THE RELATIONSHIP OF STAFFING PRACTICES TO ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE

Scholars have noted the relative lack of research on the contribution of effective staffing practices to organizational level measures of performance (Schmitt & Schneider, 1983). We collected survey data from the heads of the HRM departments of 201 organizations regarding the extent of use of five staffing practices supported by the academic literature. We also investigated whether organizations that used more of these practices had higher levels of profitability and sales growth than organizations that used fewer of them. We found a significant positive relationship between organizations'use of the five staffing practices and both annual profit and profit growth across all industries. However, the strength of the relationship between the use of the staffing practices and organizational performance was found to vary by industry type. We also found that the extent of use of the staffing practices was related to both industry type and organizational size. Our study provides some initial data on the possible positive impact of these staffing practices on organizational level outcomes.     

The Relation of College Internships,College Performance,and Subsequent Job Opportunity

This study examined the relationship of business college internships to college performance and to subsequent job opportunities. Whites were more apt to have had an internship than African Americans; there was no difference by gender. Students with internships had a significantly higher overall grade point average, were somewhat younger upon graduation, and were more apt to be employed upon graduation than students without internships. Internships were thus related to both better college performance and to receiving a job offer upon graduation. Discussion centered on the role of internship in realistic job expectations and recommendations for improving internships.     

The process of family member marginalization: Turning points experienced by “black sheep”

Family member marginalization, or feeling different, not included, or not approved of by family, is a chronically stressful interpersonal process with negative mental and physical health consequences. Framed by hurtful communication, this study took an interpretive approach to understanding the process of marginalization in families. Across 30 marginalized family members, 184 turning points were reported, which were organized into 22 event categories and 4 supracategories. Communication events included disclosures, ceasing contact, and deception, among others. The most commonly reported turning points were “normative” life events such as weddings and having children. Five trajectories captured the process of marginalization. Ambivalent events and a new way of understanding the underlying motivations behind turning points are forwarded, with implications for interpersonal process scholars.     

Normative Images of Communication Media Mass and Interpersonal Channels in the New Media Environment

This study is an extension of earlier uses and gratifications research that identified normative images of mass media. The article considers how well 12 different mass and interpersonal communication channels fill 11 communication needs. A sample of 649 adults completed self-administered questionnaires, the responses of which were submitted to cluster analysis, which identified five channel clusters: Video, Interpersonal, Print, Computer, and Audio. In general, the Interpersonal cluster (conversation and telephone) was rated the most useful at filling various needs, with Computer rated the least useful. Consistent with previous research, clusters that were most useful at filling personal needs were rated highest in social presence. The discussion relates this study's findings to previous research and notes implications for research on the newer communication technologies.     

Item Desirability Effects in Compliance-Gaining Research Seven Studies Documenting Artifacts in the Strategy Selection Procedure

A popular method for assessing compliance-gaming behavior involves having people rate lists of preformulated message strategies for likelihood of use. This “selection procedure” has been employed much more frequently than the alternative “construction procedure,” a method that requires people to generate their own message strategies. The present article argues that the selection procedure is much less sensitive than the construction procedure to the effects of situational and individual-difference variables on compliance-gaining behavior. The article further suggests that the insensitivity of the selection procedure is due to a type of social desirability bias known as the item desirability effect. Seven studies were carried out testing the Marwell and Schmitt (1967) and Wiseman and Schenk-Hamlin (1 981) strategy checklists for the item desirability effect. These studies found that (a) the likelihood of use ratings prouided for the strategies on both checklists could be accurately predicted by the rated social appropriateness of the strategies, (b) likelihood of use ratingsfor preforrnulated strategies haue relatively poor reliability, and (c) the construction procedure is much less susceptible to social desirability biases than the selection procedure. On the basis of these and related findings, it is recommended that researchers eschew the use of strategy checklists in future research.