Psyc 334 Section 1 Performance Appraisals

Sitting on the fence

remain neutral about a decision ● don't rate person as overly good or bad

Multi-source feedback

● 360 ● use of ratings by subordinates, peers, supervisors, clients and self ● can help with perceptions of achievement and support ● multiple view points about each person rated -better statistical analysis ● should be used for specific purpose ● should ensure anonymity or accountability, depending on goals ● raters should receive training

Offering feedback

● Gottman: 5:1 pos to neg ● sometimes 3:1 ● feedback sandwich ● giving no feedback before task leads to best performance ● negative, pos pos feedback after task is most effective ● no "best way" ● have to understand with whom you're talking, who you are, what you're trying to say, what you're trying to achieve with convo

Rating scales

● all require cognitive processing -info can be easily contaminated if no redundancies in system ● graphic rating scale ● list behavioral terms, anchor them with numbers or line with pre-determined length to create discriminations ● behavioral observation ● computerized adaptive rating scale ● checklist ● comparisons or rankings between employees

Behavioral observation

● better designed for managers, supervisors, owners ● presence as an IO psychologist may change work dynamic -can have manager track behaviors you're interested in ● can ask for records to tracked behaviors like sick-days, late-days

Leniency

● can be detected by comparing several ratings made of the same target ● rater could like person ● rater wants to impress who they're rating, dont want to be negatively evaluated by them ● rater may want supervisors to believe that all is going good ● distortions could be conscious or not

Poorly designed PAs

● can erode employee commitment ● can trigger counterproductive behaviors ● employees can feel unfairly treated - could lower moral, impair motivation

Frame of reference training

● can increase accuracy of performance ratings ● work on observational and categorizing skills ● given examples of behaviors to code for, how to code them ● need to align performance goals with rater's awareness

Checklist

● check boxes when specific tasks are completed

Graphic rating scale

● graphic image used to symbolically represent the behaviors or attitudes one is measuring -ex happy, neutral, sad faces for degree of satisfaction responder feels towards job, family life balance, coworkers, ect

Performance appraisals and trust

● if employee believes process is fair, they trust organization is not putting their needs above employees

Biases in rating

● leniency ● central tendency ● severity bias ● halo error ● leniency pulls scores towards top ● central tendency and severity pull scores towards middle or bottom ● errors aren't in normal distribution

What are performance appraisals used for?

● promotions, terminations ● identifying employees' strengths and weaknesses ● document and validate courses of action in selection, placement, training ● good for defending grievances and lawsuits

Halo error

● rater's dendency to use global evaluations when making specific ratings

Reaction criteria

● reaction to the performance appraisal

Performance management

● regulation and shaping of employee behavior through goal setting, feedback, performance appraisals and developmental planning

Computerized adaptive rating scale

● responder's responses guide the direction the questionnaire takes ● ex short survey pops up after interaction at company website

Reactions

● responses from participants involved in performance appraisal ● 2 axes -affective: pos or neg -perceptions of justice: just or unjust

Performance Appraisal

● systematic review and evaluation of employee's job performance ● component of performance management

Organizational politics

● the use of power and influence in organizations ● associated with performance ● when basic psych needs met (related with others, feel like we're accomplishing something), organizational politics doesn't impair work performance

Social-psychological concepts to create more effect PA

● trust ● organizational politics ● multi-source feedback ● participation

Harsh feedback

● works well to motivate people in collectivist cultures ● could humble employees or set higher baseline so improvements could be made