<p> The present study investigated the employment experiences of adults with mild developmental disabilities. The study's sample consisted of 45 participants with developmental disabilities who were over the age of 18. Participants were recruited from two Regional Centers in Southern California and either phone interviews or in-person interviews were conducted. </p><p> A structured interview protocol examined each participant's current work experience, along with several items exploring facilitators and obstacles to employment. Data from this qualitative investigation were organized into categories using inductive content analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed for quantitative items. Overall, it was discovered that: participants found money as the most rewarding aspect of employment, relied on outside support in obtaining and maintaining employment and found few obstacles of which to overcome, worked with others with developmental disabilities, and utilized workplace supports in entry level positions making an average wage of $8.92 a hour during a 20.72 hour work week.</p>

Individuals can expect continuous improvement in productivity as a consequence of (i) a growing stock of knowledge and experience gained by repeatedly doing the same task (first-order learning) or (ii) due to technological and training programs injected by the organization (second-order learning). Organizations have used this type of progress behavior in making managerial decisions regarding cost estimating and budgeting, production and labor scheduling, product pricing, etc. This progress was studied in productivity, product-quality and personal skills, in an experiment involving a sample of 12 subjects, who completed one project every week for ten weeks. Second-order training was provided to the subjects through the Personal Software Process, PSP, of Humphrey. A within-subject repeated measure time-series quasi-experimental design was used along with a modified G/Q/M method. It was found that on average, progress takes place at a rate of 20%, with the second-order training adding up to 13% more improvement in addition to the first-order learning. Detailed statistical methods were used to produce linear and log-linear models of high correlations, involving four variables: productivity, defect-rate, complexity and cumulative output. The motivation of the subjects did not change significantly during the experiment. It was also found that the McCabe's and Halstead's complexity metrics had a correlation of 0.80 amongst each other. However, no relationship could be found between the personal capabilities of the individuals and the progress rate.

<p> <i><b>Objective:</b></i> The goal of this research was to empirically evaluate the predictive utility of Harrison Assessment Talent Management System (HATS) for use as a selection instrument within organizational settings. <i><b>Method:</b></i> This was done by investigating the strength of the relationship between the job fit percentages generated by HATS and the performance ratings (i.e., number of life insurance policies sold within the first 6 months of employment ) of 238 employees (201 men and 37 women) working for a large American insurance company. <i><b>Results: </b></i> The correlation between HATS prediction scores and performance ratings yielded significant findings, <i>r</i>(236) = .599, <i> p</i>> .0001, indicating HATS is a useful instrument for predicting employee performance. Ancillary analysis revealed only 7 of 156 predictor variables significantly correlated with performance ratings. Further statistical procedures aimed at exploring the contribution of all 7 variables to performance ratings were conducted using multiple regression techniques. A significant but modest relationship was found between the vector of predictor traits and job performance, <i> R</i> = .395, F(7, 230) = 6.083, p > .001. In addition, the HATS attributes of Systematic (&beta; = .275), Teaching (&beta; = 184), and Planning (&beta; = -.156) were found to be significant predictors of performance, <i> p</i> > .04. <i><b>Conclusions:</b></i> HATS was shown to be a significant predictor of job performance. The strength of the correlation coefficient along with its innovative methodology makes it somewhat unique among psychological tests used in organizational settings.</p><p> <i>Keywords: Harrison Assessments, Harrison Assessments Talent Management Systems, Psychometric Testing, Predicting Performance, Measuring Performance, Personality, Interests, Intelligence, Person-Environment Fit, Motivation, Mood, and Uncertainty Factors.</i></p>

Although much of the research on burnout has focused on the human service professions, there have been few studies investigating those working in the field of mental health, and even fewer looking specifically at community follow-up teams of the severely mentally ill. Two types of follow-up teams, hospital affiliated and community organisations, were compared in our study for levels of burnout and job satisfaction. As well, predictor variables such as stressors (daily hassles), work environment perceptions, caseload characteristics and employee characteristics were included to examine whether they explain the variance of burnout and job satisfaction. 25 staff members from four community follow-up teams completed questionnaires. Significant differences were found between teams on levels of burnout and job satisfaction. Work pressure was demonstrated as a significant predictor of burnout. There was a strong tendency for work experience to predict job satisfaction.

