Sondage auprès des fonctionnaires fédéraux : Synthèse des contributions canadiennes à la recherche

For about twenty years, Public Administration scholars have used the data from the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) for their research. Two studies evaluated the uses of data, measurement models and internal validity of the U.S. government’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), and none on the use of PSES data. The article reviews studies that used Canadian PSES data to promote social science research and seeks to stimulate discussion of PSES's future and opportunities for strategic human resources research in Canada. [The table most useful for researchers is available here in English: Table 3. Aggregation of PSES Elements Assigned to Theoretical Constructs.]     

Volatilité dans l'utilisation des indicateurs de performance municipale : Bilan et nouvelle perspective d'analyse

The provinces and cities in Canada, like in several other countries, are studying the indicators of municipal performance with a renewed interest. Based on a review of published studies, this article expands on the existing literature in two areas. It establishes a record of their use, taking into account the diversity of indicators used. It proposes also an analytical framework of the local, political and administrative interface that helps in the understanding of the variability and the volatility in the various uses of indicators. This new perspective allows a better understanding of the reason why the use of performance indicators by elected officials and administrators is limited.     

Performance management in a benchmarking regime: Quebec's municipal management indicators

We study the occurrence of performance management in a provincially mandated, yet flexible, municipal performance regime in Quebec. Statistical analyses of the determinants of general, management, budgeting and reporting uses of performance information are performed for 321 municipalities. We combined perception data of uses and internal characteristics with archival data on socioeconomic and political characteristics and performance of municipal services. Our results reveal that the propensity of using performance information is not affected by operating in a small municipality or evolving in a hotly disputed political environment. The strongest predictors of performance management are performance and managerial attitudes facing performance measurement.     

The German Enquete Commission on Sects: Political Conflicts and Compromises

This paper deals with the enquete commission on sects and cults established by the German Budestag (Federal Parliament) from 1996 to 1998. The author, who was appointed as an expert member of the commission, explains the public pressure leading to its establishment and the political considerations restricting its work. Although the majority of the commission was convinced of the harmful nature of cults, it was not possible to find any evidence of unlawful activites. Scientific research authorized by the commission modified the prevailing view of the dangerous influence of new religious movements. The final report of the commission is a political compromise denying any danger to the State and society posed by cults, but at the same time it demands new legislation to deal with them.     

Psychosocial adjustment and psychopathology of men sexually abused during childhood

The purpose of this study was to evaluate psychosocial adjustment and psychopathology among men sexually abused during their childhood and arrive at a better understanding of the reasons for which, following such sexual experiences, some adult males manifest greater distress than others. In total, 64 participants were interviewed and completed eight questionnaires covering various aspects of childhood and adult life. Results suggest the existence of three types of sexual abuse scenarios. Participants in each of these three groups presented with an adult-specific adjustment. However, the methodology and multivariate analyses used in this study suggest that some of these problems were not only associated with the sexual contacts but also with other childhood experiences and with the participant's cognitive, affective, and psychological resources.