ORGANIZATION THEORY AND RESEARCH: Some Implications for Guidance Programs

Abstract

The "common sense approach" to organizing and administering guidance services needs to be buttressed by sound theoretical principles and the results of meaningful research. In view of the absence of such support, the contributions of the science of organizations are examined for relevant concepts and conclusions. Commonly held assumptions regarding the value of democratic supervision and participative problem-solving need ,to be qualified. In addition, effective social interactions are viewed as a function of a complex of behaviors and events involving the initiator, the recipient and their situational circumstances. The concepts of communication, organization fiction, power, and decision-making were seen as providing the administrator with additional cues for appraising and revitalizing his program and service.OST OF THE AUTHORITATIVE texts deal-

Trends in Educational Administration: Impact Upon Guidance Administrator

“…Their treatment of the dynamics of organization and administration tends to be intuitive, platitudinous and / or perfunctory at best. ( 2 ) At a time when educational administration is undergoing a comprehensive self examination, and the signs are that the resulting upheaval will place the administrative burden for the task areas with the "experts," these attitudes seem to need examination and revision.…”

Leadership Behavior of Guidance Directors Related to Counselors' Expectations

“…At a time when educational administration is experiencing an increasing bureaucratization, it is becoming increasingly evident that the guidance director will have to assume more of the leadership responsibilities for the development and maintenance of the guidance program, responsibilities that in the past have been held largely by the school administrator. Recent writings (Anderson, 1957;Brown, 1967;Calia, 1965;Hill, 1965;Kehas, 1965;Koeppe & Bancroft, 1966;Reed & Stefflre, 1963;Shertzer & Stone, 1963) have expressed concern that counselor education programs have done little to prepare the school counselor to assume the leadership responsibilities inherent in the director of guidance position. Implicit within these writings was also an assumption that the effectiveness of a guidance staff is dependent upon the performance Jeremiah Donigan is Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, New York.…”