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A study explored downsizing from the perspective of the person separated from the job and its connection to violence and peace studies. Literature on downsizing, violence, peace studies, and organizational studies was reviewed. Participants were 28 white-collar employees, including the researcher, separated from the same organization. Data were derived from a demographic profile form, individual interviews, journaling and field notes, electronic communication among the colleagues in transition and the researcher. Findings indicated people experienced downsizing differently based on individual perspective and context; language used to describe gradations of violence can be positioned along a continuum between violence and peace, disorder and order, social injustice and social justice, barbarity and civility, according to the way in which the downsizing was perceived; experiences of downsizing described a gap between potential and actual realization of one or more basic human needs; stories of the downsizing suggest corroboration of personal, structural, and cultural violence to render it acceptable; most employees affected by the downsizing believed there was nothing they could do to alter the decision; few participants considered alternatives to downsizing by forced separation; and the common element of these participants' downsizing experience was separation. (16 references) (YLB)

The Human Resources in Government project examined the impact of extensive downsizing and restructuring in Canada's public service sector and sought innovative ways of making Canada's governments "employers of choice." The project focused on Canada's federal government and the governments of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The project's main finding was that Canada's government agencies must become more flexible, knowledge-intensive, and learning-based workplaces. The project established that, as of the late 1990s, the five governments studied had not moved very far on creating the conditions enabling more innovative approaches to work organization and human resource management. Although training and information technology were generally in place, some of the governments and work units studied were lagging behind. Although innovative workplace practices were progressing at a fairly impressive pace when compared to the private sector, there remained a large untapped potential for organizational reform to improve the quality of working life and contribute to workforce renewal. The importance of building knowledge-based organizations, implementing creative recruitment and retention strategies, creating rewarding work environments, and resolving compensation dilemmas was emphasized. (A discussion of the design and methodology of the Human Resources in Government Project is appended. Fifty-seven endnotes and the names/addresses of the project's advisory committee members are included.) (MN)

In Texas, a financially troubled school district must submit a plan of action to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for improving its financial situation without harming the quality of education delivered. If things get worse, TEA assigns a financial monitor to advise the district on overcoming its financial problems and to determine if further sanctions are necessary. If financial conditions continue to worsen, TEA sends a Master, who has authority to overrule the superintendent and the board. District options for bringing costs under control include reducing personnel; contracting out for transportation, food, and custodial services; increasing efforts to collect taxes or recover delinquent taxes; raising the tax rate; and increasing the average daily attendance, the main factor in determining state aid levels. In extreme cases, the district may opt to divest itself of high school or all secondary grade levels. Nearby wealthy districts can be solicited to purchase weighted average daily attendance or to consolidate tax bases with the struggling district. If there are no wealthy districts nearby, help cannot be solicited. Voluntary consolidation or annexation can be accomplished with approval from voters in both districts. Districts in grave financial condition will be dissolved and ordered to be annexed to an adjoining district. In either consolidation or annexation, the receiving district receives special funds to assist in the handling of the inherited deficit. This paper recounts a small district's journey through this process to forced annexation and gives recommendations to districts in similar circumstances. (TD)

A project was undertaken to evaluate existing models of early retirement incentive programs (ERIPs) and recommend an ERIP for New Jersey's Mercer County Community College (MCCC). The following categories of ERIPs were reviewed: state plans for New York and Minnesota; K-12 school districts plans at the Castro Valley Unified School District and 48 school divisions in Saskatchewan (Canada); university programs at the University of Missouri, University of California, University of Virginia, and Quebec's McGill University (Canada); and five New Jersey county college programs at Camden County College, Cumberland County College, Middlesex County College, and Gloucester County College, as well as New York's Dutchess County College. Based an analysis of these ERIPs, a two-track program was recommended for MCCC that would offer faculty the option to accept immediate early retirement (Plan A) or a transitional approach of reduced workload from one to six semesters (Plan B). The recommended program also contained the following characteristics: (1) faculty should be 55 years or older and have completed 25 years of service at the college to participate; (2) they should have a 3-month window in which to choose to participate; (3) Plan A would provide 2% of the final year's salary times the number of years employed, while Plan B would allow faculty to teach half load at 60% of salary; and (4) other incentives would include life-time health benefits, Internet access, and free tuition and fees. Contains 13 references. (BCY)

Four years ago, the Colorado education system embarked on a course to downsize central offices in response to calls for accountability and site-based decision making. This paper presents findings of a study that examined restructuring and downsizing in four Colorado school districts. One consequence of downsizing was a reduction in force at the district administrative level. Data were gathered through document analysis and interviews with central-office and school personnel. The study found that school districts chose a variety of strategies in response to pressure to balance their budgets: (1) picking up "loose change"; (2) controlling budgets more tightly; (3) right-sizing the central office while "holding classrooms harmless"; (4) impacting the classrooms; (5) reincorporating necessary areas into the budgets; and (6) transforming central-office roles and functions. District personnel initially experienced short-term euphoria, which was followed by disillusionment, role confusion, burnout, and attempts to cope. To establish best practices, districts should develop a comprehensive and less reactive strategy; consider the human toll; differentiate between centralization and downsizing; and focus on developing a systemic capacity. (Contains 10 references.) (LMI)

