The goals of the Working Conditions Project were to collect information about child care center staff members and administration in Washtenaw County, Michigan; to identify sources of job satisfaction; and to report administrative practices associated with high commitment to a center by its staff. Results showed that more than 75 percent of the…

Critics call computerized innovations and other changes in the workplace examples of the employers'"dumbing down" of jobs for illiterate workers. Others disagree and say the changes free workers from routine, monotonous tasks and permit them to learn more complex procedures and to take on more responsibility. Findings of a survey of business…

A survey on the perceptions about the working conditions, roles, and job satisfaction of 686 secondary school teachers working in the north of England are reported and discussed in this paper. This represents one part of a comprehensive project that explores the relationships between work experiences and teacher characteristics. Questionnaires…

This study examined factors leading to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction among child care providers. Child care providers were asked to respond to questions dealing with society's perceptions of child care, their own view of child care, their working conditions, and the facilities in which they were employed. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires…

The examination of technological change and its impact on schools that is reported in these conference proceedings focuses on the human dimensions of this change, and in particular, whether the introduction of technology into education is causing turmoil for teachers. It is argued that teachers appear to be feeling the strain of the actual changes…

To describe the conflict management training practices in 10 large American organizations, a study gathered descriptive data through interviews with organizational personnel responsible for training and development, a review of written materials where available, and observations of the delivery of conflict management training programs. The…

This book contains practical information on creating a positive work climate within an organization. Twenty separate characteristics of successful "climate creators" are discussed. Information is also included on: (1) climate; (2) climate creators; (3) dynamic characteristics of climate creators; (4) the challenge of creating a positive climate;…

Outlines are presented of recommendations for recruiting and retaining talented black youth in teaching careers in Arkansas. These recommendations are made for education administrators at both the state and university level. It is pointed out, however, that the key to the long-term expansion of the minority teacher pool lies in the elementary and…

The purpose of Project COMPETE is to use previous research and exemplary practices to develop and validate a model and training sequence to assist retarded youth to make the transition from school to employment in the most competitive environment possible. Described in this project working paper is a system of analyzing community work environments…

The 1986 Merit Principles Survey asked federal employees to share their opinions and experiences on a variety of issues. The survey queried a group of 16,651 employees that was representative of the full-time permanent work force in 22 of the largest federal agencies. Results showed that many federal employees held positive views of their jobs and…

This article presents ethnographic data to elaborate the nature of teacher resistance and accommodation to the structural context of schooling, and it illustrates the dynamics of group solidarity among a group of eighth-grade middle school teachers. The analysis is predicated on concepts identified by Paul Willis in his study "Learning to…

The involvement of teachers in large-scale innovations is critical if attempts to improve schooling are to succeed. An analysis of the teacher's role in educational change is presented with particular focus upon teacher concerns about innovations. A description is given of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, which identifies the individual teachers…

Published research on vocational interests and personality has not often assessed the characteristics of workers and the work environment in blue-collar, women-dominated industries. This study administered the Self-Directed Search (Form E) to 318 sewing machine operators in three clothing factories. Holland codes, productivity, job satisfaction,…

This nine-step outline is designed for use by librarians and library trustees in obtaining a general estimate of their library's space needs and for initiating a more comprehensive, detailed facilities planning process. Identifiable spatial requirements to be assessed include space for collections, user seating, staff work, meetings, special use,…

A guide to skilled occupations presents information on 30 occupations in narrative form. It is designed for students to use in career planning. For each occupation, the narrator describes, in conversational, first person form, the job, working conditions, necessary qualifications and personal characteristics, related school subjects, and…