In the workplace of today which is increasingly being overloaded with information, the concept of intelligent information agents has been widely prescribed. This paper briefly looks at the United Kingdom Government's Information Society Initiative which has been fueled by the realization that information is the key component of the ongoing…

This paper reports findings of a study that explored the changing role of school principals in Washington State. Data were collected during stage 1 through focus-group interviews at an annual conference of a Washington State principals' association. During stage 2, a questionnaire was sent to all members (n=2,431) of the Association of Washington…

This brief paper summarizes requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 related to reasonable accommodation. The following topics are addressed: what is meant by reasonable accommodation and some examples; some ways of determining essential job functions and possible accommodations (such as job descriptions, permissible and…

This paper explores the dynamics of managing collective problem solving and decision making, and the application of tools and strategies to deal with the emergent complexity of systems in which educators work. Schools and educational programs are complex adaptive systems that respond to changes in internal and external environments. Functioning…

A study was undertaken to understand the role of electronic communication technologies (ECTs) in maintaining work-related communication. The study site was Sun Microsystems, a company at the high end of the curve in terms of its commitment to and employees' experience with ECTs. An electronic focus group (n=40, 4% response) and an e-mail survey…

This report is based on interviews with learning supporters and observations of their work in a number of primary and secondary schools in London and in the North of England, areas which are known for efforts toward developing inclusion. The focus is on supporters' perspective, and the aim is to give a platform to what traditionally have been…

This study focuses on the prerequisites for successful communication and collaborative learning in a large multinational company experienced by human resource development (HRD) practitioners, who participated in a cross-cultural e-learning course. The participants were Finnish and Chinese employees, who used an asynchronous Web-based tool to study…

This paper discusses knowledge management (KM) in relation to a shared cataloging system in Japanese university libraries. The first section describes the Japanese scene related to knowledge management and the working environment, including the SECI (Socialization, Externalization, Combination, Internalization) model, the context of knowledge, and…

This report from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a federal agency that coordinates and promotes public and private efforts to enhance the employment of people with disabilities, describes committee activities during Fiscal Year 1999 (October 1, 1998- September 30, 1999). The first part of the report profiles…

Jobs differ widely in the ability, educational level, and other attributes they require of workers. This article provides a table that lists 16 characteristics of jobs, such as education required and salary level, and shows each characteristic's relation to more than 250 individual occupations. (Author/SSH)

Research to determine any longitudinal changes in knowledge and attitudes among 178 subjects from four graduating classes at one college of pharmacy is discussed. Some differences were found in knowledge test scores of sexes, of graduating classes, and of work environment groups but these were not consistent across time. (Author/MLW)

Reports the results of an empirical study of psychological stress and strain among teachers. A number of strain variables were sampled: various aspects of job satisfaction and felt pressure; self-esteem assessed against the perceived qualities of other teachers; and clinically validated measures of depression, anxiety, somaticism, and…

Discusses how mechanization of work has been treated by economists, what its effect has been on the past U.S. economy, and what its future effect is likely to be. Emphasizes the impact of mechanization on the shifting structure and character of the labor force and evolution of the work environment. (Author/JN)

Reviewed 52 court cases to determine standards set by the courts for establishing a claim of sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Examined the gender-based nature of sexual harassment at work, employment-related consequences, and the extent of employer liability for acts of their employees. (Author)

Effects of stress on educators and efforts to understand and cope with stress are discussed. Sources of stress, common reactions to stress, the effects of stress on educator performance, and suggested preventive methods are examined. (JN)