Research on Family Interaction I: Static and Dynamic Models

A static and dynamic model of family structure are presented and illustrated in clinical application to a pilot study. The basic measure is a content-free assessment of the sequence of states of interaction in family sessions. Using Markov process concepts, certain parallels between the behavioral variables (state transitions) and the more abstract clinical concepts of family structure can be identified. By subsuming the latter structural concepts under a framework of "balance theory" (Heider; Cartwright and Harary) considerable reduction in complexity is achieved without sacrificing clinical relevance.
Still to be explored are the applications to the study of therapist-family interaction and of treatment-related changes in structural and behavioral measures.     

A PROCESS-ORIENTED INVESTIGATION OF RECRUITMENT SOURCE EFFECTIVENESS1

Two hypotheses explaining the causes of differences in recruitment source effectiveness, the realism of job information provided and the characteristics of individuals recruited, were tested on a sample of packaging plant employees. Seven recruitment sources used by the plant were found to differ in effectiveness as measured by attendance, performance and tenure. The hypothesis that recruitment sources differ because they reach individuals from different applicant populations received strongest support. Implications of the findings for future research and for organizational recruitment programs are discussed.     

EMPIRICALLY DERIVED JOB FAMILIES AS A FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF VALIDITY GENERALIZATION

The purpose and background of a series of three studies dealing with validity generalization are discussed, an overview of the series is provided, and the initial study is described.
In the initial study a total of 76 insurance company jobs was analyzed by 203 raters in an effort to assess the potential usefulness of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) as a job analysis device to be employed in a more extensive, companywide research program. Examination of rate-rerate and interrater reliability suggested that rate-rerate reliability was quite good, while interrater reliability estimates were somewhat lower. Cluster analysis techniques were applied to the five Overall and 17 Component dimensions of the PAQ yielding six job families in both analyses. The job families were described in terms of the various PAQ dimensions and were judged to be organizationally meaningful. Although the job clustering results were generally acceptable, it was conjectured that job families formed on the basis of company specific dimensions might prove even more meaningful.     

A TALE OF TWO JOB MARKETS: ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE AND ITS EFFECTS ON HIRING PRACTICES AND JOB SEARCH BEHAVIOR

Small firms employ half the U.S. private sector workforce, yet recruitment research has traditionally focused on large firms. The present study attempts to advance knowledge on how recruitment practices vary with firm size. Results suggest that the recruitment practices of larger firms are generally more formal and bureaucratic than those of smaller firms. In addition, the study demonstrates that many job seekers have distinct preferences regarding firm size, and that preferred firm size is related to job search behavior. Taken together, these findings suggest that firm size is an overlooked and important aspect of the recruitment/job search context. The processes involved in matching employers and applicants differ so much as a function of firm size that one might argue that large and small firms comprise separate labor markets.     

So You Want Your Employees to Quit Smoking?

Today more and more organizations are trying to limit or ban workplace smoking. These actions are prompted largely by the costs associated with employees who smoke. Despite the proliferation of these attempts, corporate efforts in this area have been generally unsuccessful. In this article the most common antismoking programs are reviewed. After this review, a multidimensional, broad-based smoking cessation program is described.     

THE TRANSPORTABILITY OF JOB INFORMATION ACROSS COUNTRIES

Three Occupational Information Network (O*NET) instruments (Generalized Work Activities, Basic and Cross-Functional Skills, Work Styles) were administered to 1,007 job incumbents, from 369 organizations, performing 1 of 3 jobs (first-line supervisor, office clerk, computer programmer) in New Zealand, China, and Hong Kong. Data from these countries were compared with archival data collected from 370 incumbents holding similar jobs in the United States. Hypothesized country differences, derived from cross-cultural theory, received limited support. The magnitude of differences in mean item ratings between incumbents from the United States and the other 3 countries were generally small to moderate in size, and rank-orderings of the importance and level of work activities and job requirements were quite similar, suggesting that, for most applications, job information is likely to transport quite well across countries.