bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population Changes and Restaurant Success
Authors: Shriber Michael , Muller Christopher , Inman Crist
Published: March 2007

Compiling 15 years of data from Restaurant Business magazine's annual survey of restaurant growth provides a time-series of data regarding how restaurants have fared in the United States. By comparing those data with changes in population by region (or other geographical division), a restaurant operator can get a sense of where opportunities exist and where markets are saturated. Changes in population and restaurant growth analyzed by region show how the technique can be applied, with changes made especially clear when mapped using graphic-information software. The comparison shows, for instance, that the double-digit growth of population in the Pacific and Mountain regions was not accompanied by a similar growth in restaurant sales. In fact, residents in those regions showed less propensity to eat in a restaurant than the relatively slowgrowing eastern and central regions. The least saturated restaurant markets, considering the population growth, seem to be in the southern regions. Regional analysis provides only a broad-brush picture of restaurant changes. Focusing on individual metropolitan areas would give a more complete picture.
Venture Capital in the Restaurant Industry
Authors: Hudson Bradford T.
Published: March 2007

Venture capital is usually made available to young ventures with substantial growth potential. Most often venture capital takes the form of equity financing, with an investment horizon that is generally long and for unspecified periods. Such capital is growth-oriented, frequently unsecured, and subordinate to other types of financing. Recent venture-capital transactions show a bias toward later-stage investing in established concepts and toward investment-banking deals. During the 1990s retail and service businesses began to attract the attention of venture funds. Restaurant examples include Cucina! Cucina!, Takeout Taxi, and House of Blues. Restaurant companies are investment targets because they are popular in the marketplace; have low barriers to entry and good growth potential; don't have the technological and developmental drawbacks of other industries; offer an easy exit for venture investors; and have high price-earnings multiples, based on high growth expectations. Nevertheless, many venture firms view restaurants with caution because restaurants are a cash business with opportunities for fraud and theft; low barriers to entry make it harder to anticipate and protect against new entrants; the restaurant industry generally does not have patent or other legal protection; and service businesses are more difficult to manage than product businesses. There's little evidence to support the common concern of many entrepreneurs who fear losing control of the business to investors. Good venture capitalists add value, acting as management consultants.
Quality as Symphony
Authors: Reeves Carol A. , Bednar David A.
Published: March 2007

Existing definitions of quality have not been universally accepted or effective. Because the output of all organizations is a combination of products and services, a definition of quality must combine both aspects. Many of the variables proposed for defining quality fall under two dimensions: extent of customization and degree of tangibility. The concept of quality as conformance to specifications is straightforward and easy, but most consumer goods and services are not evaluated in those terms by customers. On the other hand, defining quality in terms of meeting or exceeding customers' expectations, while it is an externally focused definition, is exceedingly complex and difficult to measure. Neither of these definitions works by itself. Instead, applying the elements of those definitions according to degree of tangibility and extent of customization will create an appropriate definition of quality. For tangible items, conformance to specifications is a sufficient definition of quality, except in the case of customized tangible output, where meeting customer expectations must also be included. Of specific interest to hospitality-industry operators, the quality of intangible or standardized output can be termed conformance to specifications. On the other hand, the quality of output that is intangible and customized can only be judged on how well it meets a customer's specifications.
The Challenge of Northern Ireland Tourism
Authors: Lennon Ron
Published: March 2007

After more than 20 years of terrorism, commonly known as the "troubles," factions in Northern Ireland called a truce in mid-1994. Tourists responded immediately by stepping up their level of visitation to this province of the United Kingdom. While the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is optimistic that tourism numbers will continue to grow as long as the ceasefire holds, the province is not ready for large numbers of tourists. Not only is the room supply modest, but service standards are less than world class. Nevertheless, there appears to be considerable opportunity to open more rooms in Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast. The author's personal tour of Northern Ireland revealed a charming destination that is much more tourist friendly now than it was when it faced sectarian strife.
Length of Stay Heuristics
Authors: Weatherford Lawrence R.
Published: March 2007

Refinements of existing revenue-management systems attempt to account for guests' actual length of stay, although many early systems assumed one-night stays. Other inputs to revenue-management systems involve no-show rates and average room rates. Tests of added rules for revenue management were conducted at three hotels in an effort to exceed the accepted standard of a 2.9-percent improvement in revenue that typically results in systems that do not contemplate length of stay. One of the three hotels was primarily a business hotel, one was a business and convention property, and the third was patronized primarily by leisure travelers. At low daily occupancy levels (e.g., 70 percent) length-of-stay rules do not boost revenues substantially beyond the expected marginal revenue levels of revenue-management systems that do not account for length of stay. As occupancy increases, however, the performance of length-of-stay rules improves, especially as a means for boosting performance during shoulder nights.
Increasing Restaurant Profits with Product Merchandising
Authors: Makens James C. , Bowen John T.
Published: March 2007

