bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Where ignorance is not bliss
Authors: WARNER ALAN
Published: February 2008

A number of professors from American business schools have, over the last few years, taken sessions on finance as part of management development courses run by the training centre of a major UK company. There is one consistent view expressed forcibly by these American visitors. Compared with equivalent managers in the States, there is a serious lack of basic financial knowledge among the non‐accountant group. Furthermore, in the opinion of UK teachers who have had contact with this company, the general calibre and level of awareness of financial matters of their managers is significantly higher than the average UK group.
Assertiveness for people & organisations
Authors: BACK KEN , BACK KATE
Published: February 2008

We are writing this article and the follow up one next month as a result of our experiences in training people in organisations to become more assertive. At the same time we are drawing on our learning from working on our own personal assertiveness. In this article we describe assertion, aggression and nonassertion, and their effects on individuals. We outline how to see this relating to people in organisations. We end with comments on some of the assumptions about assertiveness and assertiveness training. In the second article we explain our approach to assertiveness training.
IP49 in action
Authors: BURTON WJ
Published: February 2008

Actions, not words are called for! The well intentioned series of discussions, conferences and working parties set up in response to the declared need for greater mutual understanding between industry and education can produce conclusions, suggestions and recommendations, all of which will be to no avail unless translated into effective action. It would be a crying shame, and a serious reflection of our national intertia if a similar fate should befall the ideas contained in the imaginative document I P 49 produced by the commendable initiative taken by the Engineering Industrial Training Board. Yet, since the early tentative responses were made to the document the silence has been deafening!
Employee relations training for managers
Authors: WOOLDRIDGE EWART , JAMES MIKE
Published: February 2008

The first article described how the EITB employee relations training for managers project was undertaken and some of the conclusions which were reached. One of the key conclusions was that more emphasis should be given to in‐company training. This second article describes material which is being specifically designed to provide a framework for such training — EMPLOYEE RELATIONS LEARNING RESOURCE MATERIAL (ERLRM). This is illustrated by reference to the ERLRM module entitled ‘Discipline at Work’.
Employee relations training for managers
Authors: WOOLDRIDGE EWART , JAMES MIKE
Published: February 2008

The previous two articles identified some of the critical factors behind employee relations problems and described a new approach developed by the EITB to increase managers' awareness of these factors. However, there are those who regard any ‘packaged’ approach as superficial and who would maintain that the only valid approach is through conducting their own analysis of their employee relations and developing entirely home‐grown remedies. This article, therefore, brings together some of the lessons learnt about the analysis of employee relations and the identification of managers' ER training needs during the two‐year study.
The Midlands Action on Learning Centre
Authors: LAWLOR ALAN
Published: February 2008

Who's going to own our problems? The pace and complexity of problems we are having to face are increasing. They are not only bewildering but they seem to defy all our conventional wisdoms. As just one example, high unemployment and stubbornly high inflation just did not exist side by side a few years ago. We can add to this such apparently intractable problems as: • Serious structural unemployment resulting from a combination of new technology and developing countries who can now make our traditional products cheaper and better than us. • A long standing resistance to improving productivity. • A declining commitment to work both in quantity and quality. • A reluctance for anyone to own our problems let alone their solutions. • The Black Economy (ie moonlighting) is highly productive and is expanding.
Approaches to social skills training
Authors: FRASER TONY , PHILLIPS KERI
Published: February 2008

This is the first of three articles which describe some ideas which have been developed by us during the years in which we have been engaged in social skills training. By social skills training we mean, ‘Any form of training which is designed to help people understand themselves, learn about how others see them, and make choices about their behaviour’. It therefore covers a variety of activities where, for example, trainees might engage in role play interviews, building toy brick towers whilst others analysed their behaviour, or exploring their relationships with one another in a group. The three topics covered by these articles are firstly the spectrum of approaches to social skills training, secondly, the management of feedback and finally the qualities required of the social skills trainer.
training the polyvalent manager
Authors: LOWE JUDY
Published: February 2008

