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:…

Due to their increasing complexity, modern organizations require more effective integrating mechanisms. The conference, which can be a very positive thing for an organization as it provides rewards for members while performing a crucial communication function for the whole, is one possible mechanism. Communication is not only an inherent part of…

Verbal and nonverbal cues in the working environment are examined in the hope of leading to better morale and productivity. Among topics covered are furniture arrangements, status symbols, letterheads, and conventions of address. Examples for corporations and institutions are provided. Methods of assessing the informal communications within an…

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…

A study examined the impact of work teams on production, quality, and morale within the State of Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, using data from fiscal years 1992 and 1993 when a change from a hierarchical organization to a team-based approach took place in the agency. Production was defined as the percentage of placements achieved…

Recent research on organizational turnover has concentrated on testing models of the turnover decision process, in particular, Mobley's (1977) model of employee turnover. The present research was based on Mobley's theoretical work and the subsequent empirical tests of his model. Employees (N=266) at a large computer company completed a…

This sourcebook provides substantive ideas for private liberal arts colleges interested in assessing, enhancing, and maintaining the quality of the academic workplace. Additionally, it responds to some of the current trends affecting American higher education involving faculty worklife and development, problems associated with faculty shortages,…

This book is designed to accompany "A Good Place to Work: Sourcebook for the Academic Workplace" and represents a tool for colleges interested in supporting faculty morale and the quality of the academic workplace. The Audit, developed from a study by the Council of Independent Colleges, is organized into nine sections, each one focusing on an…

Teams in an organization are more than cooperative working groups. Advantages of group work, as opposed to individual work, include producing a better end result, providing satisfaction for the individual and the organization, and assisting the organization through coordination and work allocation. Disadvantages of group work include producing a…

Designed to help community college leaders direct the power of decision making and communication to fulfill the institution's mission, this book draws from on-site interviews and a survey of hundreds of community college leaders to identify and describe models of effective governance. "Leadership in governance" is defined as the creation of…

Addresses the complex socioeconomic problem of improving the quality of worklife and, in the process, improving productivity. Focuses on ways to provide a work climate that will stimulate pleasurable ego-involvement in the job, thereby bringing about increased productivity as a likely by-product. Explores a number of attempts to improve the…

Beginning an an informal, unstructured information interchange among 100 union, worker, and management representatives from seventeen public and private sector organizations operationally involved in quality of work life activities, a 1977 conference evolved into the first annual meeting of the American Quality of Work Life Association.…

This study attempts to evaluate the effects of special training for collegial supervision under the conditions of two types of organization development (OD) training within the multiunit school. The first type of OD intervention involved training for all the staff members of a multiunit school. The second was called group development (GD) and…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined selected experiences that six government agencies implemented to help empower or involve frontline employees. The agencies reviewed were as follows: the Federal Aviation Administration; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Internal Revenue Service; the Office of Personnel Management; and the…