EVALUATION OF BUSINESS MEMOS: EFFECTS OF WRITER SEX AND ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION, MEMO QUALITY, AND RATER SEX

This study investigated main and interaction effects of memo quality, attributed author sex and organizational position, and rater sex on evaluation of business memos. Alternative questionnaire versions of four memos to be rated anonymously were mailed to about 500 members of a professional personnel association; 48% were returned. A 2×2×2×2 analysis of variance yielded a large main effect for memo quality; an interaction effect of attributed author sex and position and rater sex for two memos; and other interaction effects for single memos. The results are discussed.     

COMPARISONS OF MANAGERIAL AND EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION WITH A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM

Questionnaires were administered to managers and employees in a large multinational corporation to assess satisfaction with various aspects of a performance appraisal system. Comparisons of managers' and employees' satisfaction were made by conducting factor analyses for each sample. The results indicate moderate similarity between the two groups. However, two significant differences were revealed by the analysis. First, there is evidence that employees perceive certain aspects of the appraisal system in a global way, whereas managers differentiate among various components and see them as distinct entities. Second, the relative importance of the factors differs between the two groups. The largest portion of variance accounted for in the employee sample pertained to general satisfaction with the system whereas for managers it pertained to the types of ratings made on the appraisal form. The results are discussed in terms of the different perspectives managers and employees have in the appraisal process.     

SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY AND THE EVALUATION OF PEER EVALUATIONS: A REVIEW AND SOME APPLIED IMPLICATIONS

Some of the more fundamental characteristics of peer evaluations were reviewed and their striking industrial validity was noted. Subsequently, the theories put forth to account for the validity of peer evaluations were examined and found to be wanting. A review of the conditions under which peer evaluations yield strong validity coefficients as well as certain factor analytic and experimental studies indicated that social comparison theory might provide a useful framework for elucidating the nature of peer evaluation process. This theory was then related to the characteristics of peer evaluation and certain applied implications were suggested. It was concluded that further empirical research along these lines might have some value.     

In Pursuit of Sisterhood: Adult as a Resource for Combined Individual and Family Therapy

Therapists traditionally view brothers and sisters as rivalrous and self-seeking. Under carefully arranged conditions, however, siblings can learn to cooperate with each other to resolve important conflicts in family relationships. This case documents a dramatic change in the relationship between a 29-year-old woman and her father, the outcome of a three-step therapeutic intervention in which sibling dynamics were selectively used by the psychotherapist. As part of her individual therapy, the therapist first aroused the woman's discontent with her status as the neglected “baby of the family.” Next, a series of meetings were held with the woman and her three sisters that permitted resolution of their previous anger and misunderstandings, thus helping them to become a more cohesive group of sisters. The third step brought the sisters, now as allies both of the identified patient and of the therapist, into a constructive confrontation with the parents. This resulted in lasting personal change for the identified patient and improved relationships throughout the entire family.     

A Structural Blueprint for Group Facilitators: Three Group Modalities

This article provides a conceptual model, typology, or blueprint to unify and more clearly understand the spectrum of task-, socio-, and psycho-group processes used by guidance and counseling personnel. The authors provide a structure for group leaders to follow within their various group forms or modalities.     

ASSESSING COMPANY EMPLOYMENT IMAGE: AN EXAMPLE IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY

Historically, there has been little guidance from the recruitment literature on how organizations can assess the image that potential applicants hold of their company as a place to work. We demonstrate the application of a technique for identifying employment image dimensions that are most critical in distinguishing among companies in the same industry, and show how this information can be used to assess companies relative to their competitors on these dimensions. We used a forced-choice inductive methodology to identify relevant dimensions of company employment image in the fast food industry, and randomly assigned high school students ( n = 336) and retirees ( n = 102) to describe 1 of 8 well-known fast food companies on the dimensions. In addition, respondents indicated their general image of the targeted company as a place to work. We were able to identify dimensions that both discriminated between companies and predicted general image, and graphically benchmarked one company against other companies on image dimensions.     

Understanding the “Medicine” of Native American Traditional Values: An Integrative Review

A major goal of counseling is to promote the wellness of the client by promoting his or her optimum development through positive human change, and it is important for counselors to be able to informally assess and more fully understand Native American cultural values to promote the wellness of those clients. The cultural values of Native Americans are discussed, an integrative review of value studies conducted on Native Americans is presented, and a traditional Native American view of wellness is described with implications for counseling. You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. … The sky is round, and I have heard that earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. … Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a [person] is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. (Black Elk, cited in Neihardt, 1959)     

Evaluating the Impact of Multicultural Counseling Training

The authors agree that the multicultural counseling movement represents a powerful force with the potential of radically modifying the perspective of the entire counseling profession. To realize its full potential, however, much more research needs to be done within professional training programs to determine the types of instructional strategies that are most effective in terms of developing counselors who are sensitive and effective in working with persons from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. This article reports on the results of a series of investigations designed to assess the impact of a comprehensive multicultural training model among different groups of graduate students. Implications for future research and training are also discussed. Los autores están de acuerdeo en que el Movimiento de Consejería Multicultural representa una fuerza con la potencia de modificar radicalmente la perspectiva de la profesión entera de consejería. Sin embargo, para cristalizar esta potencia, hay que hacer más investigaciones dentro de programas profesionales de entrenamiento para determinar los tipos de estrategiás instruccionales más eficaces con respecto a consejeros que trabajan sensiblemente y eficazmente con personas culturalmente, raciálmente, y étnicamente diversas. Este artículo presenta los resultados de una serie de investigaciones hechas para estimar el impacto de un modelo comprensivo de entrenamiento de consejería multicultural entre grupos diferentes de estudiantes graduados. También se discuten las implicaciones en las investigaciones y entrenamientos en el futuro.     

Healthy Death

The concept of healthy death is introduced and explored. A review of literature on the subject of death and dying reveals efforts that have sought to make death a “good” and “meaningful” experience. The article concludes with a summary definition of healthy death.