bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns and Correlates of Emotional Arousal in Laboratory Training
Authors: Rohrbaugh Michael
Published: March 2006

Emotional arousal, defined by Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility scores on the Zuckerman-Lubin Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL), was monitored during week-long laboratory training seminars for government employees. Lab participants (N = 52) were compared to control Ss (N = 33) who completed the MAACL on each of 5 workdays. Results suggest that laboratory training is distinguished from work activity more by the pattern and range of reported affect than by differences in average or in peak levels of experienced stress. For laboratory Ss, arousal indices initially rose, then progressively decreased through the training week. Participants who by independent criteria appeared to gain most from the experience showed steeper gradients of arousal reduction than Low-gain subjects. Stress (negative affect) was also related to high bureaucratic orientation and to low sociometric status within the T Group.
Welfare Workers as Family Planning Change Agents and the Perennial Problem of Heterophily with Welfare Clients
Authors: Placek Paul J.
Published: March 2006

Two concepts borrowed from Everett Rogers' Communication of Innovations-heterophily and the role of change agents-are utilized to explain problems which welfare workers have in being influential family planning change agents for welfare mothers. These concepts are viewed as embedded in the social context of welfare department attempts to influence welfare mothers to use family planning and the related criticisms which welfare rights protagonists have recently voiced. Structured interviews with 58 welfare workqrs and 300 welfare mothers in one metropolitan Tennessee county reveal that heterophily characterizes these two groups in social and demographic characteristics, birth control attitudes, family size norms, and abortion attitudes. It is further suggested that this heterophily may partially account for welfare workers' limited conformity to the change agent role in family planning counseling with their clients. A number of innovative solutions are proposed to deal constructively with public welfare problems in family planning, some of which have shown promise in other health programs here and a broad.
Organizational Change in Schools: Bedford-Stuyvesant
Authors: McMillan Charles B.
Published: March 2006

This article reports on the failure of a university-based educational change project which sought to change one junior high school in BedfordStuyvesant "into a school of unusual merit in the education of disadvantaged children." In their efforts at improving teaching-learning from 1966-68, the New York University Clinic for Learning planners relied on two generally accepted theories of planned organizational change: subordinate participation in relevant decision-making processes and the importance of leadership behavior as exhibited by the change agent; and two widely regarded objectives for educational reform: namely, increasing total community involvement and effecting broad social change. The author uses data from personal interviews and project literature to evaluate the ways in which the Clinic applied (and failed to apply) these theories, and uses the data further to clarify the theoretical bases of the propositions themselves in relation to OD in schools. The study concludes that organizational change theories-if used wisely-would be suitable for reaching the goals of improved teaching-learning sought for the schools, but would not be useful in fundamentally increasing community participation or using schools to effect social change-goals that are obstructed by a larger political reality.
Effects of Organizational Diagnosis and Intervention on Blue-Collar "Blues"
Authors: Hautaluoma Jacob E. , Gavin James F.
Published: March 2006

A small Midwestern manufacturing company suffered excessive turnover among its blue-collar workers in 1972. An organizational diagnosis involving interviews and survey questionnaire assessment of all employees revealed some possible reasons. Several interventions of feedback, supervisory skills training, and process observation were conducted by a team of organizational psychologists; the effects of the interventions are discussed in terms of changes in turnover, reduced absenteeism, and more positive attitudes toward work, the company, and supervision.
Organization Development in Transition
Authors: Burke W. Warner
Published: March 2006

Changes that have occurred within organization development over the past 12 years are described. These changes represent value shifts, expanded technology and theory, modifications in OD strategy, and a growing legitimization of OD as a field. It is argued that the development of OD has been adaptive rather than deliberate and planned. Three recommendations are made for the future survival of OD: 1) OD must become more theory and research-based; 2) OD must develop a new model that will incorporate with its methodology, directions for organization change based on research knowledge; and 3) OD practitioners are needed who (a) know who they are as persons and (b) will practice more OD on the field itself
A Model of Organizational Change in the Context of Union-Management Relations
Authors: Kochan Thomas A. , Dyer Lee
Published: March 2006

Since ABS has had little to say about the role of unions and the part they play in OD, this paper takes a first step in developing a model of change involving union-management relations, which takes into consideration the special issues of goals, power, and conflict peculiar to each party. A set of testable propositions having to do with stimuli and forces encouraging or inhibiting commitment to embark on and to maintain joint change efforts is presented, followed by a short discussion of the implications of the uses of such a modelfor behavioral scientists.
The Triumph and Failure of Albert Speer's Administrative Genius: Implications for Current Management Theory and Practice
Authors: Singer Ethan A. , Wooton Leland M.
Published: March 2006

