A review of 17 studies of high-performance work systems concludes that benefits of employee involvement, skill training, and other high-performance work practices tend to be greater when new methods are adopted as part of a consistent whole. (Author)

Notes that academic administrators who are frequently involved with employment references and hiring should view the increasing legal implications of employment references with apprehension. Offers guidelines for checking references and for giving out references. (RS)

About half of all private sector workers are employed in small businesses with fewer than 100 workers. Work hours, compensation, and other working conditions differ between these employees and their counterparts in larger establishments. (Author)

Eight true or false questions explore implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Topics include AIDS, drug abuse, undue hardship, reasonable accommodation, and company size affected by the law. (SK)

Managers' and professionals' (n=276) perceptions of a supportive work/family culture were related to use of work-family benefits. Employees in organizations with work-family benefits reported greater commitment, less intention to leave, and less work-family conflict. Supportive culture was significantly related to work attitudes. (SK)

Asserts that formal theories of justice and fairness should be integrated into career development theory and practice. Provides a framework using the constructs of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. (SK)

Many top-level managers are retiring early. Programs to prepare their replacements have been scaled back. Many companies are offering phased retirement plans, redesigning jobs, and paying for spouses to go along on business trips to keep their managers a little longer. (JOW)

Age discrimination in the workplace is widespread and often based on stereotypes. Research has demonstrated that older workers learn and perform well. Adult educators should eliminate ways in which educational practices perpetuate ageism, raise awareness of it in the workplace, and help older workers continue learning. (SK)

Data on the employment status of persons with disabilities in federal government (average grade level, promotion rates, occupational categories, and earnings) indicate the numbers and percentage are gradually increasing; their average grade level is lower than that of nondisabled workers and they have lower promotion rates. More attention to…

Discusses why public sector organizations should focus on developing employment websites to supplement recruiting activities. Presents a model of job surfer behavior that should be considered when designing a website. (Contains 48 notes and references.) (JOW)

Evaluation of a hospital's performance appraisal system collected data from 74 survey responses and 39 interviews. Staff comments revealed varying degrees of involvement with and commitment to the process. The need for employees and supervisors to formulate, implement, and review training and development plans jointly was emphasized. (SK)

Discusses the increased importance of training to employers, the need to manage training time efficiently, and the impact of legislation regulated training leave in France. Finds the beginnings of a shift of training from work time to leisure time. (Contains 19 references.) (SK)

A profile of small businesses in the Irish hotel industry shows that all claim to believe in human resource development but few practice it. Small hotels favor informal, specific job training focused on solution of immediate problems rather than long-term development. (Contains 119 references.) (SK)

Because of the trend toward using temporary workers and outsourcing, companies often no longer develop people. This causes a problem because managers are often not in charge of hiring, firing, and promoting staff. Knowledge based companies must pay closer attention to the health and well-being of their work force. (JOW)

Organizational citizenship--behavior that promotes organizations without explicit reward--was measured in a survey of 512 employees and 91 supervisors. Involvement in work organization increased citizenship behavior indirectly by changing job characteristics. Involvement in decisions about employment practices had little or no effect. (SK)