Although many restaurants have merchandised products related to their operation for a long time, the current breed of entertainment-theme restaurants has brought product merchandising to a high art. In fact, nearly all restaurants could benefit from selling appropriate merchandise, which typically returns gross profits of 50 percent of sales. One of the most common products, for instance, is a t-shirt bearing the restaurant's logo. Not only are such items in demand as collector's items, but they promote the restaurant. To be effective, however, product merchandising must be handled professionally, and in accordance with basic display principles. Choose items that fit the restaurant's concept and price them appropriately. Locate the merchandise in the most appropriate place, often near the cash register or at the restaurant's entrance. The merchandise must be arranged in a pleasing fashion, properly balanced, and color coordinated. The display must have a focal point, which is best set at the intended customer's eye level. The display should be illuminated by spotlights or other secondary lighting to attract customers' attention. The other senses in addition to vision-touch, smell, and taste-should be engaged where possible.
A Baker's Dozen—
Authors: Smith Donald
Published: March 2007

The basic rule for a successful restaurant is to put customers firstmaking them welcome and exceeding their expectations. Underlying that principle is the creation of a solid business base by ensuring that the restaurant's concept is feasible and provides a competitive advantage by being different and better. A would-be restaurateur must observe the essentials of the restaurant business-hiring a chef who can cook well in quantity and maintaining cleanliness in all aspects of the business, as wellas paying attention to inventory and cost control. A friendly staff is important, and the restaurateur can foster teamwork by treating the employees with respect and appreciation. Above all, the restaurateur must listen to guests, and be willing to make changes in the operation in response to what the guests say.
Leadership Qualities of Financial Executives
Authors: Cichy Ronald E. , Schmidgall Raymond S.
Published: March 2007

This study of 181 financial executives identified leadership qualities important for that role. Seven leadership qualities were frequently associated with effective leaders: the ability to adjust; the ability to provide a compelling message or vision; a strong personal value or belief system; the ability to make desired outcomes tangible; the ability to listen; the willingness to provide appropriate information, resources, and support to allow employees to become empowered; and the ability to maintain precise desired outcomes. Financial leaders indicated that these four keys to leadership were most important to their own leadership style: trusting subordinates, 41" developing a vision, simplifying, and remaining under control. As for other leadership attributes, respondents rated the following as most important: dependability, credibility, responsibility, accountability, self-confidence, decisiveness, emotional stamina, loyalty, desire, stewardship, courage, empathy, tenacity, and anticipation.
The Importance of F&B in Small Inns
Authors: Lanier Pamela , Johnson Judy
Published: March 2007

The concept of bundling breakfast with a room is inherent in the concept of a bed-and-breakfast inn. Meals in other day parts, however, involve an entirely different set of issues. Having made the decision to offer food and beverage service, operators must decide whether that service, too, is to be bundled in the room rate (as in a modified American plan) or handled separately. The experience of such properties as the Governors Inn (Ludlow, Vermont) is that careful menu planning can increase room occupancy and add to the bottom line. On the other hand, trying to run a nightly dinner menu as part of the inn operation meant too much involvement for the owners of Dairy Hollow House (Eureka Springs, Arkansas), and they changed their strategy to one of offering quarterly seasonal fests.
Applying Performance Tests in Hotel Management Agreements
Authors: Berger Jonathan
Published: March 2007

Determining an appropriate test of a management company's performance in operating a hotel can be one of the most divisive bargaining issues in a management contract. Tests can be based on a hotel's return, operating margin, or revenue per available room. Each individual type of test has drawbacks, and it may well be best to use a combination of tests. Of the three individual tests discussed, the most easily supportable is arguably one based on a hotel's income before fixed costs (IBFC, also known as net operating income, or NOI). Use of multiple tests is generally most fair to both parties; for operators, they have the added advantage of providing enhanced protection against the consequences of uncontrollable outside events. Properly crafted multiple tests also protect the owner from an operator that is a poor match for a given hotel property or market.
Food-Service Strategy
Authors: Shay Jeffrey P.
Published: March 2007

