GOAL-SETTING AND GOAL PRIORITIES IN PRE-DISPOSITIONAL FACILITIES - A STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• NCJ Number: 61065
• Author(s): M R ZIMMERMAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 305 pages
• Grant Number(s): 79-NI-AX-0006
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY - DOCTORAL THESIS

Annotation

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUTH SHELTERS AND DETENTION CENTERS ARE EXAMINED BY COMPARING THE GOAL CONCEPTIONS OF BOTH AND THE GOAL PRIORITIES OF EACH WITH PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR TASK ENVIRONMENTS.

Abstract

ACCORDING TO NEW JERSEY'S JUVENILE CODE MANDATING COURT DISPOSITION, STATUS OFFENDERS GO TO SHELTERS, WHILE DELINQUENTS ARE SENT TO DETENTION CENTERS. THOUGH COMPLEMENTARY ORGANIZATIONS, THEY ARE INTENDED TO DIFFER IN THEIR APPROACH AND RESPONSE TO YOUTHFUL DEVIANCE. THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS POSED CONCERN (1) WHETHER SHELTER AND DETENTION PERSONNEL WEIGHT THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF TREATMENT, SOCIAL SERVICE, AND SOCIAL CONTROL GOALS DIFFERENTLY; AND (2) WHETHER THE GOAL PRIORITIES OF THESE PERSONNEL APPEAR TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE EXPECTATIONS OF THOSE ENVIRONING ORGANIZATIONS PERCEIVED TO BE MOST IMPORTANT. A TOTAL OF 129 SHELTER AND DETENTION PERSONNEL IN THREE COUNTIES WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY THOSE ENVIRONING AGENCIES IMPORTANT TO THEIR ORGANIZATION'S OPERATION, THUS PROVIDING AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE RESPECTIVE 'TASK' ENVIRONMENTS. THEY WERE ALSO ASKED TO RATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CONTROL, SOCIAL SERVICE, AND TREATMENT GOALS. USING THE SAME LIST OF GOAL STATEMENTS, KEY RESPONDENTS IN EACH TASK ORGANIZATION ASSESSED THE GOAL PRIORITIES OF SHELTERS AND DETENTION CENTERS. LASTLY, SHELTER AND DETENTION PERSONNEL RATED EACH TASK ORGANIZATION FOR DEGREE OF INFLUENCE, CONFLICT, COOPERATION, CONTACT, IMMEDIACY, FREQUENCY OF INTERACTION, AND CONSTRAINTS. RANK ORDER CORRELATIONS WERE PERFORMED ON THE GOAL PERCEPTIONS OF EACH FOCAL-EXTERNAL PAIR. THE DEGREE OF FOCAL CONFORMITY TO EXTERNAL EXPECTATIONS COULD THUS BE MEASURED. THE CONFORMITY SCORES WERE RANK ORDERED WITH INDEPENDENT VARIABLES IN THE FORM OF RANK ORDERS OF TASK ORGANIZATIONS ON INTERACTIONAL DIMENSIONS. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT SHELTER AND DETENTION PERSONNEL PERCEIVE GOAL PRIORITIES DIFFERENTLY. SHELTER PERSONNEL PLACED TOP PRIORITY ON SOCIAL SERVICE OBJECTIVES WITH BENIGN SOCIAL CONTROL, WHILE DETENTION PERSONNEL FELT THAT OVERT SOCIAL CONTROL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF A HUMANE AND LIVABLE ENVIRONMENT WAS THEIR PRIMARY GOAL. DETERMINATION OF FOCAL GOAL PRIORITIES, HOWEVER, WAS FOUND TO BE UNRELATED TO EXTERNAL CONTROL OVER NEEDED RESOURCES. TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)