In this article the authors explore Albert Speer's (Hitler's Minister of Armaments and War) theories of organizational change "with the specific purpose of framing and accentuating the anomaly that organizational change agents such as Albert Speer represent in technological societies. On the one hand, Speer was an exponent of some of the most advanced, participative, and 'humanistic'... management theories being endorsed today. At the same time, however, he utilized these theories and practices to promote the goals of one of the most inhumane societies in the history of mankind.. The crimes of the Third Reich are essentially modern crimes, made possible by 20th century technology, which holds within it both great promise and great danger for human values." The authors discuss the limitations of present forms of organizational change and suggest new directions and perspectives for an emerging theoretical base.
Toward a Contingency Theory for Designing Work Organizations
Authors: Langdale John A.
Published: March 2006

The familiar bureaucratic-versus-human-relations distinction-frequently cited in the literature-is-presented as a basis for comparing organizational designs. Instead of adva'ting one particular design, the author hypothesizes that the effectiveness an survival of any design are contingent upon at least 11 situational parameters involving organizational goals, tasks, member personalities, and stress factors.

A measure of bureaucratic-to-human-relations design was developed and validated using data supplied by 10 supervisors, 10 nonsupervisors, and one informant from each of 17 work organizations. Through correlational analysis it was found that both actual system design and employees' design recommendations do vary significantly as a function of situational contingencies-yielding the practical finding: Neither bureaucratic nor humanrelations design strategies are universally appropriate across all organizational settings. Several peripheral findings were also reported. Theoretically, these results were interpreted as supporting a contingency theory of organizational design.
A Systems Survey Research Feedback for Management and Organizational Development
Authors: Bass Bernard M.
Published: March 2006

A questionnaire completed by a manager and his immediate subordinates generates scores on organizational, group, task, personal and interpersonal factors; management styles; and outputs of effectiveness and satisfaction. After the raw data from a particular workgroup or system are analyzed, the manager obtains a computerized printout called a PROFILE of the discrepancies between his subordinates and himself as well as normative data to help him plan change. This constitutes the feedback phase of the OD intervention. Initial follow-up suggests that the PROFILE procedure is seen to promote change particularly in situations where subordinates had no decision-making input and perceived conditions as disorderly and poorly managed.

Correlational analyses of the data suggest that authoritative managerial direction is more frequent when situations are regular, clear, and structured; but such direction is perceived to be more effective under reverse conditions. Manipulative bosses are downgraded, while consultative superiors are favored under most conditions.

Ultimately this paper represents an approach to research in social psychology where subjects gain practical on-the-job self-knowledge directed toward change, and the researcher gains new understanding leading to model building and theory development of the factors that describe supervisory behavior in various situations.
Characteristics of Successful and Unsuccessful Organization Development
Authors: Franklin Jerome L.
Published: March 2006

A comparison between 11 organizations with successful OD efforts and 14 organizations with unsuccessful efforts reveals characteristics identifiable with each category. Eight major clusters of characteristics served as the foci for the comparison: 1) the organization's environment, 2) the organization itself, 3) initial contact for the OD projects, 4) formal entry procedures and commitment, 5) data-gathering activities, 6) internal and 7) external changeagent characteristics, and 8) exit procedures.

Results indicated an absence of single dimensions that are either essential or sufficient to distinguish between the successful and unsuccessful organizations. Three general areas, however, did serve to differentiate organizations in the two categories: 1. Organizations that are more open to and involved in adjusting to change are more likely to be successful in their OD effort than are those that are more stable and status-quo oriented. 2. Internal change agents who are more carefully selected, did not receive training prior to the current OD efforts, and who possess assessment-prescriptive skills are most evident in the successful organizations. 3. More specific interest in and greater commitment to the OD projects are associated with successful change.

Implications for managers and consultants interested in applying these findings to increase the likelihood of success in OD projects are explored, with consideration given to the importance and alterability of each characteristic.
Effects of a T Group as a Function of Trainers' Liking and Members' Participation, Involvement, Quantity, and Quality of Received Feedback
Authors: Babad Elisha Y. , Melnick Irene
Published: March 2006

In this study we examine the validity of the hypothesis that in order to gain from a T Group, members must actively participate, be emotionally involved in the process, and must open themselves to feedback from other members. We also examine the effect of the T Group as a function of trainers' differential liking for each member. Subjects in this study were 37 occupational therapy students in three T Groups, led by the same three trainers.

