Organizational climate refers to workers' perceptions that a given workplace possesses a distinctive atmosphere. Managers appreciate the behavioral implications of this concept, assuming staff performance or well-being might be improved by managing the climate. Attempts to manipulate organizational climate have generally been unsuccessful, and the…

This study with 64 deaf employees working in either signing work groups or nonsigning workgroups found that employees' perceived empowerment was significantly higher in the signing work groups. Deaf associates in signing work groups experienced greater psychological stress and role conflicts, whereas deaf associates in nonsigning groups…

Describes long- and short-term changes in women's employment. Introduces a set of "Psychology in the Public Forum" articles that address the consequences of these changes for women's health and for their families, and delineate the government's responses. Discusses the mission of the Network on the Determinants and Consequences of Health-Promoting…

Questionnaire data were collected from 64 direct-care staff members in a residential facility for people with multiple disabilities. Path analyses identified factors predicting levels of perceived stress, overall job satisfaction, overall life satisfaction, and perceived likelihood of leaving the organization. Factors included staff support, job…

Following a preface and a chapter tracing the rise of the women's movement, this report provides a brief overview of the Ford Foundation's ongoing funding commitment to the importance of the women's movement. The report is divided into three time periods: l973-l980, 1980-1983, and 1983 into the future. Early efforts emphasize issues of female…

The IOR project (Idea and reality underlying educational reforms of higher education) used women's life stories as case studies to help understand the reforms of higher education during an expansive, "rational" planning period. The project gathered data from 300 women who returned questionnaires. A central topic in the IOR-questionnaires…

Describes the Quality of Work Life (QWL) program at the North American Manufacturing Division of Xerox Corporation and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. States that the story of QWL is a description of participatory action research. Notes that the process has become an integral and flexible approach to solving problems and…

Reflects upon participatory action research as used by the cost study teams at Xerox Corporation. Discusses the evolving relationships between union and management and describes the changing role of the union during this process. Notes that even though management instability causes some problems, the program is beneficial in fostering employee…

This survey of 716 professionals working with children having mental handicaps found 12 percent reported fairly high levels of stress and tendency to burn out. These individuals were likely to (1) have a higher educational level; (2) have a feeling of incompetence; (3) have negative attitudes; (4) feel generally dissatisfied; and (5) tend to…

A 5-year (still ongoing) study of new faculty (originally 54) has found such changes as declining amount of time spent on teaching preparation; teaching increasingly perceived as more satisfying and less stressful than research; increasing time spent on research; increased stress about research productivity; and increased perception of work…

The role of research in an applied field can be seen in terms of its relevance and use to practitioners. However, it can seem that much, or at least some, educational research currently being undertaken has become focused on the agenda and expressed in the terms of the ideology of governmental department and agencies. Specifically, how meaningful…

This paper summarizes a recent organizational climate survey conducted at Villanova University (Pennsylvania). The campus-wide project distributed questionnaires to all faculty and staff, both full-time and part-time (N=1800) and a 39 percent response rate was achieved. The survey measured perceptions of the following core processes and values:…

Presents a model of the interaction of external, work related, and internal factors that may influence the decision of academic library professionals to leave the library. The results of a survey that examined factors related to a decision to leave a library are reported, and further research is suggested. (CLB)

This study, involving 85 workers with and without disabilities, found few differences in coworker relations and interactions. Of nine interaction categories, coworkers without disabilities interacted more among themselves in only one--befriending off the job. Individual workers with disabilities in light industry occupations experienced less…

Central to the debates surrounding accountability, cost containment, and effectiveness in higher education are issues concerning faculty vitality and productivity. This paper proposes that the nature of faculty vitality and the interactions between individual and institutional vitality are different for comprehensive universities, particularly…