Chapter 9

Question 1

Why appraisal performance?

Answer 1

1. Often pay increase, promotion,& retention decisions based on performance
2. Appraisals play central role in performance management
3. Opportunity to correct performance deficiencies
4. Facilitates career planning (motivation)
5. Identify training & development needs

Question 2

What is Performance management?

Answer 2

Identifying,measuring, and developing the performance of employees and aligning their performance with organizational goals

Question 3

Who should do the appraising?

Answer 3

Manager
Peers
Rating committees
Self-ratings 
Appraisal by subordinates 
360 degree feedback -supervisors, subordinates, peers, & customers

Question 4

Technique for appraising performance

Answer 4

Graphic rating scale - list traits or performance dimensions and range of performance values for each trait

• what 1 person perceives as avg or excellent may be different from what another person perceives it as
• this contributes to low validity, which matters b/c
  1. Wastes time & effort if technique isn’t meaningful
  2. Tied to economic results (pay raise, promotion)

Question 5

Other techniques for appraising performance

Answer 5

Alternation ranking
Paired comparison
Forced distribution
Critical incident -extreme negative behavior
Narrative forms
Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)
*As a manager, ranking allows you to identify the best & worst & those in b/w. Evaluating you relative to your coworkers.
In the Graphic Rating Scale, everyone can be a 5; evaluating you relative to the rating scale.

Question 6

Potential Appraisal Problems in Interviews

Answer 6

-unclear standards
-halo effect-1 trait is so dominant,it influences every other trait
-central tendency-tendency to use the middle numbers to evaluate (inv)
-leniency or strictness-don’t like to give low ratings(inv)
-recency effect-primarily use of low #s(inv)
-bias
(Inv)- invalid bc won’t do a good job of differentiating b/w the high and low performers

Question 7

Guidelines for effective appraisals

Answer 7

Know the problems
Use the right tools
Keep a diary
Check the validity of the appraisal method
Appraisals and the law

Question 8

Managing the appraisal interview: Types of appraisal interviews

Answer 8

Satisfactory-promotable
Satisfactory-not promotable
Unsatisfactory-correctable

Question 9

Managing the appraisal interview: How to conduct the appraisal interview

Answer 9

Rely on objective data
Don’t get personal
Be encouraging
Agreement on future performance