Uses social exchange theory to examine the process by which employees are dismissed from organizations. Examines interview data from an exploratory study that suggests managers are influenced by information from group members as they calculate a cost-benefit ratio for the employer-employee relationship. Indicates a progression of communication…

Establishing a human resource development (HRD) program for HRD practitioners frequently results in problems of organizational change. The author has applied the theories of three contemporary sociologists--Talcott Parsons, Lewis Coser, and Peter Blau--to a hypothetical case study of an HRD consulting firm faced with developing its own human…

The author of this article challenges a common assumption made by both critics and defenders of standardized-testing technology (or psychometry), namely that standardized tests "measure" something (culture, ability, etc.). It argues that psychometric practice cannot be classified as a form of measurement and instead is best understood as…

This curriculum analysis of black South African education considers conflict and change in historical, contemporary, and postapartheid contexts. Part 1, "The Historical Context," interprets curriculum evolution, beginning with the evangelical curriculum for slaves in 1658 and concluding with formalization of racism in the apartheid…

A revision of the Westley-MacLean model of 1957 for communication research accommodates an incorporation of some of the research areas that have blossomed during the last three decades. The revision concentrates on two aspects of the original: (1) organizational features within the advocate, communicator and audience roles; and (2) environmental…

A general theory of bargaining that is applicable to all types of bargaining situations and that provides a framework for analyzing the stages of the bargaining process is presented. Bargaining theory is critiqued with special attention directed to theories of Zeuthen, Hicks, Pen, and Chamberlain. The proposed framework in bargaining power is…

Although most speech communication writers view coercion as negative, coercion is a legitimate form of influence used as often in open societies--and more often within organizations--as persuasion. Where coercion is the influence means of habit or choice, a clear conception of its nature will increase its effectiveness; and a clear conception will…

School administrators can get a better idea of what their purpose is by examining, first, what schools achieve; second, how schools function; and, third, why they function. A school's production function (what it achieves) involves many specific functions, but they all are a product of the relationship between school inputs and outputs. Inputs…

This paper presents an exchange-theory view of school authority relations in order to identify patterns of coupling, or interdependencies, within school organizations and to analyze the potential for tighter coupling of administrative and teaching subsystems. The analysis proceeds from an argument that the social-exchange view of administrative…

Examines nonverbal expressions of power and control in the daily lives of old people from a life-span perspective. Because of societal devaluation of the aged and later life declines in power resources, old people experience loss of status and social control during everyday nonverbal rituals of dominance and deference. (Author)

Discusses use of reciprocation in library operations. Library media specialists explain how reciprocation can enhance cooperation of teachers, students, and others. Suggestions include thank you cards or gifts to speakers; rewarding students for reading and good behavior; providing refreshments for repairmen; hosting parties; and relieving…

A conceptualization of social skills as resources in social exchange is offered, and a social exchange theoretical framework is applied to educational research. In a social exchange framework, the contribution of the peer group to the social exclusion of an individual would not be ignored. (SLD)

In a comparative analysis of values in state education policy, this paper demonstrates the need for a multifaceted methodology to understand the complexity that characterizes state sociopolitical systems. The paper refers to a study of education policy values among six states in its analysis. Identifying values and their influence form the central…

Symbolic leadership and culture are the guiding concepts of nine selections presented in this 1987 yearbook. In part 1, "Organizational Perspectives on the Work of Leaders," Terrence E. Deal predicts that future educational organizations will depend upon leaders who have shaped cultural patterns from traditions, current realities, and…

Working from the basic assumption that the primary motivation for those involved in school governance is self-interest, this paper develops and discusses 15 hypotheses that form the essential elements of an economic theory of school governance. The paper opens with a review of previous theories of governance and their origins in social science…