When Britain became a member of the EEC in 1973 the impact on managerial practice was neither immediate nor obvious. British multinationals continued to function on a global scale, whilst small to medium‐sized companies were initially disinterested, or deterred by harmonisation legislation affecting their operations. As John Stopford's 1976 study showed, British multinationals' annual increase in direct investment in the six was already running at an average of 37 per cent in the years preceding and following Britain's entry into the EEC (1970–74). Their pattern was well‐established prior to membership. In addition, a 1977 survey of 100 UK public companies indicated the extent to which smaller firms have taken the opportunity over the intervening six years to diversify, developing export markets and establishing foreign subsidiaries: 92 per cent of firms surveyed recorded an average 36 per cent increase in ‘foreign sales as a percentage of total sales’. In some instances, where companies recorded more than a 70 per cent increase in foreign sales over the five‐year period, these interests now outweigh home operation. I ascribe this ‘considerable shift of emphasis outside the UK’ to ‘the pressure to protect markets abroad by local production, and to establish a physical presence in key markets, notably those of the Continent’. Undoubtedly, lack of scope in the British economy has been a strong contributory factor, but coupled with access to new markets in Europe, it has meant a radical change in operating patterns for companies which ten years ago would not have considered Europe.
Feedback in social skills training
Authors: FRASER TONY , PHILLIPS KERI
Published: February 2008

In the article ‘Approaches to Social Skills Training’ we outlined three levels at which social skills training can be conducted in terms of learning by Thinking, Doing and Feeling. We pointed out that often trainers concentrate on learning in one or two of these areas rather than mixing the approaches and integrating them in one learning process. We summarised some of the ingredients and consequences of these three approaches and presented a broad spectrum of training styles from which the social skills trainer can select. Finally we pointed out the need to distinguish between training and therapy at one end of the spectrum, and suggested how the trainer could establish a clear boundary. In this article we examine feedback in detail as one aspect of social skills training and we explore the range of choices the trainer has in this area.
Direct trainers
Authors: POPE MICHAEL , KENDRICK ERIC
Published: February 2008

The MSC recently approved and published the second and final report of Geoffrey Bostock's Training of Trainers Committee. Under the title of DIRECT TRAINERS it focuses on all those who directly carry out training, whether on or off the job.
Work: A natural responsibility
Authors: JOHNS RUTH
Published: February 2008

In recent generations, those with inherited or accumulated wealth were the main source of people who worked without financial reward either spasmodically or full‐time in charitable activities or social reform. Although it has become fashionable in some circles to decry this effort as only paternalistic (or conscience salving), it remains true that much social progress was instigated through the efforts of the able members in this group. It is relevant to note their willingness to make an effort. Today, there is a new potential source of people who are able to ‘work’ without direct financial reward: those for instance who are getting unemployment and/or social security benefit. They could create a new impetus for social and economic progress in society. But, if this impetus is to be constructive, then attitudes and ideas have to change — and change quickly.
Updating the specialists
Authors: Perry GD
Published: February 2008

The writer was invited to make an industrial contribution to a Conference held in April on the re‐training of lecturers organised by Kent Education Committee for senior staff from technical colleges in the County. This article is a transcript of his talk.
Prestel: what it is and why trainers should get in on it
Authors: Willis Norman
Published: February 2008

It is just about a year, now, since Prestel, the Post Office's new telephone to television communication system was officially opened as a public service. The year has been marked, as is so often the case in this country when we are faced by a brilliant ‘British world first’ technological development, by caution, some moderate public interest and what seems like a desperate unwillingness to grasp the potential which lies beyond the initial presentation of the service. Had Prestel first appeared in America or France the whole world would have been buzzing with interest (indeed it seems that more people have read in the press about the French proposals for a viewdata system which is still a long way from being a public service, than know about our Prestel system which has been working pretty efficiently for a full year) but somehow we British manage not to get too excited in case something goes wrong! Mercifully, not everyone is equally infected by this unwillingness to commit themselves to new ideas. The Post Office has bravely (and they deserve that description) backed Sam Fedida's invention not only by millions of pounds of investment but also by a supportive management attitude and by a willingness to alter some of their own rules to accommodate new demands. Over one hundred companies and public organisations have joined the system as information providers, investing their own time and money, knowing that, during the period of establishment of the system, they will get little return on their investment. The television receiver manufacturers, too, though tardily and very cautiously, have invested in the development and production of appropriately‐modified sets for a market which has yet to be formed by advertising and public demand. So the show is really on the road; and it is up to every one of us whose business is in communication to see what it offers to us now and what opportunities it will offer to us in the future.
Problems of a training officer in search of an identity
Authors: RABEY GORDON
Published: February 2008

When there is so much concern today for greater productivity in the private sector and for increased effectiveness in the public sector, it should be patently clear that the training function is being forced into a shape up or ship out situation.
Fitting yourself to your business
Authors: LESSEM RONNIE , SHIRLEY OLIVER
Published: February 2008