Participation, involvement, quantity, and quality of received feedback were rated by the three trainers after each group session, followed by a discussion which yielded one set of consensus scores. Trainers' liking scores were obtained following the completion of all three T Groups. Postgroup evaluations of effect for each member were obtained both from the members themselves (twice) and from the trainers. Global and analytic evaluations were collected, the latter based on a two-dimensional operative model of group goals and outcomes.

In light of the initial correlations, the four in-group variables were grouped into two factors, representing each member's activity (output) and received feedback (input). Trainers' liking was related most closely to the first factor. Postgroup global evaluations of effect were found to be mostly a function of members' activity, while analytic evaluations (concluded to be more balanced and more valid) were related to both activity and feedback factors. Trainers' liking was related to global evaluations more strongly than to analytic evaluations, but the results clearly indicated that both types of effect are functions of trainers' liking. The validity of the conditional demands regarding members' behavior in the group was confirmed even when the effects of trainers' liking were partialed out.

The results of analytic postgroup evaluations done by members of nine groups showed that the in-group variables predicted, in the main, the intensity of the members' immediate experience and excitement following the group. After the dissipation of excitement (in the delayed assessment), the significant predictions of effect were found in the "learning" and "interaction" categories, as were the significant predictions of trainers' evaluations.

It was suggested that trainers' liking and members' participation, involvement, and openness to receive feedback are interactive, spiral processes, the complementarity of which is an important determinant of the effects of the T Group.
The Internal-External Change-Agent Team: Bringing Change to a "Closed Institution"
Authors: Gluckstern Norma B. , Packard Ralph W.
Published: March 2006

A collaborative change effort between a corrections system and education is not a frequent occurrence. A successful effort is perhaps even less frequent. However, the following Case Study on a County Jail does represent such an experience. At the request of the sheriff of the Berkshire County (Massachusetts) House of Corrections, the University of Massachusetts staff was brought into the institution to function as a catalyst for changing the otherwise hostile and indifferent environment into an environment where staff and inmates worked together to facilitate reintegration into the community. A detailed and well-designed evaluation sponsored by the National Institute of Corrections is now underway, and their report will be available this Fall by writing to the authors.
Improving Organizational Communication Through Long-Term Intergroup Intervention
Authors: Alderfer Clayton P.
Published: March 2006

Organizations may be conceptualized as a set of interacting groups, differentiated according to task, hierarchy, and demographic characteristics of the members. The frequency, accuracy, and utility of communication among groups within organizations affect and are affected by their boundary permeability and relationship mutuality. This study reports on the design, formulation, modification, and evaluation of a relatively new type of intergroup intervention-the creation of a "microcosm group" of 12 members from an organization of 250 members. Charged with improving communication among workgroups and hierarchical levels, the group was developed and maintained according to boundary and relationship concepts from open systems theory. It represented a microcosm of the system, which addressed problems raised by both employees and management, assisted in a survey feedback intervention, and survived concerns raised by the union, middle management, and leadership succession at the top of the organization. There is evidence that it substantially facilitated communication about difficult issues within the organization, earned more confidence from employees and management, and improved its own functioning over time. At the same time, the intervention was experienced as quite stressful and confiictful for all parties
Value Dilemmas In Organization Development
Authors: Bowen Donald D.
Published: March 2006

Friedlander and Brown's review of the current status of organization development (OD) makes the observation that value issues are central to the further development of OD practice and theory. In the present paper, some of the more crucial dilemmas are examined with special attention to the tendency of value dilemmas to reduce the effectiveness of the consultant. Argyris's model of the primary intervention cycle as a definition of the OD consultant's basic task is contrasted to the mere traditional definitions of OD, and the conclusion is drawn that Argyris's model offers promise in helping the consultant and the profession reformulate the consulting task so that the value dilemmas that inevitably arise provide opportunities for learning and developing competence rather than inhibiting the effectiveness of the consultant. Finally, it is concluded that the Argyris model does not preclude the consultant from participating in the process of changing the system, nor does it obviate the consultant's assumption of responsibility for the uses made of the knowledge he or she provides to the client system.
Women in Authority: A Sociopsychological Analysis
Authors: Bayes Marjorie , Newton Peter M.
Published: March 2006

