Trend watching reports are an indispensable resource in the e-learning domain. Many HRD departments consider these reports as essential cornerstones for the development of their e-learning strategy. But what is the quality of the forecasts made in these reports? In this article, several methods of forecasting trends are discussed, resulting in a…

In an increasingly competitive business environment, organisations have sought to increase productivity and reduce costs. The consequences of this for many employees include increased workloads, longer working hours and greater time pressures which, the evidence suggests, are linked to stress, high rates of absence and turnover. At the same time…

Corporate culture is a complex phenomenon in foreign companies located in the People's Republic of China. For the management team of an international enterprise, it is a challenging task to manage cultural differences. Education and training provided to local managers might be one of the important solutions. Therefore, this study explores the…

The importance of continuing professional development (CPD) is increasingly recognised as an important contributor to school improvement. Successful CPD involves gaining the commitment of teachers to the process, and to sustaining and supporting their involvement in activities that are beneficial to both their professional growth and the…

Most training and educational professionals have focused their efforts on inculcating learning within individuals rather than within organizations. This is understandable, writes Forman, because so much needs to be accomplished to improve the efficacy of schools and corporate training programs. The notion of organizational learning has been…

This paper presents the first large study of public management quality and its effect on program performance. Using 5 years of data from more than 1000 Texas school districts, the authors measure quality as the additional salary paid to school superintendents over and above the normal determinants of salary. This measure of managerial quality is…

We examine collaborative efforts by employers to provide job training in rural areas and assess how this collaboration affects the willingness of employers to train workers. Data are drawn from a telephone survey conducted in 2001 of a stratified random sample of 1,590 nonmetropolitan firms in the U.S. The literature on job training suggests that…

The employee-employer relationship has changed. Previously, employees believed that their employers would recognize their loyalty and good work with steady compensation increases and job security. Since the mid-1980s, however, a steady stream of events has eroded this relationship: globalization, unfriendly takeovers, downsizing, and the efforts…

Purpose: The aim of the study was to measure employees' perception of human resource development (HRD) practices, to explore whether ISO certification leads to any improvements in HRD system, and to examine the role of HRD practices on employees' development climate and quality orientation in the organization. Design/methodology/approach: A total…

This paper discusses some findings from a small-scale qualitative study involving "new" teachers in a medium sized, regional English university. Using Grounded Theory methods to inform and guide the research, the study explores participants' views on working as both teachers and researchers whilst also managing considerable amounts of…

In 1992 the government of New South Wales, Australia, announced its commitment to a program of quality-assurance reviews of schools. The New South Wales school system plans to implement a quality-assurance system, which is process-based on the following: a primary focus on student learning, clear and shared direction, focused involvement and…

This final report, in the form of an executive summary presents the findings of the Families in Action project, a 5-year effort to examine the experiences of parents and other members of families of children with emotional disorders as members of policy-related bodies. The project also addressed the development of strategies to enhance parent…

In changing economies, local leaders need guidance in collaborative, multicommunity approaches to problem solving. This book is comprised of three sections organized around the steps necessary to develop and manage a comprehensive leadership program. The first section describes the mechanics of organization. A series of questions is presented to…

This book contains 13 chapters on issues related to the connections between learning and the economy. "Introduction" (David Bradshaw) provides an overview of the connection between work and learning. "Learning Does Pay" (Christopher Ball) explores this assertion about the value of human development. "Education and…

This paper presents findings of a case study of 4 first-year superintendents, which comprised part of a national study of 18 superintendents conducted from 1992-94. Data were collected from interviews, observation, and document analysis. All four superintendents had agendas focused on improving services for children. Three superintendents with the…