An investigation to determine the extent to which speech influences the selection of employees

In 1951-58 American colleges and universities will graduate approximately two hundred thousand students, of which approximately three hundred will be graduated in Stockton, California--and will present them face to face with their prospective employers. Technically most of these students will be well qualified for their respective positions. The chemist will be qualified for further research; the doctor will be qualified to practice medicine; and the lawyer will be ready to defend his first client. But, with these technical skills mastered how will he present himself? His first interview with the employer usually tells the full story. Is his voice what it should be to take him to the top of his chosen profession? Is the pitch, the intensity, the quality, and the rhythm well integrated into the speech pattern? Does the articulation, the vocabulary, and the organization of subject matter need further work? Does he stutter? Is he hard of hearing? Does he have some personal adjustment which will hinder him in his quest for a job? For some, speech is a definite asset; but for others it becomes the sole disqualifying factor. Statement of the Problem. It was the purpose of this study (1) to find the relative extent to which certain aspects of speech influence the selection of employees; (2) to show the relation between the speech aspects studied in this work and the number of employee positions covered by the study; and (3) to present some employer attitudes with regard to speech in industry