Jean Kantambu Latting

Identifying the “Isms”: Enabling Social Work Students to Confront Their Biases

Abstract Four approaches may be used to reduce prejudices in students: Exhortation; providing information; intergroup contact; and development of cognitive sophistication. The paper describes a teaching model which focuses on the last approach—development of cognitive sophistication—as a means of preparing social work students for culturally sensitive practice. Developed by the author, the model was offered as a three-hour class unit, descriptively named “Identifying the ‘Isms’”. The unit content was presented in three stages: (a) Bias was defined in a manner such that all students willingly admitted that they were biased against some category of persons, (b) the functions of bias were discussed, and (c) a series of vignettes were given to the class for analysis as to whether bias existed in the situation described and, if it existed, what function it served. Feedback from students suggests that the model is effective in encouraging students to admit and to confront their own biases and in developing stud...

Promoting Service Quality and Client Adherence to the Service Plan: The Role of Top Management's Support for Innovation and Learning

Abstract Relationships were examined among managements support for innovation and learning, employee attitudes, and client outcomes. Results from an employee sample within six nonprofit service organizations indicated that if organizational leaders create a work environment supportive of learning and innovation, supervisors may support their staffs empowerment, and staff may respond with increased trust and perceive service quality as higher. The results also indicated that as employees increase their trust in management, they become more affectively committed to the organization. Although fostering employee commitment may provide benefits not shown in this study, commitment did not appear to be directly related to increased perceptions of service quality.

Designing Student Work Groups for Increased Learning: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract Although instructors traditionally have used student group projects as an educational tool, little guidance is available to faculty on how to establish groups to maximize student learning. The study reported in this article examined 97 graduate students to identify relevant antecedent, structural, and process variables that would affect student group learning. The findings indicate that method of group selection, initial preference to be in a group, and level of interpersonal conflict are significantly associated with learning. The authors present implications for faculty interested in helping students learn to work in task groups, to learn from each other, and to learn about the course content.

A Typology of Intergroup Competencies

The authors propose a theoretically and empirically grounded typology of 14 intergroup competence skills that may be applied across social group differences. The skills are classified according to two dimensions—approach (reflection and action) and focus (self, relationships, context, and organizational patterns). Self-related skills include becoming aware of one’s cultural values and assumptions, committing to personal change, processing emotions, and reframing one’s mental models. Relationship skills include empathizing with multiple perspectives, differentiating intent from impact, engaging in inquiry and openness, and engaging in responsible feedback. Contextual (critical consciousness) skills include connecting the personal to the cultural and societal and addressing dominant/nondominant group dynamics. Organizational skills include identifying systemic patterns, identifying one’s role in perpetuating patterns, surfacing undiscussables, and advocating and engaging in systemic change.

Soliciting Individual Change in an Interpersonal Setting: The Case of Racially or Sexually Offensive Language:

As the battleground against racism and sexism moves from change in legal and regulatory systems to change in interpersonal and cultural habits, a greater understanding of the interactions among those who challenge patterns of behavior they consider offensive and those who defend that behavior should be particularly useful. This article reports the results of a heuristic qualitative analysis of two dialogues in which some discussants sought to persuade others to cease their usage of language that the former considered racially or sexually offensive. The discussions occurred on a computer-based hotline devoted to exploring cross-cultural issues. The investigation sought to determine what were the interpersonal dynamics in the persuasion effort, and how might the persuasion efforts have been more effective. An analysis was conducted of the two dialogues based on persuasion theory and its variants—psychological reactance, cognitive dissonance, impression management, and minority influence theories-and supplemented by modern racism theory. Based on this analysis, recommendations were proposed for those seeking to influence others to cease their use of objectionable language.

Implementing performance-based contracting in the JTPA older worker program: Issues and recommendations

Abstract This paper presents a review of issues that program planners should consider in developing performance standards for the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) older worker programs. Performance standards were mandated and have been implemented in several categories of JTPA funding. One notable exception is the three percent “set-asides” for older worker programs. Using goal-setting theory and the results of their 2-year evaluation of older worker programs in Texas, the authors discuss the feasibility of and recommended approaches to developing performance standards for older worker programs in other states.

Bartolome's "Contingency Theories of Leadership and Ob Teaching": Refinement of the Theory

a &dquo;gentler, less directive&dquo; style of teaching had resulted in students coming to his classes insufficiently prepared, participating poorly, and producing work of low quality. In response, Bartolome became increasingly more controlling in the classroom to the point that during the semester preceding his writing the article, he had implemented a highly structured teaching environment, stringent course requirements, and coercive extrinsic rewards. Mid-semester, consistent with Blanchard and Hershey’s contingency theory, Bartolome offered the more &dquo;mature&dquo; students (those with a B + or better average) the option of a reduction in course requirements. To his dismay, they unanimously rejected his proposal. While expressing his disappointment, Bartolome suggested that the students might have preferred that he keep the controls on them because &dquo;the squeaky wheel gets the grease.&dquo; As he explained, &dquo;When intrinsic motivation competes with a dominant culture of high control and extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation tends to lose out in most cases&dquo; (p. 61). Several respondents to this article offered different perspectives as to why Bartolome’s students might have implored him to keep up the intensive requirements. Both Kassarjian as well as Novelli suggested that the students correctly ascertained Bartolome’s preference for a controlling structure and