Employee involvement (EI) activities were established by management to create more meaningful work for employees and to make companies more competitive. What is missing is a clear method to link the problems of an organization with the appropriate EI activity. (JOW)

Before companies attempt to increase the diversity in their management ranks, it is necessary for them to learn to manage diversity. Managers should have a plan; focus on individual learning, human-relations, motivational, and communication styles; examine organizational culture; and offer diversity training. (JOW)

Discusses adolescents and their experiences with part-time employment. Considers what is known about student work experience and the problems faced. Suggests using books about adolescent work in the classroom. Provides a 15-item annotated bibliography of fictional works concerning adolescent work experiences. (HB)

A survey of 20 cooperative education directors in universities revealed that (1) reflection, meaningful dialog, proactivity, and self-direction enhance workplace learning; (2) workplace learning can result from stressful situations; (3) supervisory relationships influence the learning climate; and (4) instructional design and trainer competence…

High school students may have technical skills and appear to be confident and mature, but they are young, lack business experience, and need to develop the emotional skills necessary to deal with the world of work. Teachers can help them through the school-to-work transition by making them aware of the realities of the work world. (JOW)

Data from a sample of 60,000 trainees shows that school, formal company, informal, and other types of training increased between 1983 and 1991; formal company training showed the biggest gain. Those with more education tend to get more training, females received more training than males, and manufacturing was more training intensive than the…

Notes that working conditions will have marked influence on employee recruitment to and retention in social work profession. Sees graduates' expectations influenced by ability to exercise professional judgment, increased career orientation of women, frequency of midlife career change, and entry of newcomers from non-Western cultures. (Author/NB)

Evaluated four diagnostic signs (employment congruence, aspirational congruence, employment coherence, and aspirational coherence) derived from Holland's theory of vocational personalities and occupational environments for their ability to predict personality-environment congruence among 87 employees with special needs. Found that employment…

One company created a process to fill job vacancies from within through the use of an electronic job-posting system. A computerized skills bank of employees was developed which human resource managers can search for appropriate candidates for job openings. Employees benefit through access to employment opportunities and organizations can maximize…

Describes differences between the cultures of the workplace and the school. Discusses what vocational instructors can do to promote cultural learning in the classroom and how they can help students, especially limited English speakers, understand the workplace. (SK)

Responses from 873 of 2,189 industrial relations graduates demonstrated that person-organization fit leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and career success measured by salary and job level. Respondents who fit better earned 20% higher salaries, worked at levels 11.6% higher, and reported 15% higher levels of satisfaction. (SK)

Qualitative observations of groups in Bellcore Group Decisions Support Systems (GDSS) laboratory were analyzed for task type, anonymity, evaluative tone, overall satisfaction with meetings, motivation, and task importance. Results suggest strategies for optimizing either quantity or quality of GDSS meeting results and suggests further research for…

Analyzes the practices of multinationals in the sphere of occupational safety and health and poses the question of safety and health and industrial risks in terms of environmental problems. Indicates that the future of safety and health may hinge on the adaptation and implementation of recommendations of International Labour Organisation members.…

Under the "new" work covenant, employer and employee share responsibility for maintaining and enhancing the individual's employability inside and outside the company. The agreement gives employees the opportunity to develop their employability in exchange for better productivity and a degree of commitment to the company. (JOW)

Background information about a firm or department should be gathered before designing a training course. Questions to ask include the number of trainees, age, gender, educational and experience levels, and workplace climate. (JOW)