The attempt to reduce discrimination against women in work settings has received new strength from the re-emergent feminist movement. Women are now more often being considered for positions of genuine organizational authority. We present and analyze a case example-a woman manager and her staff within a mental health center-that illustrates some basic problems arising from such social change. Our approach to the exercise of authority is sociopsychological: We seek to interrelate organizational structure, leadership style, and staff group dynamics.
External (Legal) Coercion and Internal Commitment: A Case Study of an Affirmative Action Training Program in Municipal Government
Authors: Lansky Dona T. , Reddy W. Brendan , Lansky Leonard M.
Published: March 2006

This paper describes the background, execution, and outcomes of the first year of an affirmative action training program for managers and supervisors in city government. Several pressures, e.g., long-standing hiring practices, militated against the program's success. The forces that facilitate the program included the legal pressure of Title VII, support from the city manager, an ordinance mandating that action be taken, the collaboration between the trainer (agency staff) and university consultants, and theoretical analyses of the issues. Several expected and unanticipated outcomes are described.
Stages in Developing a Consulting Relation: A Case Study of a Long Beginning
Authors: Kaplan Robert E.
Published: March 2006

The literature on Organization Development (OD) emphasizes a collaborative relationship between consultant and client and an open, data-based confrontation of an organization's problems in human interaction. Less attention has been given to how collaboration and openness are achieved. Focusing on organizational self-analysis in organizations new to OD, this paper considers the stages of development through which consultant and client organizations must pass for the consulting relation to reach maturity. The paper is based on a case study of an OD project in which 2 years were consumed in this preparatory phase. The argument is made that before the desired changes in the organization are possible, a meta-change in the organization's capacity to learn and change and to collaborate with change agents is necessary. On the basis of the case study and the literature on group development, a formulation is presented of the stages by which this meta-change is accomplished. The argument is made that this developmental phenomenon must occur at two levels-both at the level of particular units of the organization and at the level of the organizational system as a whole.
Assessment of Idiographic Organizational Climate
Authors: Offenberg Robert M. , Cernius Wtas
Published: March 2006

In preparing an organizational diagnosis, one problem faced by change agents is the integration of the different perceptions of the individuals who make up the client organization. It was hypothesized that factor analysis and elements of social exchange theory (cost. reward, and commitment) could be used to resolve this problem. An instrument was prepared in a preliminary study. The instrument was then administered to the faculties of two schools, and qualitative descriptions of each organization were made on the basis of factor patterns. Simultaneous factor analysis showed that there were systematic differences in the factor patterns obtained from the two schools. Faculty who reviewed the descriptions could correctly identify the one derived from their school's data, indicating that the descriptions were valid. These results indicate that the social-exchange and factor-analysis combination is a promising technique for organizational diagnosis.
Intervention and Evaluation: A Proactive Team Approach to OD
Authors: Gavin James F. , Mcphail S. Morton
Published: March 2006

A team of 8 change agents initiated an intensive, organization development program in a nonacademic, service department of a midwestern university. A contract whereby consultation services were exchanged for research opportunities was negotiated equally with management and nonmanagement employees. Interventions included interviews and questionnaires, data feedback, problem solving meetings, and team building exercises. Consultations were provided to nonmanagement and management groups, separately and together.

Changes assessed by questionnaires in a pretest-posttest design over a 1-year interval suggested the following: Self-perceptions of legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent power changed significantly, indicating for the most part an increase in employees' sense of power within the system. Role stresses tended to decrease over time, and yet an important index of role strain rose significantly. These data argue for increased awareness of possible job strains induced by OD interventions per se. Organizational climate measures evidenced little change despite the extensive intervention work; on the other hand, perceptions of specific factors in the work setting were altered. An implication of these data is that "narrow band" interventions might have more visible effects than those resulting from global change strategies.

Reflections on the results have provided some useful learnings for future interventions. Concluding comments explore the feasibility of substantive organizational change in short-term OD programs, the possibility of nonlinear relations between OD outcomes and time investments in change activities, some dilemmas resulting from participatively oriented OD programs, and some advantages and disadvantages of team work in OD.
Sequential Stages of Development in Sensitivity Training Groups
Authors: Lundgren David C. , Knight David J.
Published: March 2006

Changes in interaction patterns during the life span of 20 two-week NTL Institute T groups were studied in order to identify sequential stages of group development. Time sampled transcripts of T-group sessions were coded in terms of categories of communicative acts, referents, and evaluative signs of member and trainer statements. Temporal trends for a set of 17 indices of intermember and trainer-member interaction were interpreted in terms of a 3-stage sequence, the stages being termed "the initial encounter," "interpersonal confrontation," and "mutual acceptance." The findings were compared with a hypothesized 5-stage model, based upon previous theoretical and empirical work on developmental stages in small groups.
Understanding Organizational Change: A Comparative Study of Multifaceted Interventions
Authors: Pasmore William A , King Donald C.
Published: March 2006

