10 - Performance Management and Feedback

True

T or F? An effective performance management process can be conceptualized as one that connects three time periods: past performance to set goals, plans, and objectives for the present that should result in high levels of performance in the future.

strategic objectives

The most important concern in designing a performance management system is its fit with the organization's ___________

immediate supervisor

Traditionally, performance evaluation was performed by the employee's ________

Appraisals, feedback

_______ often put employees in a defensive position, whereas ________ is usually perceived as more neutral and a process over which employees have some control and influence.

Stereotyping or personal bias

a bias that older workers are more resistant to change, less mentally agile, and less capable than younger workers of working longer hours

BOS

addresses the problem of inconsistent employee performance by measuring frequencies along the scale

Self-evaluations

allow employees to provide their own assessments and measures of their own performance

Critical incident measures

do not generally utilize a scale; the evaluator provides specific examples of the employee's critical behaviors or results—either outstanding or problematic— during the performance period

contrast error

employee's assessment is based on those being given to other employees

leniency or strictness error

employees are generally all rated well above the standards (making the supervisor look effective and/or attempting to appease employees) or well below the standards (making the supervisor look demanding)

Results-based measures

focus on specific accomplishments or direct outcomes of an employee's work, and might include measures of number of units sold, divisional profitability, cost reduction, efficiency, or quality

Traits-based measures

focus on the general abilities and characteristics of the employee, such as loyalty to the organization, industriousness, and gregariousness

Behavior-based measures

focus on what an employee does by examining specific behaviors of the employee, might include the employee's ability to get along with others, punctuality, willingness to take initiative, and ability to meet deadlines

Halo effect

if an employee is often late for work, that fact may impact ratings having nothing to do with tardiness

performance appraisal and performance evaluation

imply a one-sided judgmental approach to performance management, where employees have little involvement in the process

Relative measures

involve slotting employees into categories, such as the top 10 percent of the employees in the work unit receiving an overall outstanding evaluation

Feedback

involves a mutual exchange of information that both parties share, discuss, and jointly assess in planning future work activities

Performance appraisal

involves hierarchical, downward communication from supervisor to subordinate concerning the value the supervisor places on the subordinate's performance

Forced ranking

involves placing employees into clusters or groupings based on a distribution schema

Graphic rating scales

one of the most widely used assessment and feedback devices; involve a scale that gives the evaluator the performance measures for traits, behaviors, or results

multirater systems or 360-degree feedback systems

performance management systems that solicit the input and advice of others besides the immediate supervisor

Competencies

provide a more critical measure of performance—as well as more valuable feedback for employees in their careers

Weighted checklists

provide the evaluator with specific criteria on which performance is to be assessed and ask the evaluator to check those criteria that apply to the employee; the different dimensions have an equivalent point based on their importance to the organization

Traditional performance appraisal

simply involves evaluative supervisory comments on past performance and does not involve any kind of management

regency error

the evaluation is biased toward events and behaviors that happened immediately prior to the time the evaluation is completed, with little or no consideration given to events occurring earlier in the evaluation period

central tendency error

the evaluator avoids the higher and lower ends of performance assessment ratings in favor of placing all employees at or near the middle of the scales

BARS

the evaluator is given specific descriptions of behaviors along a numerically rated scale and is asked to select the behavior that most corresponds to the employee's performance for the time period being evaluated

Culture

the most important concern in providing performance-related feedback is its fit with the organization's _________

halo effect

the rater allows one positive or negative trait, outcome, or consideration to influence other measures

stereotyping or personal bias

the rater makes performance judgments based on characteristics of the employee rather than on employee performance

customers

they can provide the feedback that is most free from bias

management by objectives (MBO)

this process involves having the employee meet with his or her immediate supervisor prior to the time period for which performance is to be assessed