This symposium includes the title article by Daniel Nelson and "Unions Need to Confront the Results of New Technology" (Dennis Chamot); "Technological Change and Unionization in the Service Sector" (Cynthia B. Costello); and "Globalization and the Worldwide Division of Labor" (Harley Shaiken). (SK)

This study examined the impact of local labor market conditions on the financial losses of dislocated manufacturing workers. It found that strong overall growth in the local economy reduced economic losses of white collar workers but not of blue collar workers. (JOW)

Coming from a variety of disciplines, manufacturing engineers are keys to industry's efforts to modernize, with demand exceeding supply. The newest and fastest-growing areas include machine vision, composite materials, and manufacturing automation protocols, each of which is briefly discussed. (JN)

Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the industrial sector as a whole in healthy shape, but a few manufacturing industries in deep trouble. These industries include tobacco manufacturers, iron and steel foundries, leather products, and steel manufacturers. Also examines shifts in employment and output, job quality, and outlook for the future. (CT)

Results of a study conducted by Purdue University concerning the use of computers by supervisors in manufacturing firms are presented and discussed. Examines access to computers, minicomputers versus mainframes, training time on computers, replacement of staff, creation of personnel problems, and training methods. (CT)

Describes how Hughes Aircraft trainers followed four steps in meeting the challenges of a flexible manufacturing environment: needs assessment, design strategy, pilot evaluation, and follow-through. Within this environment, 50 self-paced training products were developed for one of the company's wire and back plane harness assembly departments. (CT)

Programmable equipment innovations, precursors of today's technology, are examined, including the development of the binary code and feedback control systems, such as temperature sensing devices, interchangeable parts, punched cards carrying instructions, continuous flow oil refining process, assembly lines for mass production, and the…

Describes the optical digital disk, which stores machine-readable information in digitized form, and discusses their production, cost, present and future applications. The major companies currently active in the disk field are noted. (MBR)

Special Engineering Programmes (SEPs) were established in Great Britain to attract highly able students into engineering and to provide education/training to meet the needs of manufacturing industries. SEP philosophy and objectives, program structure, student selection, course assessment, and other areas are discussed. (JN)

An economic model is applied to employee attitudinal variables to compare the contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic factors to job satisfaction for skilled workers and managers in an electronics manufacturing organization. Intrinsic rewards are found to increase in importance as employment level increases, suggesting different frames of…

Examination of management information systems of three manufacturing firms highlights principal characteristics, document types and functions, main information flows, storage and retrieval systems, and common problems (corporate memory failure, records management, management information systems, general management). A literature review and…

Opposing the idea that small business is dying, the author suggests that opportunities for small business still exist. (Editor)

Discusses Apple Computer Inc.'s plan to donate an Apple IIe to eligible elementary/secondary schools in California, dealer incentives for conducting orientation sessions for school personnel, and school uses of the computer (including peer tutoring and teacher education). Also discusses similar efforts of other microcomputer manufacturers. (JN)