A documentation and analysis of the development of Keethanow High School, 1987 to 1989: a retrospective study

Abstract

In this study a biographical perspective (Kimberly, 1987; Kimberly & Rottman, 1987) was adopted to document and analyze the creation and development of Keethanow High School, Stanley Mission, Saskatchewan from 1978 to 1989, retrospectively. The research questions for this study, derived from a review of literature pertaining to organizational development, bound the analyses of the data. These questions focused upon the biographical perspective and assessing the heuristic worth of the life cycle model (Quinn & Whetten, 1981; Quinn & Cameron, 1983; Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 1983) and the transformational cycle model (Tichy, 1980; 1983) for providing frameworks for analyzing the development of the organization. The data collected in this study concerning the development of Keethanow High School give support to the hypotheses and speculations put forth by proponents of both the life cycle model and the transformational cycle model. It is suggested that these models be further investigated. Both models provide for a dynamic perspective of organizational behavior and have the potential to allow investigators to gain an understanding of the unique behavior associated with organizations during their creation and early development. Implications, arising from the study, concerning the planning and managing of new organizations are discussed.Seven recommendations regarding the planning and implementation of new school programs are presented.