Irwin M. Rubin

Experience as a factor in the selection and performance of project managers

The study reported focuses first on the relationship between a project managers background characteristics and certain characteristics of the projects he is asked to manage. The impact of this decision process is then examined by relating project manager experience and project characteristics to measures of project performance. The findings indicate that organizations select their oldest and most experienced project managers to direct large, high-priority projects. Performance is then superior without relation to the project managers total experience, but in relation to the high priority given larger projects. With the exception of a measure of “growth in responsibility,” none of the measures of the project managers experience were found to bear any direct relationship to project performance.

The Reduction of Prejudice through Laboratory Training

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that increases in self-acceptance, resulting from sensitivity training, have the the oretically predictable but indirect effect of reducing an individuals level of ethnic prejudice. The role of an individuals level of psychological anomy,3 hypothesized to condition the influences of sensitivity training, was also examined. The results suggest that sensitivity training may well be a powerful technique in the reduction of ethnic prejudice, particularly among those who are low in psychological anomy.

Improving the coordination of care: a program for health team development.

This workbook of task-oriented activities is aimed at helping any group of health workers and/or administrators responsible for the delivery of health care to do its job in the most effective way possible. The program focuses on specifically defining tasks and procedures for doing them. It requires 7 3-hour periods to complete and requires no outside consultants facilitators or specially trained helpers. This book contains an introduction guidelines for administrators regarding its use; guidelines for users and 7 recommended task-oriented modules. Topics include: defining and clarifying goals; setting measurable performance objectives; defining and allocating responsibilities; negotiating day-to-day conflicts; making more efficient and effective decisions and referral procedures; and increasing results for time spent in meetings and case conferences. Each module is designed around a common format which specifies desired outcomes expected from a session and the pre-meeting preparation required. Each gives an overview of major activities provides an introduction to the module an outline of the team meeting and a series of summary comments. 6 optional modules cover specific work issues: 1) bringing a new member into the team; 2) running a better meeting; 3) improving leadership and team interaction; 4) identifying and eliminating behavioral habits that hinder the teams work; 5) improving interaction with the rest of the organization; and 6) obtaining feedback from patients.

An open system model of leadership performance

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between a managers rated effectiveness, the level of open communication which exists between himself and his subordinates, and the managers ability to accept differences (to differentiate) between people. Forty-one managers, their superiors, and subordinates were surveyed. As hypothesized, a managers rated effectiveness is highest in those cases where both a high level of open communication exists and the manager is a high differentiator. No direct relationships were found between a managers effectiveness and the ability to differentiate or level of open communication. These results are felt to be consistent with previous research by Fiedler but conclusions somewhat different from Fiedlers are drawn.

Influences related to time allocation of R & D supervisors

Four basic areas of possible influence have been investigated and found to bear some relationship to an engineering supervisors allocation of time: the individual himself, in terms of his personal job interests and desires; his perception of his superiors desires in terms of time allocation; a set of role and task requirements manifest in his perception of how he ought to spend his time; and several structural characteristics of the organization. A clearer understanding of how an engineering supervisor allocates his time, in light of these pressures, would seem to be important if progress is to be made toward the more efficient utilization of engineering and scientific personnel.

Workshop: improving worker coordination in health care delivery.

Patient management teams are able to diagnose and begin to solve their own problems with the help of a self-instructional health team development (HTD) program. In this case, the focus is on those task-related issues which limit team effectiveness.