Margaret Arnold, Linda Heyne, & James Busser

In this edition, greater attention is given to organizational culture and problem-solving approaches and techniques used to problem solve than in previous editions. Additionally, the problem-solving model has been expanded. Not only have all chapters been substantially revised, the majority of the case studies are new and reorganized into five themes: Human Relations, Marketing and Publicity, Planning and Policy Development, Liability and Risk Management, and Financial Management. These case studies represent a wide array of more current problems, since the issues facing leisure, recreation, and park professionals change as rapidly as the times. All cases are drawn from actual situations collected from students and practitioners in the field, as well as news stories that have appeared in newspapers and on the World Wide Web. The case studies are related to leisure, recreation, and park services, however, it is important to note that they can easily be modified for use by other human service organizations. Finally, each of the five themes concludes with a list of helpful websites for further inquiry.

As mentioned in earlier editions of this textbook, there is no need for this book to be confined to classroom use only. It can be readily used in staff development programs for in-service trainings, by recreation and park boards, or by a wide variety of social and educational institutions.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Problem Solving: A Professional Need
Chapter 2 The Use of the Case-Study Method in Problem Solving
Chapter 3 The Problem-Solving Process
Chapter 4 Organizational Culture and Climate: Setting the Stage for Problem Solving
Chapter 5 Problem Solving in a Context of Change
Chapter 6 Facilitating Creative Thinking
Chapter 7 Problem-Solving Approaches and Techniques
-Problem-Solving Techniques at a Glance
-Brainstorming
-Nominal Group Technique
-Focus Groups
-Role-Playing Technique
-Mathematical Modeling
-Fishbone Diagram
-Decision Tree
Chapter 8 Conflict Resolution and Mediation Techniques
Chapter 9 Case Studies
-Human Relations
-Marketing and Publicity
-Planning and Policy Development
-Liability and Risk Management
-Financial Management


Meet the Authors

Margaret L. Arnold, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services at Ithaca College, located in upstate New York. She has served as an Associate editor for Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education and the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. For the past 15 years she has focused her research and teaching on administration and human resource management issues in leisure services. She currently serves on the Society of Park and Recreation Educators (SPRE) board of the National Recreation and Park Association.

Linda A. Heyne, Ph.D., CTRS, is an Associate Professor and Chair of Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services at Ithaca College. For the past 20 years she has written, taught, and delivered professional presentations and workshops about inclusive community leisure services related to such topics as friendship development, therapeutic recreation in the schools, and parent-professional collaboration. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal and is listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

James A. Busser is a Professor in the Leisure Studies Program and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He is the former Editor of Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education and currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. In addition, he is a Fellow in the American Leisure Academy and AAHPERD Research Consortium, and was recognized as an Outstanding Alumni of Illinois State University and Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member at UNLV.