The increase in the need for social services and the decrease in available resources may intensify the conflict between professional and organizational loyalties of social workers. Unless this conflict is resolved social workers will remain frustrated and uncooperative. The paper suggests the continuing seminar as a framework for action research and training. It suggests that such an approach may reduce the conflict of loyalties and provide social workers with a meaningful opportunity for professional growth.
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References
1.
Lasswell discusses the concept of the continuing seminar in several of his writings. In connection with training of professionals see Harold D. Lasswell, "The Continuing Decision Seminar as a Technique of Instruction ," Policy Sciences, 2 (1) 1971(a), pp. 43-57 and A Preview of Policy SciencesN.Y., Elsevier, 1971, pp. 142-159.
2.
Peter M. Blau and W. Richard Scott , Formal Organizations, San Francisco, Chandler Publishing Co., 1962, p. 64.
3.
Alvin W. Gouldner , "Cosmopolitans and Locals," Administrative Science Quarterly, 2, ( 1957-58), pp. 281-306.
4.
Harold L. Wilensky, Intellectuals in Labor Unions, Glenco, III., Free Press, 1956, pp. 129-144.
5.
Arie Halachmi and Kroch, Welfare Services in Jaffa, Tel-Aviv, City Hall of Tel-Aviv, 1977, p. 1.
6.
John L. Pierce and Andre L. Delberg, "Organizations Strutune, Individual Attitudes and Innovation," Academy of Management Review, 2 (1) 1977, p. 30. The opposite claim that professional standards conflict with administration requirements is illustrated in Harold L. Wilensky, et. al., Industrial Society and Social Welfare, N.Y., Russell Sage Foundation, 1958, pp. 179, 245-246.
7.
Halochmi and Kroch (1977) op. cit, p. 8.
8.
Ibid, p. 11.
9.
Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory, N.Y., R. R. Bowker Co., 1965, 1970, 1977, A Fact Book of Higher Education, 2nd Ed., Washington, D.C., American Council on Education, 1956, p. 76-118.
10.
The issue of system overload in connection with rising public expectations and the feeling that the government owes services is discussed by several writers, A recent attempt to review the different opinions is Amitain Etzioni's "Social Overload: Sources, Components and Correctons," Political Science Quarterly, 92 (4) 1977, pp. 607-631.
11.
The Westinghouse-Ohio evaluation of Headstart by V. G. Cicirelli , et. al., (Washington, D.C.O.E.O.1969) is one illustration of this, See for example: Walter Williams and John W. Evans, "The Politics of Evaluation: The Case of Headstart," in Peter Rossi and Walter Williams (eds), Evaluaating Social Programs, N.Y., Seminar Press, 1971, pp. 247-264. Another illustration is the evaluation of the Teacher Corp. See Ronal G. Corwin, Organizational Survival, N.Y., Wiley-Interscience , 1973.
12.
Halachmi and Kroch, op. cit, p. 15.
13.
Lasswell, 1976, op. cit, p. 44.
14.
Lasswell, 1971 (b), op. cit, p. 19.
15.
See for example Edgar F. Huse, Organization Development and Change, St. Paul, West Publishing Company, 1975, pp. 48-52.
16.
Holachmi and Kroch, op. cit, pp. 14-15.
17.
The importance of trust for effective organizational training is discussed in James G. March and John P. Olsen, "The Uncertainty of the Post ; Organizational Learning under Ambiguity," European Journal of Pdlitical Research , 3 (1975), pp. 147-171.
18.
Jon H. Barrett , Individual Goals and Organizational Objectives , Ann Arbor, Institute for Social Research, 1970, p. 11.
19.
Douglas McGregor , The Human Side of Enterprise, N.Y., McGraw-Hill, 1960.
20.
Rensis Likert , New Patterns of Management, N.Y., McGraw-Hill, 1961.
21.
Chris Argyris , Integrating the Individual and the Organization , N.Y., John Wiley and Sons, 1964.
22.
Frederick Herzbert , Work and the Nature of Man, Cleveland, World Publishing Co., 1966.
23.
Neely Gardner , "The Law of the Other Guy's 'Thing'," in Robert A, Luke Jr. (ed), The Dahlas Connection, Washington, D.C., NTDS, 1974, p. 55.
24.
Ibid., p. 83.
25.
Lawrence Keller and Craig G. Heatwole, "Action Research in Policy Analysis ," Administration and Society, 8 (2), p. 197.
26.
Ibid, p. 197-198.
27.
Neely Gardner , "Action Training and Research: Something Old and Something New," Public Administration Review, 34 (2) 1974, p. 106.
28.
Edgar Huse , op. cit., p. 48.
29.
Frank P. Sherwood , "Action Research," Administration and Society, 8 (2) 1976, p. 178.
30.
Neely Gardner , 1974, op. cit., p. 110.
31.
James E. Crowfoot and Mark A. Chester, "Contemporary Perspectives on Planned Social Change," in Warren G. Bennis, et. al., (eds.) The Planning of Change, 3rd ed., N.Y., Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1976, p. 195.
32.
Malcolm Knowles , "Human Resource Development in Organizational Development," Public Administrative Review, 34 (2.) 1974, pp. 117-120.
