Evaluitis - a New Illness (Evaluitis - Eine Neue Krankheit)

Abstract

"Evaluitis" - i.e. ex post assessments of organizations and persons - has become a rapidly spreading disease. In addition to the well-known costs imposed on evaluees and evaluators, additional significant costs are commonly disregarded: incentives are distorted, ossification is induced and the decision approach is wrongly conceived. As a result, evaluations are used too often and too intensively. A viable and often superior alternative to evaluations is a careful selection of persons and afterwards leaving them to pursue their assigned tasks.

Note: Downloadable document is in German.

Keywords: Evaluation, Performance, Selection, Research, Incentives

JEL Classification: D23, D61, H43, M40, M5