A study was conducted of employee reactions to work teams, reduced job classification, and skill-based pay established by an agreement between Chrysler and the United Auto Workers. Attitudes were more negative in plants threatened by closure, but individuals in those plants engaged in more team behaviors. Responses varied by demography and…

Proposes strategic planning and training initiatives that can be used to facilitate the development of diverse self-directed work teams. Offers practical implications for effective functioning of diverse self-directed teams in the workforce. (Author)

Describes the processes used in the Replication of Lessons Learned (ROLL) program in Russia, which was designed in 1996 to increase the impact of environmental projects already tested in pilot sites by replicating the most successful ones at new sites. Emphasizes the multilevel collaborative partnerships established in the program and describes…

Reports on a study of virtual cross-functional teams located in a small southern United States town and a northern United States city. Discusses how team members responded to the demands of the team arrangement, how they communicated both remotely and face-to-face, how they adjusted to cultural distinctions, and how their learning was situated in…

Examines project teams and performance-centered design and electronic performance support systems. Topics include performance improvement; technology development; skills; subject expertise; organizational communication; the role-skill paradox; task analysis; and interpersonal communication. (LRW)

Explores how Dutch secondary schools can provide supportive working contexts that promote teacher learning, focusing on integration of two substructures (subject departments and student guidance units). Analyzes tensions between the substructures, summarizes insights into teacher learning communities, and discusses integrated teacher teams'…

The Fit for Performance exercise is designed to show how congruence between a work group's composition and complexity of its tasks affects outcomes. Students are assigned to one of four conditions, with complex or simple tasks and unifunctional or multifunctional group composition. (SK)

Action science can play a role in virtual team development. Participants write action science cases of problematic interactions in their work and discuss them in small groups. (JOW)

Using the Professional Circle model, teachers can move from isolation to collaboration while pursuing goals with others who share similar interests. A Professional Circle offers teachers continued motivation, acknowledgment, and support of self- development efforts. Presents guidelines for developing a Professional Circle, describing the…

A case study of a work team in a company using quality management strategies found that training to improve customer service actually served to shape workers' attitudes and control their behavior. The focus of this organizational learning was instrumental and served the interests of the organization, not the workers. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

Adventure training has become fashionable over the past few years in Hong Kong. Current Education Reform suggests learning should not be confined to the classroom, and adventure training is viewed as an alternative method to institutional routines for personal and group development. This paper reported a longitudinal study investigating how…

Tchoukball is an exciting game where players throw a ball onto a frame in an effort to make the ball fling back and land on the field of play before a defender can catch it. Tchoukball, with its innovative and unique concept of sport, teaches respect and non-violence. It encourages students to play without fear of being blocked or interfered with…

Leadership development and the creation of school networks are two major strands of the government's reform agenda for education. This study examines the use of a senior team leadership programme as a vehicle for supporting school improvement across an Education Action Zone (EAZ). The study shows that senior team effectiveness is a critical…

Career and technical education is already ahead of the curve, since automotive technology, electrical technology and electronics students across the nation have been actively engaged in learning about hybrid, electric and even solar-powered cars. Students in the Environmental Technologies Club at Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona, have built…

Attempting to build teams within existing cultures often leads to unintended consequences for school administrators. A subculture can become weaker or stronger than the particular department or grade level within which it is housed. Perhaps a team stays so weak that it never becomes as strong or effective as the department; perhaps a grade-level…