Self‐expression and business formation are not conventionally associated with each other. One is to do with art or psychology, the other with technique or economics. Yet in reality, the two processes are intimately associated. Business, like life itself, is an evolutionary process. As an enterprise unfolds, so the entrepreneur tells his tale. The better integrated the tale, the more naturally the business will unfold. This connection is at its clearest at the early stages, when the entrepreneur is managing the transition from employment, or unemployment, to employment of his or her self. In this paper I want to describe this transition, as experienced by one insightful entrepreneur, taking part in our action learning programme. The passages in italic type represent the thoughts and observations of Oliver Shirley, a trainee‐entrepreneur undergoing the URBED programme.
The inner game
Authors: WHITMORE JOHN
Published: February 2008

Inner Game business courses include a considerable proportion of the time spent on a tennis court. We use tennis as a learning metaphor for the following reasons; the rules of the game are simple, the environment is bounded, the game need not be strenuous and it is safe. It provides participants with the opportunity to experiment with learning methods with the minimum interference from repetitious patterns of behaviour, preconceived ideas about the ‘right’ method and fears of the consequences of failure. A physical outer game such as tennis provides instant feedback for participants in terms of ‘how it felt’ and ‘what was the result produced’. It also encourages the development of observational skills of self and others. Whilst we do present Inner Game theory and employ a variety of Inner Game business exercises, the classroom can never wholly replace active subjective experience such as that provided on the tennis court. Most businessmen find the physical activity on our courses welcome and that it also stimulates learning. Finally it is our declared intention that participants enjoy their course not merely as a welcome break from office routine, nor just because maximum learning is achieved in that state but because enjoyment itself has intrinsic value.
The Politics of Change
Authors: RICHARDSON JJ , STRINGER JOAN K
Published: February 2008

British policy‐making has been characterised by a British political scientist. Jack Hayward, as ‘humdrum’. By humdrum he means a policy which is in essence ‘muddling through’. Though seen as a characteristic of liberal democracies, this style of policy‐making has taken on an acute form in Britain. Thus, in contrasting the achievements of economic planning in Britain and France, he sees the British approach as ‘toothless tripartism’. This pluralistic paralysis was the result of a belief that administrative and pressure group consensus was a prerequisite to effective planning. Business organisations and trade unions were elevated into ‘corporatist veto groups capable of frustrating public policy’.
The implementation of new technology: A question of attitudes
Authors: RUSSELL JOHN
Published: February 2008

Few of us are unaware of the problem of low productivity in the UK. It is difficult to escape the many various diagnoses and solutions expounded by politicians, economists, management and unions alike. There seems to be little doubt that to improve our productivity and competitiveness is the fundamental economic question of the day. Yet, knowing this, and all that it implies for the sort of life we are all seeking, we seem to have lost the will to make it happen. Why is this so? After all, we enjoy certain advantages which some of our international competitors do not, e.g. plentiful energy supplies and a well‐educated workforce with proven inventive ability. Yet, overall, we are suffering from a psychological malaise which is proving just as abrasive and possibly even more damaging than the current economic recession. Until recently, the chemical industry in the UK was judged to be one of the strongest. Indeed, the profitability and prospects of ICI were, and still are, looked upon as indicators of the nation's economic health. Now even this industry is running into problems. However, the UK chemical industry is not alone as two of our major competitors, America and Japan, are in a similar situation. In all three countries, the rate of productivity improvement is slowing down, but the UK is in danger of falling further behind. The problem is not primarily one of invention, where the UK has shown it can hold its own, but in getting the fruits of invention applied — the innovation process — effectively and on time. It appears that the implementation of new technology is easier in the USA and Japan than in the UK. A study by Professor Frank Bradbury and myself indicates that part of the answer appears to lie in the differences in the attitudes of employees in the UK, USA and Japan to the implementation of new technology. Even more striking are the differences in management attitudes as shown in our interviews with them.
The training of project managers
Authors: MANN JOHN
Published: February 2008

PROJECT: from the primary school pupil to the company chairman, we all have a feeling for what the word means. Indeed, many of us quite consciously organise aspects of our everyday lives on a project basis, whether it be organising for the annual holidays, or getting ready for Christmas. Professional organisations, whether industrial concerns, commercial undertakings, the Public Services or the Armed Services, frequently and increasingly organise the tasks they have to perform, which are distinguishable from their on‐going day‐to‐day activity, into projects. Precisely what a project is will vary considerably from organisation to organisation. To a chemical plant contracting company for example, it could be the specification, design, procurement, erection and commissioning of a £100 M or more fertiliser complex, or any one of a multitude of sub‐projects within this overall master project. It is not only engineers who organise their work in this way: market research will generally be conducted on a project basis; even scientific research is usually organised this way. In the latter case, this may be rather artificial since the projects may really be quantised (by money, effort or time) parts of continuing day‐to‐day activity, but the necessity for effective managerial control dictates the need for a project system.
DESIGN EDUCATION AT SECONDARY LEVEL
Authors: DOBSON MIKE
Published: February 2008

