Seizing the Catholic Moment: Kairos and the Rhetoric of Diocesan Administration

What can Roman Catholic diocesan administrations in the United States learn from rhetorical studies in the postmodern moment? This dissertation attempts to help American dioceses to respond to a postmodern moment of increasing secularization, changing human resources, and declining institutional trust. In this moment of challenge and uncertainty, it finds Richard Neuhaus\u27s (1987) metaphor of the Catholic Moment to be particularly powerful for diocesan administration because it finds within the tensions of postmodernity a new sense of possibility that both the Christian and rhetorical traditions have understood through the metaphor of kairos. The rhetoric of diocesan administration is best understood not as the implementation of communicative or managerial \u27techniques\u27 but as a form of playful engagement that flows out of the pastoral acknowledgement of the call of a homeless world. \u27Part I: The Call of the Catholic Moment\u27 describes the challenges that American dioceses currently face, frames the rhetorical dimensions of diocesan life, and seeks to ground the rhetoric of diocesan administration in the institutional roots that give it a human face: the stewardship of the gift of the Catholic faith and the pastoral care of persons. In the moment of postmodernity, dioceses that fail to attend to these roots compromise their identity and their ability to respond to the Catholic Moment. In the Catholic Moment, diocesan administrations are constantly invited and challenged to learn how to become better dioceses--more confident, more competent, more caring, and more self-consciously Catholic--than ever before. \u27Part II: The Response of Diocesan Administration\u27 approaches the rhetorical challenges of postmodernity in a constantly constructive fashion. Building on the notion of interpretive play so important to Hans-Georg Gadamer\u27s (1960/2004) philosophical hermeneutics, it will propose an understanding of diocesan rhetoric framed by the metaphor of administrative play that transforms diocesan administration from a bureaucratic structure into a communicative home. By allowing Catholic dioceses to see the historical moment of postmodernity in ways conducive to administrative play, Neuhaus\u27s metaphor of the Catholic Moment--transforms postmodernity into an occasion of kairos\u27-as long as dioceses are open and willing to seize it

A critical appraisal of the position of the university within the knowledge-economy.

This thesis explores the contemporary position of the university by examining specific elements within the current knowledge discourse. In presenting a view of the Knowledge Management (KM) movement within the discipline of Management Science this thesis supports the claims that the emerging form of knowledge within the contemporary knowledge discourse is one that relates to or is embedded within performative criteria. This draws on the work of Jean-Francois Lyotard and other ‘postmodern’ thinkers to help explain why we appear to be facing a crucial paradox, i.e. a context where multiplicity and diversity appears to be paramount and yet knowledge itself is conforming to a more stable and less volatile form. This principal paradox is explained with the use of a model of the current knowledge discourse. The contemporary position is presented as one of ‘residual reflection’, where the contestation within the discourse results in a multiplicity of knowledge claims. Inevitably the existing structure of legitimacy within the discourse assists in the validation of knowledge claims within this fluid contested environment where there has not emerged a consensus through which legitimacy can be appropriately assigned. The current knowledge discourse appears to lie within this period of residual reflection and the manifestation of this is outlined in relation to the university. In particular, the university aligns itself with the commodification of knowledge and adopts an uncritical stance in relation to the imposition of market forces within Higher Education. This supports the legitimisation of learning that is external to the university and validates such phenomena as Lifelong Learning, Experiential Learning and other forms of work-based learning. Although not entirely critical of these forms of learning, this thesis presents a cautionary view of these developments. Specifically, the discipline of education in considering the position of the university within the postmodern, often calls for it to adopt or take up the critical position, to critically engage with the trends that appear to be emerging. However, where the university can be seen to be contributing to its own loss of legitimacy there is a danger that the opportunity for the university to undertake this necessary critical engagement is itself being undermined. The university is potentially losing its opportunity to engage within the knowledge discourse in an effective way. In many respects it is contributing to its own loss of legitimacy and in doing so opens up the discourse to other elements which themselves seek legitimacy. In its open acceptance of the benefits to be gained from the uncritical acceptance of the commodification of knowledge the university is doing more than allowing different views to be aired and considered. The university is, in fact, appearing to commercially succeed at the expense of its own position within the knowledge discourse. This thesis does not attempt to support the existence of the university as an institution. In presenting the deteriorating position of the university there is accepted only a greater degree of contestation within the knowledge discourse. The need to reconcile this contestation is necessary but the outcome or the means of reconciliation are not considered here. However, the opportunity for the university to play a part in this reconciliation is not fully appreciated currently, specifically within the academic community. The many claims that the university is in crisis and facing ruin are countered by the presentation of a genuine need, essentially the need to critically engage with the dynamism being experienced within the knowledge discourse. There is assumed to be an opportunity here for the university, but this opportunity is itself being lost and the position of the university, at a time when it appears to be at its most successful, is being undermined. Importantly its own actions are contributing to its inevitable loss of legitimacy and in turn its right or opportunity to position itself as the critical arbiter within the knowledge discourse

