Professional practice can be conceptualised holistically, and in fact during the 1990s the "Australian model" of integrated or holistic competence emerged empirically. This piece outlines that story, and then develops a more rigorous conceptual analysis of what it is to make competent practical judgements, through inferences, in…

Portrays how workers in a manufacturing company are expected to take on new roles and positions as team leaders, and how team members struggle with how to act in this new order. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on ESL Literacy Education) (Author/VWL)

Australian vocational education policy emphasizes training over learning. Eight case studies of small businesses reveal that they make limited use of structured training; learning varied by educational level of staff and characteristics of the business. A more holistic view of how knowledge is acquired in business is called for. (SK)

Paul Stevens' model of career development--a holistic approach to work and personal life as the components of a career--was adapted for use at Australian Guarantee Corporation. The strategy included internal promotion, use of focus groups to identify staff issues, pilot workshops, executive support, linkage with other human resource functions, and…

The debate about work-family relationships must focus on the nature of family life, the place of women in the new economy, the needs of children, and the future of an aging population. Because the workplace has limited capacity to meet work-family needs, partnerships with government services are needed. (JOW)

Discusses the problems associated with reduced availability of paid work due to technological advances and the diminishing supply of labor as living standards rise and people choose early retirement. (JOW)

Explores ways in which working identities are discursively constructed in contemporary workplaces, arguing that the construction of new kinds of working identities is a primary function of the contemporary workplace, a function mandated by global discourses of quality management and mediated by workplace educators at local sites. (Author/VWL)

Written as a position statement on educational leadership, this article uses a heart metaphor to delineate a workable managerial framework. Leadership is at the heart of managing all educational levels. Leading is the educational lifeblood that guides and flows into planning, organizing, and monitoring teachers' work. (Contains 43 references.)…

A discussion of the changing relationship between college faculty, the institution, and society concludes that, although the context of the interactions between them is evolving and faculty are shifting from a collegial to a managerial mode, there is little change in the formal conditions of academic employment. (MSE)

The vice-chancellor of an Australian university examines the way his time is allocated for a variety of recurring activities and considers the role of vice-chancellor from a political science perspective. This administrator is seen as playing a role within the university community comparable to that of a prime minister or premier in larger…

Uses outcomes of case study research in socioeconomically disadvantaged education contexts to examine accomplishments of (Australian) educators who have significantly affected their communities' quality of life. Highly successful classroom practitioners' work has some connection with prominent educational leadership theories. Questions approaches…

Profound changes are occurring in technology, work, and work organization with equally profound implications for the future role of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The changes have the following six interrelated elements that tend to affect one another. (1) globalization is creating a more internationalized economy and…

A major weakness in the funding base for skill development in Australia arises from a declining investment in training by key stakeholders--employers. Australia is spending less on training and creating fewer high skill jobs than comparable countries and forcing individuals to take greater financial responsibility for their own development. Forces…

A 3-year research program on workplace learning was based on action research and involved the gradual implementation of "Work Activity Briefings" every 2 weeks or whenever a major task was to be undertaken at selected construction sites managed by an Australian mining and construction company. The briefings were regular meetings between…

Until the 1970s, social norms dictated that women provided care for their families and men were employed for pay. The rapid increase in paid work for women has resulted in an untenable model of work and care in which all employees are assumed to be unencumbered with family responsibilities and women who care for their families are dismissed as…