Section Sixemphasis on quantitative evaluation measures can become
dysfunctional. This occurs when the focus on goals or objec-
tives, as operationalized in terms of such measures, does not
contribute to accomplishment of strategic goals. Changes in the
attitudes of an organization’s workforce also can provide a
partial indication of the effectiveness of the human resource
function. These indicators, although inherently more qualitative
than many other organizational characteristics, can be captured
in measures that allow them to be subjected to statistical
analysis.^17
Outcome and Process Criteria
A final evaluation issue is whether the criteria will involve
outcomes or processes. The distinction between the two types
of criteria is that outcomes are results or end products of work
while processes concern behaviors or how activities are
performed. An example of an outcome criterion might be
productivity ratios for a company’s workforce. In spite of the
appeal of their link to production activity, ease of
measurement, and objective nature, outcome or output criteria
are often contaminated by external factors unrelated to the
activity being evaluated.^18 For example, high turnover rates
could be more indicative of low unemployment rates in the local
labor market than weaknesses in a company’s selection or
compensation systems.