A survey of 42 chief executive officers (28%), 72 line managers (47%), and 37 state agency personnel directors (24%) found that all 3 groups viewed the personnel department as primarily service providers, directors regarded themselves more involved in advisory roles than did the other 2 groups, and there was limited support for policymaking…

A survey of the 50 state personnel directors found that (1) their attitudes and actions reflect a concern for social equity issues; (2) 21 were women and 6 African American; (3) they experience similar role conflicts and tensions as federal civil servants; and (4) state personnel systems are addressing equity issues and benefit flexibility. (SK)

Effectiveness of training for public agency employees demands on adapting methods to individual learning styles. Trainers should assess employees' learning styles and create training environments that are affectively, perceptually, symbolically, or behaviorally complex, as appropriate. (SK)

Governors and legislators are looking for ways to help offset budget deficits, and the public pension funds that cover working and retired school employees are tempting targets. Discusses problems in a number of states, pros and cons of federal regulation, calculating retirement benefits, and how pension funds are controlled. (MLF)

Studied optimal experiences in 47 campers aged 11-12 years and 21 staff using experience sampling forms at random times during the day. Respondents rated the challenge of the activity and the amount of skill required on a four-point scale. Results suggest a high potential for optimal (flow) experiences in a camp setting. Provides suggestions to…

Surveyed 211 returning staff from 25 camps and interviewed 19 returning staff to study factors that influence a counselor's decision to return to camp. Examined the following dimensions of motivation and hygiene factors: (1) stimulation or inspiration; (2) personal; (3) job-related experience; (4) living conditions and camp life; (5) camp…

As the number of organizations engaged in some form of workplace literacy training grows, their capacity to enhance worker skills/knowledge and improve productivity becomes more challenging. Two factors are important: instructional program fit in the workplace and types of organizational support available. (Contains six references.) (LB)

A latent class unfolding model is developed for single stimulus preference ratings. One advantage is the possibility of testing the spatial unfolding model against the unconstrained latent class model for rating data. The model is applied to data about party preferences of members of the Dutch parliament. (SLD)

Results of 3 studies, involving 80 adult employees, 6,810 defense contractor employees, and 88 graduate students, support the reliability and validity of a new measure of global work autonomy, the Global Work Autonomy Scale (B. Ashforth and A. Saks, 1995). (SLD)

Injured workers (n=49) and their employers (n=23) were interviewed concerning their perceptions about their own and each other's behavior in the process of occupational rehabilitation. While workers focus on the perceived failure of the system to provide adequate care, employers were concerned with cost containment and productivity. Recommends…

Reviewed clinical- and cost-effectiveness studies, including quasi-experimental studies, of comprehensive, multifactorial worksite health promotion programs. Searching such sources as MEDLINE, ERIC, and ADI identified 15 studies. Results suggest that providing individualized risk reduction for high- risk employees within the context of…

Reviews literature on employee feedback-seeking behavior and the literature on information seeking by organizational newcomers. Highlights the various motives that affect the decision of whether or not to seek information. Offers an integrated model of antecedents, dynamics, forms, and outcomes of employee information seeking. Concludes with…

Purpose: To explore potential mismatches between stakeholders' perceptions and expectations of key and technical skills needed for an advanced modern apprentice within the UK. Design/methodology/approach: Using data collected from the automotive sector, the template process is used to establish lecturer, student and employee stakeholder group's…

The question of how to develop human capabilities to meet current and future needs of organisations has become an important issue at national, organisational and individual levels. An essential ingredient is shared understanding of the skills and competences deemed necessary and/or desirable for current and future performance. Current indications…

This article explores the strengths and weaknesses of Lave and Wenger's concept of "legitimate peripheral participation" as a means of understanding workplace learning. It draws on recent ESRC-funded research by the authors in contemporary workplace settings in the UK (manufacturing industry and secondary schools) to establish the extent…