This symposium is comprised of three papers on learning and job satisfaction. "The Relationship Between Workplace Learning and Job Satisfaction in United States Small to Mid-Sized Businesses" (Robert W. Rowden) reports findings that revealed sufficient evidence to conclude that learning is pervasive in the small to mid-sized businesses…

This project involved a national survey of Indian Health Sevice (IHS) agencies to assess the working environment, the extent to which IHS agencies employ and provide support services for persons with disabilities, and the need for program and consumer services to enhance the employability of American Indians with disabilities. A total of 676…

In 1992, the Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce in Oklahoma established a welfare-to-work program called Industrial Exchange, Inc. (IndEx). IndEx provides welfare recipients with a combination of education activities and work experience. By contracting with local companies to perform light manufacturing and packaging work at a central site,…

In compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and as part of an effort to evaluate staff development and disability education efforts, the colleges in California's San Diego Community College District undertook focus group evaluations of key campus constituents in fall 1996. At the district's Miramar College, focus groups were…

Despite the prominence of work-based training in British national policy debate, published statistics fail to give solid data on training volume or quality. The Labor Force Survey, commonly used to give a picture of increasing training, shows proportions of training over any 4-week period rose from 10.8 percent in 1985 to 15.2 percent in 1994.…

Although public policy debate centers on education and training (ET) as a primary determinant of economic success, this study suggests that instead the economy determines patterns of participation in education and training. Research over time shows that planned government ET policies have little ability to affect the economy because the effects of…

This paper summarizes findings of a 3-year study of the job satisfaction and turnover of home visitors, both professional and paraprofessional, in programs which link families-at-risk for impaired functioning to medical home care and other resources. Specifically, the study examined: (1) home visitor personal characteristics that influence…

This preliminary research examined employers' assessment of the general attributes of their new college graduate recruits. While some wanted more people with specific technical training, others preferred to train the employees themselves, especially for managerial positions. Still others felt college graduates were overrated as employees. (IS)

Provides guidance for center directors in dealing with difficult behaviors from employees. Suggests strategies for facing employee problems, including looking inward and assessing employee motives; setting the tone for employees; taking steps to deal with persistent problems; reacting to defensive behaviors, including tearfulness, silence,…

Provides tips for improving staff communication in early-childhood centers. Suggests directors use a bulletin board that invites notes from employees; make sure that the center's newsletter invites input and letters to the editor; have an open-door policy or a visitors' time; and most importantly, focus on listening to what staff has to say. (AA)

Examined Latack-Dozier model of career growth through job loss using a sample of 515 involuntarily displaced professionals. Results supported the model and identified variables most predictive of career growth for men and women. Found partial support for hypothesis that men and women rely on different forms of social support after job loss. (JBJ)

Studied working conditions of female domestic workers in Dakar, Senegal, using group interviews. Found that most leave rural families for economic reasons. Village solidarity networks help find work, maintain rural norms, and provide support. Few employers provide written contracts, medical insurance, or adequate wages. Heavy work responsibilities…

Thirty-one downsizing survivors from both the private and public sector were interviewed to determine incidents that either helped or hindered their transition through 1 or more organizational downsizings. A critical incident technique was used to analyze and organize the data around themes that emerged, themes were represented by both positive…

Results from a study examining the predictors of skill transfer from an instructional to a work environment are presented. Prior research indicates that skill transfer is a function of both individual and contextual factors. A total of 186 employees from a work organization were surveyed on individual dimensions (goal orientation, training…

This study examines eight exemplary pre- and in-service principal development programs. The programs were chosen both because they provide evidence of strong outcomes in preparing school leaders and because, in combination, they represent a variety of approaches with respect to their designs, policy contexts, and the nature of partnerships between…