Counseling for Continued Career Development After Retirement: An Application of the Theory of Work Adjustment

The theory of work adjustment (TWA; R. V. Dawis & L. H. Lofquist, 1984; L. H. Lofquist & R. V. Dawis, 1969, 1991) is useful in addressing the career counseling needs of retirees who want to continue working but who need to explore their career choices before settling on a new occupation or job. This article examines some of the challenges that midlife and older adults face as they plan postretirement careers. Information about TWA and a case example are provided to assist counselors in understanding how TWA can be applied to retirement career counseling.     

Health maintenance antecedents among older citizens in rural and urban communities

The evidence is clear that rural older people in most nations are less physically healthy than their urban counterparts. Research suggests that such differences may be due more to lifestyle characteristics, biological factors and environmental conditions than to access to, or utilization of, medical services. Utilizing a statewide sample of Idaho residents this study compares the characteristics of those people associated with a disease prevention/health maintenance model and those associated with the medical or disease oriented model. Results show some clear differences in characteristics between people utilizing the two models of health care.     

ONE FIRM, TWO LABOR MARKETS: THE CASE OF McDONALD'S IN THE FAST-FOOD INDUSTRY

Students of industrial sociology have noted theoretical and empirical inadequacies in dual-economy and dual-labor market theories, and have called for revisions in these perspectives. A single case, McDonald's in the fast-food industry, is analyzed as a vehicle towards reformulation. It is argued that, as a center retailer, McDonald's contains elements of both primary and secondary labor markets, and that this dualism is a partial function of its economic structure that contains both core and peripheral elements. The job hierarchies, hiring practices, compensation, training, and control systems all evidence elements of both primary and secondary markets. The external validity of these findings is explored, and implications for dual-economy and dual-labor market theories and research are developed.     

ACCESSING CHILDREN'S PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FAMILY: CIRCULAR QUESTIONING REVISITED

Children are sometimes excluded from family therapy because of the lack of techniques for fully incorporating children in family sessions. Circular questioning, a technique developed by the Milan team of family therapists, is modified for use with children of varying developmental levels. Five types of circular questions are presented and modifications of each type are discussed. Each modification is further illustrated with a case study. Practical considerations when conducting circular questioning sessions with children are addressed. These modifications of circular questioning with children facilitate the participation and inclusion of children in family therapy.     

Corporate environmental policy in Shell

In the last decade there has been a radical change in public attitudes to the environment—a change initiated by a young ‘green’ movement, which, years ago, was trying to make its real concern heard in both government and industry. Governments were seen to have little concern for the environment, and industry was typecast in the role of the dirty polluter. Most significantly, the three parties were seen as sitting in separate camps. Over the years, however, we in industry were forced to think our actions through towards their logical environmental conclusion. We were forced to develop an environmental appreciation which we did not have some time ago. In turn, the environmentalists and governments started to realize that industry is an essential player in society, and that balances can be struck which benefit both society and the environment. We have much to be grateful to these green pioneers for, even if we sometimes find that difficult to admit. This process resulted in industry, government and the ‘green’ movement learning to talk to each other. Dialogue, is most important if we are to ensure the continuation of a world fir for our children and grandchildren to grow up in. Dialogue ensures that the tide of change continues. In that process business should become part of the environmental solution, the provider of the resources needed to improve our world for the better rather than being portrayed as the problem.     

"Some of my best friends are black...": Interracial Friendship and Whites' Racial Attitudes

We examine the major tenets and assumptions of the well-knowncontact theory of prejudice, and we compare them with the morecynical reasoning implied by the infamous "Some of my best friendsare black, but..." expression. After assessing the extant evidencefor the contact theory, we use a unique set of national surveydata to address the central postulates of that theory. We examinethe racial beliefs, feelings, social dispositions, and policyviews of whites who have contact with blacks as friends, acquaintances,or neighbors. Our results suggest that personal interracialcontact is selective in its effects on whites' racial attitudes,that intimacy is less important than variety of contacts, andthat any effects are contingent on the relative socioeconomicstatus of black contacts. On the basis of our analysis, we reassessthe contact theory and propose a more political conception ofthe attitudes of dominant groups toward subordinates. We arguethat the message contained in the relationship between personalcontact with subordinates and intergroup attitudes is less benignthan is suggested by the contact theory.     

Trust,Power and Safety in the Social Work Supervisory Relationship: Results from Australian Research

Social work, as a discipline, places considerable importance on the provision of supervision, promoting it as a key process supporting critical reflection and practice improvement. A supervision relationship built on trust has the potential to provide a safe context within which practice issues can be explored. This article reports on an Australian study of social work supervision and the ways in which a trusting supervision relationship supports safe practice and critical reflection. A context of trust within the supervisory relationship is found to promote safe practice, providing the basis for what supervisees felt was satisfying supervision. Within a trusted and supportive supervisory relationship participants wanted and valued challenge which was seen to promote professional growth and positive client outcomes. Whether this occurs, however, depended on how power was exercised and how safe they felt in the supervisory relationship. The research argues the need for social work to reclaim supervision through a revitalised commitment to advancing supervision practice, research, and research-based policies.     

Intuitive Expertise and Empowerment: The Long-Term Impact of Simulation Training on Changing Accountabilities in a Biotech Firm

This paper describes a two-year study in which high levels of performance were achieved and sustained among so-called low-level workers in a biotech company. The purpose of the study—funded by National Science Foundation and lnvitrogen Corporation—were to explore the effectiveness of an accelerated learning Operational Simulation (OpSim) training on workers in biological manufacturing. While greater responsibility is demanded of “front-line” workers in biotech, efforts at “empowerment” have not worked well in this context. In this particular OpSim, workers were facing a large and expensive backorder problem. The OpSim did not target or specify the skills or means for greater responsiveness; rather we emphasized only goals and challenged the groups to develop a solution. All groups failed on the first try, but exceeded desired outcomes on the second try and subsequently sustained these performance objectives. Implications for Naturalistic Decision Making, training, and empowerment are discussed.