Are you ready for generation X?

Generational analysis considers the differences in world view and attitude between various generations of Americans and uses this information to develop insight and business strategies. The much discussed generation gap between the Baby Boomers and their elders during the 1960s and 1970s is equaled or exceeded by the differences between Generations X and Y and the Boomers. Generation X physicians will be coming into practice over the next two decades. Successful medical leaders must understand Gen-Xers to create clinical environments that meet their unique needs and concerns. This article describes some of the philosophical and attitudinal differences between the generations and what these differences may mean to the future of medicine and health care organizations.     

Assessment of Airborne Exposure to Trihalomethanes from Tap Water in Residential Showers and Baths

This study evaluates airborne concentrations of common trihalomethane (THM) compounds in bathrooms during showering and bathing in homes supplied with chlorinated tap water. Three homes in an urban area were selected, each having three bedrooms, a full bath, and approximately 1,000 square feet of living area. THMs were concurrently measured in tap water and air in the shower/bath enclosure and the bathroom vanity area using Summa canisters. Chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and chlorodibromomethane (CDBM) were quantified using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method TO-14. Air samples were collected prior to, during, and after the water-use event for 16 shower and 7 bath events. Flow rate and temperature were measured, but not controlled. The increase in average airborne concentration (+/- standard error) during showers (expressed as microg/m3 in shower enclosure or bathroom air per microg/L in water) was 3.3+/-0.4 for TCM, 1.8+/-0.3 for BDCM, and 0.5+/-0.1 for CDBM (n = 12), and during baths was 1.2+/-0.4 for TCM, 0.59+/-0.21 for BDCM, and 0.15+/-0.05 for CDBM (n = 4). The relative contribution of each chemical to the airborne concentrations was consistent for all shower and bath events, with apparent release of TCM > BDCM > CDBM. The results are therefore consistent with their relative concentration in tap water and their vapor pressures. When the shower findings for TCM are normalized for water concentration, flow rate, shower volume, and duration, the average exposure concentrations in these urban residences are about 30% lower than those reported by other investigators using EPA analytical methods. This difference is likely attributable primarily to greater air exchange rates in residential shower/bath stalls compared to more "airtight" laboratory shower chambers. This appears to be the first field study to thoroughly evaluate THM exposures from residential showers and baths, and can be used to validate previously published models of tap water volatile chemical transfer to indoor air.     

Adoption in Clinical Psychology: A Review of the Absence, Ramifications, and Recommendations for Change

Practicing clinical psychologists reported that 5 to 10% of their patients are adoption triad members (Sass & Henderson, 1999) and yet recent studies concluded that the majority of psychologists are not being taught about adoption-related issues in their preservice raining (Post, 1999; Sass & Henderson, 1999). This article discusses the need for training on adoption in the context of the APA Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology; Domain D, which states that programs must provide students with relative knowledge and experiences about the role of cultural and individual diversity in psychological phenomenon as they relate to the science and practice of professional psychology (1996, p. 15), the omission of adoption from curricula, and potential ramifications of this absence.     

Codes of ethics and firm size: A stakeholder approach to strategic planning

A firm's capital budgeting and strategic planning decisions have the potential to affect many groups of people called stakeholders. A stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firm's objectives. This study examines whether the presence of a code of ethics that specifically addresses capital budgeting/strategic planning decisions will significantly raise the awareness of social responsibility during the long-run planning process. This study also examines whether firm size is associated with the awareness of social responsibility during the long-run planning process. Support was found that a code of ethics that addresses long-range planning is associated with higher awareness during the planning process. Firm size was not found to be statistically different.     

Who Holds the Stakes? A Case Study of Stakeholder Identification at Two Nuclear Weapons Production Sites

Traditional risk assessments, including those involving the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), are often criticized for producing useless or noncredible management responses because they did not meaningfully involve the public. The first step to involve the public is to identify appropriate active participants (stakeholders). This study was done to understand the processes used to identify stakeholders to serve on advisory boards established at the two largest remediation sites in the United States: the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The Hanford stakeholder identification process produced an interest-based board whereas the Savannah River Site strategy produced population-based representation. The basic goals of the stakeholder advisory groups were similar. However, different processes were used to identify the participants for the groups in part because of distinctly different social and cultural conditions in the areas affected by the operations of the two facilities, and in part because of the different level of trust of the USDOE and their contractors at Hanford compared with Savannah River. The discussion analyzes their different needs and potential for successful citizen participation.     

The Implications of Learning Styles for Training and Development: A Discussion of the Matching Hypothesis

This review paper examines the effect of matching and mismatching learning style and learning activity and matching and mismatching trainer and trainee learning style on learning achievement. It also explores the possibility of creating a match by promoting learner adaptability or modifying the trainer's training style. The implications of this discussion for training and development are considered.