As many organizations restructure, the role of support staff is also changing. Secretaries are under increased workloads and are assuming duties previously performed by management, such as budgeting, project coordination, and public relations. According to Professional Secretaries International, only 31% of its members bore the title "secretary"…

Popular misconceptions about creativity include the following: it is limited to a few unique individuals, it declines seriously with age, and it is associated with uniqueness or innovation. As the focus of creativity research has shifted from examination of the personality traits of creative individuals to examination of the social and…

The literature on retention of adult learners strongly suggests that previous educational attainment is closely tied to participation and persistence. Educationally disadvantaged adults are more likely to lack self-confidence and self-esteem, have negative attitudes toward education, and need mastery of basic skills such as literacy before…

The chief arguments against mandatory continuing education for professionals (MCE) are as follows: it violates adult learning principles, MCE is punitive to those who participate voluntarily; evidence that it results in improved practice is lacking; programs are not consistently and uniformly available; and professionals should be accountable for…

Surveys have established that high school students are highly deficient in knowledge regarding basic topics typically covered in consumer education classes, such as economics, personal finance, and consumer rights and responsibilities. The following are among the current trends that have underscored the need for secondary consumer education: the…

Flexible work schedules are one response to changes in the composition of the work force, new life-styles, and changes in work attitudes. Types of alternative work schedules are part-time and temporary employment, job sharing, and flextime. Part-time workers are a diverse group--women, the very young, and older near-retirees. Although part-time…

Career development has taken on global significance as individuals prepare for work that increasingly crosses borders. Internationally, individuals and career practitioners helping them are grappling with such issues as development of cultural competencies for cross-cultural work. Issues vary in different sociopolitical contexts. As Eastern Europe…

Preparation for productive employment in a global economy is one aspect of National Education Goals 3 and 5. Career education can help people realize the opportunities and meet the challenges of the international workplace. The emergence of flexible, information-based technologies is a primary factor in the evolution of the global economy. New…

The federal Cooperative Extension Service (CES) began more than 80 years ago as a way to disseminate agricultural research and information through land-grant universities. Today, extension education is evolving to meet the demands of diversity, technology, and new ways of working and learning. Diversity is one of the core values of the CES's…

The concept of lifelong learning is surrounded by competing myths or visions that represent very different perspectives about the purposes and goals of education. In recent years, policy statements and the learning initiatives resulting from them are based on a predominantly economic rationale. They argue that globalization and technological…

In an era of organizational restructuring and technological change, individuals can no longer plan on spending their entire working lives with one organization. Career paths are no longer a linear rise up the ladder. Adult career counselors deal with an extremely heterogeneous population who are at vastly different stages of life. Their clients'…

Organizations are being urged to become "high performance work organizations" (HPWOs) and vocational teachers have begun considering how best to prepare workers for them. Little consensus exists as to what HPWOs are. Several common characteristics of HPWOs have been identified, and two distinct models of HPWOs are emerging in the United…

The critical career development strategy of networking is being transformed by the Internet into virtual or e-networking. Virtual networking provides these advantages: it eliminates the fear of making initial contact and the stress of first impressions; it overcomes restrictions of location, time, or money; it makes responses faster and easier;…

A number of misconceptions or "myths" about information management have arisen since the beginning of the Information Age. One misconception is that the problem of information overload stems from too much information. In reality, the greater problem may be an explosion of noninformation. Many people believe that they must try to stay on…

Within the last decade, many schools and departments of home economics have changed their name to "human ecology," whereas others have become "family and consumer sciences," and still others have remained unchanged. "Human ecology" has tended to be used more in higher education, and "family and consumer…