This first in a projected series of four articles on the continuing development of the field of instructional technology, or performance technology, focuses on how to better label and define professionals in the field. Organizational communication is suggested as a better term, and communication and organizational development are discussed.…

Advantages of simulation are link between classroom and real experience, experiment with risk, intensive focus, and reflection on experience. It can involve rigorous and time-consuming preparation, unpredictable outcomes, and trainee resistance. Facilitators need good coaching skills and personal sensitivity. (SK)

Summarizes a study exploring organizational growth in technology-based ventures. Characteristics of the founding top-management team, strategy, and environment are matched to the sales growth of newly founded semiconductor firms. Results show that the effects of the founding team and environment grew instead of fading with time. Includes 54…

Provides overview of organizational development of school psychology in the 1960s that proceeded the founding of the National Association of School Psychologist (NASP). Offers an account of NASP's subsequent growth, accomplishments, and shortcomings. Based on address given at the 1993 NASP meeting. (Author/JDM)

A study of Chinese-Western joint business ventures showed that cultural context and different modes of managing and organizing must be considered. Successful joint ventures involve a process of collective, two-way learning. (SK)

Surveys (n=6,000), interviews (n=600), and case studies (n=60) of organizational learning in British small businesses indicated that nearly all claimed to be learning organizations, but learning was largely incidental and sporadic and only a fraction of it was communicated to others. Few were using knowledge management strategically. (SK)

This proceedings issue is the official record of activities of the American Association of Dental Schools from the end of the 1999 Annual Session and Exposition through the 2000 Annual Session and Exposition. Included are: the President's annual report, the President-elect's address, the Executive Director's report, the plenary address,…

Comparison of outcomes of outdoor management development from the same trainer in two different companies showed a positive immediate impact in both, but only one company sustained change in the workplace four months later. In the other company, considerable barriers in the organizational climate hindered change. (SK)

Discusses the history of the North Central Association, focusing on how the "North Central" region earned its name and achieved its present size and shape, including Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico. Offers quotes about membership criteria from speakers at association meetings in the early 1900s. (MAB)

Discusses the role of information in knowledge creation; distinguishes between individual and organizational knowledge; addresses the importance of an organizational learning culture. Recommends that managers use self-managed teams, understand organizations as socially flexible systems, and analyze knowledge from multiple perspectives. (Contains…

The Two-Shell Model of Motivated Self-Directed Learning was tested by examining the impact of working conditions (autonomy, competence, social integration) on a sample of 67 workers. The influence of a project group as a condition promoting self-determination was evident. (SK)

Purpose - This study seeks to understand the college-to-work transition process from the perspectives of a group of new management consultants. Design/methodology/approach - This study focuses on the experience of a group of management consultants, how they construct meaning in their work, and the workplace itself. Participants in this study…

The changing psychological contract has become a focus for organizational development, especially as job roles within organizations continue to change. This literature review examines the evolving employee-employer relationship and how this relationship has impacted career management and organizations for over the past century. The paper…

When organizations employ professionals it is critical to comprehend the nature of professional identity as it relates to learning in the workplace. These findings indicate ways that professional identity influences workplace learning behavior in doctors of veterinary medicine. Using grounded theory, ethnographic investigation and analysis…

Tomorrow's workforce is seeking more than a paycheck; they want their work to meet their needs for affiliation, meaning, and self-development. Companies willing to meet these demands will capture the enormous profit potential of a workforce of fully engaged workers. This piece explores what engagement is, why it matters, and how human resource…