Strategic models designed to help managers understand and effectively compete in their industries have been developed, used, and superseded for more than 30 years. Most models have employed one of three approaches: portfolio analysis, competitive-advantage and competitor analysis, and internal-resources and -competencies analysis. Although each approach offers valuable insights into the competitive environment, each new model seems to disregard the conceptual contributions made by its predecessors. Seeking to remedy that oversight, the model developed in this article integrates four widely used strategic models, Boston Consulting Group's growth-share matrix, Richard D'Aveni's hypercompetition model, Kenichi Ohmae's four-basic-strategies matrix, and Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad's core-competency-agenda matrix. The new integrated model introduces the time element, which was missing from prior models, by connecting them with a modified life-cycle curve. Applied to the case of Outback Steakhouse, the hybrid model shows how Outback's management took early advantage of its strengths but may have squandered its lead in the casualtheme segment by taking a strategic wrong turn when it made an alliance with Carrabba's, an Italian-style restaurant.
The B&B Guest
Authors: Zane Bobbi
Published: March 2007

A nationwide survey of almost 1,400 B&B guests provided an overview of those travelers' characteristics. Among guests' top-ten desirable B&B features are (1) a private bath, (2) a sense of privacy, (3) a quiet atmosphere, and (4) an innkeeper who tells of local sights and restaurants. The majority of B&B and country-inn guests are baby boomers, with a median annual household income of $73,000. Almost all were college educated, and 36.4 percent of respondents listed their occupations as professional. Inn guests spend 2.35 nights on a B&B getaway, and respondents projected that they would take 2.62 trips involving a bed-and-breakfast stay in the coming year. A couple typically spends $225.72 per day during a B&B visit for food, lodging, and other purchases.
Capital-Budgeting Decisions Using "Crystal Ball"
Authors: Atkinson Stanley , Kelliher Charles , LeBruto Stephen
Published: March 2007

Crystal Ball, a software add-on to commercial spreadsheet programs, can be used to address many of the uncertainties surrounding capital-budgeting decisions. The difficulty in the capital-budgeting process stems from the difficulty of estimating the amount and timing of future cash flows. Unlike most traditional approaches that ignore uncertainty and rely instead on single, best-guess point estimates, the authors suggest ways to grapple with the probabilistic nature of capital-budgeting calculations by starting with a deterministic model that uses single-point estimates to analyze a typical capital-budgeting problem. The deterministic model assumes that all of the inputs are known with certainty and each input is represented by a single-point estimate. Simulation software is then used to replace the single-point estimate in each cell of the model with the appropriate probability-density function, or a distribution of most-likely values.
Performance Appraisals in Hotels
Authors: Woods Robert H. , Sciarini Michael , Breiter Deborah
Published: March 2007

A study of general managers of 389 United States hotels found that 87 percent of the respondents conducted regular performance appraisals for all of their employees. This percentage is similar to that found in other industries. The most frequent interval for performance appraisals by lodging managers is once per year, also echoing the findings for other industries. Most managers used more than one type of appraisal and used their appraisals for more than one purpose. Nearly half used a management-by-objectives approach for their appraisals (49 percent), followed by behaviorally anchored rating scales (41 percent), narrative essays (37 percent), and graphic rating scales (28 percent). One negative note is that nearly 15 percent of the managers do not follow their appraisals with feedback sessions to review those appraisals. The most frequent application of performance appraisals was for compensation decisions (86 percent), followed by assessing whether objectives had been met (78 percent), establishing training needs (73 percent), and determining promotions (65 percent). Three-fifths of the sample reported that performance appraisals were important to the success of their operation.
A Central American Approach to QSR Development
Authors: Inman Crist
Published: March 2007

From its inception in 1971, Guatemala's Polio Campero chain of quick-service restaurants has seen steady expansion of its chicken concept. Taking advantage of a change in dining-out habits in the mid-'70s, the chain grew rapidly. As do other QSR concepts, Polio Campero focuses strongly on product quality and service consistency. Although lunch is its strongest day part, the chain also appeals to families for meal replacement by maintaining low prices and offering the unusual benefit of table service. The company is also careful to appeal to all levels of Guatemala's economically stratified and culturally divided population. By offering its employees the chance for elementary and high-school education, the company ensures a steady flow of loyal, qualified workers and has become an icon for those who value self-improvement. In recent years the company has signed its first franchise agreements and plans to spread its chain throughout Central America and further south.
Industry Operating Indices
Authors: Rompf Paul D.
Published: March 2007

Industry indices often omit properties with fewer than 20 rooms or units in calculating industry-wide occupancy and average daily rates. A comparison between the industry-standard database maintained by Smith Travel Research and an independently maintained census by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism found considerable divergence between the two. Per its official policy, the STR database omitted small properties, but the STR data also exhibited a bias toward inclusion of chain-affiliated properties rather than independents, regardless of property size. The SCPRT data was also not immune to omission. The effects of such undercounting may be most strongly felt in resort destinations, where nontraditional properties (e.g., B&Bs, timeshares) constitute a substantial portion of transient accommodations. Moreover, the results of an earlier study indicate that omitting independent properties may cause the industry's overall ADR to be understated, while a bias toward chain-affiliated properties may cause a slight overstatement of occupancy.
Data Warehousing
Authors: Griffin Robert K.
Published: March 2007

