Discusses an Australian task-force report on future needs of management, addressing from a business education viewpoint the issues of philosophy of management education, theory versus practice, government role, curriculum renewal, technology, and the nature of management. (SK)

Survey responses from 156 middle managers in an organization identified the skills needed for the job and their skill level in personal communication, conflict resolution, leadership, consulting, and facilitating. The study identified strengths and weaknesses of the needs assessment process and resulted in recommendations for a…

Explains Edward De Bono's six thinking hats, different perspectives on a problem. Shows how to apply the technique to case studies in management classes. (SK)

Raises concerns about Hanover and Cellar's study : gender and racial composition of the sample, effects of organizational status, questionable variables in the work environment measure, other organizational demographics, and the degree of participants' familiarity with each other. (SK)

Describes two improvisation exercises that use organizational contexts to reinforce management theory and build management skills. Outlines rules for improv, including active listening and "yes, and" (never denying information). (SK)

A study by Tracey, Hinkin, Tannenbaum, and Mathieu of 115 management trainees and 305 supervisors/coworkers found that job involvement, commitment, and work environment influenced pretraining self-efficacy and motivation. Hierarchical relationships between levels of training effectiveness criteria were identified. Black's response cites their…

A learned-behavior approach to competency-based management education involves (1) learning and role plying of micro skills; (2) observing, critiquing, and reflecting on use of micro skills; (3) application in real situations; and (4) analysis of application. Micro skills components and inductive learning of behavior provide a useful foundation for…

PepsiCo's change-leadership model starts with a teachable point of view, showing trainees how to think in different terms, develop a point of view, test it, crystallize the vision, and implement it. The human resources department plays an important role in articulating the point of view. (SK)

A training needs survey was completed by 380 of 715 managers/supervisors in a state agency. Those in later career stages perceived less need for training in management, human resource management, communication skills; they reported lower levels of self-efficacy in training effectiveness and utility of training. There appeared to be a need to…

Osman-Gani's study surveyed 501 U.S., Germany, Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean managers working abroad, finding significant differences in views of types of training (pre- and postarrival, repatriation, language, cross-cultural) and appropriate delivery methods. Van Reine and Trompenaars' reaction article highlights how cultural background,…

A study of 67 Swedish expatriate bosses and 104 local Hong Kong middle managers tested a quantitative needs assessment technique measuring work values. Two-thirds of middle managers' work values were not correctly estimated by their bosses, especially instrumental values (pay, benefits, security, working hours and conditions), indicating a need…

Reflects on a clinical seminar attended by midcareer education professionals. The challenge was to run management training that diffused social defenses lying at the heart of seemingly insoluble problems. The case-study method sparked new insights in participants that could generate fresh, effective courses of action. (Contains 18 references.)…

A leadership development program for managers used appreciative learning, based upon appreciative inquiry, an organizational development method focused on what organizations do well. Participants identified prior successful learning experiences for use in future work performance, creating a multiplier effect of positive experiences. (SK)

All 120 managers and executives of a Canadian corporation participated in a 1-day experiential training in facilitation techniques, primarily debriefing strategies to help employees learn from workplace experiences. Five months later, a representative sample of participants identified successes, barriers, and potential improvements; most reported…

Presents an approach to contract grading based on a postmodern view of teaching as facilitation. Explains how to negotiate and renegotiate contracts, outlines limitations and challenges, and highlights ways in which contract grading assists in learning management concepts. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)