We consulted with a company some time ago, in whichemployees were allowed up to 40 hours of training eachyear. We were askedto address why, on average, the work-force used only 20 hours of training annually, half of whichwas compulsory training required by contract with theirgovernment customer. Our client askedus to conduct focusgroups with participants to identify the reasons why train-ing was being underutilized. They expected the answer tobe among the following: poor choice of programs, poordelivery, bad times during the week or month, or notrelevant for their current work assignments. While all ofthese reasons showed up, the overwhelming response was‘‘my supervisor didn’t want me away from my work to takea training program.’’Upon learning of these results, we were asked to talk tosupervisors to see if this were true and, if so, why. Again, theanswer was clear. Supervisors, indeed, did not want theirpeople away from their work. They explained that they haddifficult objectives to meet, were understaffed, and did notsee valuetowhatwasbeingtaught.We askedthemhowtheykept their direct reports from attending programs given thatthey had,onaverage,anadditional20 hoursayearthatwentunused. They responded, bluntly, that they put pressure ontheir people not to attend.The situation was even bleaker when we reported addi-tional information we gathered. We asked supervisors aboutthe people who actually attended the training programs andcame backwithnewideasandskills.We askediftheysawanyreal benefit from the training back on the job. Most super-visors said they didn’t believe anything useful was learned.Others said that they discouraged use of new learning if ittook time away from their assigned duties. These supervisorsnot only did not support application of newly learned skills,they actively discouraged it!These resultsshouldbedishearteningtoanycompanythat believes that developing their people matters. Not onlywas training underutilized, but also the use of new under-standings and capabilities was discouraged, and the reasonfor this was active sabotage by leaders who, according totheir job descriptions, were charged with developing theirdirect reports!All toooften,leadershipdevelopmentefforts,thoughwelldesigned in pedagogy and relevant in content, fail to deliveranticipated results on the job. Taken as a whole, this con-sulting engagement example clarifies the critical role thatthe direct supervisor plays in producing such disappoint-ments. We argue that supervisory support for developmentefforts is the critical missing ingredient in developmentstrategies. Further, we argue that the design of trainingand development efforts should include and involve directsupervisors from the beginning. In effect, we think thetraining and development focus should shift from the indi-vidual person as the target for development to the individualand his/her direct supervisor as a dyad. We will discuss howcompanies can move toward this goal.

Significant developments during a period of transition for the labor movement in Mexico are described, including general declines in union membership; expansion of the maquiladora system accompanied by determined opposition to unionization; and the effects of global labor markets, as reflected in limited ability of unions to raise wages and improve working conditions. Effects of the end of the 70-year rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party in which party-aligned unions exploited their own members are examined. The development of independent unions and federations are described as significant forces which, along with reformed unions previously aligned with the PRI, now provide alternatives for legitimate representation of the interests of their members.

Differences in tendencies toward escalation of commitment are examined in a comparative study of Mexican and US decision-makers. Results show that Mexican subjects were significantly more inclined toward escalation. Mexican subjects also reported significantly greater confidence in their escalatory decisions, and subjects from both countries escalated their commitment when bad news about the investment came from subordinates. Furthermore, Mexican subjects made relatively smaller additional investments when they were personally responsible for the initial investment decision.

Telecommuting creates a host of opportunities and challenges for managers and workers. Based on the results of a 26 semi-structured interviews, we explore individuals' motives underlying the decision to telecommute. In addition, our purpose was to investigate and understand the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting from the worker's perspective. References to advantages, disadvantages and motives in the interviews were extracted, categorized and prioritized. A similar procedure was performed on a sample of 40 articles on telecommuting concerning advantages and disadvantages. The literature categories were used as the context in which to discuss the research findings. Motivations to telecommute included: the relaxed atmosphere at home, cost savings, more time to spend with family, lack of commuting and avoidance of office politics. Motivations to stay at the office included: the need for social interaction, career visibility, need for direct supervision and a desire to separate home and work life

In the present study, the development of the Career Success Expectations Scale (CSES), and its application to two different significant career transitions, is described. Two independent samples (161 managers in expatriate work assignments and 103 managers obtaining an MBA degree) were employed in conducting, first, an exploratory (orthogonal and oblique rotations) analysis, and second, a confirmatory analysis of the factor structure of the instrument. The three-factor structure that emerged in the exploratory factor analysis was confirmed with structural equation modeling techniques in the second phase of the study.

Although research on work-family conflict has grown, empirical investigations have frequently been atheoretical and lacking in measurement rigor. The objective of this study was to develop a conceptually and methodologically sound measure of work to family conflict (W --> FC). Data were collected from three independent sources, and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which supported a theoretically grounded measure of W --> FC. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a three-factor model, including time-, strain-, and behavior-based dimensions of W --> FC, was superior to both a two-factor and a single-factor (null) model.

Without doubt, cross-cultural differences have the potential to enhance or diminish the success of cross-border business alliances. Indeed, national culture powerfully influences managers' and employees' interpretations, understandings, and assessments of those with whom they work. Ignoring or discounting these influences in joint business ventures increases the potential for misunderstandings, conflicts, and failures. In this article, the authors describe the results of a study of managers and professionals involved with Mexican/U.S. joint ventures. Analysis of in-depth, qualitative interviews with these individuals uncover a number of ways in which cultural values create differences in behaviors, expectations, and interactions. Among these are such issues as decision making, management style, impression management, interpersonal trust, teamwork, the importance of relationships, the work ethic, and the role and treatment of women in the workplace. The authors conclude by identifying nine broadly applicable lessons for U.S. and Mexican managers who hope to be successful in their interactions with each other.

Past international human resource management literature has suggested that most American multinationalfirms that employ expatriate managers have difficulty successfully retaining these managers in overseas assignments. Although some scholars have suggested that the inability of the spouse to adjust is one of the major reasons expatriate managers return early from their overseas assignments, few researchers have attempted to verify empirically a relationship between the spouse's adjustment and the adjustment and intentions to stay or leave of the expatriate manager. This study found that a favorable opinion about the overseas assignment by the spouse is positively related to the spouse's adjustment and the novelty of the foreign culture has a negative relationship with the spouse's adjustment. Additionally, the adjustment of the spouse is highly correlated to the adjustment of the expatriate manager and the adjustment of the spouse and the expatriate are positively related to the expatriate's intention to stay in the overseas assignment.

AbstractA method is presented for estimating inter rivulet mixing in liquid running in film flow down a packed bed. The method is based on comparing an experimentally measured tracer distribution with the theoretical distribution at several levels below the plane of tracer injection. The change in the number of traced rivulets is then estimated statistically. Experimental results for water running over Raschig rings show that inter rivulet mixing may be estimated from two experimentally determined parameters, a collision frequency factor and a mean size of rivulet.