Commitment to organizational change: extension of a three-component model

Three studies were conducted to test the application of a three-component model of workplace commitment (J. P. Meyer & N. J. Allen, 1991: J. P. Meyer & L. Herscovitch, 2001) in the context of employee commitment to organizational change. Study 1, conducted with 224 university students, provided preliminary evidence for the validity of newly developed Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment to Change Scales. Studies 2 and 3, conducted with hospital nurses (N = 157 and 108, respectively), provided further support for the validity of the three Commitment to Change Scales, and demonstrated that (a) commitment to a change is a better predictor of behavioral support for a change than is organizational commitment, (b) affective and normative commitment to a change are associated with higher levels of support than is continuance commitment, and (c) the components of commitment combine to predict behavior.     

Becoming a Psychologist with a Particular Theoretical Orientation to Counselling Practice

One hundred and three Melbourne psychologists were interviewed about factors associated with their choice O of a theoretical orientation to counselling practice. There were four theoretical orientations: cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, family-systemic, and experiential. Each of these was found to be associated with a different cluster of personal characteristics. University training in psychology appeared to be an important influence on choice of theoretical orientation for cognitive-behavioural psychologists, but not for the other orientations. Differences observed among psychologists making up the four different theoretical orientation groups suggest some challenges for psychologists working as counselling educators.     

Rehabilitation Counselling: The Development of a New Course Specialism in British Counselling

The introduction of rehabilitation counselling to the UK in 1990-initially as a diploma and now as an MSc—is described. The worldwide development of rehabilitation counselling from its beginnings in America in the 1950s is outlined, highlighting key areas of debate. Evidence of the need for rehabilitation counselling in the UK is presented, and the current course is described with reference to its integrative counselling approach and specialist areas of enquiry. The future development of rehabilitation counselling in the UK is considered, emphasising the need for this specialism as we move towards more holistic models of care.     

Counselling as a culture of healing

While clearly upholding the value of the helping professions, this article presents an analysis of alleged shortcomings of present forms of counselling and therapy. Arguments are presented for a New Look in counselling. Counselling, it is claimed, would benefit from redefinition as a culture of healing. It should be conceptualised as a cultural practice rather than as a scientific undertaking. Drawing on new intellectual resources would help re-align counselling epistemologically and practically in order to achieve sensibility in the face of social and historical transformations which have taken place in the second half of this century and which continue radically to alter both social life and our ways of understanding social life.     

Counselling in a culture of competence

In this article, a counsellor working in the public sectors of health and education considers her work in the light of the contemporary political context. Describing the trend towards what she is calling a ‘culture of competence’, she notes recent changes to the identity of the professional, whose authority, once taken for granted, is increasingly limited and subject to evaluation and proof of effectiveness. She then considers some ways in which counsellors working in the public sector are now experiencing such measures, noting both the benefits that can accrue from evaluating their work, but also the dangers when certain pressures and anxieties are not taken into account.     

Counselling and well-being: on the road to realities

This article aims to discuss the rationale and some guiding principles for the realm of counselling in the fostering of well-being. After some brief observations of a theoretical nature, the principles analysed are: the revitalisation of counselling; the reflection on the concept of dialogue, including the notion of context; the perspective of counselling as social activity; understanding counselling and how it adjusts on the road to realities. From this perspective, practitioners view counselling as a social activity aimed at self-construction and life designing. In following that view, the idea of counselling as being socially produced is also examined. At the end, some considerations on the future of counselling are discussed.     

A stage-matched intervention for exercise behavior change based on the transtheoretical model

The effectiveness of a stage-matched intervention for enhancing exercise behavior was investigated with related Transtheoretical Model constructs among young Korean adults. 265 university students (147 men, 118 women; M age=24.1 yr., SD=3.5) enrolled in Seoul National University of Technology voluntarily participated in an 8-wk. intervention study. In order to measure exercise behavior and its related psychological constructs, the Stages of Readiness for Exercise Behavior Scale, Decision Balance Scale for Exercise, Exercise Self-efficacy Scale, Processes of Change Scale, and Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire were used. Results indicated that the participants' exercise readiness was significantly changed in a positive way after the 8-wk. intervention. There was a significant main effect of testing time and an interaction between testing time and exercise readiness stage at baseline. There were significant interactions between testing times and groups for all Transtheoretical Model measures, implying that the stage-matched intervention can be an effective tool for increasing exercise readiness and related psychological variables. The present study provides a starting point for stage-matched interventions aimed at increasing exercise levels, and a baseline level from which to evaluate interventions.     