During 1980, training officers received (or not!) copies of a substantial number of official reports, discussion papers and the like which they should have found important to them. In the early part of January, for example, there were three issued in rapid succession. It would not be surprising therefore for a busy training officer to have missed reading the Design Council Report, DESIGN EDUCATION AT SECONDARY LEVEL, or, having skipped through it, to have missed its potential significance for industrial recruitment and training — ‘potential’, because, without action by industrial training staff, the education service is not going to produce the next generation of recruits with the skills, aptitudes and basic knowledge which we could and should be asking for.
Innovation centres in the USA
Authors: HAYWARD GEORGE
Published: February 2008

In the UK at the moment a great deal of concern is being expressed about the role of the small business and the fact that it is the small businesses which can create new jobs at a time when large organisations are reducing their labour forces. Many pious hopes are being expressed that at least some of those receiving redundancy payments will invest this money in starting a new business. Technological innovation is also a very popular phrase with politicians and others who regard it as some kind of universal panacea. These ideas unfortunately seem to be confused by two fallacies, the first being that the UK is a nation of small businesses (when comparison with the USA and Germany shows that we are in fact large‐company‐oriented) and the second that whilst we in the UK are good at inventing we are not so good at putting inventions into production. It can be argued that in comparison with many countries we are no longer even good at inventing (with some very notable exceptions), and this can be demonstrated by the lower number of patent applications. To transform wishful thinking into reality it may be of benefit to study the reaction of the USA when faced with a similar situation. In the past the high standard of living achieved within the United States was ascribed to the entrepreneurial spirit and innovativeness of its people and of its small firms which rapidly grew into large organisations, in their own turn hiving off staff to start other small firms, thereby repeating the whole process. However once signs appeared that these basic qualities were diminishing, with a consequent erosion of the standard of living, various remedies were suggested, one of which was the formation of Innovation Centres. The present paper traces the development of these Centres and gives an indication of their early successes. Various small initiatives in this area are being shown in the UK but it would appear that the economy could benefit from Governmental support of similar Innovation Centres to those in the USA.
OPERATION PHOENIX & THE NEW TRAINING INITIATIVE
Authors: LOCKWOOD JOHN
Published: February 2008

Next we have a reaction to the NTI Proposals from the Director of the RUBBER AND PLASTICS PROCESSING ITB, front runner in the issue of providing a new deal for the 16–18 year olds. He entitles his contribution indicating that it is also a reaction to the PHOENIX Proposals put forward by this journal. Behind this contribution lies the principle that decisions on training policy should reflect and relate to the broad socio‐political decisions which face the country.
Operation Phoenix 7
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

There are, as far as I can discern, four distinct scenarios or tomorrow's world, dominated, as it looks like being, by lew technology. Following the tradition established in the Miss World contest I introduce them in reverse order.
Operation Phoenix 8
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

So far, in this series, we have developed several models to aid our thinking about change. One of these has been the idea that change has a dual aspect: one is the technological aspect and the other the socio‐political aspect. We have coupled this with the idea that the former is the restless forward‐probing element in man's nature and that, by contrast, the socio‐political aspect, which is enshrined within our institutions, is dragged behind, almost reluctantly, in the wake of technological change.
Portable data terminals
Authors: FREEMAN JAMES
Published: February 2008

As computers have become more pervasive it is also clear that they have demanded new standards of attention from us and given rise to radically different training needs. Nowhere is this more evident than in the area of data input: data demanded for computer analysis is now greater than ever before. At the same time, there has been a growing requirement for data of high quality and precision. Unfortunately, the quality now being sought is often well beyond the capability of the average (unaided) human operator. A relatively new piece of equipment overcomes many of the problems associated with data input by effectively recording data where they are generated. In fact, PORTABLE DATA TERMINALS (or hand held recorders) are just another example of a computer function being transferred from the hands of the specialist to those of the user. Of course, this is highly desirable as long as the user is properly trained to operate the new equipment. Unfortunately, as we have seen in so many related areas of technology, this does not always occur. The result is that standards do not improve, and may actually worsen. Hence, it is critical for all concerned that training in the use of portable terminals should be properly understood. Before we analyse training needs in 3 below, we first examine how terminals are currently being used (in 1) and comment on some of the useful ancillary equipment (in 2).
Operation Phoenix 12
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

