PROMISES AND PITFALLS IN THE EVALUATOR'S AND MANAGER'S PURSUIT OF ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS (FROM EVALUATOR AND MANAGEMENT, 1979 BY HERBERT C SCHULBERG AND JEANETTE M JERRELL - SEE NCJ-63825)

• NCJ Number: 63826
• Author(s): H C SCHULBERG; J M JERRELL
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROGRAM EVALUATIONS HAVE BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, BUT METAEVALUATIONS NEED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN ORDER TO ASSESS MEANINGFULLY THE PROCESS OF EVALUATION UTILIZATION.

Abstract

EVALUATION FINDINGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHICH REVEAL NEGATIVE OR INSIGNIFICANT PROGRAMMATIC CONSEQUENCES, HAVE NOT PRODUCED ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. NUMEROUS METAEVALUATIVE STUDIES HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE CAUSES OF UTILIZATION FAILURE BUT HAVE ARRIVED AT CONTRADICTORY RESULTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT METAEVALUATIONS IN WHICH UTILIZATION IS THE KEY DEPENDENT VARIABLE BE DESIGNED WITH BOTH COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE ELEMENTS. A COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK ORGANIZING AND EXPLICATING THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF PERTINENT VARIABLES IS NEEDED TO LINK SUCH DIVERSE BUT RELEVANT FIELDS AS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, COMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND POLICY ANALYSIS. KEY DIFFERENCES IN THE GOALS AND OPERATING PROCEDURES OF THOSE CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT MUST BE RECOGNIZED SINCE THEY GIVE RISE TO UNAVOIDABLE EVALUATOR-MANAGER CONFLICTS AND UTILIZATION FAILURES. OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING UTILIZATION ARE THE VALIDITY AND UTILITY OF FINDINGS, THAT IS, THE EASE WITH WHICH BROADLY STATED PROGRAMMATIC GOALS CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES AND THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE SEARCH FOR SCIENTIFIC TRUTH AND APPLICABLE RESULTS. NEGATIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS, IF PERCEIVED AS REFLECTING ADVERSELY UPON THE PROGRAM AND THOSE IN CHARGE, AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEFICIENCIES CAN RESULT IN NONUSE OF RESEARCH. FURTHERMORE, ADMINISTRATORS MAY BE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PROCEDURES FOR GENERATING, UTILIZING, AND CONTROLLING THE INFORMATION SOURCES PERTINENT TO THEIR PROGRAM AND APPLIED RESEARCH. THE EVALUATOR'S INADEQUATE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL DECISIONMAKING CAN HINDER THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE THE PROCESS WITH EVALUATIVE FINDINGS. ENHANCING THE EVALUATOR'S EFFECTIVENESS IS THE CENTRAL THEME OF A SERIES OF STUDIES INTRODUCED IN THIS ESSAY AND PUBLISHED WITH IT. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MRK)