"Pay for performance" has become a buzzword for the 1990s, as U.S. organizations seek ways to boost employee productivity. The new emphasis on performance appraisal and merit pay calls for a thorough examination of their effectiveness. Pay for Performance is the best resource to date on the issues of whether these concepts work and how they can be applied most effectively in the workplace.

This important book looks at performance appraisal and pay practices in the private sector and describes whether?and how?private industry experience is relevant to federal pay reform. It focuses on the needs of the federal government, exploring ... Read morehow the federal pay system evolved; available evidence on federal employee attitudes toward their work, their pay, and their reputation with the public; and the complicating and pervasive factor of politics.

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The History of Civil Service Reform
• 3 The Nature of the Evidence
• 4 Performance Appraisal: Definition, Measurement, and Application
• 5 Pay for Performance: Perspectives and Research
• 6 Private-Sector Practice and Perspectives
• 7 The Importance of Context
• 8 Findings and Conclusions
• References
• Appendix A: Survey Descriptions
• Appendix B: Biographical Sketches
• Index