Investing in the Future: Addressing Work/Life Issues of Employees

The Extension organization has a long tradition of professional service to clientele, often at a cost of sacrifice to family and self. The results of a national study indicated that work/life issues are of great concern. Employees identified the most critical work/life challenges as: 1) a heavy work load, 2) evening and weekend time commitments, and 3) lack of control or job autonomy. The recommendations, based on this study, urged Extension administrators throughout the organization to reduce the workload and time requirements of county-based professionals and contended that policies needed to be consistent within the national Extension system

A Systems Approach: Maximizing Individual Career Potential and Organizational Success

Continuing professional development for employees is critical to meet the demands and expectations of the evolving workplace. In the search for career fulfillment, individuals may no longer plan to spend their entire work lives in one organization. Maximizing an individual\u27s career potential to enhance the success of the organization calls for a systems approach in career development. Systems approaches are implemented in a manner that enables the individual to enter and exit the model at the most appropriate point. This article provides an overview of the professional development model in a systems context used by Ohio State University Extension and its application in changing organizations

A Longitudinal Study of the Evolution of Organizational Values of Ohio State University Extension Educators

A 2001 replication of a 1991 study investigated the evolution of OSU Extension organizational values. For almost a decade, the 1991 values were used by administrators for decision making and policy development. The authors used a census and Values Questionnaire to collect data. The authors identified 10 of the 12 original organizational values as current OSU Extension organizational values. The strength and stability of its organizational values may be both a source of continuity for OSU Extension during times of rapid social and fiscal change, as well as a source of frustration for leaders seeking to reshape the organization\u27s culture

Organizational Values Perceived as Evident Among Ohio State University Extension Personnel

The study reported here sought to determine the perceived evidence of organizational values and compare the perceived organizational values of Ohio State University Extension personnel. It investigated the organizational values according to the levels of perceived extremely evident and extremely valued. The top five values perceived as extremely evident were: unbiased delivery of information, research-based programs, honesty/integrity in our work, an emphasis on excellence in educational programming, and helping people help themselves (range: 46.4% - 50.4%). The findings provide direction for OSU Extension to develop strong organizational values and target values not being expressed in the work environment