The effect of unpredictable resources on organizational performance in higher education was examined, along with whether some management strategies are more successful under conditions of relative predictability or unpredictability. Perceptions of administrators about institutional resources and performance were studied, along with the effects of…

Four studies of leadership reach different conclusions, all apparently consistent with the experiences of practitioners. The themes of functionalism and culturalism in the study of organizations are illuminated and the usefulness of research using multiple points of view to examine a limited number of cases is suggested. (Author/MLW)

An address to faculty and staff considers the question of how quality can be improved at the various levels of a college. The importance of a shared sense of purpose is emphasized. Three goals of postsecondary education are discussed: to produce desirable changes in people; to do so through means that are consistent with social values; and to…

Five models of organizational decision-making are described, and a case study of the rational model as seen in the budget process at Stanford University during the 1970s is presented. Several issues are addressed to help administrators who are interested in increasing the organization's rational decision-making. The five models are as follows: the…

Differences between declining colleges and colleges not experiencing decline were investigated, along with dysfunctional organizational consequences that may be associated with decline. Attention is directed to 12 negative attributes resulting from conditions of decline, seven of which were found to be significant: no innovation, scapegoating,…

A bibliography on strategic management is presented to assist both practitioners and researchers. Criteria for inclusion were as follows: (1) general in scope, providing introductory information on a variety of subtopics within strategic management; (2) indications that the work is becoming a classic (i.e., frequent citations by other authors);…

A hands-on study for executives, researchers, and students who want to better understand how organizational culture can support or impede decision making strategies in a complex changing collegiate environment is provided. Leadership strategies and institutional problems are described. Seven different collegiate cultures are explored via case…

The efforts of eight private four-year colleges to deal with revenue declines in the 1970s are described. The major social, political, and economic developments that contributed to the decline and recovery efforts are briefly reviewed. Attention is directed to strategic management responses to the financial stress. The colleges, whose identities…