Examines experiences of two female high school principals to explore how women administrators think and speak about their worlds. Ruth, a tall, black, conservatively dressed innercity principal, takes no nonsense from staff and students and seems to lack vision. Linda, an exuberant redhead, has a more soft-spoken style and seems to be heading her…

Includes five articles: "Introduction"; "Workplace Trends"; "Challenge of Change"; "The Choice"; and "Techniques of 'New Work' Places." Reports that many new jobs are being created in services and trades; "new work" accommodates global trends; workplaces choose to succeed or fail in the new environment; and successful techniques involve trends,…

Reviews the range of responses taken in industrialized countries seeking to deal with substantial worker displacement. Practices discussed include preventive subsidies, buyouts, retraining, job-search assistance, job creation, local and regional development, and local enterprise development. (Author/JOW)

Explains how academic teachers are participating in summer externship programs and discovering that work-based learning yields across-the-board benefits for teachers, students, and employers. Offers guidelines for making the most of externship experiences. (JOW)

Although opportunities for externships for teachers in rural areas are limited, rural teachers must seek out work sites in advance or travel to distant sites to gain the practical experience they need to bring back to their classrooms. (JOW)

A study of chief administrative officers in cities over 50,000 found that three-quarters of respondents (n=236) report that implementing productivity-improvement efforts made them more attractive to present and future employers. Productivity enhanced careers by increasing the reputations and effectiveness of managers dealing with critical issues…

A study involving 512 staff serving individuals with mental retardation investigated the validity of the 33-item Staff Stressor Questionnaire (SSQ). The SSQ measures potential stressors, including user challenging behavior, poor user skills, lack of staff support, lack of resources, low-status job, bureaucracy, and work/home conflict. Results show…

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of various types of career-supportive relationships that make up academic women's webs of intellectual, social, personal, and political ties, including formal mentoring, networking, and peer-support programs. Several strategies rooted in each of these models are presented, based on a review of current…

Many substitute teachers are underpaid, undertrained, and "invisible" employees lacking health benefits and respect from regular colleagues. Grass-roots organizing efforts have improved working conditions for subs in two Florida and California districts. Districts' improvement initiatives should be guided by concerns for student…

Drawing on a database of over 300 interactions collected in a range of New Zealand professional workplaces, this article identifies some potentially problematic areas for those who are expected to communicate in English at work when English is not their first language. Discussion focuses on small talk and social talk in the workplace. (Author/VWL)

This paper reports results of a qualitative study of the workplace experiences of eight young adults with developmental disabilities. Four characteristics of supportive workplaces were identified: (1) multiple context relationships; (2) specific social opportunities; (3) a personal and team-building management style; and (4) interdependent job…

Analysis of interviews with 41 service providers (20 deaf, 21 hearing) who worked together at three British organizations found deaf and hearing individuals had differing perspectives on the integrated working experience and the use of sign language in the work setting. Deaf/hearing relations were perceived as largely person-centered by deaf…

Presents a case study for use in business communication classes to help students understand and learn both the context and the strategies for communication with business and management. Deals with a situation in which diverse internal groups in a company neither understand nor effectively interact with each other. Includes two assignments. (SR)

A study found no differences in the effectiveness of single- and multiple-work auditory prompts in teaching five adolescents with moderate mental retardation to transition through a chain of vocational tasks into work settings. Self-operated auditory prompts were effective for teaching workers to manage their own task change behavior. (Author/CR)

The World Employment Report indicates that the number of unemployed and underemployed workers around the world has never been higher and will grow as a result of the financial crisis in Asia and other parts of the world. Worker training provides an effective means to resolve this problem. (Author/JOW)