This article reports the results of a 21/2-year action research project designed to investigate the differential impacts of sociotechnical system, job redesign and survey feedback interventions on a wide array of attitudinal and performance measures in comparable units of an organization. It was found that the attitudinal effects of the interventions were quite similar; however, only the sociotechnical system intervention resulted in major productivity improvements and cost savings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
The Effectiveness of Third-Party Process Consultation as a Function of the Consultant's Prestige and Style of Intervention
Authors: Lipshitz Raanan , Sherwood John J.
Published: March 2006

The present study examines the effects of process consultation on group performance and group cohesiveness. Two factors were studied: (a) the consultant's prestige (high vs. low) and (b) the style of intervention (instrumental process analysis vs. interpersonal process analysis). The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1. Task groups using process analysis, with or without a consultant, improved more in their work processes and cohesiveness than task groups which did not use process analysis. 2. Groups which were facilitated by a third party were not significantly different from groups which performed process analysis on their own. 3. There were no differences due to the prestige of the consultant. 4. Instrumental process analysis was followed by greater improvements in work process and performance than was interpersonal process analysis. There were no differences in cohesiveness as a consequence of the two styles of intervention. 5. The interaction between prestige and styles of intervention did not follow any consistent pattern. The results of this study are consistent with a "specificity proposition" stating that an intervention is more likely to succeed in those areas on which it is focused. Implications of this proposition for organization development are discussed in some detail.
Evaluation Research in Organizational Change Interventions: Considerations and Some Suggestions
Authors: Nicholas John M.
Published: March 2006

This paper describes some important considerations for planning and performing evaluation research in organizational change interventions. The author suggests that the very process of planning for evaluation can improve interventions through specific emphasis on clarification of problems, program objectives, intervention procedures, and expected outcomes. Some methodological problems of evaluating organizational change interventions are reviewed, along with suggestions for how these issues might be reasonably approached. Suggested is the use of a pre-evaluation framework to aid practitioners in planning effective evaluation designs. Key considerations include involvement of organizational decision makers, development of a situation change model, and use of evaluative methods and measures that corroborate evidence of outcomes. The references and examples, drawn from the literature on evaluation research and organizational change, should be useful for practitioners and decision makers interested in evaluating planned organizational change efforts.
The Utility of Maintaining Work Relationships Openly: An Experimental Study
Authors: Kaplan Robert E.
Published: March 2006

An experimental study compared two types of group maintenance: maintenance-by-expression, which manages interaction by discussing it openly, and maintenance-by-suppression, which manages interaction without examining it explicitly. It was predicted that these two types would have differential effects on group outcomes, specifically, that expressive maintenance would result in superior task performance, a more rewarding experience, greater knowledge about the social process, as well as higher emotional costs. These hypotheses were tested in a laboratory experiment in which 4-person mixed-sex groups worked on a series of human relations problems over a 4-hour period. Of the four hypotheses, two received strong support but the one pertaining to performance was not confirmed. The implications of these findings were examined with particular attention to the lack of evidence in this study, and in the literature, that expressive maintenance (process work) improves performance.
Organization Development in Schools: Goal Agreement, Process Skills, and Diffusion of Change
Authors: Keys Christopher B. , Bartunek Jean M.
Published: March 2006

The effects of an organization development (OD) intervention in seven elementary schools were examined in four areas: (a) goal agreement, (b) reported use of process skills, (c) relationship between process skills and goal agreement, and (d) diffusion of the effects of the intervention to new teachers. Principal-teacher teams participated in OD workshops and conducted training in their schools. Experimental school teachers increased more in goal agreement than did control school teachers. Experimental school teachers also reported more participation in discussions, participation in decisions, and surfacing of conflict than did control school teachers. Substantial diffusion of change occurred. After one year, new teachers in the experimental schools were equal to or superior to experienced teachers in goal agreement and use of process skills.
The Comparative Impact of Different OD Techniques and Intervention Intensities
Authors: Porras Jerry I.
Published: March 2006

A wide range of organization development techniques has been developed but little has been done to compare their impact. It is expected that different techniques would affect organizational variables in unique ways. Some techniques would probably be more effective in changing certain variables than others. Similarly, interventions of varying intensities would also be expected to yield different results. This study attempts to assess the OD empirical research literature in an effort to determine the comparative impact of the more common change techniques and varying intervention intensities. Thirty-five empirical assessments of the impact of OD are used as the data source. Eleven hypotheses derived from the OD literature are proposed and tested. The findings indicate that most of the predictions are not supported by the available data. A discussion of the implications of these results is included.
The Shifting Nature of OD Contracts: A Case Study
Authors: Milstein Mike M. , Smith Dorothy
Published: March 2006

