Terminology in the training and human resources development field as used in various countries is defined and discussed, from "autonomous work groups" to "two-tier work structure." The author notes that the preferred term to indicate some kind of increased worker influence on organizational conduct seems to be "quality of…

A study examined Chiat/Day inc. Advertising's team-based virtual office in which work could occur at any location inside or outside the office at any time. Three sites used three workplace strategies: full virtual (FV), modified virtual (MV), and conventional (C). Interviews, observations, and archival data were used to assess project teams doing…

City planners should take on a "maieutic" role, which is to say that they should encourage wide participation in a process that elicits and enlists the latent knowledge and desires of all citizens in a city-building effort. Planners must try to obtain a sense of (1) what the everyday life of people living in and using cities is like, and (2) the…

A study was conducted to describe the present status of self-managed work groups in Ohio manufacturing companies. Data for the study were gathered through lengthy interviews and site visits with 45 manufacturing companies in the state, 24 employing 2,000-14,000 workers and 21 employing 300 to 1,900 workers. The results of the study are presented…

A series of essays discussing ideas about humanizing work are presented in the document. Three major sections divide the essays, and each includes a preface with comments suggesting the central focus and questions with which the authors are concerned. The first section deals with the history, philosophy, and issues related to work and contains…

Addresses the complex socioeconomic problem of improving the quality of worklife and, in the process, improving productivity. Focuses on ways to provide a work climate that will stimulate pleasurable ego-involvement in the job, thereby bringing about increased productivity as a likely by-product. Explores a number of attempts to improve the…

To investigate methods of improving both employees' productivity and the quality of their work life, workers from four businesses were surveyed before and after their organizations implemented a total employees involvement program. Survey questions covered employees' perceptions of (1) the quality of the product produced, (2) the leadership's…

Organization Development (OD), conceived by behavioral scientists to humanize psychological aspects of working conditions which deprive employees of opportunities to develop and utilize their inherent resources, is based on the assumption that human resources can be released if people are given other conditions for work and cooperation. There is…

The traditional systems used to produce goods and services in this country are being challenged by evolving alternatives. The focus of these new alternatives is on the human element in the work force. Studies in adult work attitudes indicate that a more humanistic system is needed to promote productivity. Inherent in the human condition is the…