Survey needs internal context

The March 20 Gazette editorial asking to “Shine light on Iowa Public Radio” overlooks some important considerations. The Gazette requested results from “an employee culture survey.” I believe the results of such a survey must be considered privileged personnel information in any organization but especially in one that is public.

I am a sustaining member of Iowa Public Radio and I was also the director of institutional research at Kirkwood Community College for 15 years, where I conducted many such surveys.

The primary purpose of such a survey is to make administrative decisions about priorities for the allocation of scarce resources. It's natural to want to compare one department or function with another and “conclude” for example, that the building and grounds people are doing a better job than those from the printing department.

But unless one knows the details about previous allocation of resources, current infrastructure status, institutional goals and short and long-range plans, any such conclusions are inappropriate and potentially very harmful.

Tom Sabotta

Cedar Rapids