Abstract
This article interprets Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman’s In Search of Excellence (1982) for application in academic administration, particularly within communication departments. The analysis outlines the authors’ critique of the rational-analytic management model and their advocacy for a value-driven, people-centered approach to organizational effectiveness. Goyer argues that while analogies between corporate and academic contexts are imperfect, two of Peters and Waterman’s eight principles—“productivity through people” and “simultaneous loose-tight properties”—offer meaningful guidance for departmental leadership. The first emphasizes creating an environment in which every faculty member’s contributions are recognized and rewarded through systematic yet flexible evaluation. The second highlights the chair’s role in sustaining departmental values while allowing individual autonomy. These principles, the article concludes, provide a conceptual framework for balancing merit-based recognition with collegial inclusivity, thereby enhancing both faculty morale and organizational coherence in higher education,
Recommended Citation
Goyer, Robert S.
(1987)
"Applications from In Search of Excellence by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr.,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 59, Article 15.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol59/iss1/15
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