Measuring organizational communication.

Considers that past research on organizational communication has not included systematic development of a measurement method that can be used to compare dimensions of communication within and across organizations. This research reports on initial attempts to develop such instrumentation. 7 samples (including mental health workers, military personnel, hospital workers, managers, and English and American workers in large financial institutions), with a total number of over 1,200 respondents, were used to develop a 35-item questionnaire measuring 16 facets of communication (e.g., trust, influence, mobility, and satisfaction). (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluations of organizational effectiveness in mental health programs

We present a conceptual framework derived from organizational theory for understanding the evaluation of the effectiveness of mental health services. We postulate that organizations are deemed "successful" by their constituents when they conform to institutional demands and expectations that are both internally and externally generated. We empirically assess institutional conformity by examining evaluations of effectiveness by 269 mental health providers in 29 different mental health programs. Specialist programs responded to institutional demands by targeting services to those considered most in need: clients with severe mental illnesses. The formal structure and program philosophy of these programs clearly reflected this emphasis; consequently, levels of goal incongruence were low and evaluations of effectiveness were high. Generalist programs continued to provide care to diverse client groups, had more professionals, offered traditional services (such as psychotherapy), and exhibited higher levels of goal incongruence; these factors resulted in lower evaluations of effectiveness. This research is important because it demonstrates that organizational processes of institutional conformity (program objectives meet the demands of external constituents) and goal congruence (program objectives meet with expectations of internal constituents) are critical to positive evaluations of effectiveness. With the current institutional demand for effective, efficient services, it is critical that researchers have a conceptual framework for analyzing those factors which influence evaluations of effectiveness.     

Measurement of kinship responsibility for organizational research.

To encourage the systematic inclusion of the kinship responsibility construct in organizational research, we offer a measure and evaluate its reliability and validity in a study of hospital employees. Kinship responsibility is defined as the degree of an individual's obligation to relatives in the community in which the individual resides, and kinship responsibility is expected to affect the individual's organizational behavior. The kinship responsibility construct is related theoretically and empirically to turnover, absenteeism, intent to leave, commitment, satisfaction, and hours worked for both female and male employees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Being ethical in organizational research.

Suggests that even a researcher guided by moral intentions and learned in the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association is unprepared for the challenge of being ethical in organizational research. When dealing with persons in situ, in their normal role relations with others, ethical dilemmas arise from the researcher becoming entangled in a network of multiple roles and in the ambiguous and conflicting expectations derived from them. This article describes research with organized Ss and proposes role theory as a means for understanding ethical dilemmas in organizational research and for guiding the creation of research relationships with participants in which to address and moderate these dilemmas. It is proposed that research training and a code of ethics be developed that help researchers establish means for dealing with dilemmas in which there are no ethical solutions except those resting on the ad hoc consent of all parties. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Designing an "empathic questionnaire" for organizational research.

Tested the hypothesis that a questionnaire showing that the researchers already know about key issues in an organization elicits more information threatening to the organization's members than an instrument based solely on general morale and satisfaction topics. Either an event-based or a theory-based questionnaire was administered to each faculty member and student at a boys' private boarding school. Results of the event-based questionnaire, which demonstrated awareness and acceptance of the Ss' life dilemmas, support the hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facilitators and barriers for minority students in master's nursing programs

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to identify facilitators and barriers to admission to and successful completion of a master's of science in nursing program as perceived by minority students in that program. Students currently registered in the master's of science in nursing program of a large midwestern private university who were classified as minority according to federal classification were interviewed using an interview guide of 10 open-ended questions. Data analysis identified emergent themes in the transcribed interviews. Major areas drawn from the data included personal factors, undergraduate education, support systems/family and friends, support systems/employment, graduate program/university, and graduate faculty. In each area, respondents identified both facilitators and barriers to their success in graduate education. In addition, respondents suggested several specific strategies for recruitment and retention of minority students in graduate nursing programs.     

Comparing traditional and integrative learning methods in organizational training programs.

