Salary Adjustments Research Articles

Four-Year Turfgrass Management Programs in the United States: I. Structure, Requirements, Needs, and Future Outlook

Although many agronomy, horticulture, and related plant biology departments at 4-yr institutions offer specialized programs in turfgrass management, little comparative information is available on these programs. A survey of 32 land-grant institutions was conducted to determine structure, course requirements, needs, and future directions of 4-yr turfgrass management programs in the USA. Overall response was 100%. The greatest concentration of courses normally taken by turf students was in the applied sciences including entomology, plant pathology, soils, and weed science. Respondents indicated that 97% of students took inorganic and 88% organic chemistry. Although the lack of business skills was considered the primary deficiency of graduating students, business-related courses were taken less frequently than courses in math, basic science, and applied science. Lack of funding, teaching faculty, and support staff were considered the greatest limiting factors to success of turfgrass teaching programs. The greatest challenge facing turfgrass education over the next decade was believed to be attracting sufficient numbers of qualified students. Seventy-seven percent of respondents indicated that their efforts in teaching did not receive as much consideration as comparable efforts in research and extension in terms of tenure, promotion, and salary adjustments.

Rethinking Performance Appraisal

The task of assessing the job performance of their staff is one of the least-likedtasks that managers can be asked to carry out each year. Despite significantinvestments by most large and many medium-sized organizations in developingperformance appraisal systems, the appraisal process rarely seems to deliver thepromised improvements in communication, employee motivation and jobperformance. This paper examines the confused nature of the 'overallperformance' rating that typically is the culmination of the appraisal processand the basis for determining salary adjustments and other rewards. It is arguedthat appraisal systems are more likely to deliver their promised benefits if theyfocus upon assessing the extent to which managers, subordinates and othersare initiating and implementing actions that enhance individual capacity andmotivation (i.e. potential') and the opportunities and support available in thejob for individuals to fully realize theirpotential to contribute to strategic objectives(i. e. job 'scope').

Impact of Biotechnology on the Future Training of Plant Breeders in the United States and Bulgaria

A worthy goal of graduate training programs is the preparation of students for meeting the diverse job requirements they may face in future professional positions in universities, industry, governmental research positions, or in international programs. Most future university plant breeders will have diverse job responsibilities including teaching, supervision of graduate students, breeding and genetic research, and—in many cases—leadership of applied plant breeding programs. In industry and in research institutes, applied plant breeding will be the major responsibility. Field-nursery effort must be given high priority in breeding/genetic research and in applied breeding programs. Students must receive hands-on training in nursery layout and mechanics, trait evaluation, choice of parents, experimental design and data analysis, project management, and the “art” of plant breeding. Just as we have required our students to possess knowledge of computer and software utilization so that they are able to communicate effectively with specialists in those fields, they now must possess knowledge about molecular genetics and those associated biotechnologies which may become useful tools in a plant breeder's repertoire. If cultivar development is a part of the position description, along with teaching, supervision of graduate students, and research, it is probably unrealistic to expect a major thrust in laboratory—oriented molecular technologies. C'op-oriented, multi-disciplinary teams offer one option for achieving maximum progress from the integration of complementary professional interests and skills of team members while allowing realistic work-load assignments, job responsibilities, performance expectations, and recognition of achievements in the form of promotion and salary adjustments.

Nonmanagerial Performance Appraisal Practices in Large American Cities

Public personnel management in the United States is a massive enterprise. Governmental employment at all levels in the U.S. federal system totals approximately 16 million workers. Roughly, 82 percent of these civil servants work at the state and local levels, and over 2.4 million are employed by city governments.' To manage human resources, personnel administrators rely on several managerial processes, including position classification, recruitment, selection, compensation, organizational development/training, and performance appraisal. In many respects the latter process, performance appraisal, is inextricably linked to all other personnel functions. For instance, after jobs have been described and classified, the degree to which employees perform requisite duties must be measured. Similarly, performance appraisal is often used to validate selection criteria used in recruitment as well as to aid in organizational development/training activities. With respect to compensation and disciplinary decisions, Tyer notes that performance appraisal is used: (1) as an aid in making annual salary adjustments; (2) to assist in identifying employees capable of being promoted; and (3) to justify adverse personnel actions such as demotions and dismissals.2 The centrality of performance appraisal to personnel administration is illustrated by the extensive literature on the topic.3 Few studies, however, have attempted to analyze the use of performance evaluation systems across city governments. Research by Lacho, Stearns, and Villere4 and by Ammons and Rodriguez' are exceptions. In 1979, the former group of scholars summarized their findings concerning the characteristics of performance evaluation systems for 50 of the 60 largest U.S. cities. More recently (1986), Ammons and Rodriguez report on their examination of the appraisal practices employed to evaluate the performance of upper management employees in 122 medium and large American cities. The purpose of the present study is twofold: (1) to update and extend the city coverage of the Lacho et al. study and (2) to replicate and extend Ammons' and Rodriguez's study by analyzing appraisal practices used to evaluate nonmanagerial city employees in large cities. This research note should be viewed as a companion piece to the study by Ammons and Rodriguez. The survey instrument used in the Ammons and Rodriguez study was secured from them and modified, where ap* This article summarizes findings of a survey of nonmanagerial performance appraisal practices in large U.S. cities. It replicates and extends earlier research by Ammons and Rodriguez (1986) reported in this journal that examined upper management performance appraisal practices. Topics discussed include prevalence of formal evaluation systems, types of appraisal techniques used, objectives of evaluation efforts, and appraisal frequency, satisfaction, and time allocation. The impact of city size (i.e., number of municipal employees) and form of government on appraisal practices are also analyzed. Findings suggest that major differences exist between nonmanagerial and managerial performance appraisal practices.