<p> High staff turnover in private group homes decreases organizational stability. There are a large number of developmentally disabled individuals in group homes of the high risk disaster city of New Orleans, indicating the need for stability from high staff turnover indicated by job satisfaction. The problem investigated in this study was the recognized difficulty in maintaining job satisfaction in order to retain staff in group homes of the high risk disaster city of New Orleans. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors contribute to job satisfaction. The variables examined were hours worked per week, years of service, salary, and employee benefits. A quantitative research study was employed to determine what factors significantly contributed to job satisfaction using a multiple regression methodology. The population in this study included direct service workers compiled of caregivers, nurses, and managers within three organizations facilitating group homes in the New Orleans area. From this population of employees the sample size resulted in 163 direct service workers. Questionnaires were used to collect data using Spector&rsquo;s (1985) Job Satisfaction Survey as the instrument. A multiple regression design was used to analyze the factors influencing job satisfaction. Findings in the study determined that employee benefits significantly contributed to job satisfaction wherein hours worked per week, years of service, and salaries were not significant predictors of job satisfaction. Statistically significant results for benefits received resulted in t = 2.99 and p = .003. The results of the study provided insight into high risk disaster area group homes wherein managing staff turnover is specifically difficult.</p>

&lsquo / Human capital&rsquo / is the buzzword of the 21st century and is becoming the core value of organisations. In South Africa it is estimated that more than R500 million is lost annually through absenteeism and loss of productivity as a result of stress. Employees are key contributors to the bottom-line and should be selected, placed and applied in such a way that the company only benefits from their output. Therefore, if the human element is a crucial element it becomes essential for the organisation to nurture, protect and optimise individuals to their full potential.<br /> <br /> There is a fair degree of agreement on the variables that act as organizational stressors, however, studies on stress and salutogenic functioning in a state owned enterprise have not been found. According to the literature, salutogenic factors function as generalised resistance resources and a high score on sense of coherence, as well as an internal locus of control correlates with low scores on stress. The present research has a general aim of exploring the relationship between stress and salutogenic functioning, within a state owned enterprise. The levels of stress were correlated with the presence of high or low levels of sense of coherence and whether the individuals display an internal or an external locus of control. A sample of 240 employees (N=240) was used from the organisation.<br /> <br /> The following questionnaires were utilised to measure the range of variables. Levels of stress were measured by the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ). Whereas the salutogenic construct, sense of coherence was measured by the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the second salutogenic construct, locus of control, was measured by the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). The statistical analyses included inferential (correlation, t-test and analysis of variance) and descriptive statistics. The results demonstrated significant relationships between low stress levels, sense of coherence and internal locus of control. As such, salutogenic functioning in terms of sense of coherence and locus of control, had a significant correlation with levels of stress.

The extant literature on emotional intelligence (EI) is replete with claims that EI is an important antecedent (higher than IQ in many cases) of job performance and success (e.g., Goleman, 1995). Additionally, the EI literature continues to debate its scope and relationship with personality factors (e.g., McCrae, 2000). To clarify these major issues, I drew upon socioanalytic theory (Hogan & Shelton, 1998a) to develop a model predicting the direct effects of both the Big Five personality traits and EI on multiple forms of performance (i.e., task, control, contextual, and innovative performance as well as relationship supportive and disruptive behaviors) and the moderating effects of EI (conceptualized as a social skill) on the relationship between the Big Five and performance. / The proposed model was tested with two on-line instruments completed by 116 Hong Kong managers. One instrument was an abilities test of emotional intelligence (MSCEIT 2.0: Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002). The other was a survey of self-reported personality and workplace behavioral data. Multiple hierarchical (moderator) regression was used to analyze the data. / Hypotheses in the proposed model were generally supported. Extraversion was a significant positive predictor of relationship supportive behaviors. Agreeableness had a positive influence on contextual performance and relationship supportive behaviors; it was a negative predictor of relationship disruptive behaviors. Conscientiousness was positively associated with task performance, and emotional stability was a negative influence on relationship disruptive behaviors. Except for Branch Three (understanding emotions) of EI, all branches were significant in predicting various forms of performance. Branch One (perceiving emotions) had a negative effect on contextual and relationship disruptive behaviors. Branch Two (facilitating emotions) was a negative predictor of relationship disruptive behaviors. Branch Four (managing emotions) had a negative influence on relationship supportive behaviors. The effects of EI on contextual performance and relationship supportive behaviors were in the opposite direction hypothesized. / Several interactions of EI and personality were significant in predicting all except relationship supportive behaviors. Agreeableness was involved in three influential interactions with EI; for those with high EI scores, relationships between agreeableness and task, contextual, and innovative performance were enhanced. Intellectance interacted with EI to predict innovative performance; in this case, EI had a suppresive effect. For relationship disruptive behaviors, EI interacted with both conscientiousness and emotional stability to counteract the negative effects of those personality traits. / This study has made several important contributions to the literature. First, it has clarified the (joint) roles of EI and personality on performance. Second, it has expanded the performance criterion space beyond the traditional focus on task and contextual performance by including measures of innovative performance as well as relationship supportive and disruptive behaviors. Third, it has provided an explicit test of socioanalytic theory by conceptualizing EI as a social skill that interacts with personality to predict performance. Finally, these findings have significant practical value to the selection and assessment of managers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1990. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-07, Section: B, page: 3597. Chair: David Frey.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2000. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-08, Section: B, page: 4385. Adviser: Christine Zalewski.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: B, page: 1304. Adviser: Louise Fitzgerald. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-63) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.