CHAPTER 7: EVALUATING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

Question 1

the performance appraisal process

Answer 1

1. Determine the purpose of appraisal
2. Identify environmental and cultural limitations
3. Determine who will evaluate the performance
4. Select the best appraisal methods to accomplish goals
5. Train retainers
6. Observe and document performance
7. Evaluate Performance
8. Communicate appraisal results to employees
9. Make personnel decisions
10. Monitor the legality and fairness of the appraisal process

Question 2

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

Answer 2

Forced-choice rating scale

Question 3

Reason for Evaluating Employee Performance

Answer 3

Providing Employee Training and Feedback
Determining Salary Increases
Making Promotion Decisions
Making Termination Decisions
Conducting Personnel Research

Question 4

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

Answer 4

Performance appraisal review

Question 5

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

Answer 5

360-degree feedback

Question 6

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 6

Multiple-source feedback

Question 7

the most common source of performance appraisal

Answer 7

Supervisors

Question 8

come from employees who work directly with an employee. they see the actual behavior

Answer 8

Peers

Question 9

also called upward feedback

Answer 9

Subordinate feedback

Question 10

provide feedback on employee performance byfiling complaints or complimenting a manager about one of her employees

Answer 10

Customers

Question 11

Allowing an employee to evaluate her own behavior and performance

Answer 11

Self-Appraisal

Question 12

Prior to developing the actual performance appraisal instrument, two important decisions must be made, which are?

Answer 12

the focus of the performance appraisal dimensions and whether to use rankings or ratings.

Question 13

Four Ways to Focus Performance Dimensions

Answer 13

Competency focus (Skills)
Task Focus
Goal Focus
Trait Focus

Question 14

concentrates on such employee attributes as dependability, honesty, and courtesy.

Answer 14

Trait-Focused Performance Dimensions

Question 15

concentrate on the employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities

Answer 15

Competency-Focused Performance Dimensions

Question 16

organized by the similarity of tasks that are performed

Answer 16

Task-Focused Performance Dimensions

Question 17

to organize the appraisal on the basis of goals to be accomplished by the employee

Answer 17

Goal-Focused Performance Dimensions

Question 18

the effort an employee makes to get along with peers, improve the organization, and perform tasks that are needed but are not necessarily an official part of the employee’s job description.

Answer 18

contextual performance

Question 19

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

Answer 19

Rank order

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Paired comparison

Question 21

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

Also called “rank and yank,”

Answer 21

Forced distribution method

Question 22

Common types of objective measures include

Answer 22

quantity of work, quality of work, attendance, and safety.

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Quantity

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Quality

Question 25

Deviation from a standard of quality; also a type of response to communication overload that involves processing all information but processing some of it incorrectly

Answer 25

Error

Question 26

A common method for objectively measuring one aspect of an employee’s performance is

Answer 26

Attendance

Question 27

A method of performance appraisal that involves rating employee performance on an interval or ratio scale.

Answer 27

Graphic rating scale

Question 28

consist of a list of behaviors, expectations, or results for each dimension. This list is used to force the supervisor to concentrate on the relevant behaviors that fall under a dimension.

Answer 28

behavioral checklists

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Contamination

Question 30

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

Answer 30

Frame-of-reference training

Question 31

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.

examples of excellent and poor employee performance.

Answer 31

Critical incidents

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Employee Performance Record

Question 33

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

Answer 33

Distribution errors

Question 34

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

Answer 34

Leniency error

Question 35

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

Answer 35

Central tendency error

Question 36

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

Answer 36

Strictness error

Question 37

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

For example, a teacher might think that a student is highly creative. Because of that, the teacher might rate the student as being intelligent and industrious when, in fact, the student’s grades are below average.

Answer 37

halo error

Question 38

occur when a rating made on one dimension affects the rating made on the dimension that immediately follows it on the rating scale.

Answer 38

Proximity errors

Question 39

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 39

Assimilation

Question 40

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

Answer 40

Infrequent observation

Question 41

Prior to the Interview

Answer 41

allocate time
Schedule the interview
Prepare for the interview

Question 42

Once the employee and supervisor are feeling as comfortable as they are going to get, the supervisor should communicate the following:

Answer 42

(1) the role of performance appraisal—that making decisions about salary increases and terminations is not its only purpose;

(2) how the performance appraisal was conducted;

(3) how the evaluation process was accomplished;

(4) the expectation that the appraisal interview will be interactive; and

(5) the goal of understanding and improving performance.

Question 43

to attribute others’ failure or poor performance to personal rather than situational factors.

Answer 43

fundamental attribution error

Question 44

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 44

Employment-at-will doctrine

Question 45

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

Answer 45

Employment-at-will statements

Question 46

Legal reasons for terminating employees

Answer 46

Probationary Period
Violation of Company Rules
Inability to Perform
Reduction in Force (Layoff)

Question 47

Providing employees with punishments of increasing severity, as needed, in order to change behavior.

Answer 47

Progressive discipline