Heuristic methods for the analysis of managerial problems

Problem analysis is a critical element of managerial problem solving that has not been included in or explicated by traditional stage models of the process. This paper argues that an analysis stage is needed to develop the implications of a problem's definition and to direct the selection and pursuit of solution strategies. Problem analysis is a beuristic activity. The paper explains and applies seven heuristic methods of analysis to a classic management case, generating a richer understanding and broader set of solution alternatives. Strategies for future research on problem analysis are discussed.     

Job Satisfaction and Intention to Seek Graduate Education

This study of the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to seek graduate education among human service workers tests the hypothesis that intention will be stronger among satisfied senior practitioners (those in their current job for three or more years) and among dissatisfied junior workers. In November 1993, a questionnaire designed to measure various aspects of both job satisfaction and intent to pursue graduate education was distributed to all 83 bachelor-level human service workers in four agencies. Moderated regression analyses, with several control variables from background information about the 67 respondents, repeatedly supported the hypothesis. Discussion also covers secondary findings, limitations of the study, and implications of the principal finding for both educators and social service administrators.     

Relationships with Non-Parental Adults and Child Behavior

Significant non-parental adults likely play an important role in the lives of children and adolescents. This study explores the frequency and quality of contact youth have with non-parental adults and the relationship of this contact with child behavior. An instrument designed to measure contact with non-parental adults in a sensitive and inclusive manner is also presented. Seventy-five mothers were surveyed regarding their childs contact with non-parental adults and their childs behavior. Results indicate that children with more frequent and high quality contact with non-parental adults have fewer behavior problems. Relationships with specific categories of adults are examined and implications for social work practice are discussed.     

The effect of characteristics of human service workers on subsequent morale and turnover

The authors examine the relationship of sociopsychological characteristics of human services workers to their subsequent morale and continuance on the job. Eighty-two intensive case managers (half of them social workers) who had caseloads of clients with severe mental disorders were invited to participate in a four-wave panel study. Explored are the relationships between 16 predictors (general background, prior work experience and training, and social psychological variables) and worker outcomes (beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and turnover). The major finding was that better personal well-being at the time of hiring was the most consistent and significant predictor of lower burnout, higher job satisfaction, and generally higher worker morale at later points in time. Those from higher social class backgrounds and those with lower starting salaries were more likely to leave the job. Those workers with more experience had a tendency to perceive greater client improvement.     

Working and Non-Working Students: Roles,Support and Well-Being

Abstract

A questionnaire containing measures of physical and psychological symptoms and social support was completed by 142 MSW students. Students were grouped into three categories: Full-time students with no job, full-time students with part-time jobs, and part-time students with full-time jobs. Full-time students with part-time jobs reported more symptoms than full-time students with no jobs, a finding interpreted as consistent with a demands/resources analysis of stress. The latter group did not differ from part-time students with full-time jobs, despite the difference in number of roles held. Analysis controlling for associated variables indicated that it was the specific combination of full-time student and part-time work, not the total number of roles occupied, that was associated with higher distress. Evidence for a “buffering” effect of social support was found only for this high distress group. Results are discussed in terms of recent formulations concerning stress and multiple role occupancy, and suggestions are offered concerning the value of supporting stress-prone students.     

Racial Differences in Attitudes Toward Professional Mental Health Treatment: The Mediating Effect of Stigma

Stigma associated with mental illness continues to be a pervasive barrier to mental health treatment, leading to negative attitudes about treatment and deterring appropriate care seeking. Empirical research suggests that the stigma of mental illness may exert an adverse influence on attitudes toward mental health treatment and service utilization patterns by individuals with a mental illness, particularly African Americans. However, little research has examined the impact of stigma on racial differences in attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment. This study examined the hypothesis that stigma partially mediates the relationship between race and attitudes towards mental health treatment in a community-based sample of 101 African American and White older adults. Multiple regression analyses and classic path analysis was utilized to test the partial mediation model. Controlling for socio-demographic factors, African American older adults were more likely to have negative attitudes toward mental health treatment, and they also reported more public and internalized stigma than their White counterparts. As hypothesized, the relationship between race and attitudes toward mental health treatment was partially mediated by internalized stigma, suggesting that internalized stigma may cause older adults to develop negative attitudes about mental health treatment. The partial mediation model was not significant for public stigma, however. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed.