Outcomes of training in supervision: Randomised controlled trial

There is little controlled research on the impact of supervisor training on supervision. The current study examined the effects of supervision training in a sample of 46 supervisor–supervisee pairs of mental health practitioners. It compared Immediate 2‐day workshop training of the pair, a wait‐list control in which workshop training was delayed 3 months, and a condition in which supervisors were trained 3 months before their partners (Split). Benefits of Immediate training were restricted to supervisors reporting fully specified agreements, and to reduction of some perceived problems. Self‐efficacy in providing effective supervision fell in the Split condition, relative to the other conditions. Across conditions in general there was a fall from baseline to post‐test assessment in the proportion of sessions where recommended supervision strategies were used, perhaps partly because the controlled trial extended across the summer vacation period. Results are consistent with other observations of the limited impact of workshop training on practice.     

Psychometric properties of scales in the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPSNordic): Confirmatory factor analysis and prediction of certified long-term sickness absence

Psychometric properties, particularly predictive validity, of scales in the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS_Nordic) were assessed. The analysis is confined to the scales in the QPS_Nordic, and 24 of the 26 scales are included. A large group of Swedish county council employees ( n = 3,976; response rate = 65%) participated in a study and were given the QPS_Nordic. Register data for long-term sick leave (>90 days), with diagnosis, were used for predictive analysis. The following main results were obtained: Reliability was generally satisfactory, confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit, concurrent validity was good, some less often investigated organizational variables predicted sickness absence, and scales were differentially associated with absence due to psychiatric and musculoskeletal disorders. In conclusion, the psychometric testing of the QPS_Nordic so far suggests that it is a good instrument for assessing health-related factors at work.     

Acquaintances,Lovers, and Friends: Rape Within Relationships1

The research examines offender behavior in 98 cases of male‐female acquaintance rape reported to the police in the United Kingdom. Each rape is defined according to the predominant style of offender behavior: intimacy, aggression, or criminality. Variations in the style of rape behavior are examined as a function of the prior victim‐offender relationship. The level of relationship intimacy between the victim and offender is defined empirically according to 4 variables: time acquainted, degree of familiarity, previous sexual relationship, and previous cohabitation. The results indicate that criminality style behavior is very infrequent in acquaintance rape. At low levels of relationship intimacy, the rape is more likely to be characterized by intimacy, rather than aggression style behaviors. The implications are discussed.     

PERCEIVED INGROUP AND OUTGROUP PREFERENCE: A LONGITUDINAL CAUSAL INVESTIGATION

Although there has been substantial research on perceptions of preference in hiring, there is considerably less focus on perceptions of preference in organizational activities more generally. Researchers seldom assess perceptions of preference for both historically high- and low-status groups and for both one's own group and others. Using a three-wave longitudinal survey of 1,094 employees, the causal direction between perceived preference and satisfaction with management, moderators of that relationship, and whether responses to perceived preference differed by group were examined. On average, groups perceived more outgroup than ingroup preference. The satisfaction to perceived preference causal direction was significantly stronger than the reverse for outgroup preference, suggesting that increased satisfaction with management leads to decreased future perceptions of outgroup preference more so than vice versa. The relationship between satisfaction with management and perceived outgroup preference was moderated by perceived organizational tolerance of discrimination, suggesting that positive diversity climate can alleviate the negative effects of dissatisfaction with management on perceived outgroup preference.     

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GRADUATE TRAINING, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION, AND INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT PRACTICES FOR PERSONNEL DECISIONS

Survey data on 321 psychologists who conduct individual assessments were analyzed to compare practices and opinions of those with differing graduate training (I/O or non-I/O) and professional affiliation (SIOP or non-SIOP). Differences in practice on the basisof training and affiliation occur in licensing, types of assessments conducted, specific testing instruments used, and knowledge of legal guidelines governing selection practices. However, when purpose of assessment was controlled for by examining only managerial selection assessments, few practice differences related to training and affiliation emerged. Implications for the training of individual assessors are discussed, and several practice variations warranting further research are presented.     

ATTITUDES AND EFFECTIVENESS: EXAMINING RELATIONS AT AN ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL

Recent evidence has suggested that attitudes-organizational effectiveness relations may exist. Relations between employee attitudes, organizational unit performance, customer satisfaction, and turnover were examined at the branch level for a large automobile finance company. Using data from 142 branches in 2 consecutive years, several significant relations between attitude factors and performance were observed. In addition, causal analyses conducted at the branch level suggested that customer satisfaction led to employee attitudes, rather than the opposite. Additional analyses to explain this result suggested that economic conditions and related factors might be the causal mechanism at the aggregated level. Other potential interpretations of these findings and caveats about generalizing organizational-level findings to the individual level are discussed.     

The factor structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory in two Swedish human service organizations

The Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI, is a well established measure of burnout. Its validity outside the USA is, however, uncertain. The aim of the present study was therefore to apply the MBI on personnel in two Swedish human service organizations, comparing factor solutions and scoring norms to the original results. The population consisted of 5730 employees in the Social Insurance Organization (SIO) and the Individual and Family Care section (IFC) of the social welfare agencies. Principal components analysis, principal axes and alpha factor analyses were performed, all with varimax rotation. The suggested three factor solution showed to be remarkably stable irrespective of type of analysis. Score levels were somewhat lower on two subscales in the Swedish population. The conclusion is that the psychometric properties of the MBI seem to be very satisfactory and stable, at least in comparison between Sweden and USA. It is suggested that the dimensionality of MBI is rather invariant, but that the score levels covary with national, cultural, or professional contexts within the human services.     

An Examination of Placement Services Available to Job Seekers: A Review of Laypersons' Literature

This article reviews some of the traditional services (public agencies, college placement offices, private employment agencies, executive search firms, and executive counseling) used by job seekers to find work, as described in some of the literature often read by laypersons.     

Counseling in a Government Agency: Interventions for Employees and Supervisors

This article describes an organizational counseling and career development program that serves both employees and their supervisors. Program components include counseling, workshops, and a career resource center.     

A SURVEY OF INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT PRACTICES BY I/O PSYCHOLOGISTS

Individual assessment, defined as one psychologist making an assessment decision for a personnel-related purpose about one individual, was the focus of a survey of a segment of the Division of Industrial and Organizational Psychology of the American Psychological Association. A response rate of 31.6% was obtained. The responses of 163 individuals who conduct individual assessment to questions about their practices and of 153 individuals who do not conduct individual assessment to questions concerning their attitudes toward individual assessment were examined. Findings regarding what types of assessment are typically conducted, how methods are chosen, what methods are typically used, how findings are relayed to client organizations and assessees, and how practices are evaluated are reported. Implications for training and practice as well as areas for research are discussed.