"High flyer" or "fast-track" approaches are mainly instrumental for individual career development. A management development approach that emphasizes the match between personal growth and organizational learning contributes more directly to organizational competence, learning, and change. (SK)

Downsizing or brain drain may damage the learning capacity of organizations. A case study of an aerospace manufacturing firm shows that appropriate strategies to analyze the impact on formal and informal learning networks may help manage or minimize the damage. (Contains 55 references.) (SK)

Discusses human performance technology models for describing and understanding factors involved in day-to-day functioning of employees and then to develop specific remedial interventions as needed, and contrasts it to an organizational performance system perspective used to design an organization before employees are even hired to prevent bad…

Observation of 12 outstanding service-sector leaders showed how they use theories of employee learning to guide collection of information that they use to achieve the intellectual transformation of the work force. Notes that their success also depends on their ability to motivate and raise employee self-confidence. (SK)

A survey of 56 small/medium-sized Irish enterprises showed that 46% were highly proficient in electronic commerce, 42% were at the basic level. Media pressure significantly influenced adoption. In 40% of firms, owner-managers were the driving force. E-commerce was not yet business critical and relevant training was not yet a comprehensive…

Organizational and workplace changes are altering the work of trainers and consequently their professional development needs. Training and development professionals need a foundation in training design and delivery with the ability to incorporate multiple perspectives, delivery systems, and locations and to be responsive to change. (SK)

The functioning of learning organizations may be affected by power issues such as managerial control of learning agendas and objectives and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Organizations committed to transformative learning must allow development of critical reflection and action inquiry and seek to uncover hidden power relations. (Contains 25…

Traces the evolution of the corporate university, which combines traditional management tools with new learning process models, bridging strategic theory and real-time learning. Advocates the need for movement away from traditional cognitive paradigms, suggesting the use of image simulations and metamanagement thinking. (SK)

Defines appreciative inquiry as a change model that uses traditional organizational development processes (team building, strategic planning, business process redesign, management audits) in a new way, both as a philosophy and as a process. Emphasizes collaboration, participation of all voices, and changing the organization rather than the people.…

Case study research and a literature review suggest that formation of new learning communities is a strategy being used to meet demand for electronic learning products such as CD-ROMs and web-based learning tools. Companies, external experts, clients, and learners are the constituents of the learning community that must converge to create…

The United States needs a skilled, productive work force. The science of human performance technology can be applied to the establishment of performance improvement systems in organizations. (Author)

Argues that issues management is a robust contribution to the public relations discipline. Offers additional rationale for empowering public relations practitioners by involving them in strategic planning, making them responsible for issue scanning and monitoring, integrating their advice into standards of corporate social responsibility, and…

Compares and contrasts the current development of needs analysis and needs assessment through a review of the literature, and offers recommendations designed to restore systems thinking to front-end analysis in organizational and instructional development. The roles of needs assessment and needs analysis in a performance technology model are…

Madzar reviews literature on feedback seeking in organizations, examining motivation, contextual influences, barriers, and particular feedback-seeking behavior of newcomers and groups. Morrison comments on some misrepresentations and confusions in the literature review. (SK)

Wisconsin Power and Light used results of an employee survey on cultural diversity to develop a training program based on increasing awareness of the significance of being able to work together. At workshops, employees identify specific individual actions they are responsible for and formulate work-group ground rules that respect diversity. (SK)