National Leaders Convene at Radcliffe To Discuss 'New Economic Equation'

Last week, more than 50 corporate, government, labor, and academic leaders from across the nation convened at Radcliffe College for the closing conference of the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute's "New Economic Equation" conference. The 1994-96 project -- which included two conferences for national leaders, focus groups involving hundreds of Americans on all rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, and programs for media representatives and legislators in Washington, D.C. -- will culminate with the release of the project report in June.

"The critical importance of this project lies in its recognition that Americans have accommodated all they can accommodate," said Paula M. Rayman, director of the Institute. "Unfortunately, neither corporate nor public policies have adjusted to changes in people's private and family lives, and people simply cannot adjust anymore. 'The New Economic Equation' addresses this dilemma, and brings together all of the stakeholders to search for solutions."

According to a recent story on the project in Time magazine, "The recommendations discussed at the conference are aimed at both government and business. . . . But the biggest changes, all agree, must come on the job, where family-friendly policies have too often been fringe benefits that anxious employees feel too insecure to exercise."

Among the national leaders speaking at last week's conference were Ann Bookman, policy and research director of the Women's Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor; Bob Boruff, vice president of General Motors' Saturn Corp.; A'Lelia Bundles, producer of ABC World News Tonight; Jonathan Hiatt, general counsel of the AFL-CIO/CLC; Rosabeth Moss Kanter '60, professor, Harvard Business School; and June Zeitlin, director of the Governance and Public Policy Program at the Ford Foundation.

Over the past 12 months, the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute conducted project focus groups at sites in Seattle, Chicago, Vermont, Boston, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles, among other places. Workers, including white-collar professionals, temporary workers, manufacturing and factory workers, small business owners, financial officers, fast-food workers, retirees, farmers, low-income mothers, and young adults, were represented at these gatherings.

The final "New Economic Equation" report will be released by the Institute in June; copies may be reserved in advance by contacting the Institute at 496-3478.