To investigate managerial use of work (or role) overload to increase productivity, the author studied 77 nonclerical white-collar employees and found that work overload had negative effects on productivity, supervisors' ratings, employee attitudes, job satisfaction, and health. He recommends ways for managers and employees to reduce work overload.…

The introduction of computers to the work place may cause employee stress. Aggressive, protective, and avoidance behaviors are forms of staff resistance. The development of good training programs will enhance productivity. Suggestions for evaluating computer systems are offered. (DF)

Poorly planned implementation of microcomputers has been shown to increase stress symptoms. Concerns have also been raised about the impact of new technology on the quality of the work environment. Programming expertise alone is not sufficient to prevent these problems. This paper therefore describes the role that psychologists can play in…

A study with 894 college faculty investigated the effects of certain stress variables on different kinds of faculty research activity; psychological and organizational variables thought to moderate stress; and the effects of stressors and moderators for gender, institution type, and discipline (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences)…

Considers how failure to balance excessive work and life/family demands can lead to negative consequences for both individuals and organizations, including higher stress levels, increased absenteeism, and lower productivity. Discusses results of a survey on stressful life events that offers an explanation of why work/life balance programs are so…

What happens when a person accepts a new leadership position only to discover that the team they are charged with overseeing is in disarray? The transition to a new leader often causes stress between and among employees. Employee satisfaction and productivity may be lacking, teamwork may be nonexistent, and change may be met with resistance. This…

In an increasingly competitive business environment, organisations have sought to increase productivity and reduce costs. The consequences of this for many employees include increased workloads, longer working hours and greater time pressures which, the evidence suggests, are linked to stress, high rates of absence and turnover. At the same time…

Presents fourteenth annual review of professional literature on vocational behavior. Looks at several substantive areas of research: vocational choice, career development, decision making, interventions on career development and productivity, job search, industrial/organizational measurement issues, personnel issues, adjustment and development in…

A 1988 symposium on the effect of family problems on the corporate bottom line and a review of more than 80 other studies have confirmed that business investments in programs and policies to resolve family-work conflicts yield returns. Family issues/problems have been documented to affect employee recruitment, productivity, turnover, and…

Employee wellness directly affects business/industry operations and costs. When employees are helped and encouraged to stay well, this people-positive policy results in triple benefits: reduced worker absenteeism, increased employee productivity, and lower company expenditures for health costs. Health care programs at the worksite offer these…

These three papers were presented at a symposium on rethinking diversity in human resource development (HRD) moderated by Neal Chalofsky at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "Diversity: A Double-Edged Sword" (Sally F. Angus) presents the notion of work force diversity through two differing perspectives in order to…

The causes and consequences of stress experienced by college faculty were investigated. Stress was defined as any characteristic of the job environment that posed a threat to the individual--either excessive demands or insufficient resources. In addition to identifying stressful job situations, attention was directed to ways that faculty members…

This guide is intended for use in conducting a six-session course that will help employees in the manufacturing and service industries get the most out of their work day. The instructional materials included in the guide are designed to teach students to accomplish the following: analyze their daily routines, understand the effect of mental…

One of the most critical elements in the adaptation of productivity analysis to education is the adequacy of the instruments for measuring program output or achievement. Various aspects of standardized test construction make them less than desirable measures of productivity. The Test Development Notebook which the New York State Department of…

This report draws from a study being conducted by William Massy and Andrea Wilger for the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). The study examines how academic departments work in order to identify organizational incentives that can improve productivity. The brief offers some definitions of productivity in higher education and…