Data warehousing may become the next strategic weapon for the lodging industry. Many of the world's largest corporations have already adopted this approach to data management, which involves assembling an immense volume of data designed to help managers answer business questions. Return on investment is high, but the systems are expensive and risky. Interviews with managers of data-warehousing projects of the world's largest hotel corporations indicate that the hotel industry is just beginning to adopt the technology, some of them using data marts, which are smaller and more focused than data warehouses. Data ware-housing is explained and discussed in terms of its current and potential applications in the lodging industry.
Panama's Ecotourism-Plus Initiative
Authors: Ayala Hana
Published: March 2007

Panama's master plan for ecotourism plus involves public and private entities in efforts to develop heritage resources and attract tourists without damaging those resources. As the crossroads of two continents and two oceans, Panama's natural environment is complemented by a rich cultural history. The nation has a signal opportunity both to draw attention to itself and to control its own destiny for the first time in nearly a century, as the United States decommissions its military bases and transfers sovereignty over the Panama Canal to Panama. Prototype projects already have shown the potential for cooperation between public and private entities for mutual gain-preservation of resources and expansion of the tourism business from its current focus on the business-travel segment. Inter-Continental Hotels, for instance, has joined an effort to safeguard a mangrove ecosystem as an ecotourism resource. The private Coronado Club Suites Resort, one of the few tourist developments outside Panama City, aims to preserve valuable montane area of biodiversity as it attracts ecotravelers. The master plan for the Gamboa Tropical Rainforest Resort includes development of facilities for research and a rebirth of the cultural legacy of an historic gold-transportation route. Perhaps the most intriguing project is the adaptive reuse of a former U.S. radar tower as an “ecohotel” and observation point for birds and other animals in the rain-forest canopy.
Hong Kong's Hotel Industry
Authors: Hsu William
Published: March 2007

Hong Kong's tourism industry collapsed around July 1997, shortly after the hand over to Chinese rule. When the Asian financial crisis hit, Hong Kong's investments in neighboring countries suffered. Thereafter the Heng Seng Index dropped 55 percent. Throughout the last quarter of 1997 Hong Kong's economic indicators—unemployment, business failures, and negative GDP—all pointed to a recession. Among Hong Kong's hotels, more than 1,750 jobs were lost from December 1997 to March 1998, and average room rates dropped below 1991 levels. Hong Kong's tourism crisis can be traced to: an imbalance between room supply and demand (caused by the inflated demand for office space), unfair hotel pricing to take advantage of Japanese tourists, ineffective national promotional campaigns, airline woes, and food-borne illnesses that scared away visitors. Economic recovery is likely to take several years, and is dependent on the recovery of the rest of the region's countries. In June 1998 Hong Kong produced an economic-stimulus package to stem the tide of decreasing land values and stimulate the money supply. Hoteliers can help by working together to ensure pricing stability. Coordination is also needed between the Hong Kong Tourist Association and the rest of the industry to set goals and objectives. Hospitality education and training need to focus on the current needs of the industry and on how to compete in the new market.
Managing Status in the Hotel Industry
Authors: Catrett Jeffrey , Lynn Michael
Published: March 2007

Based on an examination of published material dealing with status, the authors propose that certain characteristics set some hotels apart as statusworthy properties, while others are not-even though their operations may be just as upscale and high quality. The chief points of status include the following: Status symbols must be socially desirable and scarce; people are happy to pay premiums to secure status recognition (Veblen effects), and discounting may undermine the scarcity and social desirability of a product or service; quality is important in status expression; status symbols must be recognized by a specific population, although that population may not necessarily be large; because quality and money are no longer particularly scarce, understated taste and genuineness are modern status ideals; being the original is key to status positioning; and status symbols are dynamic and change with fashion. These principles of status seem at least in part to explain the rise of Four Seasons hotels to a top-status position in their markets. The specific cases of the New York and Boston properties show an unwillingness to compromise core principles and product attributes (e.g., by discounting or curtailing food service).
Revenue Enhancement, Part 4
Authors: Quain Bill , Sansbury Michael W. , LeBruto Stephen M.
Published: March 2007

