After finishing her undergraduate degree in English, the author's first employment was in an academic department at her alma mater. At a large public state institution, the salary scale for non-academic appointees was--and remains--woefully low. Knowing that monetary compensation wasn't the source of staff satisfaction, her chairman made a…

Discusses the various approaches to creativity taken by various corporations and whether there is a difference between creativity and problem solving. Distinguishes between adaptive creativity--whereby employees find better ways to do their work--and innovative creativity--the ability to produce really big or strange ideas. (JOW)

While personality psychology has a definite contribution to make to the study of industrial psychology and organizational behavior, it is a contribution with parameters, limitations, and areas of expertise which need to be better defined. Many industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists are skeptical of the utility of personality measures for…

Work sampling is a managerial accounting technique which provides information about the efficiency of an operation. This analysis determines what tasks are being performed durinq a period of time to ascertain if time and effort are being allocated efficiently. (SK)

Balancing consulting work with other life roles requires deciding how much one wants to work, how effectively and how often, what percentage of time to allocate to different elements, how much and how far one wants to travel, and how efficiently one manages the work environment. (SK)

Tips for working more effectively to improve performance and realize goals include time management, enlightened empowerment, good commitments, selective problem solving, and escalation of critical problems. (JOW)

If training is to make a real difference in the organization, we need an alternative to the vacuum of performance. A view exists that springs from two fundamental premises: (1) every individual operates in the context of a performance system and (2) improvements in performance will occur only if we understand the variables in that system. (JOW)

In an interview, Daniel Goleman, author of "Working with Emotional Intelligence," explains how emotional intelligence outweighs cognitive ability and technical skills as a contributor to success in the workplace. (Author/JOW)

Suggestions from a personnel director of a large university include weekly meeting with section heads, route callers to staff specialists, personnel form review for time-saving improvements, updated procedures manuals, etc. (MLW)

Reports on problems involved in staff workspace design--impact of environment on behavior, productivity, and job satisfaction--and relates issues to library workplace (level of staff, type and size of library). Herzberg Theory, Hawthorne Effect, and findings of Buffalo Organization for Social and Technological Innovation are highlighted. (15…

The symptoms of stress are outlined; misconceptions about stress and techniques used in stress management are discussed; and managers' role in stress management is explained. (MLF)

Problems in the community health middle management role are explored. Sources of role ambiguity (bureaucratic role discrepancy, professional role discrepancy, performance role discrepancy) are examined. The advantages of the creation of a holistic-oriented environment also are discussed. (CT)

The reversals (including two harrowing racial incidents) confronting Ben Canada on the way to becoming Atlanta's chief educator have strengthened his convictions. Despite numerous achievements, he was bounced from Jackson (Mississippi) Schools over a school-prayer fiasco. In Atlanta, he has dealt with a school closing situation and now faces…

The author presents some generalizations about nursing home employees and recommendations for cultivating and maintaining a motivating environment for staff. Recommendations concern nursing home administration, employee recruitment and selection, stability of work groups, supervisory training, employee recognition, and public relations. (CT)

This article examines some of the indicators that have been used to assess job commitment: statistical series on absence from work; quits; working part time by choice (phenomena generally associated with weak commitment); and multiple job-holding and overtime (often associated with strong commitment). (SSH)