This survey examines the impact of reduced timber harvests and mill closures by the U.S. Forest Service on timber-dependent schools and communities in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska. One purpose was to recommend educational programs and services that are necessary to remediate these impacts on children. Between 1990 and 1995, southeast Alaska lost 45 percent of its logging and mill jobs due to cutbacks implemented by the U.S. Forest Service. On-site visits to 10 communities and schools in areas affected by the cutbacks included meetings with local school administrators and other school staff as well as community officials and social service personnel. Information obtained from state agencies indicates that unemployment due to cutbacks resulted in increases in social services caseloads and in the number of children who qualified for free and reduced price lunches. The social and economic consequences of cutbacks in logging and mill closures must be fully recognized, particularly how these changes affect children. It is likely that children in deteriorating communities will experience such social problems as drug and alcohol problems, delinquency, teen pregnancy, and school withdrawal. Recommendations include: (1) initiating programs to help children and their families in timber-impacted communities cope with stress, poor nutrition and health, and other problems associated with unemployment or fear of job loss; (2) requiring the U.S. Forest Service to implement a financial hold-harmless policy that covers the fiscal impact of U.S. Forest Service decisions on local schools in the Tongass National Forest; (3) strengthening vocational education and training programs for timber-impacted communities in southeast Alaska; and (4) increasing the funding for programs serving unemployed adults and school dropouts in southeast Alaska. Includes figures illustrating regional statistics for timber-related jobs lost, increases in welfare, and increases in free and reduced price lunch costs. (LP)

Seven major British employing organizations were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward early retirement, attachment to/subsequent experiences in the labor market, financial situation, and the types of advice and support available to them. The overall response rate was 60% (1,012 returned questionnaires). Of the respondents, 53% took early retirement voluntarily, 31% said their retirement was partly voluntary, and 15% felt coerced into early retirement. At their time of retirement, only 28% of the respondents planned to find another job. Over time, however, 47% had looked for another job. Of those individuals, 49% found a job they considered satisfactory, 16% found a job with which they were not satisfied, and 34% found no job. Ninety-two percent of the respondents were receiving a company pension, and 63% reported income from savings/investments. Approximately two-thirds of the respondents had received some advice/support from the organization from which they were retiring. When asked how they regarded their early retirement in retrospect, 69% of the respondents considered it a good thing, 25% considered it tolerable, and 14% considered it a disaster. (Contains 24 tables and 16 references.) (MN)

The military is the largest educational and training institution in the United States and perhaps the world. Tangible benefits tied to military service include competitive pay, health care, paid vacation, and other perquisites. Compared to the civilian sector, the military has relatively more technicians, operators, mechanics, repairers, and transporters. A comparison of entry-level military jobs and civilian jobs shows that the former are rated as more complex. In addition, women and minorities have made considerable progress and enjoy more or less full-fledged member status, which includes equal rank, pay, and benefits. One of the most important benefits associated with the military is the opportunity to get an education. Furthermore, military educational benefits and effects do not end with time in service. Less tangible benefits are also associated with military service. Aside from solidifying and expanding basic academic and vocational skills, affiliation with the military imparts work attitudes and behaviors that are important factors in job performance and valued by employers in all sectors. As the military downsizes, employers will find at least in the short run a supply of able and valuable people to hire. Perhaps the biggest implication of downsizing for the work force is that the extensive opportunities provided by the armed forces will be open to fewer people. (Appendixes include 3 endnotes and 30 references.) (YLB)

Although returns to military service may have been positive prior to Vietnam, since Vietnam the average veteran has neither benefited nor suffered economically from military service. Educational attainment is the primary reason veterans have earned more than nonveterans. Because the population as a whole has become more educated, military service does not seem to carry much of an economic advantage for the average veteran. This generalization must be tempered for three groups of veterans. The military functions as a highly effective jobs and scholarship program for minorities. Evidence consistently shows veterans with less than a high school degree do better than dropouts who do not enlist. Veterans trained in technical specialties comprise a third group that benefits from military service because their skills transfer readily to the civilian economy. Military reductions may exacerbate shortages of trained technicians and craftspersons. Policy makers should consider placing the burden of reductions in force on nontechnical occupational specialties. Since the military functions effectively as a jobs and scholarship program for minorities and the poor, another policy issue is how to ensure educational benefits to those who would be unable to acquire further education with military service. In addition, policies ought to be fashioned to create alternative forms of employment. (Appendixes include 4 endnotes and 32 references.) (YLB)