Can Students' Ratings of Instruction Serve Rival Purposes?

For nearly fifty years students' ratings of instruction have been used to make decisions about teachers and teaching, yet reasonable people can be found today on opposing sides of fundamental issues. Questions most likely at issue are those pertaining to the validity of ratings, and the most frequently heard answers are those carefully couched in terms of evaluative purpose. The two purposes usually cited, one formative and the other summative, often conflict, as illustrated by the rival needs of faculty who use students' ratings to diagnose instructional strengths and weaknesses, and of administrators who must recommend promotion, tenure, or salary adjustments. Historically those two sets of needs have not been met by a single, standardized rating form. To satisfy formative needs, faculty require the freedom to select evaluative criteria to match the settings, goals, and strategies of instruction. But for summative purposes, administrators prefer to use standardized measures that can be applied uniformly to all teachers and their courses. Thus, issues of validity are confounded by conflicts of purpose. It is possible, perhaps even desirable, to base summative judgments on diagnostic information, so that some information is disregarded, while other data are elevated. However, nobody much wants that responsibility, since conclusions about teaching effectiveness could easily favor one particular style or strategy to the detriment of others. For these reasons most administrators and many faculty tend to use information from stan-

Pay, rank, and growing old with more of each

Factors which comprise the bases for salary increases and adjustments at major research universities have long been topics of conversation and supposition. Based on responses from over 12,000 faculty members, this paper reviews, by faculty rank, items which are likely to contribute to salary and suggests that faculty members can follow certain strategies which are more likely than others to bring a financial reward. Research procedures employed include linear models and multiple regression.

Comparison of medical care in nurse clinician and physician clinics in medical school affiliated hospitals

1. 1. A nurse clinician program for the supervision of a large urban diabetic population, based on a 6-week intensive curriculum plus weekly continuing education, has been described. 2. 2. The quality of medical care was compared between the nurse clinician program and the traditional physician house staff system and was found to be equivalent as measured by biochemical parameters, mortality, and morbidity. 3. 3. Advantages of a nurse clinician program include greater continuity of care, more emphasis on preventive medicine (education during clinic visits, telephone calls for non-emergent problems), and decreased multiple clinic visits. An unexpected and very valuable asset of the program was the provision of medical supervision by the individual nurse clinicians in surgical (orthopedic) clinics. Disadvantages include recruitment, training, and adequate remuneration for staff ∗2 ∗2 See previous footnote re salary adjustments. .

Interrelationships among instructional effectiveness, publication record, and monetary reward

Measures of teaching effectiveness, scholarly publication, and average salary adjustments were interrelated for a sample of 222 experienced college teachers. A moderate relationship was found between scholarly productivity and salary increases, and a more modest relationship existed between teaching effectiveness and salary. Scholarly publication and teaching effectiveness were independent, however.

EXTENSION ECONOMICS—THE NEXT TEN YEARS1

SummaryIn summary, let me emphasize a few highlights of the subject—Extension Economics—the next ten years. Changing farm problems will require major adjustments by agriculture and its advisors. Structural reform in farming and marketing arrangements of one kind or another will lead these adjustments. Clientele of extension economists will include producers (in two basic groups), agri‐business, non‐agricultural rural residents and consumers. Our approach should be on the basis of educators and we must keep up‐to‐date in the teaching methods and media used. Agricultural extension could logically become the center for a new broad program of continuing adult education. Subject matter areas of concern to the economist must be broadened to actively include marketing, processing and public affairs. A sound program of physical and economic research must be provided as a companion to effective extension work. Greater collaboration is necessary—both ways. Personnel for extension economics will be forthcoming only if salary adjustments are made and university curricula revised to better train extension people. Extension economists must use care and diplomacy in their relationships with University, Federal and Provincial officials. We still have responsibility to more completely demonstrate the usefulness of our knowledge to other extension workers, administrators, and the farm public. Recognition must also be given to working closely with advisors in agri‐business and private consulting firms. Program evaluation, internal and external, are essential for a healthy program in extension economics.