Substance abuse among workers and its interference with job performance has remained constant over the past 15 years. Employee assistance programs educate the public, screen referrals, and provide feedback on how employees are progressing. (JOW)

Role analysis is a powerful yet simple organizational development technique. When expectations are clarified, individual team members can become more effective and efficient. Then, synergy occurs and the whole team becomes more effective. (JOW)

Reports on a study that examined characteristics of occupational function and dysfunction in adolescents with a psychophysiological illness and compared these adolescents to a group with psychiatric diagnoses and a group who were not being treated for medical or emotional problems. (Author/CH)

Examined supervisor perceptions and subordinate reactions to formal performance-appraisal reviews. There were three dimensions of formal performance appraisals: two developmental (being supportive; emphasizing performance improvement) and one administrative (discussing pay and advancement). Support in appraisal review was associated with higher…

Analysis of the personnel files of 3,500 managers in a large corporation reveals that, while graduate degrees have salary advantages, they have negligible or negative influences upon the job performance measures of salary growth, performance ratings, or probability of promotion. Appended are 17 references. (MLF)

Presents field study research focused on (1) the socialization processes that the assistant principal undergoes as an aspiring administrator and (2) the processes that make an assistant principal effective and mobile within the organizational structure. Reports that roles and tasks are often poorly defined and that assessments of job performance…

Presents two strategies for estimating the value of performance by considering the changes in the numbers and performance levels of system units which lead to increased aggregate performance. U.S. Army commanders (N=100) completed questionnaires. Results showed the new strategies provide more appropriate and acceptable values of performance…

Stressful events in professional lives of 535 school psychologists were identified and rated. Factor analysis performed on events yielded nine factors. Analyses of variance pairing demographic variables with factor scores yielded statistically significant factors for gender, age, type of community, number of districts, number of years, and salary.…

Industrial education teachers have an opportunity to instill in their students valuable worker attributes such as good work habits, job skills, work attitudes, and job performance. (JOW)

Studies indicate that many athletic coaches do not possess adequate knowledge of training and conditioning programs or treatment of athletic injuries. A shortage of qualified teachers able to coach allows for employment of underqualified individuals. Certification of professionals to coach interscholastic sports is suggested. (DF)

Examined the relationship of stress, personality characteristics, and cognitive hardiness to job performance, burnout, and physical illness in resident assistants (N=37). Results indicated cognitive hardiness acts as a buffer against burnout and physical illness. Resident assistants rating themselves as Type A received poorer job performance…

Studied the relationship between job entry and job stress in a longitudinal study of 62 transferred employees. Results showed skill uncertainty was associated with both negative emotional arousal one month after job entry and with positive emotional arousal three months after job entry. (JAC)

Reviewed characteristics of peer evaluations and notes their striking industrial validity. A review of the conditions under which peer evaluations yield strong validity coefficients as well as certain factor analytic and experimental studies indicated that social comparison theory might be useful for elucidating the nature of peer evaluation…

Investigated the consistency and loci of leniency, halo, and range restriction effects in performance ratings in a longitudinal study. Policy supervisors (N=90) rated 350 subordinates on five occasions. Concluded that reliable variance in mean ratings is partly attributable to ratees, but mainly introduced by raters. (JAC)

This booklet presents five papers that address the issue of whether 360-degree feedback (in which a manager or executive receives feedback on how bosses, peers, and direct reports see him or her) should be used only for development, or whether 360-degree feedback (also known as multi-rater feedback) should be used for administrative purposes such…