THE MANAGEMENT DIMENSION: I have made the point that the study of living and working in a technological society is multi‐dimensional and that great dangers follow if we think uni‐dimensionally — in terms, for example, which are exclusively economic. So far I have concentrated on the technology domain: the influence of new technology on work and the quality of life. I turn now to another dimension which is equally, if not more, powerful in determining the nature of tomorrow's world. This is the management dimension.
Quality circles
Authors: AGNEW BILL
Published: February 2008

Operation Phoenix is conceived on a grand scale. It is complex, multi‐dimensional, affecting the wholeof world society at macro‐level and yet dependent on individual change. It is about change at the grass roots. Quality Circles are in the grass roots. The supervisor and workers sit down together voluntarily to pick and solve one of their work problems. The idea is elegant in its simplicity, but mind‐blowing in terms of the normal management philosophy which specialises tasks and isolates people in little boxes to carry them out. It is subversive in terms of the organisation structure which tries to separate power and knowledge from work, and preserve them for the top echelons. It works within the old society and prepares for the new. It is, to this extent, a creature of the Threshold.
who says mathematics counts?
Authors: PENNY MICHAEL
Published: February 2008

In March 1978 the Labour Government announced that it was to establish an Inquiry to consider the teaching of Mathematics in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, with particular regard to its effectiveness and intelligibility, and to the match between the mathematical curriculum and the skills required in further education, employment and adult life generally. There was a new breeze blowing from the office of the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Schools Council, the customary mouthpiece of the Department of Education and Science, had produced numerous working papers containing many suggestions about what should be taught in schools and how it should be taught.
First aid at work new regulations and a code of practice
Authors: WALSH BILL
Published: February 2008

It has long been the law that in factories, on farms and in offices and shops, first‐aid treatment must be made available to employees. About four Acts of Parliament are involved and about forty bits of subordinate legislation going back to the turn of the century — and all of them specifying in some detail precisely what the employer had to provide in the way of equipment, facilities and trained first‐aiders in ratio to staff numbers. All that is being changed and importantly so for those employed in workplaces not previously covered by requirements (that is, those in education, in cultural and religious organisations and in medical and other services). Some new Regulations and a Code of Practice (together with guidance notes) will apply from 1st July next. Pursuing a long term objective the Health and Safety Commission is bringing under the health and safety umbrella ALL places of employment (save only domestic service) and at the same time somewhat simplifying the legal requirements which exist. Other requirements are, however, made more commonsense and can be enforced indirectly if that becomes necessary.
Communicating financial information within the company by means of computer modelling
Authors: BOWKER GEOFFREY
Published: February 2008

More and more it is becoming accepted that the most important training exercise to be carried out within the company or the organisation is that of improving the economic performance of the whole firm working as a fully‐integrated unit. This is a continuing responsibility of management: it is never completed. This policy of continuously improving performance has to involve all employees at all levels and for it to work properly responsibility for improving performance has to be accepted throughout the firm. This implies that all employees need to be kept fully informed about current levels of performance and how they compare with commercial rivals and how they compare with the firm's own performance at earlier stages. How to prepare relevant information quickly enough to be of use in improving performance and how to communicate performance details to employees is one huge topic which is going to dominate in‐plant training in the immediate future. Speed suggests the use of some computerised system. Here is one early approach to this problem which will serve to introduce readers to this new topic. The model used in this example is that contained in the training package MONEY FLOWS. Now read on. Editor The package MONEY FLOWS was reviewed by John Wellens in ICT October 1977 …: ‘A first class pack which I shall be using myself and which I unreservedly recommend. JW’ Based on original ideas by ICI Ltd., the pack had been developed by the Chemical and Allied Products Industry Training Board (CAPITB) and issued as a build‐up chart and tape presentation for passing financial information to employees. The mythical company Chemcap was used as the model for demonstrating how the holding and movement of money in an organisation can be likened to the flows and storage in a water system. Figure 1 depicts the Working Capital and Fixed Capital as compartments in a storage tank which has a scrap (depreciation) leak in the bottom. The subsequent nine charts, in flip arrangement, build‐up to show the money flows in and out of the tank. The final build‐up of overlays is shown here as figure 2. Those familiar with energy calculations and demonstrations will detect that a Sankey diagram (a heat balance done graphically) style has been used to display the money flows. A feature of the Sankey layout is that everything can be drawn to scale and must add up — most important where money is concerned!
the influence of High Technology on Management Development in the USA: some examples
Authors: KENNEY JOHN
Published: February 2008

