Outlines some of the principles and conditions of effective library decision making in a group context, drawing on the research and theory literature of management and the psychology of group decision processes. Various decision-making strategies are discussed and 44 references are included. (Author/JL)

Successful in Japan and in American industry, quality circles are a specific way to involve staff members in solving organization problems. A growing number of school administrators are examining this technique to see if it can reduce the costs of education and improve morale. (Author/JM)

In educational settings, it is becoming common for members of groups to be forced to choose among more than two candidates, programs, or objectives. When no majority favors any one of three or more alternative choices, there are several rational, although arbitrary, ways to proceed. The first attempt at making the choice ought to adopt the…

Meetings are an integral and time consuming part of almost everyone's life. Meetings can become a vital form of communication and interaction, and thus become an important and useful management tool if they are carefully planned, conducted, and followed up. Specific ways of conducting meetings, such as the Nominal Group Technique, the Interaction…

Situational leadership involves matching the right leadership strategy with the right situation. Crucial steps in the process include determining the situation, eliminating ineffective approaches, assessing the impact of time, and committing to a practical approach. (SK)

The "Goodbye To All That" (GOAT) Effect is introduced as a special research and evaluation "outcome" effect characterizing decision making unduly influenced by abandoning "write-off" tendencies. The "gradual refinement" approach offers an antidote to the GOAT Effect because it does not use the systems…

For greater effectiveness, attention should be paid to how group decisions are made. The process of consensus-seeking encourages appraisal of more information and provides a broader range of potential alternatives. (SK)

Suggestions for schools considering the purchase of word processing equipment are presented. Procedures for selecting equipment include getting information on prices, servicing, warranties, training, speed of printing, and quality of output. Choices to make include brand vs. service, price vs. service, and variety vs. limitations of brands. (CT)

The commonly accepted idea that the only rational measure of the worth of a gamble is its expected value or some subjective counterpart such as expected utility is examined. Also discussed are the changes called for in theories of rational choice when prescriptions of rational models violate common sense. (Author/GK)

Presenting suggestions for the administrator's role in the formulation of educational philosophy, this article asserts that philosophy should illuminate understanding of education by providing the basis for decisions and actions. (JC)

Choice taking is a personal matter that results from consideration of the issues and beliefs about the nature of reality, humans, and social context. Systematic consideration of these elements forms the foundation of professional practice. (Author)

Questions whether gerontologists are creating myth about families by emphasizing individual autonomy as independence without family interdependence and by advocating advance directives. Argues that another antifamily trend is developing despite empirical evidence showing that elderly persons prefer family to represent them in surrogate decision…

Presents the concept of the average decision maker as a statistical entity with 10 essential properties, and defines the information state in terms of the decision maker's probability of choice of various courses of action. The implications for a generalized theory of information science are suggested. (33 references) (EAM)

A conceptual framework for making ethical decisions involves evaluating every alternative in terms of core ethical values while considering the impact on all stakeholders. (SK)

The purpose of this discussion is to explore the idea that children, like adults, have certain rights that include the basic right to be entertained. A hypothesis was developed supporting the idea that there exists affective value for a child if he or she has the opportunity to occasionally sit and watch media which contains no particular…