Studied relationships between boredom at work, personal characteristics, and performance in a sample of truck drivers. Results suggest that boredom was associated negatively with higher mental and physical individual capacity and negatively associated with effectiveness. The relationship between boredom and work effectiveness was significantly…

Discusses the association between expressions of anger in small groups and the high rate of turnover in nursing staff that plagues many hospitals. Suggests that physicians' tantrums and supervisors' outbursts are unaffordable luxuries. (JOW)

Gives a brief history of productivity improvement legislation in the United States and of the development and demise of the National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life (QWL). Describes existing productivity and QWL centers, including their locations, scope, services, and activities, and urges greater support at the federal level.…

Presents a weekly schedule of topics and related reading assignments for a social management and technology course focusing on technology, work, and productivity. Broad topics include introduction, historical background, problems of the contemporary workplace, and alternatives. (DC)

Presents a learning activity for secondary U.S. history classes on the impact of industrialization upon working conditions. Students read three accounts of the changing working conditions experienced by shoemakers between 1830 and 1972 and compare their viewpoints for bias and historical accuracy. (AM)

Studied retired teachers (N=102) representing five subject areas that were related to the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, and Conventional Scales of the Vocational Preference Inventory. Results indicated congruence between tested and environmental codes, especially in artistic and conventional areas. (RC)

Observation is examined as a method of gathering information about the behavior of school administrators. Relevant literature on the methodology of observation in terms of the process of observation, recording and coding, and the role of the observer are considered. (MLW)

Studied job analysis ratings for 12,009 occupations listed in the Fourth Edition "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" as supporting two bipolar work task dimensions: working with data versus ideas; and working with things versus people. Discusses everyday vocational guidance applications. (RC)

Recommended as a means for reducing human stress and errors in the work place, task analysis can be used to assist in decision making and provide a detailed inquiry into the actions that need to be taken in the performance of a specific job or task. (MER)

In the first of three articles in this issue on special protective legislation for women workers, the author explains that the Nordic countries are generally opposed to protection on the basis of sex. Reviewing work environment and equal opportunity legislation, the arguments for and against special protection are presented. (SK)

Results substantiated the importance of work environment on grievances. Task organization influenced the nature of the grievances. Employees of mental health and correctional institutions whose jobs were more stressful filed more grievances than transportation employees. (JAC)

The author explores the problem of burnout among staff in human services fields. Three causes of burnout are cited: environmental factors, cultural predispositions, and personal characteristics. Burnout, the author asserts, can be prevented through self-reflection, care of the body, learning to relax, and working on aspects of the work environment…

Familiarizes readers with the part of "A Study of Schooling" pertaining to the adult (primarily teachers in this report) experience in schools, describes the data collected, and offers some preliminary interpretations. (Author/IRT)

Economic factors serve to control the degree to which individual and work-related factors can explain variation in turnover. Individual and work-related variables will be more predictive of turnover under prosperous economic conditions than when the economy is strained. (Author)

A national probability sample revealed similar patterns of relationships between perceived job characteristics and job satisfaction for men and women, indicating that they require similar job characteristics to be satisfied with their jobs. Self expression has the highest correlation with job satisfaction for both men and women. (Author)