The advances of contemporary rhetorical theory can be drawn upon to resolve the competing values of the two constituencies that have a stake in performance appraisals: the manager and the employee. One reason for problems in the existing model of performance appraisals is that the two sides perceive themselves to be in opposition, and that very…

The purpose of this study was to measure library users' reactions to the physical characteristics and the information and treatment received at the Orem (Utah) Library information desk. Over a 3-day period, a questionnaire designed by the researchers was distributed to 207 users, ages 11 and over, as they left the library. The results were…

An objective, measure-oriented job performance appraisal plan permits management to evaluate worker performance more accurately and precisely, and provides a means for assessing the degree-of-match between employee qualifications and job skills requirements for hiring, advancement, and dismissal decisions. Deficient appraisals may be costly,…

In Tennessee, varied data-gathering devices have been employed in an attempt to determine whether an educator is qualified for a given level on the state's career ladder program and, thereby, should attain the meaningful financial benefits linked to that status. In its first year of operation, the Tennessee program employed several domains of…

A study examined the impact of recruitment policies on the flow of job applicants and quality of new workers. The process of determining a recruitment and selection strategy appeared to be one of considering the trade-offs between engaging in extensive search (high number of applicants per offer) or intensive search (great amount of time spent per…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) collection of library documents illustrates approaches to and techniques of performance appraisal used in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries. Included are (1) performance appraisal forms, policies, and procedures from Stanford University, University Library Council, Louisiana State…

Although school board members are not always viewed as part of a school's administrative team, their role in policy formation and in other aspects of school administration requires attention to their competency levels. This research examined training needs for school board members, superintendents, and principals. The present report covers Kansas…

Studies of employee tardiness, absence, and turnover generally adhere to one of five models: generalized withdrawal, which proposes positive intercorrelations among withdrawal behaviors; independent forms, which hypothesizes non-significant correlations among withdrawal behaviors; progression of withdrawal, which suggests that individuals engage…

The majority of empirical studies on performance appraisal (PA) systems focus on the search for the perfect form in which subjective traits are replaced by objective and job-relevant, measurable behaviors. Organizations using a PA system to evaluate their employees struggle with issues of implementation, adaptation, and linkage with other human…

In a study to explore the relationship of family and work roles to depression in dual career couples, 69 couples, in which both spouses worked full-time outside of the home and had at least one child under 18 years of age, completed the self-report Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and a questionnaire assessing work and…

This report presents 23 research abstracts that investigate the effects of feedback on job performance. A narrative that precedes the abstracts lists generalizations and conclusions that are representative of the studies presented in the report. It concludes that the studies reviewed confirm that feedback improves the performance of subordinates.…

Many of the caring and socializing functions formerly provided by primary groups, such as the family or church, now are assumed by formal institutions. The quality of life in our society increasingly has been influenced by human service professionals. Motivational problems for these professionals can adversely affect their performance and can…

This document contains validated activities and competencies needed by librarians working in an academic library. The activities and competencies are organized according to the functions which academic librarians perform: acquisitions; cataloging; circulation and reader services; collection maintenance; interlibrary loan; management; reference;…

This document contains validated activities and competencies needed by librarians working in a database producer organization. The activities and competencies are organized according to the functions which these librarians perform: acquisitions; thesaurus development and control; indexing/abstracting; and publications and product management.…

This document contains validated activities and competencies needed by information professionals working in an information center/clearinghouse. The activities and competencies are organized according to the functions which information center professionals perform: acquisitions; thesaurus development and control; indexing/abstracting;…