Evaluating human resources programs
Subtitle: a 6-phase approach for optimizing performance
By: Jack E. Edwards, John C. Scott, Nambury S. Raju.
Contributors: Scott, John C. 1955-; Raju, Nambury S.
Publisher: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint; Pfeiffer
Published: 2007
Place of publication: San Francisco
Language: eng
Number of pages: 263
ISBN-13: 9780787994877
Subjects: Personnel management -- Evaluation; Human capital -- Management
Table of contents: title: Overview: human resources (HR) program evaluation; title: Chapter objectives; title: Use the approach that best addresses your HR program evaluation's objectives; title: Use goals-based evaluations to focus on program objectives; title: Use process-based evaluations to focus on workflow and procedures; title: Use outcome-based evaluations to focus on results; title: Integrate ongoing and periodic program evaluations into the operation of hr programs; title: Enhance HR program performance through formative program evaluation; title: Enhance HR program performance through periodic summative program evaluation; title: Consider our general philosophy of HR program evaluation; title: Be prepared to address potential excuses for not conducting an HR program evaluation; title: Potential excuse 1: the resources required to conduct a program evaluation are better spent on administering the program; title: Potential excuse 2: program effectiveness is impossible to measure; title: Potential excuse 3: there are too many variables to do a good study; title: Potential excuse 4: no one is asking for an evaluation, so why bother?; title: Potential excuse 5: "negative" results will hurt my program; title: A look at how the remainder of the book is organized; title: Phase 1: identify stakeholders, evaluators, and evaluation questions; title: Phase 2: plan the evaluation; title: Phase 3: collect data; title: Phase 4: analyze and interpret data; title: Phase 5: communicate findings and insights; title: Phase 6: utilize the results; title: Deviate from our approach when it makes sense for your evaluation; title: Phase 1: identify stakeholders, evaluators, and evaluation questions; title: Chapter objectives; title: Identify stakeholder groups; title: Decide on internal stakeholders first; title: Consider the perspectives of unions and their members; title: Don't forget that there are external stakeholder groups; title: Identify the evaluation team; title: Ask, "how big should the team be?"; title: Ask, "who should be on the team?"; title: Ask, "who should lead the evaluation team?"; title: Ask, "should the evaluation team write a charter?"; title: Identify evaluation questions; title: Determine types of evaluation questions that match the evaluation objectives; title: Develop and refine evaluation questions; title: Attend to desirable characteristics when selecting criterion measures; title: Conclusions; title: Phase 2: plan the evaluation; title: Chapter objectives; title: Determine the resources needed to conduct the evaluation; title: Develop a preliminary budget; title: Set milestones with dates making a commitment is hard to do; title: Lay out plans for data collection; title: Determine desirable attributes for the data that will be collected; title: Remind the team of all the sources and methods they might use; title: Decide whether pledges of anonymity or confidentiality will be needed; title: Avoid or minimize common data collection errors; title: Decide when a census or sample should be used; title: Identify the data analyses before the data are collected; title: Plan the procedures for supplying feedback; title: Enhance buy-in from top management; title: Provide an overview of the program evaluation plan; title: Prepare to defend the budget; title: Conclusions; title: Phase 3: collect data; title: Chapter objectives; title: Select optimum data collection methods and data sources; title: Use internal documents and files - current and historical; title: Gather internal and external perceptual data; title: Assess internal processes and procedural information; title: Utilize external documents and environmental scans; title: Don't forget other types of evaluation data; title: Use evaluation research designs that address practical constraints; title: Subgroup comparisons; title: Before-and-after comparisons; title: Time-series designs; title: Case studies; title: Enhance data quality during data collection; title: @fctx3:check for potential vested interests or biases; title: Document procedures and data; title: Match evaluators? skill sets to types of assignments; title: Pilot-test procedures and instruments; title: Train the data collectors; title: Obtain the same data with more than one method when resources permit; title: Verify the data; title: Beware of becoming sidetracked during data collection; title: Avoid excessive data collection; title: Monitor data collection schedules closely; title: Conclusions; title: Phase 4: analyze and interpret data; title: Chapter objectives; title: Create and modify a database; title: Design data codes; title: Design the database; title: Decide what, if anything, needs to be done about missing data; title: Take full advantage of descriptive statistics; title: Consider the many types of descriptive statistics available to the team; title: Look for opportunities to use descriptive statistics with qualitative data; title: Address additional concerns in deciding whether inferential statistics are appropriate; title: Balance the concerns for type I vs. type II error rates when using statistical tests; title: Determine whether you are really using the alpha level that you said you would use; title: Be clear in understanding what statistical significance is and is not.