Some Conditions for Effective Work with Groups

Summary The principal point being made in this article is that a groupleader or therapist, by his own decisions and actions, can substantiallyinfluence (though not absolutely control) the likelihood ofthe group's success and effectiveness. Some facilitating decisionscan be made and some activities undertaken before a group begins.These include deciding whether or not to conduct a group ina particular setting; exploring the attitudes of one's colleagues;conducting preparatory discussions with potential group members;deciding how many staff will be present; deciding at what intervalsto introduce new members; etc. Other decisions cannot be made,or actions taken, until after the group is under way; or theymust be undertaken after the group has started because theywere overlooked beforehand. These include helping a group toestablish a consensus by encouraging the expression of expectations,reservations, and underlying concerns; reassessing a group whichseems to have gone stale; initiating discussions with colleagueswhen covert resistances on their part become apparent. The four issues discussed here set the stage and constitutethe context for the group's work. Appropriate attention to them,and management of them, will facilitate but not guarantee thegroup's success. Many further situations arise in the courseof the group's life which may alter its character and course. Nevertheless, many groups which provide a disappointing experiencefor both group members and leaders could be retrieved if theseissues were kept in mind. To summarize: A group is more likely to be successful if it is conducted inan organizational or institutional context in which other personnel,not directly involved with the group, nevertheless accept andsupport its aims and general procedures, and value its potentialcontribution to the shared goals of the organization or institution. A group is more likely to be effective if a consensus—whichmay be implicit—can be established within the group aboutits aims and procedures. Lack of clarity, persistent splitswithin the group, or identification of the leader as adversary,all work against the best interests of the group. Structuralfactors such as size, duration, composition, constancy of membership,and ratio of staff to members, influence the character and effectivenessof the group. A group which has lost its usefulness can and should be terminatedor reconstituted with a different mandate     

THE IMPACT OF TAX POLICY ON INVESTMENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, 1951-65

The purpose of this study was to estimate the impact of changes in Federal tax policy on investment behavior in the chemicals and allied products industry and to examine the possibility of a differential impact of changes in tax policy on investment behavior in manufacturing industries. The impact of changes in tax policy on investment behavior in the chemical and allied products industry was estimated and compared with the impact of tax policy on investment behavior in total manufacturing found in earlier studies. The model used to estimate the impact of changes in tax policy on investment behavior in the chemicals and allied products industry was the neo-classical model of capital accumulation as formulated initially by Dale Jorgenson. The conclusions reached were that changes in tax policy have had a measurable impact on investment behavior in the chemical and allied products industry which was greater as a percentage of gross investment than that found on total manufacturing in earlier studies.