Two groups of females participated in a practice interview designed to measure the effectiveness of assertive communication taught during a two week program for Displaced Homemakers. The Experimental Group, selected according to CETA criteria, were interviewed after receiving training. The Control Group were women similar in all relevant respects with the exception of having worked for pay outside the home within the past three years. The structured interview was designed to incorporate the same areas for evaluation as would potential employers in a real selection process. Instructions to provide motivation, or demand characteristics, for both groups were contained in a letter given to all participants. A Posttest Only Control Group research design was utilized. Content of interview was not measured. Rather, the 17 basic questions asked by the researcher were used as the instrument to measure verbal rate of communicating job-relevant and/or transferable volunteer experience. Six (6) tapes were randomly selected and scored for inter-rater reliability. Nonverbal communication behaviors which were rated by both the Interviewer and an Independent Observer were: Eye Contact, Posture and Appearance. Findings indicate that both verbal and nonverbal behavior were significantly (p< .001 and p.< .05) greater for the Experimental Group, i.e., Displaced Homemakers, who received training.

No description available.

No description available.

The specific purposes of this investigation, therefore, are (1) to determine any general pattern in the development of different phases of personnel programs in different firms; and (2) to make an intensive case study of the development of the personnel program in one organization--Moore Business Forms, Incorporated--which might serve as a guide for similar studies in other firms.

This thesis addresses an airline crew allocation and scheduling problem faced by certain divisions of the United States Air Force. Three variants of the problem under consideration were posed by the Brooks U.S. Air Force Base. This thesis reports on experience with two heuristic methods developed, each applicable to the different variants of the problem. Although the problem described herein is peculiar to this situation, the heuristic scheduling and dispatching rules developed have been found to be very effective, and are generally applicable in other related contexts of routing, and crew and vehicle scheduling problems as well. The two algorithms developed have been applied to a coded set of real world data. The results indicate that each one of the two methods is preferable over the other for one of the two variants of the problem, and they are equally effective for the third variant. The observations made in this study suggest an overall effective composite technique for this class of problems. / Master of Science

Selection of management personnel in industry is a difficult task, and one with important consequences. The job of the manager is composed of a multitude of skills and this tends to make evaluation or prediction of job performance more difficult (Odiorne and Miller, 1966). The consequences of poor selection decisions in management positions ray be costly for a company in increased turnover, reduced productivity or effectiveness, or in poor management decisions. One approach to the problem of management selection is the use of simulations of on-the-job situations. Exercises can be developed to provide a sample of typical work situations and candidates for selection can demonstrate the skills that they possess by attempting to deal with the problems presented by the simulated work situations. Simulations allow us to look at an individual's performance in a lifelike situation without placing the individual on the job and the resultant consequences for the company if the man fails to perform well. It is the purpose of this study to look at one type of simulation exercise, the in-basket technique (Frederiksen, 1962), and how performance on this type of exercise is affected if individuals. Prior to taking the exercise, are coached on its content by other individuals that have already completed the exercise.

With the increase in employer-sponsored career development programs (CDPs) there has been the need to evaluate the effects of CDP interventions on the both individual and the organization. Previous-follow-up evaluations of participants in workshop oriented CDPs have focused on the effects of CDP intervention services in terms of individual outcomes (i.e., career/life planning, decision making, stress management), but have not dealt directly with the impact of CDPs on the organization, nor compared the CDP participant group with a group of nonparticipants. The subjects for this study were all employees of NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. The CDP services are offered in a neutral on-site area, the Career Development Center (CDC), housed in the Technical Library. Using follow-up questionnaires and interviews, this study replicated many aspects of previously reported CDP evaluations. The results were generally comparable to those studies with respect to the positive impact of the CDP intervention on the individual. Specifically, participants evaluation of the CDC services received were: 1. positive with respect to the CDC process meeting their needs, 2. positive with respect to staff responsiveness, 3. positive with respect to questions they wanted answered, and 4. positive with respect to using the services again if the need arose. The matched groups of nonparticipants and participants scores (fifty in each group) were compared on the dependent variables of job satisfaction, job. commitment, and "actions taken" related to training services offered by the organization. The statistical analyses indicated nonsignificant differences with respect to job satisfaction, and significant differences with respect to job commitment and "actions taken" in the direction of the control group of nonparticipants. This study concluded from the comparative findings, with the equivocation of the job satisfaction measures, the differences noticed in job commitment were an attempt to use the services of the CDP to "self-actualize" their careers and better utilize their skills both on the job and in nonjob related activities. The "actions taken" variable did not show a high degree of involvement of the CDP participants in the organization's training services, but they did become more involved in nonjob related activities. Finally, questions were raised concerning the appropriateness of the dependent variables and matched groups design used in this study for measuring CDP effectiveness. Alternative approaches were suggested for future research. / Ed. D.

