Strategies for Combating Entrenched Attitudes

America is about to undergo the most disjoining shifts in the composition and quality of its work force in more than a half‐century. While many companies such as Digital, Hewlett‐Packard, and McDonalds are aware of such trends, others have not acknowledged the fact that corporate America is facing a deepening shortage of skilled labour in the decades ahead. During the next ten years, the American population and the labour force will expand more slowly than at any other time since the 1930's. The work force grew by 3 million workers a year during the 1970's but will swell by only 1.6 million new workers a year in the coming decade. Consequently, for the first time American managers must compete harder than ever for well‐educated workers.