This report attempted to measure the impact of 2 years of budget cuts on the University of California and the California State University systems. The research involved review of a variety of budget documents, analysis of planning done to cope with budget cuts, and interviews with local campus and systemwide officials and knowledgeable sources in state government. The project studied the Berkeley and Santa Barbara University of California (UC) campuses and the Long Beach and Sacramento California State University (CSU) campuses. Major findings include the following: (1) the two systems stand on the brink of disaster due to real and damaging cuts resulting in declined education quality, lost faculty members, increased class size, and other effects; (2) students are paying higher fees and getting less as University of California fees are now among the nation's highest, and CSU fees have increased 68 percent; (3) the CSU system has responded to the cuts by reducing enrollment while UC has not done so; (4) both systems have tried to protect academic programs and full-time faculty at the expense of almost everything else, and neither system has tried to identify strong programs that should be defended; and (5) leaders in both systems were slow to recognize the threat posed by budget cuts and have been even slower to devise plans for the future. (JB)

Between 1987 and 1990, the work force of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California) was reduced from 10,000 to 7,200 employees. The management strategy for moving through this period included the following: (1) using a flexible work force; (2) using Computer-Assisted Manpower Analyses System (CAMAS) flow models to ensure that management had considered long-term impacts of accelerating attrition; (3) using apprentice programs as a training pipeline; (4) implementing a comprehensive outplacement program; and (5) maintaining a computerized skills bank of data on exiting employees. A strong communication program was initiated from the outset to show concern and ease tension. Outplacement staff conducted career workshops and job fairs. One successful strategy in the downsizing was a variety of efforts to accelerate attrition. The decision support system was used throughout the downsizing to develop the strategic and tactical plans and to monitor and control the stream of decisions as the work force changes unfolded. The 1990 downsizing plan and results were analyzed to identify efforts that worked well and problems encountered, such as lack of time, misassignments, and poor communication. Improvements for a 1991 reduction in force (RIF) were planned. A recovery and revitalization program was designed to minimize impacts after the RIF and maintain and increase productivity. (Appendixes include 12 references and an analysis of Microcomputer CAMAS modeling application and implementation issues.) (YLB)

In the new context of economic recovery, employment creation, new technologies, and labor shortages in some sectors, France cannot sustain a systematic policy of rejecting aging workers. This policy has led gradually to the recognition that early retirement was merely an easy way out of the problem that has many substantially adverse effects on the economic, political, and social spheres. A new consensus on age management has three aspects: older workers in the workplace, older workers' layoffs, and reemployment of the older unemployed. In the workplace, stereotypes should be eliminated; enterprises should invest in massive, diversified, and integrated training programs; and forward-looking personnel management should be used. Adjustment initiatives for retirees could be made more attractive, and fewer, more selective, and more rigorously negotiated early retirement agreements are required. The implementation of an appropriate policy for reemployment of older workers implies action in five directions: (1) change in employment practices and behaviors; (2) emphasis on job placement; (3) expansion of sources of employment; (4) targeted, motivating training in an individualized program; and (5) local management based on partnership. A proactive policy must guide the public authorities, enterprises, unions, and workers. (A glossary of French terms is appended.) (YLB)

Because an option for early retirement in Canadian Universities has created a need to know more about the vacancies early retirement creates and the potential to fill these vacancies, a survey of 15 representative universities was conducted. The sample included institutions of faculty numbering less than 100 to institutions of faculty numbering more than 1,200. The data revealed that the early retirees are primarily males motivated to retire early for a variety of reasons: availability of plans, diminished job satisfaction, health, climatic condition of the city, burn-out, desire to move to a retirement home, incompatibility, family, advantages of the plan, personal and institution's dissatisfaction, financial considerations, personal reasons, uncomfortable work station, expectation of university regarding scholarly activities, pursuit of other interests while drawing a pension and other career opportunities. Their value to the university was dispersed throughout the faculty members' teaching research and service duties. Projected areas of critical shortage due to early retirement are accounting, economics, engineering, computer science, commerce, administration, and psychology. Institutions offered a variety of predictions as to their ability to fill vacancies that would be created from 1990 to 1995. (JB)

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest offers suggestions for using downsizing to some advantage--identifying and reducing programs of limited benefit, making instructional programs more focused and defensible, gathering detailed information about district staff's efforts, and utilizing staff ideas for cutting costs. The digest highlights examples of program ranking systems, such as the four-tier model, that help administrators decide which programs to cut. The digest also identifies what information is most valuable in planning reductions, and identifies who should be involved in the decision-making process. The digest also highlights ways to prevent low staff morale and discusses the effect of downsizing on staff creativity. (Contains six references.) (LMI)