Factors Associated with Successful Adaptation to the Secretarial/Stenographic Role.

This document is a final report of a 2-year research project that evolved from a 1965 Delta Pi Epsilon Research Training Conference and was funded in 1966 for a 2-year period by the U. S. Office of Education. The specific objectives were to identify successful secretaries, analyze which variables contributed to secretarial success, identify factors relevant for the education and training of secretaries, and develop possible variables and research designs that might be utilized in subsequent studies in this area. A single public utility, Michigan Bell Telephone Company, was selected as the only practical source available for data collection. Primary data were secured from employees of 67 work groups composed of secretaries, supervisors and other clerical workers. A total of 70 findings which are discussed in detail in the report are divided into 10 major areas: (1) Beliefs about Secretaries, (2) Social Characteristics, (3) Education of Secretaries, (4) Occupational History, (5) Secretarial Skills, (6) Job Characteristics of Secretary, (7) Personality Characteristics, (8) Job Satisfaction, (9) Characteristics of the Work Group, and (10) Supervision. Eighteen major conclusions were drawn from the findings. (AUTHOR/MM)