This article comments on the management development philosophies and processes encountered during discussions with executives in four multinational high technology corporations and with faculty in five major USA Business Schools. The influence of computer‐based high technologies on management structures and systems within the corporations and on the activities of business schools in researching teaching influences is also reported.
the spio card system for the Training of Managers
Authors: COLQUHOUN IAN
Published: February 2008

The Training and Development industry is once again at a cross‐roads. The cross‐roads is depressingly similar to the one apparent prior to 1964 with the dominant question being the same, namely — how can we convince management that employee training and development can make a VITAL contribution to organisational performance. Unless and until we manage this, we are unlikely as trainers to enjoy much of a future. What we must do now is to examine our recent past to find out what we have been doing wrong and what we have not been doing that we ought to have been doing.
Interactive video
Authors: PARSLOE ERIC
Published: February 2008

Resistance to new buzz words and the latest technical jargon used to be almost a matter of principle for me. I don't know if we can blame the Government for dreaming up Information Technology Year, or whether the buzzword technocrats are truly irrestistible. But I've been converted. And, like many reluctant converts, I've become an enthusiast. My particular interest is INTERACTIVE VIDEO and, over the next few months, I will try to share my enthusiasm and keep readers up to date with new developments.
Last Chance for management development
Authors: NIXON BRUCE
Published: February 2008

The failure to deliver Management development has not fulfilled the hopes and expectations many people had in the 60's and 70's, that it would help to transform British industry and commerce. The views of many managers are reflected in the recent article by Mike Abrahams, Head of Management Development at Marks & Spencer: I have seen no proof that management development makes any contribution to the effectiveness of an organisation. What is more important, I have no evidence that not having management development adversely affects an organisation. Many were not pleased by the comments from which I quote. However, Mike Abrahams goes straight to the heart of the matter. To put it even more plainly: much of the vast variety of activity in the past 20 years (despite the genuine effort that has gone into it) has made little, if any, difference. Most people involved, whether managers or management development specialists know this. They also know that in the present economic climate management development people are particularly vulnerable. Unless they can finally and convincingly demonstrate their value, there probably will be no significant management development function by the end of the decade.
Health & safety notes
Authors: WALSH BILL
Published: February 2008

Sickness Benefit and Industrial Injury Benefit Both of these become one from 6th April next and for the first eight weeks in any one tax year become payable by the employer. The latter cannot ‘contract out’ of liability to pay and although he recovers gross payments made by deducting payments from total employer/employee NI contributions made to Inland Revenue he cannot recover any of the administration expenses the process will entail. Nor can he escape some important employee relations issues that the new system will create and the training task that dealing with the ‘statutory sick pay scheme’ (the correct title) will impose.
New world of work
Authors: LESSEM RONNIE
Published: February 2008

We live in an age of change, unbalanced change. One computer generation succeeds another at the virtual drop of a hat. No sooner have we digested the silicon‐chip than our appetites are whetted with bio‐technology. The rate of technological progress, in the industrialised world is quite shattering. By comparison organisational change is proceeding at a snail's pace. A thousand years ago organisations, that is the church, the government and the army, were formed on hierarchical lines. In other words, there were those who ruled and those who were ruled. Things have changed but slowly since. Our major organizations are still run along largely hierarchical lines. But there are changes in the wind.
Operation Phoenix 17
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

The Triple Overview. Basic to the Phoenix point of view is the tenet that what the world is suffering from is not so much a depression as something much more serious and fundamental. A depression implies a cyclic series of events which returns to some previous state, in this case, a previous state of prosperity and full employment. There is also inherent in this viewpoint the idea that the restoration of prosperity is automatic and calls for no special effort. It leads to the comforting fairy‐story that it will all come right in the end and that there is no need for radical change.
Review
Authors: WELLENS JOHN
Published: February 2008

Over the past eighteen months plans have been laid in Britain which will revolutionise the business of education, training, recruitment and employment. The planning stage is coming to an end and the implementation stage is taking over. REVIEW is an attempt to co‐ordinate all this information in a form that will help those with the decisions to make and the action to take: company managers, staff in education establishments, trade unionists, careers officers and so on. It is a situation paper setting the scene for a massive two year period of implementation and appraisal. It describes the new provisions and sets out the issues to follow through and the judgments to be made. REVIEW starts with THE YTS STORY: how what was originally a rescue operation for Britain's unemployed juveniles was, along the way, turned into something else and eventually became a blue‐print for an entirely new pattern of training and employment. REVIEW explains why this potential revolution can be made into a reality only by imaginative and bold action on the part of employers. But there are other factors at work which will influence the final form of the new pattern and so REVIEW describes and analyses a series of recent announcements which will have their own formative influence on this new pattern.
A new approach to the self‐learning manual
Authors: ORNA ELIZABETH , STEVENS GRAHAM
Published: February 2008

