Good public relations will result if the library concentrates on providing friendly and efficient service to its patrons. The director of the library has a key role to play, for he sets the tone and pattern for all the staff and personifies the library in the eyes of the community. The director should have imagination, enthusiasm, and leadership,…

This paper reviews the literature associated with outdoor leadership and describes ongoing research about outdoor program directors' hiring preferences when filling outdoor leadership positions. Nineteen articles published in the Journal of Experiential Education, 1983-1996, as well as several book collections of leadership articles, discuss…

This study investigates shortages of qualified U.S. secondary teachers using data from the 1991 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), a nationally representative study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. The SASS includes four sets of integrated questionnaires: a school survey, central district survey, principal survey, and…

Two meta-analyses, one with 27,973 subjects in 31 studies and one with 34,262 subjects in 141 studies, found that tests of short-term memory are valid predictors of job and training performance and that racial differences are smaller than is usual on cognitive tests. (SLD)

Because of a congruity of developments in the knowledge base concerning tests, external political factors, and legal factors, responsible use of employment tests could be on the verge of widespread acceptability. However, the possibility also exists that tests will once again become the scapegoat for "bad news." This review of the legal…

Psychologists starting their careers now have a bleaker view of the job market than those who started a decade or more ago. Ways in which new doctoral graduates in psychology can find their first jobs in professional psychology are explored in this paper. The focus is upon what reviewers and interviewers may look for in the curriculum vitae of…

This study, conducted by Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas examined the perceptions of 104 school administrators regarding the use of career advancement portfolios in the hiring process. The study occurred in rural, suburban, and urban school districts in the greater Houston, Texas area. Participants completed a four-question…

This paper examines the use of statistical evidence, specifically regression analysis, in employment discrimination cases on college and university cases. Sections of the paper provide the following: (1) a description of regression analysis focusing on the specific features that make it appropriate for use in discrimination lawsuits; (2) a review…

This study was designed to test the effects of a teaching candidate's age and the effect of the type of position under consideration on candidate ratings as assessed from a videotaped interview simulation. Independent variables manipulated were (1) candidate age in the taped interview (27 or 43 years old) and (2) the type of position under…

A study sought to identify leadership styles of basketball coaches and to investigate the relationship between leadership style and criteria by which coaches select players. Thirty-seven elementary, high school, and college/professional coaches participated. Two instruments were used: the T-P Leadership questionnaire, which measures two dimensions…

An exploratory study focused on teacher participation in the decision-making processes of personnel selection in public schools. A stratified random selection procedure was employed to select a sample of public school teachers (kindergarten through 12th grade) in a large midwestern state. The survey was mailed to a total of 305 teachers, 60…

Causes for the low representation of females in school administrative positions are considered in this study, which focused specifically on two areas: the frustration and acceptance factors. The frustration factor relates to the sense of futility felt when applying for an administrative position. The acceptance factor relates to those females who…

Research has demonstrated that discrimination against women does not occur for all high status traditionally male job positions; bias seems most likely when ambiguity in the evaluation process requires evaluators to resort to their stereotypes in order to predict performance. The same line of reasoning may apply to blacks or other minority…

Past research on the employment interview has suggested that interviewers are influenced by many variables, including physical attractiveness. To investigate the potential interaction of applicant sex and attractiveness on hiring decisions, the type of job, applicant sex, and applicant physical attractiveness were manipulated to determine the…

Bias towards women exists in the selection of applicants to professional and other positions. This research investigated the effects of two rater variables--sex and attitude toward women--and three applicant variables--sex, field (engineering-dietetics), and attributes--(feminine-masculine) upon ratings of competency and personal charm. Analyses…