A survey of 524 managers identified key practices to improve performance in a changing environment: clarifying roles, goals, and expectations; ongoing performance evaluation, feedback, and coaching; mentoring; challenging assignments; formal career planning; customer contact; cross-training; and 360-degree feedback. (Contains 31 references.) (SK)

Conducted at the request of the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Advanced Education, this study inquired into the attitudes of university graduates and technical college diploma holders toward the training they had received; the relevance of training to the work expected of them; and how employers felt about the graduates whom they employed. The…

Presents a way to diagnose and solve motivation problems at work. Describes a model based on recent cognitive performance motivation research. Explains the CANE (Commitment And Necessary Effort) model and illustrates with a case study. Discusses the CANE model's applicability in any performance setting. (AEF)

Two approaches to career development are assessment centers--in which simulations of work situations explore an individual's abilities, skills, and personality--and career management, which encourages individuals and employers to look realistically at personalities, competencies, and weaknesses and bring aspirations in line with reality. (SK)

Changes in the educational qualifications and skills expected of senior managers in the United Kingdom were examined through interviews with senior managers and human resource professionals in 17 large companies from a range of sectors. The following were identified as common objectives or responsibilities of senior managers: determining the…

With employees in many organizations now expected to act as if they are self-employed in order to preserve their employability, managers need to assume new responsibilities to provide career coaching. Some outputs of career coaching are education of staff in career self-management, guidance of staff in the use of career analysis and planning…

The definition and structure of the relatively new job of work-family manager and the qualifications and career opportunities of individuals holding the job were explored in a study. Information was gathered from focus group discussions of 32 work-family managers, 68 completed responses to a 1991 survey of a sample of 116 work-family managers, a…

These three papers were presented at a symposium on human resource development (HRD) in selected nations moderated by Alan Mumford at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "Perspectives of United States Expatriates in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on Expatriation and the Role of Their Sponsoring…

This document, which is based on a symposium devoted to capitalizing on the new work force, contains five reports describing how major U.S. corporations are dealing with the demographic changes currently under way in the United States. "Whither the Work Force?" (Delores Wolf) discusses the proper role of corporations in coping with a lack of…

This student guide is intended to assist persons employed as supervisors in recruiting, selecting, and inducting employees. Discussed in the first three sections are the following topics: the staffing process and the importance of good staff; recruitment and selection (job and ideal person profiles and job interview procedures); and induction…

This guide, which is intended for new supervisors and managers to use in an independent study setting, deals with interviewing and selecting new employees. The following topics are discussed in the individual sections: differences between people, five ways of looking at someone, first impressions and qualifications, brains versus ability,…

This guide, which is intended for new supervisors and managers to use in an independent study setting, deals with maintaining working relations with organized labor. The following topics are discussed in the individual sections: good personal relations (psychological aspects, wages and job security, a good working environment, techniques for…

This student guide is intended to assist persons employed as supervisors in understanding the legal aspects of supervision. Discussed in the first four sections are the following topics: the nature of the law (criminal and civil law, why people obey the law, and the law and supervisors); health and safety at work (safety in the workplace, ways of…

This student guide is intended to assist persons employed as supervisors in understanding the law relating to discipline and implementing disciplinary procedures. Discussed in the first five sections are the following topics: knowing the rules pertaining to employee discipline (getting information and making judgments); handling discipline…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…