04.08.2009

(took midterm; missed part of powerpoint)

Presidents should:

• be transformational and transactional: thermostats
• cultivate leadership within units
• using influence to drive agenda-focus attention
• look at institutions thru multiple frams
• be sensitive to unexpected reactions to their behavior
• increase reliance on instuition
• recognize acting as thinking
• develop habits that question data and its interpretation (don't just take at face value)
• encourage disagreement
• make sure they have monitors (not spies; someone in another dept. or area who can give feedback on reactions, what's happening, etc.)
• pay attention to how information is disseminated (don't control it, but know who knows what, and how things spread across campus, etc.)
• provide campus forums
• know followers (know the characteristics of everyone "under" you on the campus)
• be good bureaucrats (know how to delegate, deal with external groups, sense of linear strategy, know how to use paperwork to get things accomplished)
• value inconsistency (be aware that not everything will go smoothly or make sense; be adaptable; realize that you're dealing with human beings) -- but should probably be very consistent themselves (or followers may become suspicious about your changes)

Coupling

Tight Coupling

• a precise correspondence between two elements
• deterministic - predictable
• a change in one systems causes a marked change in the other

Loose Coupling

• elements responsive to each other, but preserve own identity--separateness
• probabilitistic--not predictable with certainty
• connections btwn organizational subsystems that may be infrequent, weak
• pros: more sensitive to environment
• cons: may seem inefficient

Organizations can have both types of coupling

Cybernetic more likely to have both

Things to look at for final paper:

• type of leadership
• role of president
• role of faculty
• role of students
• type of coupling
• campus climate
• pros and cons