This article argues for using French pragmatic sociology to explore tensions regarding teachers' work, by studying critique formulated by teachers themselves. Based on interviews with teachers in Swedish adult education it shows how teachers labour to reconcile 'what is' with 'what should be' by voicing critique. The findings suggest that, while…

By 1984 the concepts of work and leisure may undergo radical changes. The adult educator can help the worker adjust to this new environment by defining the social and political implications of living in a leisure society, trying to make work meaningful for those who are working, and constructing meaningful avocational programs. (SC)

A program was established to equip foreign adults with the necessary information, attitudes, and skills to survive in the urban world of work. Staff from the City College of New York worked in the Queens area of New York City to develop a program which included English as a second language (ESL) classes, world of work seminars, and…

During the colonial period, the ideology of work--the American work ethic--took root. Americans valued work and considered it an obligation to society, to oneself, and to one's family. The key to the agrarian culture was an ethic that recognized the importance of hard, physical labor within a framework of yearly cycles of tasks. The world of the…

The first of the four papers in this symposium, "The Role of the Survey in the Assessment of an Organization for High Performance Redesign: A Case Study" (Teresa K. Moyers, Oris T. Griffin), looks at how one company used a survey to analyze the way the social system currently is designed and operates. "Thriving on Change: An…

This document contains the following 26 papers presented at the first Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) Conference: "Management as a Service to Internal Customers" (Antonioni); "Developing Texas State Agency Executives for the Learning Organizations" (Bales); "How Executive Businesswomen Develop and Function in…

An empirical test of the service-profit chain in a large United Kingdom retail business explored how employee attitudes and behavior can improve customer retention and, consequently, company sales performance. Data were collected from 65,000 employees and 25,000 customers from almost 100 stores. The business collected customer satisfaction for…

Organizations, with the help of human resource development (HRD) staff, must reexamine their objectives for future operations and the work force. Organizations with a focus on organizational development (OD) can provide meaningful work to employees and the organization itself. The OD framework consists of three units that must coexist as the major…

This volume provides a discussion of the relationship between the changing nature of work and the understanding, measurement, and influence of human performance. Chapter 1, Employee Performance in Today's Organizations (Daniel R. Ilgen, Elaine D. Pulakos), introduces seven key changes in the nature of work--changes in technology, job design, type…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 33, Work Motivation, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference Proceedings. "An Attitudinal Examination of the Role of HRD in Voluntary Turnover in Public Service Organizations" (Kenneth R. Bartlett, William R. McKinney) compares public service managers who voluntarily left…

This handbook is a guide to making the most of a work experience educational program for adult women. It is appropriate for independent study or use in a structured program. Part 1 on preparing oneself for a work experience educational program is designed to guide a woman in learning more about herself. Each of the seven sections contains some…

Since many first line managers (FLMs) have not participated in formal learning, how they make sense of their roles and the training they are doing is significant. A relationship between inadequate literacy skills and ability to do a job is assumed. Language, literacy, and numeracy must be understood in terms of social practice and creation of…

After a review of the literature, critical reflective work behavior (CRWB) was defined as: a set of connected, individual activities aimed at analyzing, optimizing, or innovating work practices on the individual, team, or organizational level. The combination of literature review and analysis of case studies led to the operationalization of CRWB…

This document contains four symposium papers on work force issues facing human resource development (HRD). "Contributing Factors to the Success of Women and People of Color in Leadership Roles: A Message to HRD Professionals" (Jean R. McFarland, Gary Leske, Caroline S. V. Turner) reports the results of a survey in which nonwhite males,…

The recent frenzy over education--that is, children and schools--has obscured an adult learning crisis that will really put this nation's economy at risk between now and the beginning of the next century. The postindustrial economy demands a new kind of learning enterprise, focused on adults rather than children, on learning rather than education,…