Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study investigates the beliefs, practices, and characteristics of highly effective teachers who consistently foster academic excellence in particular subgroups of economically disadvantaged K-12 students in urban schools.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: International non governmental organizations (INGOs) in humanitarian aid are facing contradicting performance demands: donor requirements regarding performance measurement and compliance to accountability standards increased, while at the same time INGOs have to adjust to the exigencies of local crisis contexts. This has real consequences for humanitarian work: there is ample evidence that humanitarian INGOs have problems to meet these demands. In this paper, the question is posed whether non profit organizations are able to perform well on contradicting performance demands. The literature on contradictions in business firms suggests that organizations that employ activities geared towards meeting these contradicting demands can perform well by implementing specific organizational arrangements. In this paper, we explore the value of this literature for non governmental organizations. We develop a text analysis method for evaluation reports on non governmental humanitarian projects to study a) whether humanitarian INGOs employ activities originating from contradicting performance demands; b) if so, whether INGOs are capable to simultaneously achieve good performance on these demands; and c) what organizational arrangements contribute to this balancing act. We illustrate this method with the analysis of one evaluation report on four humanitarian projects by one non-governmental organization after the Tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper is an in depth case study of a high-performing Hispanic school and provides insight into the external, internal, and criterion performance conditions that maximize student learning. Specific attention is given to the leadership behaviors of the principal in establishing a community of learners where students succeed. The implications of these findings on how to strengthen leadership capacity through leadership preparation are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: During the time of increased work reorganization, I investigate the components of bureaucratic and high performance work systems and the sources of variation in an organization’s adoption of bureaucratic and high performance practices. Findings from the 1996 National Organizations Survey suggest that the degree of workplace formalization, level of hierarchy, and number of departmentalization strongly indicate bureaucratic organizations, but the alleged high performance indicators of teamwork, skill enhancement, job autonomy, and innovative pay structures do not cohere to identify high performance work systems. Multivariate analyses reveal that size, domestic and foreign market competition, and organization performance pressures are related to work reorganization. In general, large organizations under low market competition and low performance pressure tend to adhere to bureaucratic systems, whereas large organizations with a high level of domestic and international market competition, plus tremendous performance pressures, leads to the adoption of many high performance practices. The implications for future studies on work organization are also discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper focuses on one of the available tools to promote employee participation, namely suggestion systems. Suggestion systems are formal communication channels between employees and management. If well implemented, suggestion systems can serve important functions within an organization and impact the organization’s bottom line.
The paper outlines and tests a model of high-performance suggestion systems by building and expanding on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991). According to the theoretical model, employee participation in suggestion systems is explained and predicted by TPB’s antecedents. At the same time, the relationship between TPB’s antecedents and a broad range of organizational characteristics--such as adequacy of the suggestion system’s rewards, organizational trust, empowerment, supervisory support to the process of continuous improvement, and role breadth self-efficacy--has been explicitly considered.
The model was empirically tested by administering a questionnaire to line workers in an automotive plant (Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Inc.). Overall, the results provided support to the proposed model with 35% of the explained variance in future participation in suggestion systems, 65% of explained variance in intention to submit suggestions, 41% of explained variance in attitudes toward submitting suggestions, and 24% of explained variance in self-identity with submitting suggestions.