Dissin' the Deadwood or Coddling the Incompetents? Patterns and Issues in Employee Discipline and Dismissal in the States.

Relying on several extensive databases, this study finds state employee dismissal rates to be low with many managers also complaining about discipline and dismissal processes as a management impediment. Although interstate variation was evident, extent of civil service coverage, the presence of collective bargaining, or past efforts to simplify dismissal processes had limited explanatory power, however. The implications of the findings for civil service reform and the adoption of at-will employment arrangements are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]