Guidance and Counseling Services in the Federal Republic of Germany

This article presents an overview of the development, implementation, and struggle to maintain guidance and counseling services at various levels within the Federal Republic of Germany.     

ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS IN ESTIMATING THE UTILITY OF HUMAN RESOURCE PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS

Three economic concepts (variable costs, taxes, and discounting) are applied and incorporated into the previous utility formulas proposed by Brogden (1946, 1949), Cronbach and Gleser (1965), and Schmidt, et al. (1979, 1982). The resulting utility model indicates that the previous formulas are deficient and can produce upwardly biased utility estimates. Empirical examples based on published research (e.g., Schmidt, et al., 1982) are presented indicating the substantial magnitude of the bias given realistic levels of variable costs, taxes, and discount rates. The present utility model is used to adjust for such bias and is shown to provide a more complete and precise utility definition. Implications for future research are discussed.     

JOB SATISFACTION: ARE ALL THE PARTS THERE?

Empirical data indicate that global measures of job satisfaction are not equivalent to the sum of the facet satisfactions. The purposes of this study were to explore the usefulness of single-item global measures of job satisfaction for job satisfaction research and also to explore whether global assessments of job satisfaction include consideration of variables typically not measured by job satisfaction instruments. Subjects are 185 employees working within two research and development units of two multinational corporations. The short-form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to obtain the sum of the facet satisfactions. Two single-item global questions of overall satisfaction were also used. One required a yes-no response and the second, a 1–5 rating response. Information about perceived determinants of job satisfaction, overall satisfaction with the job, satisfaction with occupational choice, career progress, and overall satisfaction with non-job related events was obtained through semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that defining overall job satisfaction as the sum of the evaluations of the discrete elements of which the job is composed, may lead to neglect of major determinants of job satisfaction. The "whole" appears to be more complex than the sum of the presently measured parts. Results also suggest that the 1–5 global rating of overall job satisfaction may be a more inclusive measure of overall job satisfaction than summation of many facet responses.     

A Paraprofessional Training Model Based on the Employment Service Training Unit Concept

A paraprofessional inservice training model is presented which is based on the Employment Service Training Unit (ESTU) concept. The model encourages the use of professional staff in the local work setting as a viable source for training paraprofessional staff members. The advantages and disadvantages of current training programs are described, with the ESTU model presented as an alternative for a more effective paraprofessional training program.     

Let's close the confidentiality gap

An examination of the interface between the law of privileged communication and the professional standards of confidentiality reveals a considerable gap between what the law is and what counseling and guidance personnel believe it is. The nature of the law is discussed, and evidence of disagreement with and misunderstanding of the law by counseling and guidance personnel is presented. Several recommendations are made to close the gap by bringing knowledge and attitude of counseling and guidance personnel into agreement with the law as well as modifying the law to reflect the needs of clients, counselors, and society.     

College freshman attitudes toward cheating

This article proposed to study characteristics of students with lenient attitudes toward cheating and to identify the types of colleges that enroll these students. By using a sample of 1,500 students, it was found that those with lenient attitudes toward academic cheating shared similar attitudes about cheating in government and industry. Furthermore, these students tended to be less academically motivated, have fewer artistic-literary interests, and come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. From the use of a sample of 119 institutions, it was found that those enrolling students with strong attitudes against cheating were generally more selective, all-female, and small in size.     

The draft and counseling

This article regards draft counseling as a specialized extension of personal, educational, and vocational counseling. It can be a necessary and valuable outreach program and is needed because most students are unaware of their rights under the Selective Service System. Professional counselors have a crucial role to play in draft counseling by helping to establish a Draft Information Center, by training and supervising students and faculty as draft counselors, and by serving as a referral source for individuals needing further counseling. Suggestions are included for the establishment of a Draft Information Center in high schools and colleges.