The adaptive change model: an advance on the transtheoretical model of change

The author proposed a hypothetical model of change, the adaptive change model (ACM), to advance the current conceptualization and operationalization of the transtheoretical model of change (TTM; D. Grimley, J. Prochaska, W. Velicer, M. Blais, & C. DiClemente, 1994; J. Prochaska, 1979; J. Prochaska & C. DiClemente, 1984). He used exploratory factor analysis to identify items contributing to 2 sets of factors defining the Adaptive Change Questionnaire (T. Bowles, 2001). The factors were consistent for both clinical (n = 222) and nonclinical (n = 194) respondents. The first set of factors defined the process of change and included Openness to Opportunity, Visualization, Planning, Action, and Closure. The second set of factors described the factors that support change and included Social Support, Inner Drive, and Negative Emotions. Through analysis of gender effects, the author found that men scored significantly and slightly higher than did women on Openness to Opportunity, Visualization, and Inner Drive. There were no interactions involving gender and clinical status. Discriminant function analysis predicting clinical status on the basis of the 8 factors placed 80% of respondents in the correct category. The author discusses the relevance of the ACM in comparison with the characteristics of the TTM.     

Using system differences to orchestrate change: a systems-guides intervention model

Successful community-based interventions require that change agents give attention to the complexities of interwoven systems, described in the literature as complicated or complex, purposeful or purposive. The author further notes the separate standards, norms, principles and/or goals (here-named systems-guides) of systems. This paper describes the author's experience as a consultant to a multi-system collaboration where observed tensions among participants resulted in the author's implementation of a three-step systems-guides model, which can increase change agents' effectiveness with systems. The steps comprise: detection (of systems, systems-guides, and discrepancies between them; here through observation); documentation (of discrepancies; here through small group discussions); dissemination (to systems participants; here to the collaboration). Two small but fundamental systems changes emerged from systems participants, not from the change agent/author who facilitated systems members' recognition of discrepancies. A major limitation in the implementation of this systems-guides model centers on the critical necessity of the close relationship change agents must have with the involved systems.     

The Relevance of Systemic Thinking to Student Counselling

After outlining the predominant approaches which currently inform student counselling a case is made for adopting a developmental systemic paradigm, locating individual difficulties within the context of a family dilemma. The view is taken that family systems thinking and individual approaches can be complementary and that systemic work need not be restricted to formal family therapy and the technology this implies.     

Counselling in a Hospital setting: An introduction to the care project

Various research projects have investigated the efficacy of counselling in medical settings. To date, there is no conclusive proof that counselling is an effective form of therapy. But previous research projects have often been limited in scope and design, and have not represented an appropriate means of making an accurate assessment. The study introduced here seeks to establish whether or not group counselling is a therapy for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The research aims to use the most effective elements of both scientific and new-paradigm methodologies to determine whether atherapeutic relationship exists. The paper outlines the background to the research and describes its development so far.     

Internet‐based self‐tailored deposit contracts to promote smoking reduction and abstinence

Deposit contracting may reduce costs and increase efficacy in contingency management interventions. We evaluated two Internet‐based deposit contract arrangements for smoking. In Experiment 1, nine participants deposited self‐selected amounts that could be earned back for meeting goals. During treatment, participants were reimbursed for breath samples with less than or equal to 6 parts per million carbon monoxide and met the criterion for 47% of samples compared to 1% during baseline. In Experiment 2, 10 participants’ deposits were matched up to $50. No samples met the criterion during baseline but 41.5% met it during treatment. The average deposit was $82 in Experiment 1 and $49 in Experiment 2. Participants rated the intervention favorably and sample submission rates were high. These experiments suggest that Internet‐based self‐tailored deposits are acceptable, feasible, and can promote brief reduction and abstinence in some smokers. Future research should investigate individual and intervention factors that affect long‐term cessation and uptake of deposit contracts.