Abstract
One of the central problems with program evaluation is the general perception that results are not utilized as fully as possible in decision making processes. A variety of explanations for this shortcoming have been offered, but there has been little research and very little theorizing on the matter. The fact that a similar problem exists in a wide range of information exchange situations suggests that the source of the problem is not primarily methodological. This article draws on other research in order to characterize managerial behavior generally, and then draws some inferences as to how utilization would proceed and how it might be increased.