Discusses a survey of firms undergoing various stages of modernization and assesses the attitudes of those who will be directly involved with productivity-enhancing changes in the work environment. States that management and labor must work toward improved work environment if the United States is to regain its share of the world market for…

An 18-month quality-of-working-life experiment in an underground coal mine was conducted using autonomous work groups. Increased production, motivation, and safety resulted, but discontent was created among other workers at the mine. (TA)

Placing Florida in the context of national developments, this article examines the quality circle (QC) form, problems encountered with it, and approaches used to address these difficulties. It analyzes QCs in the state's public sector and discusses the implications for QC programs. (98 references) (Author/JOW)

Explores the effects of layoffs on work behavior and attitude of employees not laid off. Study results indicate that survivors become more withdrawn from their jobs if they believe management handled the layoff unfairly, and these tendencies are more evident if layoff victims were included in survivors' scope of justice. (JS)

Presents theories of motivation classified as those dealing either with exogenous causes or with endogenous processes. The following strategies for improving work motivation are discussed: (1) personal motives; (2) incentives and rewards; (3) reinforcement; (4) goal-setting techniques; (5) personal and material resources; (6) social and group…

This special issue of "Per Linguam" is entirely devoted to a study of language training in industry in the Cape Town metropolitan area of South Africa that examined the need for language instruction from both the management's and workers' points of view. Data were obtained from a literature review, a mail survey, and individual…

Intended for students, practitioners, policymakers, and academicians in personnel and industrial relations, this book presents findings of a 5-year study of joint union-management programs to improve productivity. Chapter 1 underscores the growth and importance of union-management cooperation and discusses union and management attitudes toward…

Addresses the complex socioeconomic problem of improving the quality of worklife and, in the process, improving productivity. Focuses on ways to provide a work climate that will stimulate pleasurable ego-involvement in the job, thereby bringing about increased productivity as a likely by-product. Explores a number of attempts to improve the…

This book examines in detail the impact of tiered compensation structures on unions, employers, and employees. (Tiered compensation structures are defined as pay systems in which employees who start working or change jobs in a company after a certain date receive a lower rate of pay than employees who were doing the same or similar jobs before…

The world economic situation is beset by growing worker dissatisfaction, slowing economic growth, and rising energy and resource costs. A partial solution to these problems may be worker participation in management and ownership. As production has become more dehumanized and workers have become increasingly dissatisfied and alienated, the quality…

On an overall basis, the United States is still the cheapest free world country in which to produce goods. If the United States is to retain this distinction, however, steps must be taken to reverse the trend toward yearly declines in the rate of gain in U.S. productivity. One way in which vocational education can help increase the productivity of…

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…