Questions We Can Help You To Answer
Please answer the following questions:
1. The move from logico-positivist assumptions about schools can be described best by which of the following?
a. A move toward qualitative research methods.
b. A focus on building human capital.
c. Defining organizations in terms of the people who populate them.
d. All of the above.
Explain your answer as to the move as well as the time period of this transition.
2. Explain Arthur Blumberg’s reasoning behind his suggestion that it was useful to think of administration as craft rather than as a science. Again, include the time period for this suggestion.
3. From your reading, list several examples of bureaucratic measures of how administrators control instruction and an example of where a instructional benefit may be loosely coupled. What distinguishes the two categories from each other?
4. Briefly summarize the five basic assumptions of effective schools. Those who have done extensive research in the area of effective schools point to the overarching value of the school’s culture. Provide a brief description of the school’s culture can impact positive academic performance.
5. Using the characteristics of effective schools research, describe a school’s culture or your school’s culture that utilizes or could utilize at least three of the concepts that can be implemented relatively quickly and with minimal cost.
6. Human resources development can be characterized best as
a. How individuals can contribute to the success of the organization.
b. How leaders structure the work environment to socialize individuals.
c. Developing a human resources plan to recruit and hire the best individuals.
d. Developing the skills and knowledge of the employees.
e. Both b and c.
Pick the correct response(s) from above that complete the lead statement; explain your
rationale for selecting or not selecting a response(s).
7. Define organizational culture; what makes up culture?
8. True or False: Organizational culture is a subset of organizational climate. Explain your answer.
9. Edgar Schein described organizational culture as being composed of three different but closely linked concepts. Identify these concepts and describe their importance to “anyone who hopes to alter the culture of a school.”
10. Explain the importance (and meaning to becoming a high-performing school) of Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s work about organizational culture indicating that successful organizations have a culture of pride and that this concept is found in organizations that are integrative.
11. In your own words, describe the Interaction-Influence System and its importance to a school leader in understanding organizational behavior of a school.
12. Research done on the relationship between organizational culture and effectiveness indicates that many variables that affect student performance are under control of leaders and teachers. In what way(s) does this research finding help the leadership of the school?
13. In a school where you are the principal or pick a school with which you have some familiarity, illustrate how this school has a positive school climate. In your response, identify the four primary dimensions of school climate according to Tagiuri’s model. For each of these dimensions describe how it is implemented in this school to produce a positive climate, and give at least one specific example for each dimension. Finally, indicate how you, as principal, continually assess the climate relative to these dimensions.
