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Many American corporations, for various reasons, have performed poorly and are now facing economic problems. However, the number of managers has increased dramatically. Their size, diversification, planning strategies, government regulations, new technologies, lack of expertise, and mistrust have resulted in an abundance of managerial positions. Companies are now reducing the number of middle managers. This down‐sizing has been accomplished through a number of techniques. Down‐sizing has not solved all the economic problems and it has created new ones. Trainers are having to contend with retraining managers who are not committed to corporate goals. They fear job loss, avoid risk taking, and are not easily convinced that training will have long‐term benefits. In spite of down‐sizing, American corporations are putting more emphasis on training. However, trainers must demonstrate their critical role if they are to survive in shrinking organisations. Ideas for survival are provided and research questions are suggested.

Security of data and information has always been a concern for business organizations. With recent trends towards down‐sizing and the implementation of Local Area Networks, the necessity for the development of carefully formulated policies and procedures for data security has taken on a new emphasis. Auditors are responsible for the verification of security measures, as well as recommending corrective actions or proper measures when risks and exposures are found. The authors provide an overview of the important security considerations, identify threats common to the data and information managed by the organization, and recommend procedures to effectively secure the Local Area Network.

Due to several factors that include a declining economy, high unemployment, home down‐sizing trends and the aging population, the weekend private home sales have permeated every residential neighborhood in the country. Countless households have garage sales, and many times they contain items of considerable value. Little is known about this vast phenomenon and its potential for criminal opportunity. Based on a survey of North Texas residents that held a garage sale, the authors aimed to extract some important findings on a topic that has had little attention.

Due to the exploratory nature of the study, descriptive statistics were utilized to provide insight into what takes place at garage sales. The areas of concentration in this research included the independent variables of the home garage sale environment and the dependent variables of theft and deviant behavior. Although several environmental factors were examined.

Findings included thefts, inquiry to buy guns, small organized groups working to distract watchers, changing prices, and attempting intimidation with inappropriate remarks.

This research has several limitations that require explanation. First, the authors utilized a convenience sample by mailing to addresses from public newspapers. The study findings suggested that future research utilize a larger random sample of different areas over a longer period of time to increase generalizability.

The researchers realize that each state and city may be different from the area studied and may not be applicable to everyone. Nevertheless, this study highlights the need for, as well as provides the basis for, additional interest in determining crime at garage and yard sales.

The study suggested offenders may be attracted into neighborhoods where, as strangers, they are not recognized as strangers therefore allowing them unrestricted access to communities.

Crime and associated criminal activity and yard sales have been overlooked. Not until they seem to permeate every neighborhood has anyone related them to crime. Little is known about this vast phenomenon and its potential for criminal opportunity.

Planned large scale reductions in head‐count, or down‐sizing, have become commonplace in many industries worldwide. In practice many downsizings fail to achieve desired long‐term results. Presents results of a survey among large Canadian firms which suggests some reasons. Examination of strategic management of downsizing reveals weaknesses of both planning and implementation. Effective management of human resources is a prerequisite but failures often arise from inattention to other important aspects of organizational change. Suggests that a well‐thought‐out strategy should be accompanied by process innovation, business re‐engineering and organizational learning.

The Packaging Revolution of the ’90s, powered by the perpetual drive for smaller‐faster‐cheaper products, is placing increasing demands on the electronic materials sector. Down‐sizing, without a cost penalty, requires new materials and processes. Electronic polymers are playing an increasingly vital rôle as area array, chip size components and packageless designs become mainstream technologies. Micro‐Ball Grid Arrays (micro‐BGA), Chip Scale Packages (CSP) and Chip‐on‐Board(COB) require new adhesives and encapsulants that enable the use of low‐cost, high density organic‐based wiring and interconnect structures. Concurrently, new, simplified processes are being developed in order to streamline high volume manufacturing. This paper discusses quick bonding film die attach adhesives, fast‐flow flip‐chip underfills, and a variety of liquid encapsulants as well as new conductive adhesives designed for flip‐chip and micro‐Package assembly. Process innovations include the new Printed Package concept and the appealing simple Polymer Dip Chip method of flip‐chip assembly without paste deposition. The intrinsic versatility and synergy afforded by new and emerging electronic polymers are helping the industry meet the seemingly paradoxical challenge of smaller‐faster‐cheaper.

THERE have been rapid developments in the evolution of engineering thermoplastics for use by the automobile industry. One of the most recent, which provides a wide spectrum of properties for the automotive industry, is the result of a technical breakthrough in thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PETP) polyester resins for engineering applications.

A model for workplace learning is presented, which intends to integrate formal and informal learning with the use of e‐learning. An important underlying assumption is that the integration of formal and informal learning is necessary in order to create desirable competencies, from both an individual and an organisational perspective. Two case studies are presented in which the model was tested. One of the studies was carried out in an industrial setting, the other in a hospital context. The results are promising in terms of flexibility and accessibility, but some problems remain to be solved. These problems have to do with the integration of individual and organisational learning, but also with the lack of time for reflection and learning during conditions of down‐sizing and rationalisation.

Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.

This paper examines strategies to meet the communication challenge of change brought on through planned transitions, by the stress of a crisis, or as a result of the social transformation in work and the nature of work. It explores the cycles of change to create a foundation for understanding the communication of change to individual people in an organisation. It examines the impact of reengineering as a change vehicle, the role of trust in reengineering, and some reasons reengineering appears to have shortcomings for individuals coping with change. A reengineering case study is also presented. Successful communication of change demonstrates an understanding of the cycle of change, the importance of trust in the communication process, the essential personal nature of change, the necessity for continuous face‐to‐face communication, and a recognition that current global changes are symptoms of a shift in the human condition.

This paper uses a stakeholder approach to examine how the role of accounting and the status of accountants changed over a 30 year period (1970 to 2000) in a major Australian government trading enterprise. Data are gathered from semi‐structured interviews with organizational participants and documentation. The study provides support for the importance of stakeholders in shaping organizational processes and practices, including accounting practices, and for the effects of changes in stakeholder constituency and agenda on such practices. The study also provides evidence of the roles accounting and accountants may play in implementing a stakeholder agenda, including both instrumental and symbolic roles, and how the status of accountants may rise and fall commensurate with those roles.