A Guide for Educational Policy Governance : Effective Leadership for Policy Development

The varying concepts of organizational development are relevant to everything done administratively in educational practice. Organizational development centers on the concepts of schools as social organization, and like all other social systems, schools have structure, power, values, assumptions, conflicts, ongoing changes, and issues that exert strong influences on human behavior. The interplay between the organizational, human, and social environments combines to influence relationships, roles, attitudes, and program outcomes. The often-heard statement that ‘schools are people’ and that the human component is our greatest asset are discussed in-depth throughout the book. The book focuses on the concepts of organizational development and the matter of on-going change. The significant concepts and contributions historically that have served as foundations for contemporary administrative practices are underscored. Guidance is given to administrative leaders for dealing with ongoing organizational changes is an important focus of the book. School leaders and school personnel must work in changing internal and external environments. Organizational culture and climate as they influence school practices are discussed in-depth. Contemporary applications of organizational development and a look to the future are projected for the guidance of all school personnel.