Investigated the perceived influence of chance and contingency factors on nonprofessional workers' career choices. Results suggest unpredictable events do impact nonprofessional employees but employees are more likely to view career choices as rationally made, considering interests, vocational and financial needs, and social responsibility.…

Examines the neglect of library support staff within the context of six areas of library management: physical facilities; effective and efficient work stations; supplies; attitude toward human resources; communication and information; and performance evaluation and feedback. Graphs present data on expenditures in several areas, and suggestions for…

One of three companion reports on the results of a survey on merit pay and incentive plans, this publication focuses on programs for school support staff. The data in the studies, presented largely in table form, are reported separately by four school system enrollment groups (large, medium, small, and very small) and by eight geographic regions.…

This paper demonstrates how the professional and self help groups can cooperate in offering direct client assistance. The author discusses the potential uses of the self help group by the professional counselor, and then examines these three dimensions of organized self help groups which should be considered: (1) their basic posture with respect…

This paper describes a research project aimed at discovering the vocational interests of women employed in the labor market in nonprofessional occupations. Women from 17 nonprofessional occupations were contacted by mail and asked to complete a revised form of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB) for women, and a questionnaire concerned…

Current social changes reinforce the need for trained marriage and family counselors. After a brief examination of these changes, the authors suggested paraprofessional training as one alternative for providing needed marriage and family counseling services. Already established paraprofessional programs, advantages, disadvantages, and the…

This document presents a method, developed by the Institute for Child Advocacy [ICA], (a community based project which seeks to upgrade the quality of children's services in South Central Los Angeles) of using problem solving with community residents and agencies. This method of problem solving, previously used in a study of children being…

An overview is presented of the many developments affecting occupational choices and training needs in the 1980's. The study seeks to develop an understanding of the growth rate through 1985 of 123 selected occupations in nonprofessional fields, examines important characteristics of these occupations such as earnings level, educational attainment,…

Investigated coping strategies for dealing with role conflicts among returning women students (N=92). Found that professional and nonprofessional women used different coping strategies for different conflicts. Indicated that professional women experienced more intense conflicts between roles as employee-home maintenance person and employee-parent…

Describes a study that used a nonobtrusive methodology to determine the effectiveness of an information desk staffed by graduate students and nonprofessionals in an academic library. Relationships that were found between the level of staff members and the quality of reference services are described, and the implications for staffing patterns and…

Describes a study conducted at the Brigham Young University Library that examined the quality of reference service provided by students and department assistants, the adequacy of the training program, and the effectiveness of the system of referring patrons to subject specialist librarians. Recommendations for improving training programs and…

Discusses methodology of gender equity studies on noninstructional employees of colleges and universities, including variable selection in the multiple regression model and alternative approaches for measuring wage gaps. Analysis of staff data at one institution finds that experience and market differences account for 80 percent of gender pay…

This monograph provides clear evidence that relationships do exist between education and work. It makes equally clear the fact that these relationships are complex and, to a very significant degree, individually determined. The present analysis is based on the responses of 3,077 men and 1,061 women holding a bachelor's degree and working full-time…

A one-third random sample survey of 1,128 nonteaching, full-time employees (clerical, trades, technical, professional, managerial, and instructional support categories) of the Toronto Metropolitan Board of Education was conducted to determine their degree of interest in part-time work. The analysis, based on questionnaire responses of 458 current…

A paraprofessional was trained to provide an individualized reading, math, and language arts program to a 9-year-old educable mentally retarded boy in a regular classroom. A 5-month period of reading sessions with the classroom teacher emphasizing oral reading and comprehension contingent on word acquisition and imitation training for word…