Chapter 7

Question 1

A method of performance ap- praisal in which a supervisor is given several behaviors and is forced to choose which of them is most typical of the employee.

Answer 1

Forced-choice rating scale

Question 2

A meeting between a supervisor and a subordinate for the purpose of discussing performance appraisal results.

Answer 2

Performance appraisal review

Question 3

The idea that organizations tend to promote good employees until they reach the level at which they are not competent—in other words, their highest level of incompetence.

Answer 3

Peter principle

Question 4

A performance appraisal system in which feedback is obtained from multiple sources such as super- visors, subordinates, and peers.

Answer 4

360-degree feedback

Question 5

A performance appraisal strategy in which an employee receives feedback from sources (e.g., clients, subordinates, peers) other than just his or her supervisor.

Answer 5

Multiple-source feedback

Question 6

an important component of 360-degree feedback, as subordinates can provide a very different view about a super- visor’s behavior.

Answer 6

Subordinate feedback (aka upward feedback)

Question 7

A method of performance appraisal in which employees are ranked from best to worst.

Answer 7

Rank order

Question 8

A form of ranking in which a group of employees to be ranked are compared one pair at a time.

Answer 8

Paired comparison

Question 9

A performance appraisal method in which a predetermined percentage of employees are placed into a number of performance categories.

Answer 9

Forced distribution method

Question 10

A type of objective criterion used to measure job performance by counting the number of relevant job behaviors that occur.

Answer 10

Quantity

Question 11

A type of objective criterion used to measure job performance by comparing a job behavior with a standard.

Answer 11

Quality

Question 12

Deviation from a standard of quality; also a type of re- sponse to communication over- load that involves processing all information but processing some of it incorrectly.

Answer 12

Error

Question 13

A method of performance apprai- sal that involves rating employee performance on an interval or ratio scale.

Answer 13

Graphic rating scale

Question 14

The condi- tion in which a criterion score is affected by things other than those under the control of
the employee.

Answer 14

Contamination

Question 15

A method of training
raters in which the rater is
provided with job-related infor-
mation, a chance to practice
ratings, examples of ratings
made by experts, and the
rationale behind the expert
ratings.

Answer 15

Frame-of-reference training

Question 16

A method of performance appraisal in which the supervisor records employee behaviors that were observed on the job and rates the employee on the basis of that record.

Answer 16

Critical incidents

Question 17

A standardized use of the critical-incident technique developed at General Motors.

Answer 17

Employee performance record

Question 18

Rating errors in which a rater will use only a certain part of a rating scale when evaluating employee performance.

Answer 18

Distribution errors

Question 19

A type of rating error in which a rater consistently gives all employees high ratings, regardless of their actual levels of performance.

Answer 19

Leniency error

Question 20

A type of rating error in which a rater consistently rates all em- ployees in the middle of the scale, regardless of their actual levels of performance.

Answer 20

Central tendency error

Question 21

A type of rating error in which a rater consistently gives all employees low ratings, regardless of their actual levels of performance.

Answer 21

Strictness error

Question 22

occurs when a rater allows either a single attribute or an overall impres- sion of an individual to affect the ratings that she makes on each relevant job dimen- sion.

Answer 22

Halo errors

Question 23

A type of rating error in which raters base their rating of an employee during one rating period on the ratings the rater gave during a previous period.

Answer 23

Assimilation

Question 24

The idea that supervisors do not see most of an employee’s behavior.

Answer 24

Infrequent observation

Question 25

Perceived psychological pressure.

Answer 25

Stress

Question 26

The opinion of courts in most states that employers have the right to hire and fire an employee at will and without any specific cause.

Answer 26

Employment-at-will doctrine

Question 27

Statements in employment applications and company manuals reaffirming an organization’s right to hire and fire at will.

Answer 27

Employment-at-will statements

Question 28

Providing employees with pun- ishments of increasing severity, as needed, in order to change behavior.

Answer 28

Progressive discipline