ROLE EXPECTATIONS AMONG AGENCY PERSONNEL

• NCJ Number: 45918
• Journal: Social Work Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1978) Pages: 26-30
• Author(s): V R WIEHE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: National Assoc of School Workers
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO EXAMINE ROLE EXPECTATIONS AMONG DIRECTORS AND STAFF OF VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, A SURVEY OF PERSONNEL IN A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 16 SUCH AGENCIES WAS UNDERTAKEN.

Abstract

SERVICES OFFERED BY THESE AGENCIES INCLUDED COUNSELING, FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION, RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, AND SERVICES FOR UNMARRIED PARENTS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 216 BOARD DIRECTORS, 16 EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, AND 190 STAFF MEMBERS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE (NOT INCLUDED) PERTAINED TO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON ROLE CLARITY/AMBIGUITY AND EXPECTATIONS. ANALYSIS OF DATA INDICATED THAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS HAD THE GREATEST OVERALL ROLE CLARITY, WHILE BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS EXHIBITED ONLY MODERATE LEVELS OF ROLE CLARITY. WHILE 176 BOARD MEMBERS HAD RECEIVED TRAINING AND ONLY 40 HAD NOT, THERE WAS NO APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROLE CLARITY OF TRAINED AND UNTRAINED MEMBERS. FURTHER, THE EXISTENCE OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL IDENTIFYING THE FUNCTION OF EACH PART OF THE ORGANIZATION HAD NO EFFECT ON THE RELATIVE CLARITY OF ROLE EXPECTATIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, OR STAFF. THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEGREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF COMPONENT ROLES FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND FOR STAFF MEMBERS, BUT NOT FOR BOARD MEMBERS. AN ANALYSIS OF ACTUAL CONTENT OF TRAINING SESSIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANUALS SHOWED THAT IN GENERAL TRAINING SESSIONS SERVED TO INTRODUCE THE BOARD MEMBERS TO THE AGENCY'S HISTORY, GENERAL POLICIES AND SERVICES, FUNDING, AND ACCREDITATION, BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON ROLE FUNCTION. ADMINISTRATIVE MANUALS TENDED TO PRESENT THE AGENCY'S CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS, HISTORY, AND JOB AND SERVICES DESCRIPTIONS, BUT ALSO FAILED TO CLEARLY DELINEATE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, EXECUTIVE, AND STAFF. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE INCLUSION OF MATERIAL ON THE RESPECTIVE ROLE FUNCTIONS OF EACH COMPONENT COULD SERVE TO INCREASE THE USEFULNESS OF TRAINING SESSIONS AND MANUALS AND COULD IMPROVE THE CLARITY OF PERSONNEL ROLE PERCEPTIONS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)