An organization development intervention in an educational setting, which began at the level of formal goal setting and action planning, moved on to deal with emerging intergroup conflicts and an organizational undenvorld of unexamined and often unshared philosophies, beliefs, and attitudes about the role of formal education in society. The consultants were able to keep pace by diagnosing changes in the client system and renegotiating the contract accordingly.
Domain Theory: An Introduction to Oganizational Behavior in Human Service Organizations
Authors: Kouzes James M. , Mico Paul R.
Published: March 2006

The dominant paradigm of organizations, on which organization development (OD) is based, is industry-specific in theory and practice. The traditional manner by which OD technology has been transferred to the human services field presumes that the same theories and practices prevail here as well. The authors challenge this presumption. They suggest that the behavior of human services organizations (HSOs) is based on a fundamentally different paradigm, which necessitates both a new organizational theory and a different OD practice. The authors introduce and discuss a theory of organizational behavior in HSOs, integrating their own experiences with the works of Bell, Jaques, Weick, Weisbord, and others. They suggest that HSOs are comprised of three distinct domains-the Policy Domain, the Management Domain, and the Service Domain. They maintain that each domain operates by different and contrasting principles, success measures, structural arrangements, and work modes, and that the interactions between these create natural conditions of disjunction and discordance. This paradigm of conflicting domains can serve as a new conceptual guide to OD in HSOs, as well as aid to the development and refinement of new OD methods and tools specific to these organizations.
The Influence of a Meditation Relaxation Technique on Group Problem-Solving Effectiveness
Authors: Kindler Herbert S.
Published: March 2006

This research examines the question: What impact does meditation and deep relaxation have on group problem-solving effectiveness? Five-person teams comprised of 230 graduate management students participated in this study that found: (1) meditation teams improved more from pretest to posttest than control teams in solving the group problem faster and with fewer transactions; and (2) members of meditation teams felt less tense and showed more effective teamwork than members of control teams. The results are interpreted as encouragement for organizations to offer meditation-relaxation programs to employees on a voluntary basis.
Effects of Team Development Intervention: A Field Experiment
Authors: Woodman Richard W. , Sherwood John J.
Published: March 2006

A team development intervention was conducted with 22 three- and four-person work groups from an engineering survey course. For comparison purposes, 22 work groups from the surveying course served as controls and an additional 23 groups were observed to measure any possible Hawthorne effect. Random assignment of subjects to groups and groups to conditions resulted in a post-test-only control group experimental design.

The major findings were:

1. Work groups experiencing team development did not perform better than controls.

2. Individuals in groups receiving team development perceived their group as being more effective and reported greater participation than members of control groups.

3. There was a nonsignificant tendency for individuals in groups receiving team development to express greater agreement on group goals.

4. There were no statistically significant differences between individuals in treatment and control groups in terms of: (a) perceived learning, (b) expressed satisfaction with group performance, or (c) expressed satisfaction with the group.
Pygmalion at Sea: Improving the Work Effectiveness of Low Performers
Authors: Crawford Kent S. , Thomas Edmund D. , Fink Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2006

This study evaluated an innovative organization development intervention that specifically focused on improving the performance of undermotivated, problem sailors on a Navy ship. The intervention consisted of three separate but integrated training tracks. Target groups were the low performers (LPs), all supervisory personnel, and a subgroup of supervisors designated to serve as counselors/mentors. An attempt was made to provide a supportive organizational environment that would reinforce any positive behavior changes among the LPs. Results indicated that the LPs showed significant improvements on both performance indices and on a number of disciplinary offenses when compared to controls. Discussion centered on potential methodological problems encountered in the evaluation as well as on theoretical frameworks for understanding the dynamics of the intervention.
Organization Development in a Large System: An Empirical Assessment
Authors: Porras Jerry I. , Wilkins Alan
Published: March 2006

