling from 350 to 1,150 students were represented. The teachers' responses to a four-point Likert scale…

As part of a study of programs offering alternative educational choices in public school systems, the Rand Corporation assessed teacher reactions to programs in four districts: Alum Rock (California); Eugene (Oregon); Minneapolis (Minnesota); and Cincinnati (Ohio). It was found that teachers tend to evaluate a program on the basis of its…

Chapter 4 of a volume on school leadership, this chapter is a revised version of the issue of "School Management Digest" entitled "School Based Management." It draws from the work of many authorities to define, explain, and make a case for school-based management, a system of educational administration in which the school is…

Because a main educational function is to prepare children for workplace roles, education's organizational forms and functions tend to correspond to those of the workplace. For instance, as the U.S. economy moved from agricultural through industrial to service bases, U.S. education moved from nonpublic schools to public schools to mass higher…

Using team management in school district administration requires compromises on the part of the board, the superintendent, and the other team members, but advantages can result. Better quality decisions, higher staff morale, greater support for decisions, and more efficient management are among the potential benefits. The first step in development…

Traditional approaches to educational administration have generally reflected a managerial perspective based partly on scientific management principles developed by Frederick W. Taylor. Concerns with efficiency and administrative control have masked inequities and ideologies comprising organizational structure. Habermas's critique may help expose…

The relationship between schools and parents is examined. The absence of parent involvement is explained by the institutional character of most schools and the lack of effort by parents and schools. Schools must create more opportunities for parent involvement in vital issues such as decision making and the evaluation of principals. (VM)

Today's graduates must be able to graduate with a set of abilities that will last many decades. A university is seen as a conscious social artifact, and both students and faculty need to develop a long-term outlook. (MLW)

Presents the Public Library Association's planning model for strategic planning in public libraries. The development of the model is explained, the basic steps of the planning process are described, and improvements to the model are suggested. (CLB)

The study of work, the experience of work, and how work is organized does not constitute an category of study within the mainstream social sciences. Students need to be introduced to the varieties of capitalist and noncapitalist models or experiments and confront the debate over organizational form versus social context. (MLW)