HR Chapter 8

When a performance measure assesses all relevant aspects of performance, and only the relevant aspects of performance, that measure test is considered

valid

After a company has decided the kind of performance it expects from employees, it must develop

ways to measure performance

When is it appropriate to use customer evaluations of employee performance?

when the job involves direct service to the customer when the evaluations serve a strategic goal

The ______ approach to performance management involves managing objective measures of outcomes of a job or work group.

results

Performance management is crucial to

gaining competitive advantage

Social performance management, which uses systems like Facebook and Yammer to allow employees to quickly communicate with one another, is particularly valued by which generations?

Millennials Generation Z

Which of the following are questions managers should ask when analyzing poor employee performance?

Does the employee have the necessary resources to succeed? Does the employee know what is expected? Does the employee have the required skills and knowledge?

Which of the following statements about the process of performance management is true?

Effective performance management is a process.

Which of the following statements about the developmental purpose of performance management is true?

It is designed to develop employees and improve performance

Which of the following best defines performance management?

It is the process managers go through to make sure that employees' activities and outputs are aligned with the organization's goals.

What impact does praising effective performance have on an employee?

It reinforces positive performance behavior. It adds credibility to the feedback by showing that the manager is not just identifying performance problems. It provides accurate performance, both positive and negative.

Which of the following statements about managers as sources of performance information are true?

Managers have the ability to rate their employees. Managers know about their employees' job requirements.

Which of the following statements about peer evaluations is true?

Peer evaluations can be more motivating than managers' evaluations.

Which of the following statements about self-assessments is true?

Self-ratings used for administrative purposes are often inflated. Self-assessments give employees a chance to reflect on their accomplishments and weaknesses.

Which of the following statements about self-ratings are true?

The ratings should not be used as the sole source of performance information. Employees tend to inflate their ratings

Which of the following are potential conditions under which appraisal politics are more likely to take place?

There is a direct linkage between performance appraisal and highly desirable rewards. Raters are accountable in some way to the person being rated. There are competing goals

Which of the following statements about approaches to measuring performance is true?

There is no one best approach to measuring performance.

Due to the importance of effective performance management systems, many companies and organizations are training managers on how to provide feedback to employees.

True

Managers should consider which of the following aspects of an employee's job when they are considering ways to improve performance?

ability motivation

Donaldo just went through his performance evaluation. His manager gave him timely and complete feedback about areas needing improvement and training available to help him. Donaldo disagreed with his manager's assessment and decided not to make any changes to his work performance. Donaldo's reaction fits with which criterion of performance measure?

acceptability

Specificity is relevant to which of the following aspects of performance management?

achieving strategic goals employee development

Which of the following would be expected in a performance management system that is designed with a strong quality orientation?

an emphasis on cooperation in performance problem solving between managers and employees use of multiple sources in the evaluation of person and system factors involvement of both internal and external customers to set standards and measure performance

When an evaluator purposefully distorts a rating in order to achieve some company or personal goal, that rater is engaging in ______.

appraisal politics

The likely reason many managers doubt the effectiveness of performance appraisal systems is that

appraisal systems are rarely modified

Which of the following is the best use of self-ratings?

as a way for the employee to prepare for a performance feedback session

Before a performance management system is implemented, an organization must first decide whom to use

as the source of the performance measures

An approach to performance management that involves focusing on certain traits or characteristics possessed by individuals that are thought to be related to the company's success is known as the ______ approach.

attribute

Managers who attempt to define which behaviors employees have to exhibit in order to effectively complete their job are using the (blank) approach to performance management.

behavioral

Managers who attempt to define which behaviors employees have to exhibit in order to effectively complete their job are using the (blank) approach to performance management.

behavioral or BARS

Effective performance evaluations systems should measure

behaviors objectives

The acceptability of a performance measure is determined, in part, by the extent to which the employees

believe the performance management system is fair

What type of approach should managers use to work with employees to solve performance problems?

collaborative or problem-solving

Tran is a manager and must measure the performance of his employees. The method he uses requires him to analyze the performance of each employee against each other. Tran is using the ______ approach.

comparative

What are recommended ways of making a feedback discussion effective?

holding it in a neutral location setting up an open dialogue between a manager and his or her direct report having it serve as an opportunity to discuss the roles of the manager and the direct report

Mao Lin is a computer engineer. She has degrees in computer science and has worked in the field for two decades. Mao Lin is personable and hard working but also extremely knowledgeable. She is capable of overseeing projects and employees, is organized, and has the technical skills to understand both the big picture and the details. This description indicates that Mao Lin has

competencies

The various sets of skills, knowledge, abilities and personal characteristics associated with the successful performance of a job are known as

competencies

When a performance measure does not measure all aspects of performance, it is considered

deficient

Which of the following steps are part of the attribute approach?

defining a set of desired traits evaluating whether individuals posses certain desired traits

Managers are often evaluated by their employees. Employees who report to a manager are known as ______.

direct reports

Who of the following are primary sources of performance information of an employee?

direct reports customers self

Feedback sessions should focus not only on performance problems but on ______ as well.

effective performance

The best kind of performance feedback is the kind that ______

elicits positive behavioral responses

Once behaviors have been defined, the behavioral approach requires managers to assess how well

employees exhibit them

Employees should not be surprised by a formal evaluation if they are provided with frequent ______ from their managers.

feedback

Which of the following are the first two steps in the performance management process?

identify and develop performance measures for key performance dimensions. Identify the company's goals and objectives.

One developmental purpose of performance management is to

identify employee weaknesses for managers to use in providing feedback and coaching

Where should a manager hold a feedback session with a direct report?

in a neutral location

If two individuals give a person's job performance approximately the same evaluation, the performance measure has

interrater reliability

Natalia's role with her new team was to produce periodic reports on the team's progress. Her reports were not in the preferred format and lacked several standard components, but she was unaware she was doing anything wrong and instead thought she was doing a good job. Natalia received a poor performance evaluation as a result of her reports. Her poor performance in this case was likely due to ______.

lack of feedback

Managers should consider if employees want to do the job they're doing and if employees feel they are being appropriately compensated when determining an employees' ______.

level of motivation

Which of the following is the most frequently used source of performance information?

managers

Which of the following are examples of comparative approaches?

paired comparison ranking forced distribution

The performance management approach that involves a preventative approach to errors, continuous improvement, and a customer orientation is known as a(n) ______ approach.

quality

Consistency in performance and being free from random error is a measure of

reliability

Managers should work with employees to solve performance problems in an atmosphere of ______

respect encouragement

Systems like Yammer that allow employees to quickly exchange information, provide coaching, and receive recognition are referred to as ______.

social performance management

A performance measure that does a good job of telling employees what is expected of them and how to meet those expectations is said to have a high level of

specificity

Which of the following are important criteria for evaluating a performance management system?

specificity reliability acceptability

Job performance management systems that bring out job performance that is in line with the strategies, goals, and culture of the organization is said to have

strategic congruence

The results approach assumes that _______ can be eliminated from the process of measuring the results of a work group

subjectivity

Peer evaluations are particularly useful to management when

supervisors are not often able to observe the employee

Asking employees to complete a self-assessment before a feedback session encourages them to _____

think about their past performance think about their weaknesses participate fully in the feedback session

It is the manager's responsibility to give feedback to employees frequently, making employees aware of performance deficiencies before they ______.

turn into productivity loss

A performance appraisal process for managers that includes direct reports' evaluations is known as ______.

upward feedback