This report presents a review of studies and articles on employer-sponsored training in Canada. The authors reviewed documentation that used data from the Workplace and Employee Survey (WES) and offer a synthesis of the current state of knowledge. The report looks alternately at issues pertaining to determinants of training from the employer and…

Studies indicate that when opinions and attitudes are changed through training programs, the change is likely to disappear unless it is supported by an environmental change as well. (Author/LH)

This study attempts, first of all, to establish the major dimensions of job satisfaction as perceived by office systems employees, and secondly, to examine the relationship between the characteristics of training programs and these dimensions. (CT)

Three employee assistance programs designed to combat employee drug abuse are described and evaluated. The author also provides guidelines to consider when designing a substance abuse program: consult all departments that can make a contribution; keep abreast of technical support; and seek outside help if there is no help available within the…

Surveyed 217 new employees to report socialization practices most available and the extent to which these practices were helpful. Results showed that socialization practices and perceptions of their helpfulness vary, affecting subsequent job satisfaction and commitment. Interactions with peers, supervisor, and senior coworkers were most helpful.…

Most studies of lean production are based on surveys of managers. This article examines the labor process under lean production at a high-end garment factory in Central Mexico through ethnographic research, consisting of nine months of work at the factory, and in-depth interviews with 25 managers and 26 workers. The author found that…

This study was undertaken to evaluate a training program on understanding Alzheimer's disease for nursing home caregivers of those with the disease. A pretest/posttest design control group methodology was used to evaluate 81 staff members. Results of the study showed that: (1) staff satisfaction with working with mentally impaired and demented…

An overview is provided of the development of quality/performance circles at Lakeshore Technical Institute (LTI), Wisconsin, and of the projects undertaken through the quality/performance circle program during its 3-year history. First, background information is provided on the use of quality circles in Japan and the United States, including…

The author examines a team development approach to management that creates shared commitments to performance improvement by focusing the attention of managers on individual workers and their task accomplishments. It uses the "high-performance equation" to help managers confront shared beliefs and concerns about performance and develop realistic…

The author suggests that training program developers be upfront about the training purpose, be sure the training creates a positive experience for trainees, consider not only what happens during the training, but what occurs before and after, and ensure that program content is something the trainees will choose to put into practice. (CT)

Discrepancies between staff perceptions of program efficacy and empirical evaluations of program effectiveness were studied for two drug education and prevention programs. Possible explanations involve: (1) the relatively low drug involvement of the study population; (2) differing expectations about program impacts; and (3) the sensitivity of…

Examines the history of the Motorola Company, its use of human capital as a strategic resource, hours and dollars committed to training, and the fact that Motorola owes its strong common culture and much of its success to the large number of long-service employees. (CT)

Based on a survey and case studies of workplaces in the U.S. and Japan, this article reviews and assesses the role of worker participation in tackling critical problems associated with energy and natural resources conservation. Certain wider implications for labor-management relations are also discussed. (Author/CT)

Productivity sharing plans were studied to determine how they operate, what benefits result, and whether long-term increases in productivity can be realized through the program. Thirty-six firms were interviewed that had productivity sharing plans. Nine firms that had either rejected adoption of a productivity sharing plan or were still…

A study was conducted to determine any perceptual differences toward quality circles in a chemical plant. It also tried to determine if any perceptual differences that might be found could be related to attitudes toward the circles themselves or the attitudes toward circle members. Length of service was also a factor. (CT)