Trends in Counseling: A Delphi Study

Counselor preparation faculty used a Delphi procedure to forecast 48 possible trends in the areas of preparation, licensure, funding, professionalism, organizational bases and counseling procedures.     

Support Groups: A Conceptualization

A conceptualization of support groups, differentiating them from counseling and psychotherapy groups, is offered, and its implications for group formation, membership;, and format are discussed.     

The Delivery of Manpower and Supportive Services to Rural Areas

This study identifies problems encountered by state employment service agencies and other organizations in the delivery of equitable manpower and supportive services to rural and migrant workers and recommends solutions to these problems.     

REFERENT SELECTION IN DETERMINING EQUITY PERCEPTIONS: DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS ON BEHAVIORAL AND ATTITUDINAL OUTCOMES

The concept of differential equity allows individuals to have different perceptions of equity depending on the pay referent used. Different pay referents should result in different tactics to reduce inequities. To test this hypothesis, equity perceptions with respect to seven different referents were compared as to their relationship to pay satisfaction, intent to remain with a company, and frequency of extra-role behavior. Findings suggest that the various types of inequity relate differentially to each of the three outcome variables.     

Work,Disability, and the Future: Promoting Employment for People with Disabilities

The problems experienced by people with disabilities in seeking work are evident in statistical data on unemployment. Although future economic prospects are brighter, people with disabilities will not have a share of the resulting prosperity unless there are changes in public policies, rehabilitation practices, and employer benefits.     

ASSESSMENT CENTERS AND SUBORDINATE APPRAISALS OF MANAGERS: A SEVEN-YEAR EXAMINATION OF PREDICTIVE VALIDITY

Assessment center ratings of 52 state law enforcement agency managers predicted both a contaminated promotions criterion and two uncontaminated ratings criteria, but they did significantly better in predicting the former. Criteria data were gathered two, four, and seven years after the assessment center, and a modest upward trend in validity coefficients was observed. Ratings by subordinates demonstrated promise as a near term predictor, outperforming the assessment center on uncontaminated criteria in the two- and four-year time frames. Last, regression analyses using Year 7 criteria revealed unique predictive power for both ratings by subordinates and assessment centers above and beyond that provided by supervisor ratings.
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Academy of Management meeting, Anaheim, California, August 7-10, 1988.     

Regrets and Priorities at Three Stages of Life

The authors present results of a survey of 316 men and women from three age categories about their major regrets and priorities in life. The most frequently-cited regrets were related to missed educational opportunities and the failure to have been more assertive and to have taken more risks. Differences between groups are analyzed and discussed.     

VALIDITY AND FAIRNESS OF SOME ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES1

Despite extensive evidence that tests are valid for employee selection, Federal Guidelines have urged employers to seek alternative selection procedures that are equally valid but have less adverse impact on minorities. Research on the validity, adverse impact and fairness of eight categories of alternatives was reviewed. Feasibility of operational use of each type of alternative in an employment setting was also discussed. Only biodata and peer evaluation were supported as having validities substantially equal to those for standardized tests. Previous reviews and more recent research indicated that interviews, self-assessments, reference checks, academic achievement, expert judgment and projective techniques had levels of validity generally below those reported for tests. Data, where available, offered no clear indication that any of the alternatives met the criterion of having equal validity with less adverse impact. Results are discussed and several additional promising alternatives are described.     

THE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW: A SUMMARY AND REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH1

After a quick recapitulation of previous reviews of the employment interview, recent research from about 1975 is reviewed and summarized. Research dealing with the reliability and validity of the interview, methodological issues, decision making, interviewer training, minority characteristics, nonverbal behavior, interviewee characteristics, and interviewee training is summarized. Trends and directions are noted, suggestions for further research extended, and a discussion of why persistence in the use of interview exists is presented.     

THE NEW UNIFORM GUIDELINES ON EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES IN THE CONTEXT OF UNIVERSITY PERSONNEL DECISIONS

The new Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures are considered in a context of university employment decisions. The use of student evaluations as valid criteria for faculty personnel decisions such as hiring, retention, tenure, promotion, or salary increases is examined. Standards of validity contained in the Guidelines are probably not being met with regard to most student rating forms currently used. Recommendations are made regarding use of student and administrators' ratings as criteria for personnel decisions. The need for studies on contaminating sources of variance in ratings is emphasized.