Case studies of five New Zealand organizations adopting learning organization initiatives highlight crucial limitations of the debate over skill needs in the contemporary workplace. Findings reveal a new paradigm of critical organizational characteristics and job skills needed in this uncertain environment. (SK)

A survey of United States colleges and universities that enroll the largest numbers of students from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand, which have experienced currency devaluations and economic uncertainty, found a less than 10% drop in those enrollments, a much lower rate than anticipated. Institutions have taken steps to ease the…

High-profile athletic programs contribute to the collegiate ideal and are used by many institutions to provide connections to their internal and external constituencies. The magnitude of major athletic events contributes to and in some cases defines institutional image, even serving as a surrogate for the more intimate community-building…

The nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy has been helping schools reduce energy consumption through a combination of retrofits, classroom instruction, and behavior. Lists eight small steps to big energy savings, among them: involve the whole school, stop leaks, turn off computers, and recycle. (MLF)

Every college or university must understand its academic priorities, including the role of service as an aspect of its mission, and must set clear goals for a level of commitment that matches those priorities. A matrix that links organizational factors to service commitment levels is proposed as one possible approach to setting institutional…

Provides a brief historical reconstruction of management communication in Italian companies. Suggests that dealing with communication technologies, communication professionals, and intercultural communication represent three future challenges. (NH)

Interviews with rural women active in grassroots community organizations in Appalachia revealed that the consequences of women's participation included learning new skills, developing communication skills, gaining understanding of their lives, and setting new educational or vocational goals. Aspects of organizational environment that supported the…

Argues that the ways in which college and university faculty experience their work often inhibit them from applying validated teaching practices. Suggests, however, that leadership practices and working cultures at the departmental level that foster collective and collaborative teaching approaches can go far toward improving teaching and learning,…

Adventure consultation for businesses has the power and the tools to foster creative genius and grow corporate soul, to counteract the gravitational pull of corporate normalcy, referred to as the "corporate hairball." As the adventure consultant industry grows, it must beware of choking on its own hairballs. Five warning signs of…

Reports on research at six Florida schools that identified common contributors to poor indoor air quality. Discusses the reasons behind the state implementing the research, the many problems associated with elevated humidity levels, and ways to improve air quality, which includes effective operational systems and maintenance procedures. (RJM)

This paper reports on the evaluation of some elements of a multicomponent program involving more than 20 agencies aimed at improving accessibility of health and social services for the homeless. The case study approach shows how the organizational context, stakeholder characteristics, and methodological features can affect evaluations. (SLD)

Studies of the workplace of the future that used scenario-planning methodology and survey data suggest that nonmarket organizations will provide stability for temporary workers and result in the emergence of networks. Survey data suggest that future workplaces will foster intellectual capital through research and development. (JOW)

Discusses the process of corporate environmental learning whereby organizations learn to integrate environmental issues with business strategies. Examines the different ways organizations can learn to respond to environmental issues, the inputs to the learning process, and possible consequences of their actions using the theoretical framework of…

Educational reforms in Russia since 1990 have positive as well as negative aspects. Economic decline that followed the severing of ties among the former republics and regions of Russia itself place severe limitations on the pace and content of reform. The most important developments are the possibility of choice in education and independence of…

Finds that perceptions of an organization's climate (dimensions of cohesion, pressure, innovation, trust, support, and recognition) were associated with the types of communication relationships employees form with their peers. Finds that these associations were moderated in part by gender, suggesting that men and women differ significantly in the…