Offers a unit of laboratory instruction for a general technology class that looks at ergonomics--the engineering science that seeks to prevent disorders caused by uncomfortable or stressful working conditions. The activity involves the measurement of body motions. (JOW)

Examined impact of employment histories on union dissolution in Puerto Rico for all women either married or living with partner consensually and women who did not cohabit before legal marriage. Results indicated that female employment was associated with higher risk of union dissolution. Effect was significant only for women who worked for wages…

Describes how to use Michael Crichton's novel "Disclosure" and the film based on it for class discussions of such issues as what constitutes sexual harassment, harassment of men, relationship between sexual harassment and power, organizational responses to harassment, and gender differences in career advancement tactics. (SK)

Creativity is undermined unintentionally every day in work environments that were established to maximize business imperatives such as coordination, productivity, and control. Organizations must make a concerted effort to get rid of creativity killers and be truly innovative so that creativity not only survives but thrives. (Author/JOW)

The learning organization learns continually and has the capacity to transform itself. This article presents a model addressing three levels of interrelated learning (individual, team, and organizational) and discusses seven action imperatives. Creating continuous learning opportunities, promoting dialog and inquiry, and building teams are vital…

In criminology, routine activities of potential victims can be used to predict victimization. Application to organizational sexual harassment data shows that organizational features (proximity in job location, supervisor or work group guardianship) and individual characteristics (target attractiveness) can predict sexual harassment victimization,…

Cooperative-education experiences of 80 Australian, 107 Dutch, 50 English, and 50 Scottish students were compared. Australian students expected higher workplace involvement, greater control, and more work pressure than did Dutch students. The Dutch had lower expectations of the social climate. Scottish students expected more autonomy on the job.…

Study 1 analyzed 68 studies, identifying three constructs: workplace stressors, strains, and social support. In study 2, models of social support in the workplace were tested, finding that social support reduced strains, mitigated perceived stressors, and moderated the relationship between stressors and strain. (SK)

Theories of situated learning and distributed cognition are used to support emerging relationships between learning and working. The nature of work evolves from being predictable and deterministic to being more contingent and idiosyncratic. Models of employee development are examined. (Author/JOW)

Investigates the influence of gendered occupational identities in the social construction of skill and technology in a retail company introducing an information-technology system. Focuses on female shop floor supervisors and considers the impact that femininity had on definitions and role during a period of change. (JOW)

Examines three theses: (1) work teams should be analyzed as object-oriented activity systems; (2) the nature of teams depends on the type of production in which they are implemented; and (3) fluid forms of collaborative work organization are displacing stable teams. (SK)

Ellinger, Watkins, and Bostrom report a study of 12 managers who described critical incidents in which they facilitated employee learning. Behaviors defining facilitation were identified. Dirkx's response criticizes the research for its individualistic and decontextualized focus. (SK)

Asserts that formal theories of justice and fairness should be integrated into career development theory and practice. Provides a framework using the constructs of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. (SK)

Focus groups with 50 managers and interviews with 14 adults in "Generation X" (aged 24 to 32) elicited three themes: the work environment must support continuing learning, mentors and leaders should lead by example, and this age cohort places major importance on multidimensional lives. Mentor relationships in the workplace were valued.…

Defines proactivity as a way of behaving that directly alters your work environment. Discusses the role of initiative; proactive school librarians; change opportunities; change-oriented goals; and the downsides of proactivity, both institutional and personal. (LRW)