Study of 298 U.S. social workers revealed that interest in international practice in developing world depended on freedom to relocate, expectation of rewarding experience overseas, possession of and desire to use requisite skills, interest in foreign intercultural arena, and global-mindedness. These variables, in combination, accounted for 41% of…

Conducted exploratory study to identify factors that may influence some caseworkers to continue employment in public child welfare when so many others are leaving. From comprehensive focused interviews with 23 caseworkers, 4 factors of retention emerged: mission, goodness of fit, supervision, and investment. (Author/NB)

Three tenets of skill requirements influence understanding of work: (1) they decompose workers/jobs into bundles of skills; (2) the skills identified are required in some obvious way; and (3) they separate workers from work contexts. Case studies of four workplaces suggest the appropriate analytical unit may be the workplace and not the job. (SK)

Looks at how six companies addressed the issue of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among their employees. Stresses the need for education and policies and looks at legal issues. (JOW)

Regarding daily work activities and relationships involved in running schools, occupational culture of (British) principalship has changed fundamentally. Using 20 headteachers' accounts of their career histories in 1990 interviews and 1992 questionnaires, this paper illustrates the changes experienced, including increased workload and focus on…

Discusses empowerment--the idea of pushing decision-making authority down the management hierarchy to the workers. Looks at myths surrounding the concept and suggests steps that bring people closer to full empowerment by gradually introducing them to new tasks. (JOW)

Correctly used communication tools such as focus groups and organizational surveys actually inhibit the learning and communication that corporations now demand of managers and employees. They do not encourage individual accountability or allow the revelation of threatening or embarrassing information. (JOW)

Compared job satisfaction and functions of 47 school counselors serving multischool units with those of 52 counselors serving single school units. Counselors serving multiple schools reported being busier and spending more time on 15 of 17 guidance activities and being less satisfied on 14 of these activities. (NB)

Validated relationship of personality characteristics as measured by the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Findings from 50 school psychologists revealed that school psychologists with well-integrated personalities (high Factor 3 scores on CPI) were less prone to burnout than others.…

Discusses the "reasonable woman" standard in sexual harassment cases and gender-based differences in defining harassment. Investigates the issue of these differences in the emotional and psychological effects of hostile environments, using data from a survey of 8,523 public employees. (SK)

An exemplary university/business partnership involved the development of a training program to enhance workplace productivity for a relatively small manufacturing facility. The objectives were to educate the work force in the principles of workplace organization and lean manufacturing practices. (Author/JOW)

Major issues surrounding women in management include the glass ceiling and prevalence of myths and stereotypes. Organizational and individual responses to improve use of the diversity of their skills and talents include mentors, sponsors, role models, networks, alternative schedules, family leave, employee assistance, and child care. (JOW)

Provides empirical evidence about the relationship between policies and practices and the incidence and outcomes of work disability, controlling for organizational factors. Describes the employer self-assessment survey instrument designed for the study and the eight independent variables explored within Michigan establishments (N=220) in seven…

Workplace productivity programs are a challenge in organizations with non-English speakers. Although some English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) techniques may be used, the desired outcome is not fluency but productivity. ESL and productivity programs differ in task analysis, curriculum design, instructional materials, and assessment techniques. (JOW)

A company can undo a generation of organizing and collective bargaining by redesigning the technology of the workplace. Unions must define a different vision of how production can be organized--a vision that is worker centered and skill based--and struggle for it in decision-making arenas of government and private enterprise. (Author)