The client and the Problem The Information Services Division of the British Tourist Authority is responsible for dealing with over 1.5 million inquiries a year, through about 80 information staff in the offices which it maintains in 25 countries. Some of the staff are British, others are nationals of the countries where the offices are situated. While some are on the permanent staff of the BTA, others are recruited for short periods and work for BTA for times ranging from a season to a few years. Methods of recruitment of local staff vary from country to country, according to local legislation; in some countries it is possible to advertise, interview and recruit in the same way as would be done in the United Kingdom, but in others this is not possible, and BTA's recruitment depends on those who take the initiative of offering themselves for employment.
Designing Interactive Video
Authors: COPELAND PETER
Published: February 2008

Paper presented to Interactive Video Conference: Eastbourne, England, 1st June, 1983. Three main considerations in developing interactive video are: (1)Application. (2) The system. (3) The resources available. All three feature significantly and they are interdependent. Logically the starting point is the application because it sets the criteria for the system and indicates the resources which are needed. Because interactive video can do a lot of things, applications exist in abundance: from teaching and training to exhibition advertising and surrogate travel. But on this occasion I consider something very necessary and a common requirement of many industries at the moment ‐ training.
An Example of Management Training Through Continuing Engineering Education
Authors: Bailey John
Published: February 2008

A description of how a group of graduates are undertaking a major investigation into the problems of the costs of producing electronic equipment in a high technology industry. The programme, which is part of the Teaching Company Scheme, is being carried out in British Aerospace and is a relatively unusual example of management training continuing engineering education.
Selection and Training for the Electronic Office
Authors: Wright Frances
Published: February 2008

The age of technology is here, bringing to our working lives new phrases such as “the automated office”, “the electronic office” or “the office of the future” in which we work systems that are “ergonomically designed” or “user friendly”—to name but a few examples of eighties' buzz words.
Management Misinformation Today
Authors: Broadhurst Alison
Published: February 2008

Since the early 60s there has developed a demand for law training for managers. There has been a build‐up of statute law applicable to employment and managers rightly wish to be kept informed of that part which affects their work. The standard of training courses available ranges from the excellent to the disturbingly poor and an examination of some sub‐standard courses reveals some of the defects.
The Evaluation of Training
Authors: Morris Michael
Published: February 2008

Is Evaluation Worthwhile? In the field of training evaluation “when all is said and done, a great deal more is said than done”. Indeed, not all that much is said either.
Training Intelligence—Providing a Comprehensive Service to Training Managers
Authors: Gibson Elizabeth
Published: February 2008

In her article in the September 1983 issue of ICT Elizabeth Gibson discussed whether external training was having a total collapse. In this article she describes something of what is entailed in finding and evaluating external training provision as a specialist service to company training personnel. The article, in addition to its specific merit in providing advice on how to assess external training provision, is a good illustration of our theme of networking—finding out who knows what you need to know.
An Educational Institution in a Developing Country
Authors: Russell Donovan
Published: February 2008

The Institute of Extra Mural Studies of the National University of Lesotho is a development oriented non‐formal education organisation providing courses in Community and Leadership Development, Business Studies, Labour Studies, Credit Union and Co‐operative Development, part‐time University Degree Programmes and Businessmen's Training. The article explores the aims, philosophy and structure of the institution.
Health and Safety at Work … What Next?
Authors: Walsh Bill
Published: February 2008

The author forecasts the likely changes to accident recording and reporting and assesses some of the unexpected consequences and implications of the SSP legislation.
In Search of Excellent Management Development
Authors: Nixon Bruce
Published: February 2008

A new approach to management development is described. The approach combines elements of both consulting and training.
Investing in People: A New Direction for Boardroom Policy
Authors: Holland Geoffrey
Published: February 2008

The UK's dismal training record is compared with those of West Germany, the USA and Japan. The author then looks at certain questions that need to be answered by all companies in order to assess their commitment to training provision.
Personality Type and Personal Development
Authors: Maxon Jim
Published: February 2008

The Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator is an extremely useful tool that can be used for career counselling, placement, quality circle teams, team development, and self‐understanding during career assessment. Experience derived from its use within such companies as Fine Fare Limited, Honeywell Control Systems Limited, Hewlett‐Packard Limited and also the EITB (Bristol office) shows that it is not a panacea for every organisation but it does allow positive development of individual strengths within teams. Organisations' usage of psychological instruments demonstrates acceptance of the value of people as a resource.
A Public Debate Emerges: But On What Issue?
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

Lively public debate regarding Britain's economic problems has begun to emerge but is focusing on the wrong priorities. By dwelling obsessively on unemployment and regarding the alleviation of this problem as the main target, it fails to see unemployment being positively affected as a by‐product of the necessary adaptation to the new technological and social environment.
Waves of Change:
Authors: Berger Mel
Published: February 2008

Project‐based training is a powerful way to tackle the improvement of managerial skills via a problem‐solving approach, but is dependent on the commitment and support of senior managers. A training programme for newly appointed managers (undertaken by GEC at their Dunchurch training centre) benefited from the company's positive commitment to action learning, course sponsorship by the head‐office senior manager, and the programme itself being viewed as part of the company's overall strategy.
The Welfare Approach and the Need for an Alternative Policy
Authors: Wellens John
Published: February 2008

The projected extension of the Youth Training Scheme and the Community Programme, plus the increase in science and engineering university places, demonstrate the government's failure to understand and effectively deal with the shortfall in skilled manpower for the high‐tech industries. The Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) is promoting an alternative “instant training”, putting experienced graduates, already in‐post, through intensive training to up grade them for high‐tech posts in the growth industries.
Open Tech Workstation
Authors: Sharpe Patrick H.
Published: February 2008

The need to develop new techniques of authoring and delivery of open learning material has led to a new generation of open learning workstations, the most recent being the Open Tech Workstation developed by the MSC's Open Tech programme. When fully exploited in an industrial training centre trainees at each Workstation can learn a whole range of technical information. The powerful computer and high quality graphics system allow the teaching of computer aided design drafting to be taught, with a live computer aided manufacture link with machine tools in the workshop.
Some Effective Ways of Working with Managers
Authors: Nixon Bruce
Published: February 2008

At first I thought I would need an encyclopaedic knowledge of management subjects and management training techniques in order to meet the diverse needs of managers. I started the laborious and essentially disabling task of acquiring this knowledge from books, articles, seminars, courses and experts. This left insufficient time to work with my customers, the managers, who are the richest seam of all.
Adding Microcomputer Feedback to Management Development Courses: The Mach One Experience
Authors: Roskin Rick
Published: February 2008

In the late sixties, and early seventies, a number of management seminars used style models to instruct managers about how best to achieve. Initially, some suggested that there was one best style which would succeed in most situations. However, that approach brought with it controversy, especially from those who believed in situational management.
A Tale of Training in Two Companies
Authors: Freemantle David
Published: February 2008

The following is an apocryphal story about a good professional Training Manager who wanted to initiate training in service excellence in two companies he consecutively worked for.
Open Tech — Panacea or Palliative?
Authors: Worthington Mike
Published: February 2008

Most people say there is nothing new in training, merely that old ideas are re‐packaged and presented in a different style, often couched in new jargon to establish their credibility.
Women's Development in the UK and USA
Authors: Fritchie Rennie
Published: February 2008

Reasons for the Project: During 1985 I decided to apply for a German Marshall Fellowship to visit the USA for a variety of reasons. I had lived there for seven years during the 1960s, right at the beginning of the women's movement. I was interested to return there and look at what had happened in the meantime, to see what the similarities and differences were between Britain and the United States in women's development. I also felt that many of the glossy articles about how the US has solved the problem of getting women into senior jobs and non‐traditional jobs were very much a front cover story, and I was interested to go behind the scenes. These were my main reasons for going, although I had one “hidden agenda” reason and that was the number of American companies with subsidiaries in Britain who seem in my experience to behave one way in issues connected with women in their home country and another way in this country.
The Learning Community
Authors: Barrett Pauline
Published: February 2008

This article describes the evolution of an unusual model of management development for district council housing department managers in south east England. The paper takes stock of the experience; it attempts to draw together the disjointed strands of philosophy, principles, practice and results, and it seeks to contribute to the debate on how best to further manager/management development in British institutions.
Enhancing Presentation Skills
Authors: Harris Neville D.
Published: February 2008

“Presentation skills” often conjures up the picture of large groups, and the use, during training of peer group assessment via either live presentations or the use of closed circuit television. In this article the focus is on the presentation of a case to one person or a very small group, which is a more frequently needed skill by managers and professional staff.