Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine the degree of agreement among a panel of experts on the ranking of fifteen critical attributes needed for technical communicators; and (2) to examine the effects of sex, age, and years of management experience on the ranking of each attribute. Methodology. The fifteen attributes were selected from an initial list of fifty-nine developed by a recognized expert in the field of human resources. The selection process included a review of literature, empirical knowledge, and interviews with technical communicators in the field. The methodology employed for this study was the Q-sort technique that consisted of a deck of fifteen cards, each containing a particular attribute and its definition. Thirty-seven individuals participated in this study, from a population of fifty-six. This study employed two nonparametric statistical procedures: (1) the Kendall Coefficient of Concordance to measure the degree of agreement for the fifteen attributes among the panel members and (2) the Mann-Whitney U test to determine the effects of the moderator variables of sex, age, and years as a supervisor/manager on the ranking on each of the fifteen attributes. Findings. There was a low degree of agreement regarding the overall ranking of the fifteen attributes. The typical respondent was male, over sixty-five, with more than fifteen years experience as a supervisor/manager. There was no significant difference between the ranking of males and females on the fifteen attributes, except for "tolerance for stress," with females ranking it higher. Based on the moderator variable of "years as a supervisor/manager," only one attribute showed a significant difference--that of "adaptability." Supervisors/managers with over fifteen years experience ranked it as more important than their comparative group. There were no significant differences among the fifteen attributes, relative to the two age group categories of the raters. Conclusions. The relatively low, but statistically significant, degree of agreement among the panel of experts may be due to the changing nature of the work force, the reduction of the middle management sector, and the move of our society that is based on industry to one based on knowledge/information. Recommendations. Possible future studies include reducing the number of attributes; using a Delphi-type study; having the experts rate, rather than rank; and having instructors, practitioners, human resource personnel, or managers participate as raters.