Educational discourse in Australia has been dramatically altered in recent decades as neoliberal choice policies favouring an increasingly marketized, tiered educational landscape have witnessed a burgeoning of private sector schooling. In this climate, many perceive private sector schooling as providing moral, social and academic benefits beyond…

Ensuring that every child grows up with a strong education is a deeply rooted American value. Over time, however, the basic preparation that American students need to succeed in the world has changed. Now, with a competitive global economy and the importance of technology in the fields of health, energy, and engineering, the United States must…

New Labour promised to introduce dramatic reforms to the education system when it came to power in 1997 and one of the key strategies it employed in the pursuit of educational improvement was the utilisation of the methods of the private sector. Arguably its most controversial policy was its effective privatisation of the functions of "failing"…

This paper presents the findings from a research study of one large public sector organisation's strategy to promote gender equality and family friendliness. An examination was made of the organisation's policy documentation in this area and a questionnaire survey containing both closed and open-ended questions was undertaken across all staff in…

Pay for performance is a popular public education reform, and millions of dollars are currently being targeted for pay for performance programs. These reforms are popular because economic and management theories suggest that well-designed incentive pay programs could improve teacher effectiveness. There is little evidence about the characteristics…

The provision of, and participation in, workplace training and development has received significant recent attention in Australia in the face of rapid technological change, an ageing labour force and a growing skill shortage. Accordingly, many organisations have put in place policies and practices that ostensibly aim to encourage and support…

The importance of diversity and inclusion to higher education was the focus of intense legal and social scientific analysis in the decisions of the United States Supreme Court concerning affirmative action at the University of Michigan. The leadership of higher education and several other sectors of society offered overwhelming support, and a…

Previous studies find large cross-national differences in inequality amongst rich Western nations, due in large part to differences in the generosity of welfare state transfers. The United States is the least generous nation and the one having the most after-tax and transfer inequality. But these analyses are limited to the effects of cash and…

This article is mainly concerned with the impact of incorporation on changes in public sector higher education in both China and Japan since the 1990s. The article deals with the context and the major policies and processes concerning incorporation of the public sector in the two countries. It then examines influences exerted by incorporation on…

Interviews with managers and lecturers at a British further education college that had experienced a change in governance found the rise of a "new managerialism." Lecturers opposed this style and its values, perceiving a threat to the professional culture of further education. (SK)

Public-sector management teams and their counterpart labor unions are faced with an ever-increasing myriad of challenges in the quest to produce collective bargaining agreements. Shrinking tax bases, declining levels of federal and state assistance, and public demands for downsizing and privatization are all factors that suggest that financial…

Consistent differences are identified in the organizational environment and managerial activity of data processing organizations between the public and private sectors. A public organization's environment reflects greater interdependence and accountability, leading to more red tape. (Author)

Examines the employment of minorities and women in individual federal agencies as of September 1988. Focuses on the influence of factors including agency size, union strength, blue collar/clerical employment, and the rate of new hires of Blacks, Hispanics, and women. Finds that contextual variables explain much of the variation in integration.…

The liability of government and nonprofit organizations for failure to train employees has increased. Nonexistent training policies may be seen as deliberate indifference. Public sector administrators should assess the current state of training and establish effective policies. (SK)

A survey of the 50 state personnel directors found that (1) their attitudes and actions reflect a concern for social equity issues; (2) 21 were women and 6 African American; (3) they experience similar role conflicts and tensions as federal civil servants; and (4) state personnel systems are addressing equity issues and benefit flexibility. (SK)