This paper reports the results of a quasi-experimental field study measuring the effects of three Organization Development (OD) interventions conducted in a large, geographically dispersed organization. The OD interventions were designed to improve the climate, leadership, group process, and overall performance of experimental units through a series of activities aimed at providing a philosophical base for change; building effective team relationships and problem-solving skills; and altering the techno-structural and social variables impeding work unit efficiency. A comparison of results from 40 experimental and control subunits (randomly assigned to these conditions) provides the basis for the first part of this analysis. A second comparison was made using those experimental units receiving a relatively more intense treatment. The findings show that the effect of the interventions was largely negative on attitudinal and behavioral variables describing organizational and individual processes. The higher intensity treatment condition generally yielded more negative effects, particularly as perceived by managers. Some outcome variables, however, such as self-actualization and several measures of unit performance, showed an unexpected improvement (given the negative process changes). Attempts are made to explain this anomalous relationship between process and outcome, the differential effects on managers and subordinates, and the generally negative effects of the interventions.
Management Style as Strategic Interaction: The Case of Governor Ronald Reagan
Authors: Biggart Nicole Woolsey
Published: March 2006

Theories and typologies of management style typically focus on the form and amount of involvement a superior allows her or his subordinates in decision making. The author suggests that existing theories are limited because they fail to recognize that management style is not merely a property of the manager, but rather a group phenomenon and that management style is not unidirectional because subordinates actively respond to and may undermine a given style. The author uses a Weberian framework to examine a case of management style, that of Governor Ronald Reagan during his 1967-74 administration, to demonstrate how his style gave him strategic advantages vis-l-vis his subordinates, but how they were able to protect their own interests as well.
Voluntary Action and Location in the System: The Case of the Israeli Civilians During the 1973 War
Authors: Kimmerling Baruch , Backer Irit
Published: March 2006

The 1973 war created a situation in which the actor was given relative freedom in choosing and performing volunteering roles. After reviewing the conditions created by the war and the institutional handling of volunteering, it is hypothesized that the tendency to volunteer is connected with the location on the center-periphery continuum, with centrality providing both a predisposition to volunteer and the possession of the necessary connections and skills. Data were gathered through a questionnaire answered by 515 persons who were heads of households during the war. As expected, a significant connection was found between volunteering and socio-economic status (SES) variables connected with centrality as well as between volunteering and membership in voluntary organizations during routine time. No connection was found between the costs of war and volunteering to the actor and her or his family and the tendency to volunteer. The ways in which volunteers got their jobs were usually connected with personal initiative and with attributes of centrality. These findings are interpreted in terms of the centrality hypothesis.
Myth Making: A Qualitative Step in OD Interventions
Authors: Boje David M. , Fedor Donald B. , Rowland Kendrith M.
Published: March 2006

An important aspect of organizational culture, which gives meaning to process and structure in human interaction, is myth making. This article proposes that organizational myths must be analyzed and incorporated into planning for organizational development. Typologies are presented to categorize myths according to their function. The role of myth within the organization's culture is discussed. The consultant is provided with methods and qualitative techniques for diagnosing the meanings and functions of myths. A life-cycle concept is applied to the timing of an intervention, recognizing a myth's different stages of acceptance and susceptability for change. Finally, a number of potential interventions are discussed in relation to their impact on the organization's myth system.
Using Social Policy Research for Reducing Social Problems: An Empirical Analysis of Structure and Functions
Authors: Van de Vall Mark , Bolas Cheryl
Published: March 2006

Investigating three samples of social policy research in The Netherlands, the authors analyzed the conditions and functions influencing utilization (impact). Interorganizational context, intergroup relations, and role interaction were found to relate to utilization. The impact of social policy research upon organizational decisions is cognitive, communicative, and diagnostic. The cognitive function correlates negatively with publishing for scholarly audiences. Of the communicative function, six feedback strategies were evaluated with targeting scoring highest on impact. In the diagnostic function, creating consensus among decision-making groups has the greatest impact on decision making. The results suggest the latent operation of a professional paradigm of social policy research, distinct from the disciplinary social science paradigm.
Organized Anarchies: Military Bureaucracy in the 1980s
Authors: Sabrosky Alan Ned , Thompson James Clay , McPherson Karen A.
Published: March 2006

The military bureaucracy today is a highly complex and differentiated structure whose interplay of institutional and interpersonal politics produces an "organized anarchy.” Its anarchical character is reinforced by ambiguities in the international environment and defense policy priorities; the misdirection of problems and misuse of participants within the bureaucracy; the misloading and overloading of the system with information and demands; incompletely understood intrabureaucratic processes; and a combination of selectivity and inattention in the entire decision-making process. The combined effect inhibits efficiency and responsiveness and greatly increases the likelihood of failure. Examples include the flawed linkage between doctrine and force posture, a mismanaged all-volunteer force, the abortive Eagle Claw rescue attempt in Iran, and the chaotic structure known as the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force. Reform is possible, but the political obstacles to be overcome are formidable.
Power Equalization in Schools Through Organization Development
Authors: Bartunek Jean M. , Keys Christopher B.
Published: March 2006

