U.S. Army officer perceptions of the new OER (DA Form 67-8)

Abstract

The U.S. Army has long been trying to develop a performance appraisal system which allows selection boards at Department of the Army to discriminate among officers (for promotion, schooling, and assignments), while also providing for the professional development and counseling of these officers. The current Army Officer Evaluation Report (DA Form 67-8), which was adopted in November 1979, is largely based upon the concepts of management by objectives (MBO). In order to determine the perceptions of Army officers in the field concerning this OER, a sample of officers in the grades of 0-3, 0-4, and 0-5 from three Army installations in central California was surveyed by the authors. The results of this survey show a high general level of support for keeping the present OER, even though specific problem areas do exist where the perceptions of the officers surveyed differ significantly from published official statements and policy.