An Environmental Interaction Model for Agency Development in Adult Education

Abstract

This article presents an environmental interaction model for agency development in adult education. Agency development is defined in terms of quantitative growth. Development is conceptualized as being contingent on the agency's ability to garner scarce and valued resources from the environ ment through strategically planned inter-organizational linkages. A pro gram development dynamic operates in that each success at garnering such resources as learners, money, staff, power and domain improves the agency's bargaining position for securing more resources. The article con cludes with a discussion of how inter-organizational linkage is affected by such variables as technology, domain, system openness, bureaucratization, organizational goals and environmental stability. Arguments for the ap propriateness of the model for adult education are presented, as well as im plications for future research.

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