Previous research and anecdotal reports have suggested that when certain teaching approaches are used, students not only learn more but also experience greater satisfaction with the training process. This study examined the effects of integrative-learning (IL)-based training in relation to lecture-based training. Employees enrolled in a 3-day manufacturing resource planning training course were randomly assigned to either IL or traditional training. Ss reacted more favorably to IL-based training. Trained Ss performed significantly better than those in a no-treatment control group, but no differences were noted between training interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer programs supporting qualitative research

Computer programs to aid qualitative research are offered in increasing numbers. Most programs provide basic features like the decomposition of large bodies of text, labelling of text units by category names, retrieval and search for key words. More advanced features are graphical displays of the categories, secondary texts, statistical output and a multi-user interface. The benefits and dangers of these programs for the process of doing qualitative research are discussed.     

School nursing in the 21st century: prediction and readiness

The complex health and education needs of today's students are prompting schools to develop more responsive school health programs. School nurses' preparation for roles in these emerging programs requires both a vision of future practice and a clear recognition of present skill levels. This study compared the vision of practice in the twenty-first century held by school nurses in a rural, mid-plains state with the vision of a national expert school nurse panel. The findings have implications for role evolution and educational preparation.     

Broadening the scope of nursing practice: federal programs for children

Various social programs are available to support the family unit when a child with special needs enters the health care system. Nurses are challenged to link families with appropriate federal programs. An understanding of selected legislation and the programs designed to implement those laws better enables them to meet that challenge.     

Master's programs in industrial/organizational psychology: Current status and a call for action.

Reviews published and unpublished sources to describe characteristics of terminal master's programs in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology and argues that systematic attention should be paid to issues of education, employment, and professional identity for these master's graduates. The 55 or more programs represent a 3-fold increase in listings in less than a decade. In psycholoy departments, programs enrolled 59% of new I/O graduate students and awarded 67% of terminal graduate degrees during a 1-yr period. Important characteristics include length (about 2.5 yrs), many part-time and employed students, applied focus, emphasis on both industrial and organizational topics, but emphasis on either "psychology core" or technical I/O training. Most graduates find private sector employment, apparently moving away from organized I/O psychology. Implications for the profession are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Historical research in nursing: standards for research and evaluation

Historical research, a method of inquiry that combines science and literature, often supports a common thesis that an informed understanding of nursing history provides insights that can contribute effective approaches to current professional issues. Historical research was formally recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 1965. A review of 11 recent historical research studies supports the concept that adherence to established standards of research and presentation contributes to the value of historical research. While relating an interesting story is an intrinsic element of historical research, the research gains purpose and meaning when the presentation of data includes a statement of purpose utilizing a research question, a review of literature establishing a relation to the greater nursing community, and a concluding analysis relating the research to current and future professional issues.     

Implementation of neuropsychiatric research programs.

"This paper presents a philosophy of the research service unit's approach toward implementing neuropsychiatric research." The philosophy was developed at the Palo Alto VA Hospital and is being applied at the Chicago VA Research Hospital. A research service unit is an administrative staff developed to serve, train, and encourage the research efforts of the entire professional hospital staff or of a division. A basic rationale is indicated. 8 pressing problems encountered in carrying out psychiatric research are listed. Major topics are "Attitude of Personnel and Time Allotted for Research," "Presentation and Discussion of New Developments," "Methods of Training," "Assistance of Library for Up-To-Date Information," "Expenditures for Personnel and Equipment," "Effective and Efficient Research Design," "Aid of Volunteer Help," and "Preparation and Publication of Research Reports." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promoting nursing practice through nursing research

ICN is convinced of the importance of nursing research as a means of improving professional education and practice and generating health policies and systems that assure cost-effective use of resources. To this end, ICN is investing heavily in programmes and projects that strengthen the capabilities of ICN and its members to exercise research leadership. Below, three dimensions of research leadership that are important in today's health environment: 1) Fostering research-based practice; 2) Documenting the work and worth of nursing: and 3) Enhancing public understanding of nursing work.     

Use of implicit measures for organizational research: An empirical example.