A Strategy For Promoting Business-It Fusion To Enhance Management Of Enterprise Applications

This paper is based upon a research study conducted to determine the significance of managerial leadership practices in a corporation’s transformation during the period from 2004 to 2006. The study attempted to discover how business-IT fusion enhances organizational performance. The study answered two questions: how managerial leadership practices effectively advance business-IT fusion of an inclusive and collaborative organization and how business-IT fusion affects risks and profitability. The intention of this study was to contribute to the field of management of information technology grounded on propositions involving organizational development roles, IT governance, and collaborative organizations. Triangulated inquiry from documents and a survey of 24 participants who included 2 women and 22 men comprising a chief information officer, 7 functional managers, 8 project managers, and 8 engineers of a corporation in the northeastern United States confirmed the propositions. The findings indicated that horizontal integration has begun in transition from being separate toward becoming collaborative. This paper will reveal how disparate images that are subculture bound could be enhanced by collaborative and integrative leadership practices. Moreover, the horizontal integration of common financial and technical applications allows work to be transferred across different locations, thus reducing risks and increasing return on investment.  This paper will present a collaborative and integrative model integrating organizational development roles, IT governance, and relationship management across organizational settings for transforming effective business-IT fusion

The Necessity for Communicative Engagement Capability in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions

Frequent organizational change has become inescapable in postmodern organizations. While thousands of articles and texts have been written on the topic of organizational change offering models and strategies for accomplishing planned change, the majority of change initiatives fail to meet expectations (Burnes and Jackson; Keller and Aiken). What, then, is a business leader to do when change is an imperative in the postmodern business world, but the majority of change initiatives fail to succeed in the manner predicted? Mergers and acquisitions are a common type of planned change organizations pursue to survive in the postmodern, hypercompetitive marketplace. Mergers and acquisitions can make companies larger and more able to cope in the marketplace, allow organizations to enter new markets or grow in existing markets, or acquire technology, among other benefits (Bastien). Mergers and acquisitions should be a positive organizational action for most stakeholders. If the parts of change implementation are well known, and if it is true that change should help strengthen an organization so that it can be an ongoing concern, what contributes to the frequent failure of organizational mergers and acquisitions? To help address these questions, this work seeks to understand, “How can an understanding of human communication in organizations aid leaders in implementing successful organizational change during the process of a merger and/or acquisition?” To help answer this question, Pat Arneson’s theory of communication, communicative engagement, can help leaders meet the complexity of planned change through a wholistic approach to communication. Some other organizational change approaches recognize the contingent nature of change, but do not provide the type of robust approach that communicative engagement offers. Communicative engagement foregrounds theōría-poíēsis-praxis in a transversal awareness that is attentive to others and all sources of information available in a leader’s situatedness. Resources include experiences, traditions, and organizational structures. A leader engages through a body as s/he seeks to create an ethical fitting response to questions and concerns during mergers and acquisitions. Creating a culture with communicative engagement capability is a way to help organizations experience more successful mergers and acquisitions and other significant planned change

Pre-service teacher education in the postmodern state

Over the past thirty years more than one hundred teaching and teacher education inquiries have been published in Australia. Despite each of these documents having made recommendations for reform it has been claimed that change has been limited. Moreover, teacher educators have been criticised for lacking the ability to change. The author of this study challenged this assertion and sought to investigate its accuracy. To explore the claim of minimal change the researcher framed the study design around pre-service teacher education reforms. The following three questions underpinned the investigation. 1) What recommendations were made? 2) What recommendations were implemented? 3) Why were some recommendations implemented and others not? Combining document and life history research offered the researcher an innovative and novel approach to identify barriers to change in teacher education. The findings of this study address the claim that change to pre-service education has been limited and adds to the existing body of literature centred on policy formation and implementation in teacher education

Medical Education and Curriculum Reform: Putting Reform Proposals in Context

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate criteria by which the principles of curriculum reform can be judged. To this end, the paper presents an overview of standard critiques of medical education and examines the ways medical curriculum reforms have responded to these critiques. The paper then sets out our assessment of these curriculum reforms along three parameters: pedagogy, educational context, and knowledge status. Following on from this evaluation of recent curriculum reforms, the paper puts forward four criteria with which to gauge the adequacy medical curriculum reform. These criteria enable us to question the extent to which new curricula incorporate methods and approaches for ensuring that its substance: overcomes the traditional opposition between clinical and resource dimensions of care; emphasizes that the clinical work needs to be systematized in so far as that it feasible; promotes multi-disciplinary team work, and balances clinical autonomy with accountability to non-clinical stakeholders

Exploring distance learning experiences of in-service music teachers from Puerto Rico in a master's program

