Suchergebnisse

This article reports the findings of an evaluation of a juvenile justice system diversion project which took place in Orange County, California during the years between 1971 and 1975. The evaluators' findings suggest that the project was an effective supplement to the existing traditional system. During the period of project demonstration, four of the five members of the County Board of Supervisors were replaced. The new decision makers elected to discontinue the project. It is suggested that improved management of the evaluation would have enhanced the utility of the evaluation for the key county decision makers.

This study relates end-user satisfaction to three design features of public agencies that provide services. The research connects the discussion on public participation in administrative processes with a core consideration of public administration: the design features of public organizations. The study seeks to move from the descriptive literature to an empirically grounded survey methodology that examines end-user satisfaction across varied levels of government. Based on a sample of 2,816 end users of 17 public sector organizations, the study tests for associations between organizational performance features and service satisfaction. The findings correlate user satisfaction with three design characteristics of public agencies: agency dependence on user satisfaction for future funding, a clearly identifiable end-user focus by the agency, and the ability of the user to exercise choice in her or his future use of the agency's services. These findings provide a methodology for survey of public preferences that connects agency performance with public agency design.

McClellan Air Force Base is engaged in a five year demonstration project aimed at both simplifying the current personnel management system and improving quality production and services in a logistics setting. The fundamental purpose of the demonstration is the design and test of a management system exportable to the entire federal sector that will accomplish the goal of better management, improved product and service quality, and correct the various deficiencies associated with traditional efficiency models. This article discusses the Pacer Share Project which offers a prototype model, using changed personnel policies, practices, and procedures to improve overall mission accomplishment performance and quality work life at the McClellan Air Force Base. This article represents the opinions of the authors and should not be construed as in any way representing official or unofficial viewpoints of the U.S. Air Force or the Office of Personnel Management.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of diffusional pressures as they relate to organizational performance (OP) across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in two different national contexts.Design/methodology/approach– A review is conducted of institutional forces in the environment of two nations; one highly developed and the other developing to identify isomorphic pressures in each of the countries. An organizational performance assessment (OPA) tool is used to analyze the differences in the performance of the three sectors in the two national contexts identified. The research relies on Pearson correlation, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and MANCOVA statistical applications to validate the assessment instrument and shed light on differences across nations and sectors that can be attributed to organizational diffusion as a result of institutional pressures that exist in the countries in which the organizations are embedded.Findings– The findings indicate there is greater need to adapt to local ways of doing things when working cross-nationally within developing countries than with those that are developed where management practices are more alike than dissimilar. The results of the study suggest that when managing organizations cross-nationally, in the more developed nations organizations will perform more effectively and more alike than when working with organizations in less developed countries where the conditions for the diffusion of organizational practices are weaker.Research limitations/implications– The research focussed on two countries for comparative purposes. Due to sampling limitations, the findings are more relevant to the sectors the authors studied within countries than between the countriesper se. It is recommended further research be conducted using larger samples across many national cultures. While relying on broad societal institutional dynamics, the study design does not permit the analysis of the effects of specific contextual characteristics on OP. Such an undertaking is undoubtedly a "next step" that the authors recommend.Practical implications– The extant literature finds that managing systems cross-nationally requires adaptation to local national contexts. Where there is less economic and technological development, less opportunity for free market competition (capitalism), educational opportunities, and shared standards from which the performance of organizations are judged, the more unlikely organizations will employ commonly applied management practices. A new tool is introduced that can be used to further research on OP cross-nationally.Originality/value– The study provides empirical evidence to demonstrate that in nations where stronger diffusional pressures exist, fewer differences will be found among the performance of the three sectors. Additionally, the effectiveness of organizations in these national contexts will be greater. While research among the three sectors has identified performance differences, such differences are less likely to be discernible in developed nations due to isomorphic pressures. The study is especially relevant to those who manage global organizations cross-nationally. It introduces a new tool to measure OP across national boundaries.

Este estudo demonstra que, quando os usuários têm influência dentro de uma agência pública, seu nível de satisfação é mais alto. No entanto, quando os usuários têm pouca ou nenhuma influência, o desempenho das agências governamentais recebe classificação mais baixa. O estudo pretende identificar as características distintas dos usuários das agências governamentais e avaliar sua satisfação com os serviços prestados.

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the use of multiattribute decision making by the U.S. Coast Guard when choosing the most appropriate auxiliary device to use on an icebreaker. Five different missions of icebreakers are defined, and the objectives and attributes that describe the effectiveness of each auxiliary device in accomplishing these missions are established. For each geographical area of interest, the missions are weighted using the analytical hierarchy process. Also, group utilities are developed for attribute vectors in order to incorporate the judgments of different icebreaker operators.

This paper examines the relationship between supervisors' and project leaders' perceptions about the smoking behavior of their subordinate employees and their performance appraisals of their employees. Those who were perceived to be smokers were rated lower than those perceived to be nonsmokers on four of nine job performance measures when controlling for age, race, and gender. The findings suggest smoking stigma may negatively affect the perceptions of one's overall job performance, especially in terms of one's professional comportment, working relations with others, and dependability.