This is the fourth and final article in a series on how hospitality managers can make more money, with this one geared specifically to food and beverage managers. This article discusses maximizing the profit from existing guests (for example, by upselling appetizers, desserts, and beverages) and expanding beyond the restaurant premises (catering and food delivery, as well as partnerships with businesses and special-event organizations). To maximize revenue, restaurant managers must track menu-items' contribution margins and identify the sales mix. Managers also must control seating among different-size parties during peak periods, to ensure fastest table turns and maximum revenue per party. Moving diners away from their table when they are finished eating is also important. Seating control requires a menu-mix analysis combined with a turnover-time analysis of different party sizes. The key to controlling the seating is understanding demand patterns, including how many parties of various sizes want to eat during each hour and how many were refused or walked away. The only way to accurately ascertain demand patterns-total diners and diners per table-is to keep track of all reservation requests.
Hilton Hotels
Authors: Huckestein Dieter , Duboff Robert
Published: March 2007

Like many companies, Hilton Hotels has set a goal of creating value for its stakeholders. To deliver on this goal, Hilton's leadership developed a step-by-step program to define and then measure value creation in its operations. Integral to the success of this value-creation strategy was the premise that tracking corporate performance must go beyond hard financial indicators to includ other factors that drive profitable growth, and ultimately, increase shareholder value. To do this, Hilton Hotels adopted a diagnostic measure called the balanced scorecard, which assesses the effectiveness of Hilton's business design by linking short-term tactics with long-term strategic objectives. In addition to typical financial measures (e.g., RevPAR, EBITDA), the balanced scorecard also considers results from guest surveys and employee surveys, as well as reports from mystery shoppers. The diagnostic results are communicated in a simple and effective manner using a green-yellow-red rubric. Items that fall in the red zone need immediate attention, while those scoring in the yellow zone still need improvement. Green indicates a job well done. The result has been steady improvement in guest-survey results and strong financial results.
The Thorny Question of Automatic Service Charges
Authors: Evans Michael R. , Dave Dinesh S.
Published: March 2007

A study of 51 four-and five-star resorts in the U.S. found that about half added an automatic service charge to their guests' bills, in lieu of tips. The resorts that do so, however, generally use the modified American plan. Moreover, those properties may serve more leisure travelers than do, for instance, convention hotels. For resorts that host a lot of groups, levying an automatic service charge may be risky, because half of the 100 meeting planners in this study indicated that their clients dislike automatic charges. Some 60 percent of pleasure consumers indicated that they do not wish to pay automatic service charges. Guests suggested a service fee of no more than 15 percent, if one must be levied at all. While the respondents did not favor such a policy, they might accept one if it is fair and known in advance.
Bed-and-Brakfasts
Authors: Lubetkin Marc
Published: March 2007

To identify and rate the usefulness of the advertising and promotion most frequently used by bed-and-breakfasts, two surveys were conducted-one of B&B managers and one of guests. Types of advertising and promotion were cross-tabulated with such factors as the size of the property and its years in operation. Guests most frequently get B&B information from (in order of importance) word of mouth, B&B guidebooks, Mobil and AAA guidebooks, magazines and newspapers, the internet and CD-ROMs, travel agencies, and chambers of commerce. By comparison, owner-operators were focused on (in order of importance) word of mouth, brochures, Mobil and AAA guidebooks, chambers of commerce, B&B guidebooks, and the internet. The study's findings also support the notion that a B&B's marketing budget can decline as the B&B's years of operation increases.
Matching Strategy with Performance
Authors: Jogaratnam Giri , Tse Eliza C. , Olsen Michael D.
Published: March 2007

A survey of small independent restaurants investigated the link between a restaurant's business strategies and its performance. The results suggest that successful restaurants are less aggressive than are low-performing ones. Less-successful restaurants devote a large percentage of their resources to increasing short-term economic gains and customer counts (e.g., by using coupons and discounts) versus developing long-term business. High performers place great importance on problem solving and they have a long-term perspective that is strategic rather than routine and operational. They are more proactive, more innovative, and more committed to delivering quality service than are their less successful counterparts.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Authors: Sherwyn David , Lankau Melenie J. , Eigen Zev
Published: March 2007

Joe's tried to be good, but the government said it was bad. The result was ugly.
Best Practices in Food and Beverage Management
Authors: Siguaw Judy A. , Enz Cathy A.
Published: March 2007

Reports of the death of hotel food service are highly exaggerated. Indeed, food service remains an essential part of many hotels' operations.
Designing and Positioning Food Srvices for Multicultural Markets
Authors: Verma Rohit , Pullman Madeleine E. , Goodale John C.
Published: March 2007

