The book is primarily concerned with understanding the causes of and prescribing cures for the obsolescence of knowledge and skills among professionals. The focus is on the role of the organization in creating, as well as overcoming, obsolescence. Since management bears much of the onus for allowing obsolescence to occur, it is only just that it bear the primary responsibility for providing the conditions that will facilitate professional development. This is in management's own interest, but it can do no more than create a climate which encourages and rewards the continuous maintenance of competence. The rest is up to the individual, upon whom rests the ultimate responsibility for life-long learning and professional career development. There are a large number of sound organizational policies and programs which, if introduced and pursued, can contain obsolescence. Chapters devoted to personnel practices, the work environment and the job design, and organizational climate offer such policies. Another chapter closely examines the continuing-education activities of organizational professionals to determine the degree to which they contribute to updating, and how the effectiveness of such activities can be improved. A concise summary of suggestions for future organizational directions concludes the book. (Author/AJ)