Individuals with a high school education represent the largest subset of the U.S. workforce. However, little is known about the employer expectations of these individuals, particularly in the area of soft skills--also known as 21st-century skills. Online job advertisements offer useful data for examining these expectations, as they may supplement…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the challenges regarding learning in stakeholder relations in profit and nonprofit organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Conclusions and models presented in the paper have been designed based on the systems perspective, critical thinking and critical review of previous contributions.…

Purpose: Drawing upon Sternberg's theory of mental self-government, this paper aims to investigate the thinking styles and workplace experiences of 152 human resource (HR) practitioners pursuing Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) membership. It seeks to explore whether their thinking styles complemented their jobs and consider…

In a time when job opportunities are changing, the opinions of those who hire and supervise psychologists are important. To determine employer preferences in psychologist selection, 105 Philadelphia administrators completed a survey (39% response) rating the importance of various functions, areas of knowledge, and personal characteristics for…

This newsletter issue outlines the growth of the supported employment movement for individuals with mental retardation. Two research studies are described, dealing with employers' experiences with supported employment. The first study examined the initial and most recent or terminal evaluation forms of 125 workers with mental retardation. The…

Managerial motivation models have evolved beyond the human resource tradition of the 1960s and the 1970s to a form of corporate involvement with the personal needs of employees, many of whose family lifestyles have changed dramatically. To analyze the new role for companies and the corporate concern for employees' well-being, this research study…

The Workplace Literacy Skills and Training Inventory was created as a needs assessment instrument to determine existing programs and services and current needs at workplace sites. Subjects were 64 representatives from businesses in Greene County, Ohio, randomly selected from the yellow pages. The framework for the inventory consisted of 16 skills…

Results of a survey of employers showed a preference for the co-curricular transcript over the traditional resume. Employers screening applicants considered the students' involvement in extracurricular activities as well as grade point average, specific coursework, and previous work experience. Outlines implementation steps of a cocurricular…

This packet contains a series of five brochures that discuss workplace literacy program development. Each brochure deals with a specific aspect of such programs and reflects the expertise of several successful program developers and instructors. The brochures cover the following topics: (1) gaining management support; (2) working with management…

University of Arizona employees (N=182) participated in studies of the valuation of fringe benefits. Findings include a lack of employee knowledge regarding employer cost and market value of the studied benefit and undervaluation of the benefit by employees. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that employee benefit valuations anchor on…

The findings of a research project undertaken by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) on student responsibility as it relates to job performance are reported. Forty high school students, 15 teachers, and 18 employers involved in Cooperative Work Experience and Experience-Based Career Education programs were interviewed. The…

Intended for students, practitioners, policymakers, and academicians in personnel and industrial relations, this book presents findings of a 5-year study of joint union-management programs to improve productivity. Chapter 1 underscores the growth and importance of union-management cooperation and discusses union and management attitudes toward…

Considers industrial relations policies and practices of stevedore firms in the West Coast longshore industry in terms of the social worker, worker-resource, and institutional theories. Subsidiary firms were more lenient in contract interpretation and more competitive in recruitment, supporting the worker-resource theory. Includes 2 tables and 33…

Investigated the accuracy with which personnel recruiters perceive specific reward preferences of new college graduates and the effect of recruiter experiences on perceptual accuracy. Results indicated significant differences on 11 job characteristics. Although recruitment specialization did not influence accuracy, experience did, with less…

Graduates and employers were surveyed on the mathematical education of engineers in Australia. This paper summarizes their views and contrasts undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The undergraduate courses tend to be more traditional and structured, while there is a need for more work emphasizing mathematical modeling for postgraduate courses.…