This study examines the origins, development, and political significance of the U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) during the ten-year period from its founding in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The premise of the dissertation is that OPM has been significantly involved in the transformation of the guiding beliefs about the public service in America and that OPM's administrative actions have had important impacts on the institutions and capacity of American governance. OPM has been infused with values of political responsiveness to the detriment of competing values of merit, competence, and technical effectiveness. The study creates an analytical framework which reveals a fundamental realignment of the relationships of political institutions, values, and administrative organizations. The developmental events in OPH's history are traced in detail through the Carter and Reagan administrations. The contribution of OPM's policies and actions to the shift of values and institutional relationships is documented. The ultimate result has been the weakening of the institutions of the presidency as well as the public service. GPM’s policies have furthered the politicization of the federal personnel system and have contributed to the decline of public agency competence and performance. The study develops an evaluational framework for examination of OPM's performance in regard to legislative intent, the policy objectives of successive administrations, and the criteria of the public interest. The dissertation evaluates OPM's problematic performance both in what it has produced and in what it is as an organization of democratic governance. The current crisis of the public service, as documented by recent studies, is analyzed. The study concludes by identifying the essential aspects of the future role of the central personnel office in devising solutions to the challenges of effective human resource management in the public sector. / Ph. D.

This study explort1d the impact of emotional intelligence on supervisor/employee communication. The purpose of th~s study was to investigate 1) how emotional intelligence affects supervisor and employee communication from both supervisors' and . employees' perspectives; 2) how supervisors and employees perceive the effects of emotional intelligence on the active listening of supervisors; and 3) relationships among supervisor/employee communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening. This study is expected to facilitate a better understanding of the relationship between active listening and the emotional intelligence of supervisors. Focus groups were conducted to collect sup~rvisors' and employees' perceptions and thoughts on communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening. This . method was used to identify emotional intelligent competencies related to effective communication between supervisors and employees and active listening. This study also examined how supervisors should demonstrate those .competencies. The data collected generated particular themes and relationships between supervisor/employee communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening and to answer the research questions that were posed for the study. Participants in the study discussed the importance of establishing trust in the relationship, listening to their employees' ideas, and valuing a personal relationship with ,..---------- their employees. When looking at the impact of emotional intelligence on supervisor/employee communication the results from this study showed that supervisors understood that emotions are part of the work environment and listening to employees is critical. Employees in the focus groups believed that supervisors need the ability to deal with emotions in the workplace and understand that sometimes those feelings are generated in an employee's personal life. The key to developing positive supervisory communication is through supervisors role-modeling critical competencies related to emotional intelligence. Establishing trust in the supervisor/employee relationship is directly correlated with effective communication. Active listening is one method supervisors can use to demonstrate and establish trust in the relationship.

The study on "Evaluation of personnel management capabilities of the Federal Police of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa” had the following research questions: How is the Federal Police in Ethiopia Structured? What are the international standards for personnel management capabilities? What is the current personnel management capability in the Federal Police? How should shortcomings in personnel management capabilities of the Federal Police be addressed? In the study, an empirical research design and qualitative research approach were adopted. The data collection methods were: literature, documents and interviews. The data was analyzed by four-step Data Analysis Spiral TechniquesThe primary Findings are: International standards for personnel management capabilities should be set and certified by authorized bodies. The personnel management capability of the Federal Police of Ethiopia was characterized by incompetence. The Main Recommendations are: Further research should be conducted on the personnel management capability of the Federal police of Ethiopia. An authorized body should set standards and certify personnel managers' capabilities of the Federal Police of Ethiopia. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Human Resource Management of Policing)