SOME ISSUES IN CONVERSATION COHERENCE

This study examined respondent proficiency at reconstructing a sequence of utterances (discourse). Theories of text hold that participants in a discourse must construct and arrange the sense of the text; that is, they must make decisions about discourse coherence. We had respondents reconstruct a conversation and we made predictions about discourse coherence, the nature of various two-turn constructional units, unit differences, and individual differences. We found that the entire discourse as a processing unit affects the likelihood of certain two-turn pairs being resequenced correctly. Except for the fact that complex subjects were better able to resequence the initial interaction, there were no other individual differences. The research has implications for principles of coherence, text comprehension, and interpersonal behavior.     

THE EFFECT OF JOB OFFER TIMING ON OFFER ACCEPTANCE, PERFORMANCE, AND TURNOVER

Employers often enjoy some discretion in how quickly they extend job offers following candidate interviews. Applicant reactions research suggests that quicker offers are more likely to be accepted. This paper reports an archival study investigating the effect of offer timing on offer acceptance and employment outcomes with field data ( N  = 3,012) from 1 large company, including both student ( N  = 906) and experienced ( N  = 2,106) candidates. The 2 groups differed markedly in their recruiting processes, but job seekers of both types were more likely to accept earlier offers. Further, we found no differences for either performance ratings or turnover among employees hired after quicker offers and those who accepted later offers. It therefore appears that employers may benefit from accelerating their postinterview job offer processes, improving their acceptance rates, and reducing vacancy times without incurring either performance or turnover penalties.     

AN EXAMINATION OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT USE AND EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS ASSESSMENT CENTER EXERCISES: THE ROLE OF COMPETENCY DEMANDS

We report 2 studies that examine how promotional candidates use verbal and nonverbal impression management (IM) tactics across several structured assessment center exercises that differ in the competency demands they place on candidates. Based on the competency-demand hypothesis ( Shoda, Mischel, & Wright, 1993a, 1993b ), it was predicted that IM use would occur most frequently and have the strongest effects on assessor evaluations in exercises that place greater demands on candidates' interpersonal skills than in exercises that depend primarily on technical skills. In both studies, IM tactics were generally used more frequently and there was more variability in IM use for those exercises requiring candidates to display interpersonal competencies (i.e., the role-plays and mock presentation) relative to the exercise that did not (i.e., the tactical exercise). The relationship between IM use and assessor evaluations was also influenced by the competencies assessed by the exercises, and IM use related to both interpersonal and noninterpersonal ratings of performance.     

MISSING LINKS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM: FOUR DIMENSIONS FOR CHANGE

Our society is changing at a pace hardly imagined a century, even a few decades ago. The role of education is crucial in helping prepare our young people to both cope with and take responsibility for shaping these changes in ways consistent with the values of a free society. To this end, four overarching themes for change in curriculum are examined: (1) the competencies and attitudes needed to understand and engage in systems thinking; (2) the development of self and inter-personal knowledge and skills; (3) understanding of the connectiveness of knowledge; and (4) the ability to think critically.     

Assessing and Constructing a Meaningful System: Systemic Perspective in a College Counseling Center

The author describes an application of family systems therapy to treatment in a college counseling center. This approach organizes treatment around the “meaningful system” rather than the family system and includes nonfamily significant others in treatment. Using the Brief Therapy model of the Mental Research Institute, the author addresses special considerations in providing systemic treatment in a college counseling center, assessment and construction of a meaningful system, and specific working procedures. Two case illustrations are provided.     

AN INTERNATIONAL LOOK AT SELECTION PRACTICES: NATION AND CULTURE AS EXPLANATIONS FOR VARIABILITY IN PRACTICE

A survey of 959 organizations in 20 countries was undertaken to assess whether differences in staffing practices are due in part to nation and culture. Cultural differences in uncertainty avoidance and, to a lesser extent, power distance, explained some of the national differences observed in the extensiveness of method use. Implications for understanding the best approaches to selection on a global basis are discussed.     

Perceptions of Family Environment Among Psychiatric Patients and Their Wives

This study compared the perceived family environments of former psychiatric inpatients with thought, affective, and substance abuse disorders to those of normative comparison couples using the Family Environment Scale. Family environment was assessed among patients and wives separately at hospital discharge and at three- and twelve-month follow-ups. Patients and their wives were consistently more incongruent in their perceptions of their shared environment than normative couples. In addition, low-functioning patient couples reported less family cohesion, expressiveness, and recreational emphasis than their higher functioning counterparts; the high-functioning patient couples more closely resembled the norm. The paper discusses possible relationships between positive family contact and better patient functioning.