Implications of utility analysis adjustments for estimates of human resource intervention value

This paper argues that most utility analysis (UA) applications are flawed b ecause they employ an overly simplistic formula. This piece reviews the lit erature on UA adjustments and demonstrates that the adjustments have a larg e impact on resulting estimates. These results imply that human resources p rograms do not invariably yield positive returns; rather intervention succe ss is contingent on program-specific, organizational, and environmental fac tors. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.