Organizational Behavior in Education: Leadership and School Reform

For courses in Organizational Behavior in Education (Educational Administration & Leadership)

An authoritative, well-established, timely look at organizational behavior and how leaders can create more effective school cultures

This text presents an authoritative, well-established, timely look at organizational behavior and how leaders can create more effective school cultures. It offers future and current practitioners the most up-to-date thinking and the most in-depth exploration of organizational leadership as it relates to decision making, organizational change, managing conflict and communications, and motivating self and others to achieve organizational goals. The authors challenge readers to develop and analyze the successful implementation of school reform, while helping them gain a professional understanding of the organizational theory and research that are the bedrock of modern practice.

The new Eleventh Edition features updated research and developments in the field; an extensively revised, more systematic and logical presentation of organizational theory and its historical development; discussion of the new ELCC Standards and Elements that apply to program accreditation in Ed Leadership programs; APA format for all references and citations; new presentations of important research in the field; and more.

This text presents the perfect teaching and learning experience:

• Key features help instructors teach the material and help students learn the material.
• Updated research and recent developments provide the best available research and the most current thinking in the area.

Robert G. Owens is professor emeritus at Hofstra University and also the City University of New York. He began his professional career as the teaching principal of a three-room school. After serving as principal for eighteen years in a variety of school environments he became a university professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo and moved subsequently to Brooklyn College of City University of New York, then Indiana University and, later, Hofstra.  His research, publications, and service have always focused on, and been centered in, the practice of improving the organizational effectiveness of schools.

He can be reached by email at rgowens@comcast.net

Thomas C. Valesky began his career in education serving as teacher, high school counselor, elementary principal, and superintendent ― both in the United States and abroad. He is currently professor of Educational Leadership and coordinator for the Doctor of Education program at Florida Gulf Coast University. His work has resulted in numerous journal publications and the co-authorship of two books, Training for Quality School-based Decision Making (pub. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003) and Challenge to change: The Memphis Experience with School-Based Decision Making (pub. National Education Association, 1994). Previously, he served as a professor at the University of South Florida (1993-1997), and professor and then chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Supervision at the University of Memphis (1984-1993).  At the University of Memphis, he was also a senior researcher and team leader for the Tennessee state-sponsored Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP), studying school-based decision-making and school finance. 

Dr. Valesky was President of Southern Regional Council on Educational Administration (SRCEA) in 2001-02 and served on the Executive Board from 1998 to 2003.  In addition he has been active with the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) where he served as a member of the Executive Board from 1995-98. Other service to the profession includes membership on editorial boards of four national peer-reviewed journals, and as editor for school finance and business for the NCPEA Connexions project, an open-source peer-reviewed online database hosted at Rice University.