| This study is a descriptive, organizational analysis of the Council of the Great City Schools, a national educational organization representing 27 of the largest urban school systems in the country. Over a fifteen-month period, from June, 1975, through September, 1976, data were gathered for this study from a variety of sources. By exploring the organizational memory, a full chronology of events over a twenty-year period (1956-76) was secured.;The organizational analysis then focused on the structure, or internal makeup of the organization. Following the work of Pugh et al. (1968), the organizational structure was analyzed according to four dimensions: the structuring of activities, the concentration of authority, the line control of workflow and the relative size of its supportive component. Second, the organizational analysis then focused on the context or external makeup of the organization. Again following Pugh's studies (1969), eight contextual variables were considered: (1) origin and history, (2) ownership and control, (3) size of the organization, (4) charter, (5) technology, (6) location, (7) resources and (8) dependence. Third, the general educational environment was analyzed in accordance with Osborne and Hunt's (1974) three categories: the macro, aggregation and task environments. The macro environment was further considered according to Farmer and Richman's (1964) groupings: economic, educational and social-cultural. The aggregation environment consisted in the various associations, interest groups and constituencies in the macro environment. The task environment according to Dill (1958) is that portion of the total setting which is relevant for goal setting and goal attainment.;Two specific time frames in the history of the Council were then examined more closely in an attempt to contrast the organizational environment in the earlier (Willis Era, 1956-66) and the later period (Second Decade, 1966-76). Using the Jurkovich typology, six major environmental factors were considered in each period: (1) complexity or noncomplexity, (2) routineness or nonroutineness, (3) the presence of organized or unorganized sectors, (4) the direct or indirect relationship of such sectors to the environment, (5) the low or high change rate, and (6) the stability or instability of the change rate.;Using a series of five judges to determine the presence of these environmental factors in each of the two periods, the author was then able to classify the Council's organizational environment on the Jurkovich scale. In the earlier period, the Willis Era, 1956-66, the environment was characterized as routine, organized, with low and stable change rate, somewhat noncomplex and somewhat directly related to the organization. In the later period, the Second Decade, 1966-76, the environment was perceived to be quite complex and nonroutine, with a high and unstable change rate, somewhat unorganized and quite directly related to the organization. On the Jurkovich scale, the organizational environment was ranked between 1 and 10 in the early period, and between 61 and 64 in the later period.;In terms of the analytic schema employed, it is clear that the Council of the Great City Schools has evolved from a type 1-10 organizational environment to a type 61-64 organizational environment. Numerous historical factors, as well as structural, contextual and environmental factors serve to demonstrate this conclusion.;Further implications of this study were explored relative to the process of organizational analysis, the classification of organizational environments and the functioning of the Council of the Great City Schools. |
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