School districts are advised to take the necessary steps to bring job classification and compensation schedules into line with comparable worth criteria. (Author/MLF)

Studied the effect of gaming as an approach to reducing employee absenteeism. A longitudinal study in a small manufacturing plant, showed significant improvement in employee attitude and cooperation due to the opportunity for communication. Operant conditioning also resulted in somewhat lower absenteeism and tardiness. (Author/JAC)

The author argues that the autonomy given to teachers under progressive education is excessive. He feels that educational objectives and curriculum content should be determined democratically and that teachers should be civil servants in the sense that they make their professional teaching decisions within the framework of state policy. (SJL)

A ruling preventing state agencies, such as the community college in question, from contracting outside the institution for services that school civil service employees can and customarily do provide is criticized. (Journal availability: Washington Law Review, 1100 N.E. Campus Parkway, University of Washington, Condon Hall, JB-20, Seattle, WA…

Though telecommuting has been found to increase employee productivity as much as 20%, not all employers and workers embrace the concept. This article examines the pros and cons of telecommuting by presenting case studies of remote employment and a self-owned business. Provides a bibliography of print and nonprint resources for remote working and a…

Reports a study that examined 316 studies of the effects of worksite health promotion programs on individuals and organizations, targeting research on exercise, health risk appraisal, nutrition, cholesterol, and weight control. Results suggest the effectiveness of such programs, though further research is needed for conclusive evidence of their…

Discusses the development of the Adaptive Testing Linguistic Achievement Significance (ATLAS) test used to evaluate second language proficiency of Belgian civil servants. Notes that testers encountered various problems caused by the complexity of language, the difference in background of the candidates and the absence of official objective test…

The Supreme Court's ruling in "Betts" gives employers wide latitude in structuring benefit plans and should strengthen the confidence of school boards that wish to offer age-based retirement incentives. (MLF)

An analysis of the rights of homosexuals in the area of public education discusses: (1) legal statutes; (2) patterns in military and intelligence agency cases; (3) the teacher as role model; and (4) consideration of homosexuals as a suspect class entitled to equal protection. (MLF)

Views of five members of the evaluation community in Washington (D.C.) concerning the future of evaluation in the federal government are summarized. Evaluators include (1) E. Chelimsky; (2) M. F. Mangano; (3) J. S. Wholey; (4) R. C. Sonnichsen; and (5) C. Wye. (SLD)

Examines the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the federal government setting. Topics covered include federal corporate culture, benefits to employees, early programs in productivity improvement, governmentwide implementation, the information network on TQM applications maintained by the Federal Quality Institute, and barriers to…

An attempt was made to standardize the Work Aspect Preference Scale for an Australian work sample, including 1,250 employed adults (46 percent females and 54 percent males). Use of percentile norms--developed for 3 age cohorts (20 years and younger, 21-30 years, and over 30 years) and by sex--is discussed. (SLD)

The predictive value for the development of competence of a portfolio as compared with instruments that were easier to administer was studied with 27 government management trainees in the Netherlands. Portfolios were found to be better predictors of workplace performance than were self-rating or peer-rating. (SLD)

Examines information from a conference presentation that focused on such areas as black marginalization within corporate structures and recent research findings on minorities in higher education. Explains the importance of organizations encouraging and valuing diverse employees and creative and divergent thinking. Discusses implications for…

Details process of determining a child welfare agency's actual dollar costs directly attributed to protective services staff turnover, using the agency's human resources database and interviews with administrative personnel. Provides formulas and process for calculating specific cost elements due to employee separation, replacement, and training.…