The changing psychological contract has become a focus for organizational development, especially as job roles within organizations continue to change. This literature review examines the evolving employee-employer relationship and how this relationship has impacted career management and organizations for over the past century. The paper…

A case study of Canada's telecommunications industry found the union engaged in education and research that helped build the potential for workplace democracy. However, scarce resources for these activities and management concerns about worker empowerment constrained progressive change. (SK)

In 1947 Nebraska established a unique Court of Industrial Relations to resolve disputes between government agencies and public employees. The court's five part-time judges are appointed by the governor to six-year terms, and the court's operating costs are covered in the state budget. Even so, costs to litigants may be higher than necessary. The…

This outline of court cases considers all aspects of collective bargaining, including such topics as changes in teacher assignments, budget allowances, school calendars, class size, evaluation of teachers, job security, nonrenewal of contracts, sick leave, and workload. (Author/IRT)

Three key considerations (What is organizational development (OD)? Why do organizations undertake OD efforts? What are the critical phases (and their pitfalls) that make up the OD effort?) are discussed in this paper. The sections include: "What is OD," which presents three definitions of OD and the goals of OD as identified by Bennis; "Why Do…

The early years of the twentieth century, years when the forces of capitalism tested the nation's will to keep the promises of democracy for all citizens, represent a time of national moral and intellectual lethargy. The muckraking movement sought to instill in the American mind a sense of outrage by exposing the evils of the new social order. If…

A Single Team Bargaining (STB) approach was used to reduce the complications in labor/management relations resulting from the merger of the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Pacific Vocational Institute. Traditionally, collective bargaining is a conflict-oriented process, in which the parties represent different constituents, are…

Labor unions in the U.S.S.R.--having emerged in Russia about 100 years after U.S. labor unions and been called by Lenin the "shock troops of the revolution"--do not much resemble their U.S. counterparts. Union members, including factory managers, constitute 99.3 percent of the work force, and place of employment or profession determines…

Until recently, U.S. engineering education and American industry drew candidates from only about 43 percent of the potential market--white males. Many segments of American business, education, and government have been involved in a process to increase minority participation in engineering; the 1974 freshmen engineering enrollment for women…

Findings from a study that explored the role changes and stresses experienced by superintendents in school districts undergoing school and union restructuring are reported in this paper. Methodology involved interviews and field investigation in five cities--Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, and Rochester. New superintendent roles…

To examine some of the psychological issues inherent in the employee termination process and the role of the psychologist in addressing these issues, five-question surveys were completed by approximately 60 human resources administrators in business organizations and interviews were conducted with approximately 10 human resource managers. The…

Business communications, a career field tangential to that of journalism, was shown in a major research survey during 1975 to be an attractive, alternative profession for journalism majors. A questionnaire mailed to the membership of the International Association of Business Communicators contained 261 items, including demographies; questions on…

This report draws on a series of conferences held to develop guides for labor-management cooperation at the plant level. These included six recent initiatives conferences held in cooperation with State University Institutes of Industrial Relations and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and a seventh sponsored by the Commission…

In the Canadian pulp/paper industry, management is focused on worker flexibility for productivity. Unions view workplace learning as a threat to job control and security. Although learning new skills enhances individual workers' flexibility and employability, collectively it weakens the union through job losses. (Contains 56 references.) (SK)

Quality Circle (QC) and Quality of Working Life (QWL) in the United States are similar in that both stress participative decision making, preserve management's prerogative to have the final say, and are voluntary. QC and QWL programs differ, however, in that labor unions are more involved in QWLs; QCs deal only with technical problems related to…