The effects of a three-year organization development (OD) intervention on power equalization were examined in seven experimental and seven control schools. The principal and teachers from experimental schools participated in a multifaceted OD intervention that included organizational training, a project coordinating council for planning and policy, and school goal-setting activities. The power of the principals and teachers became more equalized in experimental schools than in control schools. Teacher participation in decision making was positively related to power equalization, and teacher satisfaction with the administration was partially related to power equalization. Principals in schools where power equalization occurred tended to lose power during the intervention. The results support differences in schools.
Intervention in a Loosely Organized System: An Encounter with Non-Being
Authors: Kaplan Robert E.
Published: March 2006

Historically, organizational theory and the theory of organizational change have been preoccupied with highly structured organizations, the bureaucracy being the archetype. But recently what may be called a loosely organized system has attracted the attention of some theorists of organization and organizational change. Loosely organized systems come in all shapes and sizes, a familiar example being the ill-defined system consisting of a set of organizations, related but autonomous. If intervention is defined as a way of organizing to promote learning and change in social systems, then the question arises: How is this organizational task accomplished in a loosely organized system? This is the central question in this paper, which revolves around a case study of intervention in a system of community agencies: How does the interventionist shape an essentially integrative strategy to an essentially disintegrative social system?
Modeling-Based Organizational Development: A Longitudinal Assessment
Authors: Porras Jerry J. , Hargis Kenneth , Patterson Kerry J. , Maxfield David G. , Roberts Nancy , Bies Robert J.
Published: March 2006

First-level supervisors have traditionally expressed frustration over their difficulty in effectively managing subordinates. This paper describes a social learning theory based on organizational development intervention focused on helping wood products plant supervisors develop better participative problem-solving skills. All the foremen in a plywood mill participated in workshops conducted over a three-month period. Measures of five key behaviors were taken immediately before the intervention began, shortly after it ended, and finally, six months later. Behavioral measures consisted of subordinates' perceptions of their supervisor. Results showed significant positive behavior change between before and after measures and the maintenance of this change for the six months thereafter. Significant improvement in productivity and labor relations indices also occurred.
Housing Supply and Regulation: A Study of the Rental Housing Market
Authors: Appelbaum Richard P. , Gilderbloom John I.
Published: March 2006

The country is currently experiencing a severe crisis in rental housing, characterized by chronic shortages of units that are available at prices affordable to most renters. Rapidly rising rents, declining construction of new units, and conversion of existing units to nonrental uses are all indicators of this crisis. In this paper we explore three approaches to the problem, finding difficulties with each. Rent control, advocated by tenant groups, is at best a stop-gap measure that eliminates large increases in rents; it fails, however, to provide additional housing. Public sector programs, including both housing allowances and public housing, are especially costly during inflationary periods and therefore are being severely curtailed. Finally, the private sector approach-summed up as "build more housing"-is examined in detail, in light of data obtainedfrom 115 self-contained U.S. housing markets in 1970. It is found that contrary to the predictions of supply-side theorists, housing markets characterized by a large amount of new rental housing construction do not have lower rents. Nor is vacancy rate, another indicator of relative supply, found to be associated with rent levels. These findings seriously question the wisdom of housing policies that callfor an end to local land-use and building regulations, under the false belief that such regulations are responsible for artificially restricted supply and hence higher prices and rents. We conclude with some policy suggestions of our own, including the development of such nonmarketplace alternatives to rental housing as limited-equity cooperatives and public utility housing.
Advancement for Women in Hierarchical Organizations: A Multilevel Analysis of Problems and Prospects
Authors: Martin Patricia Yancey , Harrison Dianne , Dinitto Diana
Published: March 2006

Women's problems and prospects for advancement to upper level positions in hierarchical organizations are analyzed within a five-level framework of social organization. The five levels are (1) societal; (2) institutional; (3) organizational; (4) role; and (5) individual. Corresponding units of analysisfor each level are identified and discussed. To illustrate the framework, two problems confronting women are identified for each level, along with possible corrective actions. Conclusions are that (1) fundamental change in women's status in hierarchical work organizations will require simultaneous efforts on all five levels of social organization; (2) change in any realm requires political action against ideological justifications and claims for women's exclusion; and (3) the division of labor between the sexes in relation to work and child/family/home responsibilities must change before women can receive equitable treatment in the workplace. The authors call for more research on the interrelations between influences and factors across levels of social organization.