An important aspect of work environment is job content and structure. As this case study illustrates, increased productivity, enhanced job satisfaction, substantial cost reduction, and a reduction in turnover are some of the benefits of task reorganization. (CT)

The existing theoretical framework for research in management information systems (MIS) is criticized for its lack of attention to the external environment of organizations, and a new framework is developed which better accommodates MIS in public organizations: public management information systems. Four models of publicness that reflect external…

In Hollywood movies, straight shooters often expose scoundrels' folly. School-based straight shooters seeking to clarify their positions and hear colleagues' views are hampered by lack of agreement about needed changes, an overly polite work environment, and contrived evaluation sessions. Recent Essential Schools initiatives show that…

An Australian principal who participated in an exploratory study to ascertain the extent and sources of stress among school principals realized that many of his colleagues felt isolated and unsupported. The study relates the high incidence of anxiety and depression among principals to conceiving educational administration as a technical activity.…

Discusses Theory Z, the Japanese philosophy of work and job training. Examines the 13-step matrix of this theory. These steps include: knowing the company's organization and management philosophy; implementing the philosophy; developing interpersonal skills; testing oneself and the system; involving the union; and stabilizing employment. (CT)

More than 250,000 federal employees nationwide are participating in a three-year voluntary experiment to find out if the federal government can successfully use flexible and compressed work schedules as alternatives to the traditional eight-hour day, forty-hour workweek. If the experiment is a success, the Congress may modify laws to allow…

Introduction of the advanced skills teacher (AST) classification into Australian schools is a poignant example of how discursive practices shape the lives of teachers through patterns of reward, processes, and criteria. In recognizing certain skills as advanced (and devaluing others), the AST process has encouraged, even mandated, their…

Australia's National Schools Project tried to facilitate restructuring by abolishing, bending, or breaking the rules that prevented schools from improving student outcomes. Since 1992, the 50-school project has expanded to over 200 sites. An evaluation of three NSP schools identifies barriers (cultural resistance and structural complexity) and…

VITAL (Vision Impaired Task and Assignment Lexicon) is an integrated computerized system that performs workplace design tasks for visually impaired workers. VITAL consists of three modules: ergonomics consultation, disability index, and work measurement. Evaluation indicated that VITAL could be used as a tool to help nonprofessional vocational…

Since 1990, over 40 Illinois and Massachusetts school districts have built capacity for sustained improvement through vertically structured, district-level Learning Leadership Teams. Originated by Motorola executives, LLT was based on an understanding of organizational change derived from the National Science Foundation's definition of systemic…

Extracts of two background papers are presented: (1) The ILO (International Labour Organisation) Workers' Education Programme and (2) promotion of wider concepts of workers' education linked to other forms of education and education at the workplace. (CT)

This article presents a broad overview of the current employment situation in industrialized market economy countries and provides a general framework for examining some of the major employment issues confronting developed countries today. It argues for a broader approach to these issues and for a change in policy at the national level. (CT)

Colleges and universities should place less emphasis on the leadership of one or a few individual administrators and concentrate on creating a culture of leadership that will empower all members of the institution. The human resource development program at Boston College (Massachusetts) exemplifies the dynamic possibilities of leadership…

Provides an overview of recent changes in the tertiary sector in New Zealand, and considers possible futures for higher education. Pays special attention to three themes: emergence of the "perpetually choosing student," potential changes in conditions of work for academics, and reconfiguration of academic priorities in the age of the…

The Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects were set up to aid disadvantaged youths, ages 16 to 19, by guaranteeing them a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job during summer months on the condition that they remain in, or return to, a secondary school or enroll in an equivalent education program. The program was started in…