Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) are incorporated organizations and groups whose mission is to facilitate local partnerships for the purpose of improving young people's education and training outcomes in Australia. LLENs are supported by grants from Australia's Department of Education and Training. Of the 31 LLENs currently existing…

Appreciative inquiry (AI) is based on the heliotropic principle, which has been variously described as art and science, holistic theory and practice, and practical philosophy and change process. AI engages people and organizations in discovering what gives life to human systems when they are most effective and constructive and using that knowledge…

The Bob Steele Reading Center was established in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1986 under board and staff leadership of the Literacy Volunteers of America-Connecticut (LVA-CT). The center has been under the management of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford (LVGH) since 1989. Located in an alternative high school in a predominantly Hispanic…

Because of its focus on improving work performance at the individual, group, organizational, and interorganizational levels, the field of human resource development (HRD) is affected by and responds to trends in work, organizations, and the global economy. A literature review reveals that the following themes recur throughout the HRD literature:…

Recent Australian and overseas studies on evaluation of enterprises' return on training investment (ROTI) were reviewed to identify key issues in encouraging increased evaluation of training benefits by enterprises and successful approaches that may inform future "enterprise-friendly" studies of ROTI. It was concluded that more…

This book presents many views of the concept of "career," reviewing its past and considering its future in an international context including viewpoints from sociology, psychology, and human resources management. Following an introduction, "Framing the Future of Career" (Richard Young and Audrey Collin), the book contains the following 17…

Changing workplace practices in Canada's government workplaces were examined. The study analyzed 774 responses (response rate, 53%) to the 1998 Survey of Workplace Issues in Government, which was a survey of government managers in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. The findings of five case studies were also considered. The survey…

The factors driving learning cultures within organizations were examined in case studies of seven organizations in New South Wales and South Australia. The seven organizations represented the pharmaceutical manufacturing, community services and health, agriculture, information technology, and local government sectors. In some cases, organizations'…

A study examined the relationship between high-performance workplace practices and the performance of plants in the following manufacturing industries: steel, apparel, and medical electronic instruments and imaging. The multilevel research methodology combined the following data collection activities: (1) site visits; (2) collection of plant…

Papers on aspects of college admission, records, and institutional research functions are: "How To Improve Office Morale" (Victor Swenson); "Staff Meetings: How To Save Hours per Month and Develop Your Staff" (LuAnn Harris, Shelley Olsen); "Selling SPEED/ExPRESS" (Laura Patterson, Thomas Scott); "Advisement and…

This document contains three papers on challenges facing human resource development today. "In Difficult Times: Influences of Attitudes and Expectations Towards Training and Redeployment Opportunities in a Hospital Retraction Programme" (Sandra Watson, Jeff Hyman) presents reasons behind the low uptake of training and redeployment…

The Republic of Croatia and Republic of Slovenia both became independent states in 1991 after separating from the former Yugoslavia. Despite their common origin, Croatia and Slovenia have very different cultures and traditions, different systems of education, and very different systems of adult education. Most of the differences between the two…

A multinational, multidisciplinary team examined the impact of globalization on education, training, and small and medium sized enterprise development in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. The study focused on the following issues: developing a learner-led competitiveness approach; building learning enterprises; education for microenterprises and…

In the late 1990s, many employers were facing short-term and longer-term human resource challenges. Those challenges have prompted many employers to pursue new strategies for finding and retaining qualified employers. Intermediary organizations have emerged as a valuable resource for helping employers find and keep qualified workers. Whatever…

This book examines trends and problems in Canadian workplaces and advocates a people-centered agenda for improving the quality of working life. Chapters 1-9 discuss the following topics: the future of work; the crisis in work; what Canadians want from work; the "new economy"; education, skills, and the knowledge economy; youth and work;…