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This paper critically examines available theoretical models which have been derived front statistically established patterns of association between contextual and organizational variables. These models offer an interpretation of organizational structure as a product of organizational structure as a product of primarily economic constraints which contextual variable are impose. It is argued that available models in fact attempt to explain organization at one remove by ignoring the essentially political process, whereby power-holders within organizations decide upon courses of strategic action. This `strategic choice' typically includes not only the establishment of structural forms but also the manipulation of environmental features and the choice of relevant performance standards. A theoretical re-orientation this kind away from functional imperatives and towards' a recognition of political action is developed and illustrated in the man body of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a three year research and demonstration project to determine the feasibility of employing the educable retarded adult in a competitive work setting after appropriate vocational training, the training time and work performance of a retarded group were compared with the performance of nonretarded employees at Abilities, Inc. Results indicated that the retarded worker was able to learn the typical industrial and commercial skills needed at Abilities. The crucial matter in success was not in learning job skills per se, but in developing adequate work habits and personal social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on nursing homes that have expanded in the last twenty years to become a major component of medical care, although their rapid growth has been at the expense of quality standards. This article describes an attempt to improve one aspect of nursing home service through an educational program, the effects of which were measured. The initial problem for further research lies in the precise identification of the characteristics of nursing homes most likely to possess the most serious problems of adequate care. In the process of identifying such characteristics, knowledge would be gained concerning the organizational features of the homes that tend to create the problem to begin with. In order to design intelligent programs for increasing the quality of medical care in homes for the chronically ill and aged, investigation must be made of the differences of the level of care in terms of the organizational and economic features of the institution. In this way, educational programs can be developed which are realistic and directed to those institutions in greatest need. The investigation of the relationship between such a structural index as bed capacity and degree of ambulation and internal organizational features as they related both to present care and to the facilities to implement improved patient-care programs would, if the relationship were to be verified, provide a relatively simple method of selecting institutions for such educational programs.