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Determining the presence of bias in the agent performance appraisal system of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service
The primary purpose of the study was to determine if bias was present in the 1982 performance appraisal process of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. More specifically, does sex, race, age or tenure of district directors or county Extension agent program leaders result in higher or lower performance scores. A job analysis (the Position Analysis Questionnaire) was first performed on the agriculture and home economics program leader positions to determine if inherent job differences could be the reason for differences in performance appraisal scores. Twelve program leaders were selected from each position by stratified random sample of all program leader positions in Texas. Program leaders were interviewed during November and December, 1983. The questionnaires were analyzed by Dr. R. C. Mecham, author of the PAQ. Sex, race, age, tenure and performance appraisal scores for all Extension program leaders in Texas were collected from Texas Agricultural Extension Service personnel files in September, 1983. A final data set included 395 program leaders. Sex, race, age and tenure variables were also collected for 28 district directors. Collected data were analyzed using the following methods: (1) frequency distributions were obtained for program leaders and district directors in various sex, race, age and tenure categories; (2) analysis of variance tests were run on all data to determine if statistically significant differences existed among the performance scores of program leaders and district directors; (3) interactions from multiple regressions were examined for significant relationships. Results of the job analysis indicated the home economics program leader position and the agriculture program leader position were very similar with a correlation coefficient of .89. No significant interactions were found between district directors and program leaders indicating that systematic sex, race, age or tenure bias does not exist in the performance appraisal process of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. However, significant main effect relationships were found for employee sex, race and tenure; and for district director age and tenure.
"Major subject: Adult and Extension Education."
Ph. D. in Philosophy Texas A & M University 1984
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-81).