An increasing amount of attention is being paid by social and cognitive psychologists to implicit processing, which has ubiquitous effects on attitudes and behaviours. Unfortunately, organizational scholars have tended to focus almost exclusively on explicit processing, which limits understanding of how employees function at work if implicit processing does indeed play a role. In this article, the authors argue that implicit processing is likely prevalent in organizational settings and discuss ways that it can be measured. The authors then present the results of an experiment that suggests that organizational justice—an important work-based variable—has implicit effects on motivation. Moreover, the magnitude of explicit and implicit effects was moderated by need for cognition, a stable individual difference variable. These results support the need to examine implicit processing and its effects in organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A plan for integrated programs of personnel research and development.

Describes the administrative organization of the program of personnel research as established in the Navy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring nursing workload: understanding the variability

We reanalyzed parasitaemia profiles of the trypanotolerant N'Dama cattle (Bos taurus), consecutively infected with the same four clones of Trypanosoma congolense. Our analysis shows that each individual parasitaemia is characterized by progressively longer intervals between parasites waves. This pattern is most visible during the chronic phase of infection. In addition, the last of the four infections had a significantly larger overall duration of inter-wave intervals. We retrieved these patterns by numerical simulations of a mathematical model, which incorporates assumptions about the molecular basis of antigenic variation and about the anti-parasitic major immune processes. Six potential factors that may determine parasitaemia pattern were studied: carrying capacity of the host environment, intrinsic growth rate of the parasite, affinity maturation of the immune response, immune cell birth and death rate, levels of antibodies to variant surface glycoprotein and levels of antibodies to invariant antigens. Our simulations suggest that the first five factors are not likely to determine the chronic phase parasitaemia pattern whereas the sixth one, namely, antibody response to invariant antigens, yielded profiles consistent with the experimental data. Being cumulative, the immune response to anti-invariant antigens may be increasingly effective as infection proceeds and in successive infections. Comparisons between N'Dama and Zebu and between chronic and acute phases will be needed to make a statement on the role of this phenomenon in trypanotolerance.     

Ill-structured measurement designs in organizational research: Implications for estimating interrater reliability.

Organizational research and practice involving ratings are rife with what the authors term ill-structured measurement designs (ISMDs)--designs in which raters and ratees are neither fully crossed nor nested. This article explores the implications of ISMDs for estimating interrater reliability. The authors first provide a mock example that illustrates potential problems that ISMDs create for common reliability estimators (e.g., Pearson correlations, intraclass correlations). Next, the authors propose an alternative reliability estimator--G(q,k)--that resolves problems with traditional estimators and is equally appropriate for crossed, nested, and ill-structured designs. By using Monte Carlo simulation, the authors evaluate the accuracy of traditional reliability estimators compared with that of G(q,k) for ratings arising from ISMDs. Regardless of condition, G(q,k) yielded estimates as precise or more precise than those of traditional estimators. The advantage of G(q,k) over the traditional estimators became more pronounced with increases in the (a) overlap between the sets of raters that rated each ratee and (b) ratio of rater main effect variance to true score variance. Discussion focuses on implications of this work for organizational research and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institutional research productivity in industrial/organizational psychology.

Updated the report of W. M. Cox and V. Catt (see record 1978-21651-001) by determining the 40 top contributing institutions to the Journal of Applied Psychology, 1976–1982, and assessed the generalizability of productivity rankings based solely on contributions to this journal. A number of industrial and organizational psychologists were asked to indicate all the journals in which psychologists in the field were likely to publish. Five journals suggested by these nominators were used for comparison in the review. A list of the 40 most productive graduate programs based on these 5 journals is included. Results show the inadequacy of Cox and Catt's decision to base productivity ratings solely on contributions to 1 journal. Using 5 journals, 4 programs were catapulted into the top 10 rankings, while 7 programs dropped from top rankings in the Cox study (1970–1975) to below the 65th rank in the present study. Using only the Journal of Applied Psychology contributions, 2 of these programs ranked in the top 10, 1976–1982. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)