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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1976 Page Two Government Lags Behind Private Sector in Productivity Gains Productivity gains that have been achieved in this century by the American free enterprise ays- tem have not been matched in the public sector of the economy. This was the principal conclusion reached by the Utah Foundation, the private research organization in , 10 - A Mixed Blessing (continued from page 1) Subjects viewed two slides, shown simultaneously, of a male and female who were described as a married couple. While the slides remained on the screen, subjects were asked to indicate their judgment of each person by completing a questionnaire containing a series of evaluation scales. The scales measured three sets of information: personal characteristics, socioeconomic status, and future One curious finding was that female subjects perceived the attractive husband-attractivwife couple as the most happily married. The psychologists confirmed the hypothesis that the level of physical attractiveness of spouses who are dissimilar in attractiveness . . . affects their evaluation by others. Specifically, an unattractive male married to an attractive female was evaluated as having the highest income, occupational status, and most professional success, whereas an attractive male married to an attractive female was evaluated lowest on these dimensions. In contrast, an unattractive female married to an attractive male was evaluated lowest on the three scales, whereas an attractive female married to an attractive male was evaluated hithest on these scales. and Saxe, their most importAccording to Bar-Te, al ant finding was that attractiveness operates differentially for males and females. Thus, the evaluation of males on most dimensions depended on the attractiveness of their female spouses. They explain the difference in terms of the need to explain the partners in a marriage must offer each relationship other enough rewards to make each other remain in the relationship. Assuming that there must be equity in a relationship, the subjects inferred that certain unattractive males possessed high valued characteristics. This principle of exchange does not seem to hold true for the female partner: an attractive female will not gain from association with an attractive male. The researchers suggest that vestiges of traditional sex role stereotypes are alive and well, and physical attractiveness appears to serve as an important external cue indicating the extent to which a female can successfully fulfill her traditional sex role. For a male, physical attractiveness is not related to his traditional role i.e., occupational success. In addition, an attractive male who has an attractive spouse was evaluated as lowest on the scales assessing According to the report, longproductivity gains by private in the United States have and 3 pe averaged between 2V services and pro- The goods year. duced per workers today is nearly four times what it was fifty years Much of this productivity gain in the private sector has resulted technological advances and the increased use of capital. It has been this steady increse in produc- tivity that has allowed the typical American family to achieve an standard of living, government, on the other hand, a mmmnn measure of success for an agency is the ability to nhfnin budget and staff increases in order to expand the scope of its activities. The Foundation analysis notes that administrative salary . levels in government usually are by the number of per-sons supervised rather than by the efficiency of the agency operations, Officials who do achieve economies in their operations through good practices often find and position in influence their government hierarchy have diminished rather than en- hanced by such action. Foundation analysts ' point out that the number one hindance to productivity in govern- ment is the absence of the profit motive. In private industry, profits are the spur that prompt managers to seek economies in cost and improvements in the products and services being produced. The report lists other impedi- ments to improvement in govern- ment productivity. These include (l)oppositkn to chan the 0r"' and oaer; pubhc employ that 2) civil service mediocn y y times promote individual courging the monopobstic chardw of govand eminent, (4 constitutional statutory restraints, and (5) pu apathy and indifference. The greatest opportunity for im- proved government productivity, according to the Foundation study, lies in strengthened management, In addition, the report suggests that the management team be given the basic tools of goodplamung, budgetmanagement ing, reporting, and auditing. .Other suggestions for improving government productivity, as outlined in the report, include (1) better evaluation to determine agency staffing requirements, (2) greater use of technological n velopments in governmental opera-Iwith tions, and (3) contracting private concerns for services in certain instances. Utah recently took steps to improve the information on which management decisions involving government are made. Under new legislation, the Utah Legislative Auditor General has been charged with the responsibility of determin- ing whether state programs are run in an efficient and effective man- ner and if they have been tive in accomplishing intended uni-th- e jectives. In addition, a new form system of budgeting, account-bee- n ing, and reporting being developed by the State Auditor's Office for local units should provide cities and counties with needed data on which better management decisions can be made, effec-manageme- I The eleventh president of West-. minster College. Dr. Helmut Hof-maim. will be inaugurated at a vention in Malmstrom y theater Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. Hofmann has been president since July 1. He served as academic vice president for three years. Dr. Terrel H. Bell, Utah comnussioner of higher educa-agtion will be the speaker. New faculty members will be intro-froduced. Classes will begin the same con-ter- m amphi-industr- o. v . . because the Building and Housing Services Department was charged with the task of suggesting code requirements and then hearing peals from persons who disagreed with them, nt Residents of the Rose Canyon . Institute. Some very important proposals did make am will be allowed to keep but have not yet. been enacted. All bills, s& UbS however, Will carry over into the second session which Planning Zoning Commission approved the request this week. probably will open in mid January, 1976. Despite minimum consideration of specific bills, Congress somewhat redeemed itself with a senes of residents still must file individual oversight hearings aimed at speeding up established environmental impact statements programs. There were also small gains in appropria- tions. located in the foothills of the Mountains near Camp Congress held oversight hearings on the National Wildlife Refuge System during 1975. The deteriorat- - Wmiams -- ing conditions of that program were exposed publicly. Apparently for the first time, Congress and many previously unconcerned conservation organizations began to recognize the problem. ovfrlTrhlririetl,Were . s6o 4 . Wolthuis has been serving as depu-ty to Max Friedersdorf, assistant to the President for Legislative fairs. Before that Wolthuis was deputy assistant secretary of de-- i fense for legislative affairs, dealing with the U.S. Senate. Wolthuis is a of Weber State College, The Veteran, Administration graduate of Utah and Johns herithcare system provides care in t,e University 171 hospitals, 213 outpatient Hopkins University. clinics, 85 nursing homes and 18 domicilianes. dial Legislation directly affecting natural resources moved slowly during the first session of the 94th Congress, according to the Wildlife Management GRAPEVINE ob-th- at the SUbjeCt ?f Slow progress m implementing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was the main area of concern Responsibility was returned to Congress and the Administration for failing to provide the money and manpower needed to carry out and income, intelligence, education, occupational the Acts directives. status. However, attractive females married to attractive spouses were evaluated highest on these scales. Given the need for people to explain relationships, a male in an attractive-attractiv- e relationship did not require the inference of any special characteristics. People assume that it is natural for such a relationship to exist, and thus evaluations are based only on the physical attractiveness stereotype, which is stronger for females than for males. Resources And Congress LEASED Where thousands of listeners enjoy concert music and news every day f cS?!d m h uk. this week st paying a $667 bill submitted by the County Ms. -- 25 at the GOP nominating convention held June 20 Skyline STwfc? A rfta'S auditorium; $149 for programs, 57 for delesate badges, and of Comgressional authorization funds for public works construction to projects has sent city employes on the drafting boards for ideas what projects Salt Lake City might undertake. Jess A. Agraz, Streets Commissioner said this week the proposed law could make thousands of dollars available for Utah projects. The application must be made quickly for public works grants Agraz said, because municapahties would have only 60 to 90 days Jo apget projects under way after tne proval. Agraz said among used projects, the money could be for sewage treatment, storm dram, lighting, police and fire stations, anJ liiflfkiirivi streets Sflfl |