Discusses the differences between corporate universities and training departments and suggests that marketing is a big part of it. Defines knowledge management as the effort to capture an organization's collective experience and wisdom and to make it useful to everyone. (JOW)

Describes telecommuting, which occurs whenever an employee is paid for work done at an alternate worksite and total commuting time is thereby reduced. Discusses the pros and cons and examines the characteristics that make jobs and people suitable for telecommuting. Includes a self-assessment to determine whether telecommuting is a good option.…

An ethnographic study of customer service call centers found that both desired and unintended outcomes are influenced by personal coping and organizational sustaining mechanisms. When organizations use behavioral control, a climate of resistance ensues. An alternative is to view call centers as learning sites. (SK)

Gathered data from 550 principals, 42% of the principals in Alabama, about demographics, job preparation, perceptions of the job, and estimated competence levels for success as a principal. Responses indicate that the job of principal has become very demanding and complex. Findings also show that the majority of surveyed principals plan on…

Suggests that custom training is not for everyone and that off-the-shelf programs can be the best way to achieve many business goals. Looks at a variety of programs and offers a rationale for using both off-the-shelf and customized programs depending on the circumstances. (JOW)

Chronicles the business rationale, the cross-functional commitment, and the process of designing and launching a well-integrated career development program at Monsanto. (JOW)

A decision made under risky conditions can be sounder than one made when the decision maker is circumspect and prudent. It is important to understand one's risk-taking patterns, one's perceptions rooted in personal and professional history, and the degree to which cultural injunctions encourage or deter prudent risk taking. (Author/JOW)

A systematic mentoring approach combines old and new concepts from organizational learning, including intentional learning, failure and success, and storytelling. Mentoring should be a process of mature development and a joint venture, with a learning contract that aligns the mentor, proteges, and the proteges' manager. (JOW)

Guided learning (questioning, diagrams/analogies, modeling, coaching) was studied through critical incident interviews in five workplaces. Participation in everyday work activities was the most effective contributor to workplace learning. Organizational readiness and the efficacy of guided learning in resolving novel tasks were also important. (SK)

Discusses performance-centered portals that focus on supporting the goals and objectives of a company within an integrated work environment. Topics include performance-centered design attributes; work context; goal establishment; work processes; designing portals in stages; and increased performance and productivity. (Author/LRW)

Data from 559 undergraduates provided modest evidence that Holland's taxonomy of work environments moderated the relationship between personality and performance. The traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness were better predictors of performance in certain environments. The important relationship between personality and performance may be…

Unions' current intensive organizing efforts are crucial, but they will be inadequate if they do not also transform their functions and operations. New jobs, new kinds of workers, new situations require an organizational revolution among unions. (JOW)

Describes the Art Technology Group (ATG), an electronic business and customer management company, and the work they have done with wireless technology. Highlights include designing virtual offices and supporting the resulting virtual community; the mobility it allows; problems with bandwidth; and display issues. (LRW)

Critical educational research offers the researcher a position and an ethos of comfort. Even the declared recognition of the relativity of principles, norms or criteria so characteristic of much critical research does not prevent it from looking immediately for a way out of this uncomfortable situation i.e. to keep to the idea that comfort (for…

Small businesses account for the great majority of businesses and half the private sector employment in Australia, but only one third provide structured training for their employees. This study, a systematic review of existing research, set out to find clear evidence of intervention strategies that meet small business needs in relation to the…