Argues that effective sociology courses should point to a central contradiction of a social problem or institution. Contends that organizations and organizational theory are prime choices for this role. Concludes that changes in the way work is designed and managed result in more creativity and productivity. (CFR)

A common problem in an "experiential class" is the lack of attention devoted to group closure at the end of the course. Toward the end of the semester, students working in small groups in organizational behavior classes often experience anxiety over losing the support and identity that they enjoyed as members of a small learning group. A final…

This curriculum guide contains seven Technology Student Association (TSA) units of study for secondary students. The units focus on helping students to develop and apply social, civic, and technology-related skills and achieve course competencies in applied technology courses. Each of the instructional units includes some or all of the basic…

This curriculum guide contains seven Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) units of study for secondary and postsecondary students. The units focus on helping students acquire the knowledge, skills, and behavior essential in preparing for a health career and to encourage leadership development, citizenship, and service. Each of the…

This curriculum guide contains eight Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) units of study for secondary students. The units focus on helping students prepare for leadership in a world of work. Each of the instructional units includes some or all of the basic components of a unit of instruction: performance objectives, suggested activities…

Describes how the job characteristics model (J. R. Hackman), used by industrial-organizational psychologists to enhance the motivating potential of jobs in industry, can be applied to increase student motivation. The job characteristics model describes the relationship between the core characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task…

This Total Quality Management (TQM) course was designed to introduce students to the principles and tools of TQM in a full-semester course in high schools or community colleges. The course includes all the competencies found in TQM and is intended to be taught with an interactive method in which students are involved in the learning process. This…

This booklet provides practical "how-to" information to federal employees on the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). The booklet is intended primarily for program officials who have begun to think seriously about or have already begun a TQM effort and want guidance on the training effort to support it. Background information on TQM…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students covers the topics of benchmarking and the continuous improvement process. It includes the following components: (1) a narrative summary of the topics; (2) a discussion of benchmarking; (3) a benchmarking exercise (the "numbered ball"…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students contains a brief overview of the definition of processes, a section on process flow diagrams, and a section on process management as well as a description of process variation. Examples are used throughout the module to make processes…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students contains a brief overview of problem solving and offers a practical approach along with some of the tools that can be used. The following components are included: (1) narrative of the problem-solving process; (2) the problem-solving…

This module for a Total Quality Management (TQM) course was designed to give students a broad background in TQM and its influence on the business world in the United States. It can be used in a U.S. history class, an economics class, an English class, or as part of a TQM course for high school or community college students. The module covers the…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students covers the topics of empowerment and teamwork. It includes the following components: (1) a narrative summary of the topics; (2) a discussion of employee empowerment; (3) a discussion of teamwork and self-directed teams; (4) a discussion…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students discusses the concepts of customer satisfaction, customer surveys, and quality functional deployment. The concept of customer satisfaction begins with identifying the customer. Surveys are suggested as one way that students can learn…

This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students gives a brief introduction to some statistical tools. It includes a section on process variation that is intended to familiarize students with the causes of variation such as common and special causes. Statistical definitions are given…