ABSTRACT
During World War II, some clinically oriented industrial psychologists shifted their attention to developmental counseling with key management personnel. Since psychological services need to be performed within limits of time and expense, it appeared that effort invested first at the level might have greater effect on the overall functioning of the entire organization than a similar initial investment at lower echelons. In some cases the shift in emphasis from personnel management problems to counseling with top executives came as much from the changing attitudes of managers who were evolving a professional concept of their jobs as from the observations by psychologists studying the determinants of organizational performance. The chapter describes psychology in action at the executive level, pointing up some of the unique problems and opportunities. Rather than attempt an abstract description, it might be more informative to illustrate by case material how one group of clinically oriented psychological consultants functions with its clients.
