Evaluating Employee Performance

Question 1

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 1

Forced-choice rating scale

Question 2

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

Answer 2

Performance appraisal

review

Question 3

The idea that organizations tend to promote good employees until they reach the level at which they are not competent—in other words, their highest level of incompetence

Answer 3

Peter Principle

Question 4

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

Answer 4

360-degree feedback

Question 5

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 5

Multiple-source feedback

Question 6

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

Answer 6

Rank order

Question 7

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

Answer 7

Paired comparison

Question 8

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

Answer 8

Forced distribution

method

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Quantity

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Quality

Question 11

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 11

Error

Question 12

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

Answer 12

Graphic rating scale

Question 13

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

Answer 13

Contamination

Question 14

A 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

Answer 14

Critical incidents

Question 15

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

Answer 15

Employee Performance

Record

Question 16

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

Answer 16

Distribution errors

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Leniency error

Question 18

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 18

Central tendency error

Question 19

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

Answer 19

Strictness error

Question 20

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 20

Assimilation

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Infrequent observation

Question 22

Perceived psychological pressure

Answer 22

Stress

Question 23

Feelings or emotion

Answer 23

Affect

Question 24

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 24

Employment-at-will

doctrine

Question 25

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

Answer 25

Employment-at-will

statements

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Progressive discipline