The Rise and Fall of an Alternative Setting: An Australian Case Study.

This paper presents a 2 ½-year intervention case study of an attempt to establish an alternative work setting for the unemployed in Brisbane (Australia). There were four distinct phases of the intervention's life cycle. The phases are described, and an analysis of the structural features of the organization is presented. Goal conflicts are noted as a limiting feature of alternative work settings. Effective leadership with a group that is, in design, transient is also noted as a structural problem with the intervention. Positive features of the intervention seem to outweigh the negative, and the approach is recommended for use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]