Employers place less emphasis on experience and much more on adaptability. They want people who can learn. However, at the lowest stratum of the service sector, jobs are being dumbed down so that a worker has only to obey commands of smart machines ("Touch french fry icon now"). (Author/JOW)

Virtual work teams scattered around the globe are becoming a feature of corporate workplaces. Although most people prefer face-to-face meetings and interactions, reality often requires telecommuting. (JOW)

Looks at some of the ambiguities in the Americans with Disabilities Act and suggests how to avoid them. Lists specific practices to avoid such as asking applicants about disabilities, failing to accommodate the disabled, and requiring preemployment physical exams. (JOW)

Although there are important human resource basics, such as competitive pay and benefits and career growth opportunities, retention of information technology (IT) workers is less about money than it is about respectful treatment. Retention involves designing interesting jobs, giving recognition, providing regular feedback, and being flexible about…

Suggests that workplace literacy is a serious concern and most companies are doing nothing to address the problem. Discusses how several companies are dealing with the issue. (JOW)

From participatory management to autonomous work groups, the quality of work life movement has made an impact on U.S. corporations. To make the quality of work life connection, commitment must originate with top management. (Author)

Discusses how workers at manufacturing firms acquire knowledge and how much training the company should provide. Looks at a study on learning activities and learning cultures to identify traits of a "teaching firm," one in which teaching and learning are firmly embedded in the organization. (JOW)

On-the-job training (OJT) is enjoying a surge of interest because of ISO 9000, the certification standards of the European Community. Negotiating a balance between training staff and frontline supervisors who are often made responsible for OJT is one way to improve it. (JOW)

Reviews legal issues surrounding sexual harassment and considers policy and training responses for employers. (SK)

Discusses the role of training in explaining to workers and supervisors what the laws regarding sexual harassment mean. Finds that some companies are more anxious to use training to ward off lawsuits than to change employee behavior. (JOW)

Presents a discussion of learning styles by Lynn Curry, Rick Daly, Ashley Fields, Peter Honey, David Kolb, Patrick O'Brien and Gary Salton. Addresses learning style theories, style predictability, whether to teach exclusively to one style, and ways to make use of learning styles in corporate settings. (Author/JOW)

Looks at the best and worst workplace training ideas of the 20th century. Includes ideas that haven't happened, those that went from bad to good, ones that got lost in the shuffle, ideas to take into the next century, and those that are best discarded. (JOW)

Discusses performance analysis, designed for use in an organization's training program. It is described as a technology which views organization performance as a function of the individual and the job environment, in which any modification of performance has to deal with both parts. Examples of the use and benefits of performance analysis are…

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)

Looks at some of the realities of life with robots: robots aren't replacing entire shifts of workers; a robot is just a tool; regular plant personnel maintain robots; and job category and seniority dictate who is trained to maintain robots. (CT)