The nature of work in the United States is changing dramatically, as new technologies, a global economy, and more demanding investors combine to create a far more competitive marketplace. Corporate efforts to respond to these new challenges have yielded mixed results. Headlines about instant millionaires and innovative e-businesses mingle with coverage of increasing job insecurity and record wage gaps between upper management and hourly workers. A Working Nation tracks the profound implications the changing workplace has had for all workers and shows who the real economic winners and losers have been in the past twenty-five years. A Working Nation sorts fact from fiction about the new relationship between workers and firms, and addresses several critical issues: Who are the real winners and losers in this new economy? Has the relationship between workers and firms really been transformed? How have employees become more integrated into or disconnected from corporate strategies and performance? Should government step into this new economic reality and how should it intervene? Among the topics investigated, David T. Ellwood explores and explains the apparent paradox between the steady rise in per capita national income and the stagnant wages of middle- and working-class workers. Douglas Kruse and Joseph Blasi study relative changes in long-term vs. temporary work, and evaluate the introduction of profit-sharing schemes and high performance workplace programs. William A. Niskanen and Rebecca M. Blank, both former members of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, offer their perspectives on what direction government might take to make this a working nation for everyone. Though Niskanen and Blank take alternative approaches, they both conclude that the primary policy emphasis ought to be on the problems of the least skilled more than on inequality per se, and that a focus on childhood education and tax supports for low-income working families should be of primary concern. A Working Nation paints a compelling and surprisingly consistent picture of today's workplace. While the booming economy has created millions of new jobs, it has also lead to an alarmingly unbalanced system of rewards that puts less-skilled, and many middle-class, workers at risk. This book is essential reading for those seeking the most efficient answers to the challenges and opportunities of the evolving economy.
The World of Hospice Spiritual Care: A Practical Guide for Palliative Care Chaplains offers a comprehensive study of spiritual care in hospice. Dr. Sullivan's ability to express the role of the spiritual counselor in creative and insightful ways is refreshing. Chaplains serve in interdisciplinary teams to relieve pain and suffering and to improve patients' quality of life. Members of hospice teams must have specialized knowledge in their area of expertise. Hospice chaplains must be familiar with other areas of hospice work and their functions because hospice care components interrelate. Working in the hospice environment offers tremendous satisfaction and challenges. Doug skillfully addresses those challenges and equips chaplains to allow God's presence to shine through them as they minister effectively in palliative care outreaches. This practical guide examines hospice movement history, philosophy and concepts of care, program models, and interdisciplinary teams. Then Dr. Sullivan discusses the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of pain; spiritual assessments and spiritual care plans; the role of spiritual care staff; grief, bereavement, and mourning; and staff grief and stress management. A thorough analysis of these topics introduces caregivers to the world of hospice, which helps the critical role of the spiritual counselor (hospice chaplain) to emerge. Thus, a better understanding of these concepts and the resulting increased technical competence allows hospice chaplains more freedom to impact patients', families', and caregivers' lives through the ministry of presence. The World of Hospice Spiritual Care: A Practical Guide for Palliative Care Chaplains prepares chaplains to offer comfort, kindness, and care to the dying in their communities in their greatest hours of need. The emotional, spiritual, and practical helps hospice chaplains provide through the ministry of presence can make all the difference in the world for their neighbors. Indeed, hospice chaplains are ordinary people inspired by extraordinary purpose, allowing God's manifest presence to change people's lives through palliative care ministry.
Wildfires represent a growing threat to environments, to people, communities, and to societies worldwide, particularly in the United States, Southern Europe, and Australia. Recognition of this growing risk has highlighted a need to develop people's capacity to adapt to annually occurring events that could increase in frequency and severity over the coming years and decades. The goal of ensuring sustained levels of protective measures in communities susceptible to wildfire hazard consequences has proved to be elusive. This book examines why this is so and identifies ways in which sustained levels of preparedness can be facilitated. Major topics include: wildfire preparedness and resiliency in community contexts; socially disastrous landscape fires in southeastern Australia; landscape typology of residential wildfire risk; proactive human response to wildfires outbreak; forest fires in wildland-urban interface, wildfire risk management; “stay or go” policy in the line of fire; social dimensions of forest fire; the influence of community diversity; evaluating a community engagement initiative; response to fire threats; social media and resiliency; and building on lessons learned. Additional information includes the landscape fires in southeastern Australia, wildfire risk management in Portugal; fire preparedness in Greece, Cyprus, and the Pine Barrens in the northeastern United States. The findings of research programs being conducted in the United States, Australia, Europe, India and South America are presented. The book includes case studies on the analysis and proposed actions of the wildland-urban interface being faced by Central Chile and South America. This book will provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the wildfire preparedness research and its application to the development of risk communications and public education programs.
Synthesizes the research literature on legal issues that arise when school deans and department chairs perform their many duties. Pays particular attention to the judicial process, plus areas of employment, student affairs, and external regulation.
The impact of globalization of financial markets is a highly debated topic, particularly in recent months when the issue of globalization and contagion of financial distress has become a focus of intense policy debate. The papers in this volume provide an up-to-date overview of the key issues in this debate. While most of the contributions were prepared after the initial outbreak of the current global turmoil and financial crisis, they identify the relative strengths of the risk diversification and risk transmission processes and examine the empirical evidence to date. The book considers the relative roles of banks, nonbank financial institutions and capital markets in both risk diversification and risk transmission. It then evaluates the current status of crisis resolution in a global context, and speculates where to go from here in terms of understanding, resolution, prevention and public policy.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.