Foster care in South Australia

In 1969, a book titled “The semi-professions and their organisation: teachers, nurses, social workers” was published in the U.S.A.¹ Edited by sociologist Amitai Etzioni, the book's stated aim was “to increase sociological knowledge about the professions by focusing on a group of new professions whose claim to the status of doctors and lawyers is neither fully established nor fully desired”.² While the relegation of social workers to “semi-professional” status must have annoyed some American social workers, the same year saw a heartening step forward for social workers in Australia. On 3rd December, 1969, the Deputy Public Service Arbitrator (Mr. W. B. Wilson, B.A., Dip.Ed.) handed down Determination No. 386 of 1969, which substantially increased salaries of social workers in the Commonwealth Public Service.     

Empowering Rural Sociology: Exploring and Linking Alternative Paradigms in Theory and Methodology1

Abstract Theoretical and methodological approaches to rural social change are explored, especially those that give visibility to the range of heterogeneous experiences and perspectives that often are overlooked or ignored. Theoretical developments in postmodern, narrative, and feminist theory are described as are the methodological approaches they imply. Examples of research on rural social change that attempt to integrate theory and methods in ways that respect the complicated, processual nature of social life are discussed. They provide concrete illustrations of how alternative approaches can be fruitfully applied to some of the issues and problems rural sociologists typically study.     

The organization of religious congregations: Tackling the issues

This article considers responses to the practical problems of organization that arise in religious congregations. Accumulated research findings on the organizational features and issues of congregations are synthesized and discussed under three themes: purposes and goals, the role of clergy, and growth and change. Theoretical frameworks that have been used to analyze congregations are reviewed, and it is suggested that further useful insights can be obtained by conceptualizing congregations as nonprofits and by building on knowledge about their organization and management. At the same time, the author argues, there are distinctive features of congregation organization that demand the development of more specialist theory.     

Mutual gains? labor and management evaluate their employee involvement programs

This study examines the impact of employee involvement programs on social, psychological, production, and economic issues. The findings are based on a diverse group of 236 EI programs in Pennsylvania, where data were gathered from both management and labor in the same workplace. The majority of the programs are based on a quality circle model; few contain innovative pay systems; and less than one third could be classified as intensive. Management indicates that these programs have a positive impact on a variety of factors, especially social and psychological effects. Unions are less enthusiastic about EI but are generally positive or neutral, with few indicating any negative effects. Despite these generally positive reports by both labor and management, direct comparison yields little agreement between labor and management on the effects of EI. Our results question the assumption of “mutual gains,” i.e., that the effects of EI programs are clear, public, and shared equally by both labor and management. Alternative explanations are discussed. This research was conducted with grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the Pennsylvania MILRITE Committee. The views expressed, however, are solely those of the authors.     

Corporate planning as a control system in United Kingdom nationalized industries

Since the late 1960s some U.K. nationalized industries have undertaken corporate planning as a means of exercising control. In the early 1970s, the U.K. Government, on the advice of one of its select committees, required that all U.K. nationalized industries undertake corporate planning. This requirement has been reinforced through a White Paper in 1978, in which the government reiterated that it saw corporate planning as a major instrument of control both for the nationalized industries themselves, and also for government in its relationships with the industries.This paper examines the development of corporate planning in nationalized industries. The findings are based on research carried out since 1976 in which discussions have taken place with corporate planners in most of the major U.K. nationalized industries. The method followed was to send planners a structured questionnaire covering the field of enquiry, and to follow this by an interview (or interviews) at a high level which would allow further discussion, particularly on the issues seen as important to the organization. The questionnaire was subsequently completed in consultation with the people concerned.     

Is your information system mature enough for computerized planning?

This paper presents the results of a study of computerized planning models in 235 firms throughout the world. The authors argue that organizational climate can be a serious pitfall to the inplementation of long-range planning systems. However, their view of climate extends beyond the traditional behavioral domain to include the sophistication of the organization's information system. The paper addresses itself to one of the key questions affecting the implementation of long-range planning systems. Why do some organizations develop computerized planning models and others do not?