NCJ Number
68296
Date Published
1979
Length
23 pages
Annotation
PRACTICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS LIKELY TO OCCUR IN A TIME-STUDY ARE EXPLORED IN SEVERAL EXPERIMENTS WITH THE PROBATION AND PAROLE AGENCIES ASSOCIATION IN THE NETHERLANDS WITH A VIEW TOWARD POLICYMAKING.
Abstract
THE NATIONAL OFFICE OF THE PROBATION AND PAROLE AGENCIES ASSOCIATION (VVRI) NEEDED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE REHABILITATION TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN ORDER TO MAKE POLICIES AND DETERMINE CASELOADS. IN ADDITION, AN INSTRUMENT NEEDED TO BE DEVELOPED FOR COLLECTING TIME-STUDY DATA. SEVEN VOLUNTEER VVRI TEAMS KEPT TIME-SHEETS ON SPECIALLY DESIGNED FORMS; A RESEARCH WORKER STAYED WITHIN EACH TEAM FOR THE 4 WEEKS OF THE STUDY, MAKING OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE TEAM'S DAY-TO-DAY PROCEDURES AND HOLDING INTERVIEWS TO DISCUSS ANY PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH THE TIME-RECORDING HAD GONE WELL AND THE RESULTS WERE DEFINITELY RELIABLE, THE FORMS HAD A NUMBER OF DEFECTS. (E.G., TOO BIG TO TAKE OUTSIDE THE OFFICE, DIRECTED ONLY TO THE PRACTICAL SOCIAL WORKER IN ORDINARY PROBATION AND PAROLE WORK, CERTAIN DETAILS OVERLOOKED). AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD WAS THEN DEVISED USING SYSTEMATIC JOB ANALYSIS WHERE THE SAME TEAMS USED A NEW AND MORE DETAILED WORK-LIST, ASKING EMPLOYEES TO ESTIMATE HOW THEY ALLOCATED THEIR TIME TO EACH ACTIVITY. THE STUDY TEAMS FOUND THE LIST TO BE A VERY GOOD INSTRUMENT FOR OBTAINING A PICTURE OF THE WORK INVOLVED AND THE ALLOCATION OF TIME. HOWEVER, THERE WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE TO ESTIMATING HOW TIME WAS SPENT. MEMBERS OF THE TEAM STATED THAT RELIABILITY WAS ASSURED ONLY IF THEY HAD STARTED NOTING THEIR ACTIVITIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IN THEIR DIARIES SOME WEEKS BEFOREHAND. TWO ESSENTIAL PARTS OF REHABILITATION WORK, CONTACT WITH THE CLIENTS AND BACKGROUND REPORTING, APPEARED TO BE SOMEWHAT INFLATED, WITH THE SECOND METHOD SHOWING MORE TIME BEING ALLOCATED TO THIS WORK. THE THIRD AND DEFINITIVE METHOD THEREFORE USED THE DETAILED WORKLIST TOGETHER WITH PREPARATION IN THE FORM OF DAILY TIME-RECORDS, A METHOD THAT APPEARED TO WORK VERY WELL. OVERALL, THE STUDIES SHOWED THAT MOTIVATION AND COLLABORATION OF THE SUBJECTS ARE NEEDED, THAT THE JOB COMPONENTS MUST BE CAREFULLY DEFINED, AND THAT TIME-RECORDING IS NECESSARY. FURTHER, IF TIMES HAVE BEEN NOTED CHRONOLOGICALLY THEY WILL HAVE TO BE CONVERTED INTO SYSTEMATIC DATA, AND ACCOUNTS MUST BE TAKEN OF BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME WORKERS. NOTES ARE PROVIDED.