Organizational memory in high schools : a case study

Sutherland, Peter G. (2001) Organizational memory in high schools : a case study. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (16MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

The site for this qualitative case study was a high school in western Newfoundland and Labrador. The high school was created in 1998 when the school board reorganized the schools in our town to permit more efficient utilization of school facilities The teaching staff for our high school was drawn from three local high schools as well as from other pans of the school board and province When our high school opened its doors in September 1998 it was considered to be a new school. -- The purpose of my case study was to discover the essence of our school's culture and organizational memory, the shared basic assumptions of the teaching staff. The data gathered from open-ended interviews, observations, participant journals, and school artifacts led me to identify eight shared basic assumptions and identify the major components of our school's organizational memory. My research led me to conclude that our school’s organizational memory is deeply rooted in the experiences of those teachers who taught in the same school building prior to 1998 when it was a large denominational high school in our town. -- In chapter five I make recommendations intended to address the major issues identified by the participants in the case study. The issues identified are weaknesses which need to be addressed if our school is to progress and establish a unique identity based on a stronger sense of community and purpose.

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