A study that compares the food-service preferences of individuals from three different language groups (English, Japanese, and Spanish) found several common threads. Using probabilistic discrete-choice analysis (DCA), researchers examined the desired food-service attributes of passengers waiting at the international terminal at O'Hare airport. The DCA process proposed different hypothetical changes for the four restaurants operating in the terminal's food court. Respondents chose the feature combinations that they wanted the most. In general, the waiting passengers responded favorably to expansions in the menus, particularly the addition of menu items with which they were familiar (for example, deli selections and Mexican dishes). All three groups of respondents were relatively price insensitive for the four different restaurants and often were willing to wait either to order or to be served, depending on the food-service concept (e.g., waiting for pizza made sense to them, but waiting for burgers did not). Many respondents liked the idea of pictures of the food on menus to help identify unfamiliar items, but virtually no one wanted menus translated into their native languages. Based on the study, one food-service outlet adopted a new marketing strategy that not only increased its market share but attracted more patrons to the food court.
Genograms and Family Sculpting
Authors: Marchetti-Mercer Maria C. , Cleaver Glenda
Published: March 2007

This article proposes a specific training method that was developed in a family therapy course at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, where genograms and family sculpting were used to improve cross-cultural understanding among psychology master’s students. Students presented genograms of their families to the rest of the class, and this was followed by a sculpture of the family under discussion, in which the members of the class participated. Students became aware of the fact that all families have similarities and were also able to identify with families from cultures different from their own through the sculpting exercises. The feedback from students was positive and reflected changes in cross-cultural perceptions and attitudes. The authors discuss the process that took place in the training group as well as the theoretical implications of this process for the training of psychologists in multicultural contexts.
“If We Do Not Do it, Then Who Will?”
Authors: Keita Gwendolyn P. , Cameron Leslie A. , Clune Gabriele S.
Published: March 2007

In this interview, Payton describes a long and distinguished career encompassing research, academia, and counseling practice, ultimately as director of the Howard University Counseling Service (UCS), and public service with the Peace Corps, ultimately as its director. She served on American Psychological Association (APA) committees dealing with ethics, bias and sex role stereotyping in psychotherapy, women, gay concerns, and policy and planning, as well as on various journal editorial boards. Underlying this wide-ranging and multifaceted career was Payton’s lifelong commitment to equality, justice, and inclusion and her belief that all people are of equal worth. Within the field of counseling psychology, she provided strong leadership in the development of group counseling technique, especially for people of color. As director of UCS, she drew on her experience with an egalitarian Peace Corps in developing group counseling at Howard’s UCS, especially for people of color, believing that “we help each other” was the best model for teaching people to believe in themselves.
Periods in the Adult Development of Men: Ages 18 to 45
Authors: Levinson Daniel J. , Darrow Charlotte M. , Klein Edward B. , Levinson Maria H. , McKee Braxton
Published: March 2007

This is a preliminary statement of a theory of psychosocial periods in the development of men from the end of adolescence to the middle 40s. The theory has emerged from a study of 40 men currently in the mid-life decade (age 35-45). The method was biographical: through a series of interviews we constructed the adult life course of each man and looked for a sequential order underlying the highly diverse, unique individual biographies. (a) The first period, Leaving the Family, is a bridge between adolescent life and full entry into the adult world. (b) Getting Into the Adult World extends from the early 20s until 27-29, its major developmental tasks are to build an initial life structure, to form an occupation, and to work on the ego stage of Intimacy vs. Aloneness. (c) This is followed by the Age Thirty Transition which lasts for some four to six years and provides an opportunity to modify or drastically change the provisional first structure. (d) Settling Down extends from the early 30s until age 39-41 Its tasks are to build a second and more stable early adult life structure and, in the late 30s, to "Become One's Own Man." (e) The Mid-Life Transition involves the termination of early adulthood and the initiation of middle adulthood, and is part of both Its tasks are to reappraise and modify the late 30s' life structure, to rediscover important but neglected parts of the self and. toward the end, to make choices that provide the basis for a new life structure. (f) The Mid-Life Transition ordinarily gives way in the mid-40s to a period of building and living within a first provisional life structure for middle adulthood. Though our study ends at this point, we assume that there is a further evolution, involving periods of transition and of relative stability, throughout the life cycle.
From Passive Acceptance to Active Commitment
Authors: Downing Nancy E. , Roush Kristin L.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a model of feminist identity development for women. The model is derived, in part, from Cross's (1971) theory of Black identity development and is based on the premise that women who live in contemporary society must first acknowledge, then struggle with, and repeatedly work through their feelings about the prejudice and discrimination they experience as women in order to achieve authentic and positive feminist identity. The stages in this process include passive acceptance, revelation, embeddedness-emanation, synthesis, and active commitment. Implications of the model are outlined for women, nonsexist and feminist psychotherapies and contemporary society.
Systematic Desensitization and the Reduction of Anxiety
Authors: Deffenbacher Jerry L. , Suinn Richard M.
Published: March 2007