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of in-service music teachers who chose to pursue a master's degree in music education through distance learning. In this study, I examined the motivations of in-service music teachers for choosing to pursue a master's degree in music education through distance learning; the benefits teachers reported as a result of emolling in a distance learning program; the challenges teachers faced when studying in an online distance learning graduate program; and, the learning experiences teachers found significant for their profession and teaching environments. Teachers who pursued a master's degree in music education through distance learning at Cambridge College Puerto Rico Regional Center comprised the sample. The primary data collection method was individual semi-structured interviews. Results depicted that the experiences gained by in-service music teachers increased their capacity in teaching pedagogy, theoretical understanding of the field, communication skills, and capability in handling technological issues. The difference between the number of students satisfied and dissatisfied with the program was significant, with the former outnumbering the latter. The salient disadvantages reported by the sample group included a technological gap, reduced direct interaction with professors, a need for self-motivation, and a reduced practical ability between the moderators and the students. On the other hand, the primary advantage of distance learning was the convenience and flexibility of pursuing a music education degree online, which allowed the in-service music teachers to study at home and gave them the capability to balance their domestic and professional responsibilities. The participants' main reasons for enrolling in an online degree program were a desire to excel in their careers, the lack of a geographically closer option, professional and/or family lifestyles, a need for increasing academic knowledge, and a need to improve teaching capability and capacity. Recommendations are offered for leaders and institutions engaged in distance learning programs to address the challenges raised by students who have gone through the system. I hope that the knowledge gained from this study will expand both scholars' and prospective students' current understanding of distance learning as an educational model, especially in the music education field

Prospective leadership development in colleges and universities in Canada : perceptions of leaders, educators, and students

The perceived need for more and better leadership in the United States has led to the inclusion of leadership development programs in some 800 American colleges and universities. The goal of this study was to contribute to the construction of similar programs in Canadian colleges and universities. Interviews were conducted with 83 individuals: 41 students, 24 educators and 18 leaders. The researcher used the appreciative inquiry method, and the resulting data were analyzed within the grounded theory design advocated by Strauss and Corbin (1998). In this study the perceptions of leaders, educators, and students were described regarding ideal leadership and ideal leadership development. The researcher found that leadership was perceived to be an interactive process between members of a team, rather than the direction of a single individual to others. It was discovered that leadership was perceived as the releasing of an individual’s potential, through mentoring, for the purpose of contributing to a collaborative team that articulated and accomplished a shared vision. The development of individuals was viewed as at least equally important as the accomplishing of a goal. From the perceptions of study participants, a definition of leadership development was constructed. Leadership development was the intentional fostering of individuals toward their maximum leadership capacity through personal development, experiential leadership opportunities, leadership education, and the development of leadership skills. These developments were based on personal awareness and readiness within a mentoring environment. Based on a synthesis of the literature review, a survey of leadership development programs, and the findings of these interviews, the researcher constructed a four level model of leadership development. This model provides for programmatic component areas that might profitably be included in leadership development programs. The model also suggests consideration of the conceptual issues that need to be addressed by educators in formulating programs of leadership development for colleges and universities. The levels of the model are as follows: (a) articulate inherent understandings regarding students, teaching, and the role of universities; (b) complete educator tasks that assess individuals in the program as well as define leadership and articulate an understanding of skill development; (c) construct three program categories of leader development, leadership education, and leadership training together with a philosophy of leadership development; and (d) decide on the program components that will fulfill program objectives within the three categories of leader development, leadership education, and leadership training.Implications for theory, research, and colleges and universities are outlined. The study is to assist in the construction and further enhancement of leadership development initiatives and programs in colleges and universities

Boats, caves, spies and stories: A narrative study of outdoor management development programmes in the United Kingdom

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The thesis develops new understanding in relation to Outdoor Management Development (OMD). The argument is in three parts. Part One reviews notions of management development within which OMD is conventionally located. It underlines the powerful influence of a modernistic positivistic-objectivist methodological paradigm in much of the OMD commentary, manifesting itself as an objectivised corporate imperative of optimum effectiveness and efficiency. Complementary critical perspective paradigms are introduced including comments on narrative and social construction. In relation to this context, the argument presents a contemporary set of images sourced from prima facie conceptualisations of the OMD domain. Part Two considers possibilities for revisiting the contextualisation of OMD. This is undertaken through a contemporaneous and diachronic look at OMD. This involves a novel debate on the "origins" of OMD and comments on the neglected influences important to how individuals construct narrative. Certain narrative accounts in OMD writing are reviewed. These are shown to be very influenced by the predominant positivist paradigm. The third and final Part of the argument presents: Methodology, Stories and Conclusion. The debate develops a qualitative participant observer approach that facilitates the writing of narratives that underline the reflexive and deeply personal experience that the research involves. The Stories are accompanied by reflective commentaries. The argument concludes and contributes a number of points. The contemporaneous conceptualisation of OMD is positivistic and this is a consequence of its close association with modernistic perspectives of management thinking. Also, modernistic meta-narratives have been apparent in the historical accounts in the field. Consequently, stoned and narrative accounts have been marginalised but where written they are imbued with positivism also. Bearing the above in mind the thesis writes fresh socially constructive accounts of experiences in OMD contexts and provides reflective commentary on them