Implications of Utility Analysis Adjustments for Estimates of Human Resource Intervention Value

Abstract

This paper argues that most utility analysis (UA) applications are flawed because they employ an overly simplistic formula. This piece reviews the literature on UA adjustments and demonstrates that the adjustments have a large impact on resulting estimates. These results imply that human resources programs do not invariably yield positive returns; rather, intervention success is contingent on program-specific, organizational, and environmental factors.