Do Diversity Programs Reduce Race Discrimination?
Not only is race discrimination still widely seen as a major problem in the U.S., a number of experts are criticizing some of the very programs developed to combat it.In 1999, racial bias was again the most commonly alleged form of discrimination in the U.S., according to the number of charges filed...
Exporting Managed Care
Managed care is going global, as major U.S. healthcare companies invest in healthcare companies worldwide and U.S. consultants pitch the concept to foreign governments. In fact, managed care has already become established in various nations and has a small but growing presence in a number of others.
The Global Epidemic of Obesity
Not so long ago, many people thought it was nice to be “fat and happy.” Being a bit overweight was a sign of success, a show of material plenitude, a token of leisurely relaxation. But times have changed. These days, being overweight is increasingly viewed as a health risk and a problem of...
New Twists in Succession Planning
Although grooming and choosing future leaders is one of the most ancient of human practices, some top-notch corporations are adding modern twists via new succession planning processes. An HRI survey conducted in late 1999 found that, among the firms with formal succession plans, many had implemented...
The Cyberhuman Resource Function
It's strange how quickly the sci-fi future has become the high-tech present. One example of this is the trend toward "cyborg" technologies such as wearable computers, a trend that is bound to change the way many of us work.It's increasingly possible that wearing computers will become relatively...
U.S. Child Care: Critical But Still Lacking
A growing percentage of U.S. employers are working to help employees with their childcare needs. This trend is being driven by the fact that child care has become crucial to U.S. working mothers with young children. A new analysis by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit policy research organization,...
Temporary Tribulations
When is a temp not a temp? That’s the riddle bedeviling U.S. employers who want to hire temporary workers but steer clear of potential lawsuits and problems with regulatory agencies. While many European and Asian countries are easing very strong restrictions or bans on temporary workers, often...
The Global Skills Shortage
The scarcity of skilled workers, so long bemoaned by U.S. employers, is becoming an international problem. Studies show that managers in both Europe and Asia increasingly are worried about the problem. For example, the annual European Business Survey reveals that 1999 saw the largest annual increase...
The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility?
At first glance, it may seem like a good and not-too-controversial idea: try to make the world a better place by adopting a voluntary international standard of corporate social responsibility. In fact, some important organizations have already begun embracing this concept. But moving toward global...
Young and Unskilled in the U.S.
Who can be hired in a hot U.S. economy? Many of today's would-be employees are part of what some experts are calling "The Forgotten Half," a term from social researcher Daniel Yankelovich. They are the young people in the U.S. who have not attended college, and many of them have been losing ground...
