Discussion of workplace conflict management examines erroneous assumptions inherent in traditional reaction patterns, considers key elements of planning for conflict prevention, and some workplace strategies to help minimize conflicts. Several approaches to conflict management, and their outcomes, are highlighted, and stages of the…

Proposes a 12-celled typology consisting of four stress types (role-based, task-based, boundary-spanning, and conflict-mediating) and three stress sources (extra-organizational, intra-organizational, and intrapersonal). Describes in detail the nature of each cell. Suggests this typology can help synthesize the findings of studies in organization…

Recent studies find that most American workers feel they could perform better at work if they wished, and half do only enough work to stay employed. What is needed is creation of a workplace atmosphere in which employees commit their fullest energies, talents, and enthusiasm toward making each workday productive. (MSE)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to measure the effectiveness and practical utility of an organizational learning intervention for an organization that was not progressive, was not specifically chartered as a learning organization, and was situated in an urban, culturally diverse, and under-privileged community. Design/methodology/approach:…

The most difficult part of being a school psychologist is working in a school. Demands for accountability and staff productivity from federal, state, and local funding sources can lead to a lack of flexibility in educational strategy, increased pressure to place students in special education programs, and restrictions on the role of the school…

Examines changes that technology has made in librarianship and offers personal observations concerning changes in the future. Discussion covers allocation of responsibilities among library personnel; mobilization to work; behavior and skills critical for efficiency and productivity; changes in work based on flow of, and access to, information; and…

Organizational climate refers to workers' perceptions that a given workplace possesses a distinctive atmosphere. Managers appreciate the behavioral implications of this concept, assuming staff performance or well-being might be improved by managing the climate. Attempts to manipulate organizational climate have generally been unsuccessful, and the…

Offers strategies, based on six value systems, to reduce employee turnover. Maintains that understanding the value systems of people as they relate to jobs is the key to improving the selection process, and that employees should be chosen in accordance with how well their value systems match their work and work environments.

A membership survey (n=562) of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) revealed five groups of advisors based on their perceptions of characteristics of their work environments (quality, breadth, and resources). Profiles of each group are presented. The new groupings provide more information than previous classifications by institution…

The tremendous impact of technological change on human workers, coupled with declining resources in many college and university information technology programs, can create an emotionally and physically harmful environment for employees. They can also present an important opportunity for positively changing cognitive behavior and increasing…

Using a theoretical model of institutional culture, organizational climate, and faculty motivation, a study examined how faculty (n=1,123) and administrators (n=381) in 10 colleges differed in their perceptions, whether differences were affected by institution type, and to what extent faculty and administrators had different implicit models of…

Suggests that the nature of the community college workplace and culture may undermine efforts at diversity. Argues that the emphases on fast-paced work environments and dynamic personalities of the colleges work against diversification efforts and that biases behind the idea of a "proper fit" for a job should be challenged. (MAB)

The study of work, the experience of work, and how work is organized does not constitute an category of study within the mainstream social sciences. Students need to be introduced to the varieties of capitalist and noncapitalist models or experiments and confront the debate over organizational form versus social context. (MLW)

A discussion of academic freedom and university autonomy in Africa first looks at the concept and social utility of those two attributes, and the operational conditions for their realization, then examines the general conditions under which African intellectuals work and the specific situation of academic freedom. Several directions for the future…

At Indiana University, budget problems and the information explosion led to a project, financed by a computer company, integrating information technology (IT) into administrative functions. The administrative workstation project increased IT knowledge and use by key administrators, resulting in greater productivity and creativity, improved…