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The number of women at work in the UK has increased significantly over the past 20–30 years. Women now constitute a substantial proportion of the total labour force. This increase has not been accompanied by a corresponding widening in the range of occupations typically followed by women. Most women professionals are still in traditional caring jobs although some are beginning to enter other professions in larger numbers. However the spread is still small and women are over‐represented in the junior grades of all professions. The equal opportunities legislation has created a climate for progress but has not brought dramatic changes in women's share of professional/top jobs. Women themselves and individual employers have had to create pressure for change. Women have reacted due to economic need as well as aspirations, whereas employers have reacted due to the skilled labour shortage. Major changes in equal opportunities legislation are unlikely in the foreseeable future because social issues concerning equality for women are not a high priority for this government. More effective is the European Economic Community Parliament. The EEC has put pressure on Britain to improve equality. To improve the situation in the short term different initiatives (e.g. equal opportunity, employment legislation, education) need to work together.

In January the Ashridge Management College hosted a novel conference jointly with the Association of Teachers of Management. More than 20 managers, academics and consultants from the UK and overseas, all with an active interest in solving management problems, debated some of the very many research projects currently in progress. After an opening session in which Philip Sadler emphasised the need for high quality, relevant and practical research, most time was in small sessions with researchers whose projects had common themes but who tackled the issues from different perspectives. Since almost all work presented at the conference was based on practical studies within organisations, there was much scope for sharing experience between managers and academics.

Reviews research on men and women in management and looks at the differing standards expected. Most of the existing research has been done in the USA but Europe and some parts of Asia are now taking on these studies and research areas. Shows how women have a better relationship as managers than men and that business and society can benefit from the positive parts of gender difference on both sides.

What strides have been made to increase the participation of women in the work force? Should we be concerned particularly about women's place in our industries and organisations, and if so, what can be done to improve it? This article outlines the aims, approaches, achievements and future plans of a group which has been involved for the past seven years in promoting the development of women through training as a means of improving the position of women in employment.

Career Orientations in Women Volume 44 No. 9 of Human Relations includes an article by Millicent E. Poole, Janice Langan‐Fox and Mary Omodel entitled “Career Orientations in Women from Rural and Urban Backgrounds.”

The way that women describe management roles tells the story of how their attitudes to management differ from those of men. It also suggests the way to overcome the things that deter women from applying for management jobs.

Many managers responsible for functions where much of the work is of an administrative and clerical nature are expressing concern about the level of motivation apparent amongst employees. Changes in the nature of the tasks to be performed have resulted directly from mechanisation and automation. Such rationalisation is normally accompanied by reductions in staffing, a factor often leading to low morale. Opportunities for employees in clerical jobs to progress within the organisation are also diminishing, since the skills currently required for clerical work are not those generally demanded for management.

The Sixteenth Annual Report of the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland argues that the enforcement of individual rights is a crucial pre‐requisite for change. There was a 28% increase in the number of legal complaints and enquiries dealt with during the year under review. The most marked increase was in the area of employment (34%). With the increasing influence of European law many of these complaints have led to the commencement of very complex actions.

This descriptive study used an interview protocol developed by the Center for Creative Leadership with 50 college student leaders to determine what key developmental events young college leaders experience and the leadership lessons learned from these events. Students discussed 180 events and 734 lessons learned from them. Most events defined by students were challenging assignments, although events dealing with other people, coursework, and formal leadership programs were also mentioned. Top lessons included communication, self-identity, leadership identity, and developing leadership task and management skills. While many lessons could be learned in a variety of different ways, a number of challenging assignments stood out as important for learning certain lessons. Findings suggest that faculty and administrators involved with student leaders can help the students take a proactive approach to developing themselves as leaders by targeting important events and important lessons to learn.

THE AFTERMATH OF INDUSTRIAL RECESSION and a rapidly expanding university population are not the only reasons for the disturbingly high number of graduates joining Britain's dole queues or taking menial jobs.