Labor and Management Relations: Historical Perspectives and Current Trends

Capstone paper from 2015 spring MPA program. Instructed by Allen Zagoren.Over the last 125 years, labor unions and management in the United States have had working relationships that have ranged from positive to co-existence to adversarial. In recent decades, declines in union membership, politically charged legislation seeking to limit union influence, and pressures on management to maintain profits in a global economy have introduced further strain on labor and management relations. In this paper we will examine the factors that impact labor and management relationships on a local level and what can be done to improve them. To provide a bigger context, the history of legislation and economic factors that have influenced labor and management relationships throughout their existence in this country will be explored. Additionally, interviews of labor and management leaders revealed generational differences, complacency, and lack of communication can negatively impact labor and management relationships. Solutions to these problems will be offered and include utilizing a “Problem- Solving, Relationship-Building” (PS/RB) approach. Although hard metrics for this approach are difficult to define, it has been used successfully on both an organizational level as well as on a regional level. Finally, we will describe the resources available to not only begin this approach with labor and management, but to sustain the effort and the benefits it offers

An interpretive inquiry into using adolescent literature to inform pre-service teachers about middle grades students

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice teachers' perceptions of young adolescent development during the literature component of teacher education by examining the following dimensions: (a) How do students preparing to be middle level teachers perceive young adolescent development? (b) What are the themes, patterns, and unique differences in the perceptions of these pre-service teachers at the beginning of a unit on contemporary realistic fiction? (c) How do they express their perceptions differently as they read contemporary realistic fiction? (d) How do they express their perceptions differently after their experience with contemporary realistic fiction? Data were obtained from 12 pre-service teachers through interviews, journals, and essays. Data were examined to reveal pre-service teachers' perceptions of young adolescent development with the investigator looking for recurring themes, patterns, and unique differences. All three data sources were used to gain insight into participant perceptions

[(4R,5R)-(2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-di­yl)bis­(diphenyl­methano­lato)-κ2 O:O′]bis(N-methyl­methanamin­ato)titanium(IV)

In the title four-coordinate complex, [Ti(C2H6N)2(C31H28O4)], two symmetry-independent mol­ecules are present in the asymmetric unit. The TiIV atom displays a distorted tetra­hedral geometry, with Ti—O bond lengths ranging from 1.805 (3) to 1.830 (3) Å and O—Ti—O ligand bite angles of 100.16 (12) and 101.36 (12)°. The short Ti—N bond distances, ranging from 1.877 (4) to 1.905 (4) Å, indicate strong bonding between the TiIV atom and the dimethyl­amide ligands

Il riequilibrio della finanza pubblica negli anni Novanta

Gli anni novanta sono caratterizzati dal riequilibrio della finanza pubblica: l’indebitamento netto delle Amministrazioni pubbliche che nel 1990 era pari all’11,8 per cento del PIL scende nel 1999 all’1,8 per cento. Gli anni ottanta possono essere giudicati ex post un periodo nel quale è tardato il riconoscimento della necessità del rigore fiscale, con un indebitamento netto mediamente pari al 10,8 del PIL e pressoché costante nel periodo. Questa caratterizzazione valevole per l’intero decennio, può essere meglio precisata. Ad esempio, l’anno 1991 (e non solo il 1990) può essere collegato a quelli del quinquennio precedente, che è stato definito, giustamente, come quello del “risanamento mancato” ; il 1992 è l’anno della “svolta” ; il 1997 l’anno in cui il riequilibrio, con gran prontezza, è stato colto con “astuzia e virtù”. Tuttavia, secondo gli autori di questa nota, sarebbe erronea una suddivisione del decennio in alcuni episodi di manovre di finanza pubblica, ora fallite ora riuscite, come alcune volte sono stati presentati nella letteratura; il processo di riequilibrio è stato un percorso continuo, ancor più di quanto appaia nei dati grezzi dell’indebitamento netto e dell’avanzo primario, sia nella programmazione e nella attuazione delle manovre fiscali, sia per la continuità dei risultati. Ovviamente alcuni momenti del processo sono stati molto qualificanti, e saranno posti in rilievo nell’analisi. Il successo della politica fiscale perseguita nel decennio, non esime comunque dal porsi e risolvere ulteriori problemi, derivanti nel medio periodo dalle pressioni demografiche, da possibili riforme istituzionali e dall’intensificarsi della competitività tra i vari sistemi - paese

Pre-operative speech-language pathology counselling in patients undergoing total laryngectomy: A pilot randomized clinical trial

Total Laryngectomy seriously affects on patients Quality of Life and on their psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of pre-operative Speech-Language Pathology counselling on laryngectomized patients. Pilot randomized controlled trial. Twenty-seven patients undergoing total laryngectomy and primary tracheoesophageal puncture were randomized as follows: 14/27 subjects were collocated in the Experimental group who received preoperative Speech-Language Pathology counselling and 13/27 in the Control group group that did not receive it. Two interviews and four questionnaires (Psychological Distress Inventory, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Italian-Self-Evaluation of Communication Experiences after Laryngeal Cancer) were administered immediately after surgery (T0), 1- (T1) and 3-months (T2) after hospital discharge in order to asses levels of distress, post-traumatic stress and anxious-depressive symptoms, acquisition and acceptance of the new voice. Student’s t test and chi square test showed that the two groups of patients were equivalent. Experimental group was more satisfied with the information and obtained statistically better (p < 0.05) scores in terms of levels of distress, post-traumatic stress, anxious-depressive symptoms and acceptance of the new voice than the Control group. The Speech-Language Pathology counselling may reduce the anguish, sadness and anticipatory anxiety deriving from the uncertainty of the post-operative course and it might facilitate the process of emotional adaptation, making patients more capable and prepared to face their new condition

Alethes philia. Studi in onore di Giancarlo Prato

Il volume, dedicato al paleografo greco Giancarlo Prato docente di paleografia greca presso la Facoltà di Musicologia di Cremona, raccoglie 31 contributi di studiosi italiani e stranieri sul libro antico e medievale greco e latino