This article provides detailed information on systematic desensitization. The procedures of imaginal desensitization with individuals are described in detail, so that the reader can apply the most frequently used form of desensitization. Variants of group, in vivo, massed, and self-administered desensitization are briefly described to extend the reader's use of desensitization. Additionally, guidelines for the appropriate selection and use of desensitization are outlined, and a sampling of research findings with a diversity of anxiety and stress disorders is presented.
Factors Relating to Professional Development in Beginning Graduate Students in Counseling Psychology
Authors: Tipton Robert M. , White Garnett L.
Published: March 2007

Beginning graduate students in programs in counseling psychology approved by the American Psychological Association were surveyed to determine salient demographic characteristics, motivational factors influencing their decisions to enter graduate training in counseling psychology, their perceptions of the appropriate roles and functions of professionals in the field, and their goals and expectations regarding their future employment settings. Median or modal demographic data suggest that the "typical" beginning doctoral student in counseling psychology is a 25- to 35-year-old white female who has done previous graduate work and who has had prior mental-health-related work experience. Reasons for entering graduate school in counseling psychology were found to vary as a function of age. Although students 'perceptions of the field were found to be similar to those of seasoned professionals, they did vary somewhat depending on the students' professional goals. A very strong preference was expressed for private practice as a career goal.
Counseling Psychologists' Uses of and Opinions about Psychological Tests
Authors: Watkins C. Edward , Campbell Vicki L. , McGregor Patricia
Published: March 2007

Since counseling psychology's inception, psychological testing has traditionally been considered an integral aspect of the specialty. However, contemporary information on the testing practices of counseling psychologists is quite limited. In an effort to gather current information about counseling psychologists 'uses of and opinions about psychological tests, we sent a five-page questionnaire to 1,000 members of Division 17 (Counseling). The questionnaire assessed information on four variables: personal and professional characteristics, opinions about test usage, recommended tests to include in graduate training, and current test usage. Approximately 70%0 of the sample returned questionnaires, with 63% of them being usable. Information about the four variables evaluated by the questionnaire is presented, and implications of the psychological test data in regard to training and practice in counseling psychology are considered.
Implications of the Null Environment Hypothesis for Women's Career Development and for Counseling Psychology
Authors: Betz Nancy E.
Published: March 2007

It is argued that a null educational environment (Freeman, 1979) that ignores individuals is inherently discriminatory against women because external societal environments are different for men and women with respect to the amount of encouragement they receive for nontraditional career aspirations and achievements. This argument is supported by references to the literature and by describing the effects of a null environment on the career development of the author. Implications for counseling include (a) advocating a more directive approach with women to combat both a differentiating socialization history and a null environment and (b) generalizing this approach to the goal of helping all clients develop their individual potential in the face of societal pressures contrary to individual self-actualization.
College and University Student Suicide
Authors: Westefeld John S. , Whitchard Kimberly A. , Range Lillian M.
Published: March 2007

Suicide among college and university students is unquestionably an important issue on the nation's college campuses. This is true not only because of the frequency of suicidal attempts/completions, but also because of the severe trauma often precipitated by suicide. Although there are numerous writings discussing the general phenomenon of suicide -and in particular child and adolescent suicide -less has been written concerning suicidal trends specifically among college students. Thus the purpose of this article will be to summarize the prominent literature in the area of college student suicide, provide a critical review, identify relevant themes, and discuss future directions.
Counseling Psychology and Health Applications
Authors: Alcorn John D.
Published: March 2007

Roles for psychologists in health settings have greatly expanded over the past two decades. Although early goals of counseling psychology aligned with health promotion concepts, counseling psychologists have been slow to assert themselves in the health field Opportunities for the future involvement of counseling psychologists in health applications are examined in terms of (a) evolving definitions of health specialties; (b) changes currently taking place in conceptual models for health, disease, and medicine; and (c) issues related to the future involvement of counseling psychologists in the health field
Intern Evaluation in University Counseling Centers
Authors: Hahn William K. , Molnar Suzanne
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the need for more rigorous evaluations due to the demands faced by today's intern, as well as the practical challenges faced by intern evaluators. Recommendations are provided to strengthen the process of intern evaluation. The strengths and weaknesses of scales that can be used to evaluate interns are discussed. A framework is given for developing an intern rating system, considering both what areas of intern training to evaluate and how to select appropriate content items. Finally, a 7-point intern professional growth scale is presented that focuses on the development of applied skills throughout the internship year. Exit criteria are offered.
Assistant Professor
Authors: Mintz Laurie B.
Published: March 2007

This article focuses on the issues raised by employment in an academic setting during the first 3 years post-Ph.D. Specifically, identification with counseling psychology and opportunities for professional development are benefits of an academic appointment, while role overload and work tasks that lack natural closure are costs. The lack of opportunities for practice and the devaluation of practice in academic settings are also discussed, along with problems in implementing the scientist-practitioner model and obtaining postdoctoral hours toward licensure. Fears regarding incompetence, evaluation, and tenure are noted, and specific coping strategies are offered. Two personal issues are discussed: combining parenthood and work in a balanced life-style and being a woman in a male, and sometimes sexist, academic system.
Multicultural Training
Authors: Ridley Charles R. , Mendoza Danielle W. , Kanitz Bettina E.
Published: March 2007

The Multicultural Program Development Pyramid is a five-tiered framework outlining stages of multicultural counseling training (MCT) program development. The pyramid is intended to serve as a guide to help program developers formulate their own unique MCT programs. The pyramid lays out a path of critical choice points in MCT development, beginning with the generation of an explicit philosophy of training and proceeding through the stages of identifying training objectives, selecting instructional strategies, choosing from among several proposed program designs, and evaluating the program. Use of the pyramid encourages the critical examination of a full range of choices at each stage. Implications of the pyramid for current MCT, the scientist-practitioner model, and the future of MCT research and development are discussed.
Survey of the Professional Needs of Division 17's Ethnic and Racial Minority Psychologists
Authors: Constantine Madonna G. , Quintana Stephen M. , Leung S. Alvin , Phelps Rosemary E.
Published: March 2007

Members of Division 17's Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee surveyed ethnic and racial minority psychologists in the Division of Counseling Psychology to solicit their perceptions about their professional needs and experiences. Survey results revealed three important professional needs related to multicultural issues: increased sensitivity to multicultural concerns by colleagues and training programs, inclusion of a greater number of ethnic and racial minority psychologists in leadership positions, and more visibility of ethnic and racial minority psychologists in the profession. Some respondents reported that although their involvement in multicultural issues was personally and professionally rewarding, they had some concerns about their colleagues' tendency to see their work in this area as less valuable. Lastly, many respondents expressed their desire for Division 17 to increase the representation of ethnic and racial minorities in its general membership and in its leadership positions and to provide more opportunities for networking.
Revisioning Sexual Minority Identity Formation
Authors: McCarn Susan R. , Fassinger Ruth E.
Published: March 2007

This article describes a new, inclusive model of lesbian identity formation. A rationale for the model is presented, which includes a review of relevant literature in lesbian/gay identity, racial/ethnic identity, and gender issues related to identity development. Three case studies are presented to elucidate the applications of the model to counseling, and the article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the model for research.
Reference Group Identity Dependence Scale
Authors: Wade Jay C. , Gelso Charles J.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure of male identity based on Wade's (1998) theory of male reference group identity dependence. The construct was operationalized in the form of a self-report instrument, the Reference Group Identity Dependence Scale (RGIDS), that assesses feelings of psychological relatedness to other males. A total of 344 undergraduate males from a large state university completed the RGIDS. Construct validity was evaluated by relating the RGIDS to measures of ego identity, gender role conflict, social anxiety, self-esteem, and anxiety and depression symptomatology. Results of the factor analysis indicated that a four-factor structure corresponded to three hypothesized levels of the construct. The four subscales of the RGIDS demonstrated sound internal consistency, and correlations found between the RGIDS and the other measures in the study indicated preliminary support for validity of the construct. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for the theory and future research on men and masculinity.
Advanced Quantitative Methods in Counseling Psychology
Authors: Ellis Michael V. , Chartrand Judy M.
Published: March 2007

The individual best qualified to design an empirical study is one who is (a) most familiar with the nature of the phenomenon and research area, (b) most familiar with the possible alternative methods for designing and analyzing the study, and (c) most capable of evaluating the potential advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives (Chartrand & Ellis, 1999).
The New Marginal Youth
Authors: Polk Kenneth
Published: March 2007

This discussion emphasizes the centrality of the school in considering policy for delinquency prevention and control. Several general processes are suggested whereby schooling itself contributes to youth alienation. A major problem identified is an apparent growth in the number of marginal youth resulting when less successful students are confronted with not only an unpleasant school experience, but a future of limited hope in terms of an occupational career. This situation is seen as having its origins in the rapid changes occurring in the world of work, whereby limited opportunities for long-term work careers are available to those without higher education and technical credentials. As a counter to the resultant alienation, forms of youth action are proposed that both engage young persons in useful and paid work, and integrate marginal youth into the mainstream of school and community life.