Ch 5 Performance Management

Question 1

What is performance management?

Answer 1

A system for improving individual performance that includes goal setting, coaching, appraisal, and development planning.

Question 2

What does objective goal setting involve?

Answer 2

Establishing clear, measurable, and achievable goals.

Question 3

What is continuous coaching and feedback?

Answer 3

Regular, ongoing interaction between supervisors and employees to guide and improve performance.

Question 4

What is performance appraisal?

Answer 4

Systematic evaluation of job performance, providing feedback, and identifying areas for improvement.

Question 5

What is development planning?

Answer 5

Creating a roadmap for professional growth and skill enhancement.

Question 6

What does the content of performance rating include?

Answer 6

Overall performance and performance dimensions.

Question 7

What is overall performance?

Answer 7

General assessment of an employee’s work.

Question 8

What are performance dimensions?

Answer 8

Specific aspects like task performance, Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), and Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB).

Question 9

Why are overall ratings less useful?

Answer 9

They provide less detailed feedback.

Question 10

Who are the primary sources of performance ratings?

Answer 10

Supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, suppliers, and 360-degree feedback.

Question 11

What is a common source of performance ratings?

Answer 11

Supervisors.

Question 12

How can peers contribute to performance ratings?

Answer 12

They are typically well-acquainted with day-to-day performance but can be biased by competition.

Question 13

What is the role of subordinates in performance ratings?

Answer 13

Useful for evaluating leadership skills; must maintain anonymity to ensure honesty.

Question 14

What insights can customers and suppliers provide?

Answer 14

Insights into customer-facing behaviors; limited to observable actions.

Question 15

What is 360-degree feedback?

Answer 15

Incorporates feedback from multiple sources including managers, peers, subordinates, and clients.

Question 16

What are the formats of performance ratings?

Answer 16

Trait-based, task-based, and behavior-based ratings.

Question 17

What are trait-based ratings?

Answer 17

Assess internal characteristics like intelligence or agreeableness.

Question 18

What do task-based ratings evaluate?

Answer 18

Performance on specific job tasks.

Question 19

What do behavior-based ratings focus on?

Answer 19

The frequency and quality of critical behaviors.

Question 20

What does BARS stand for?

Answer 20

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales.

Question 21

What is the process for developing BARS?

Answer 21

Identify key dimensions, generate behavioral examples, retranslate incidents, rate examples, and select items.

Question 22

What are employee comparison procedures?

Answer 22

Rank-ordering, paired comparisons, and forced distribution.

Question 23

What is rank-ordering used for?

Answer 23

Promotions.

Question 24

What is the forced distribution method?

Answer 24

Distributes ratings across a pre-defined scale, often leading to legal challenges.

Question 25

What are common biases affecting ratings?

Answer 25

Leniency, severity, central tendency, halo effect, recency/primacy effect, and similar-to-me effect.

Question 26

What is the leniency bias?

Answer 26

Rating too leniently.

Question 27

What is the severity bias?

Answer 27

Rating too harshly.

Question 28

What does central tendency bias refer to?

Answer 28

Avoiding extreme ratings.

Question 29

What is the halo effect?

Answer 29

One positive trait influencing all ratings.

Question 30

What is the recency/primacy effect?

Answer 30

Overemphasis on recent or first interactions.

Question 31

What is the similar-to-me effect?

Answer 31

Favoring those similar to the rater.

Question 32

What are the training techniques for raters?

Answer 32

Administrative training, psychometric training, and frame-of-reference training.

Question 33

What does effective feedback entail?

Answer 33

Specific and behavior-focused, constructive, and accepted by employees.

Question 34

What are the characteristics of legally sound performance appraisals?

Answer 34

Objective and job-related, clear communication and documentation, standardized procedures, appeal mechanisms, and multiple raters.

Question 35

What should appraisals be based on?

Answer 35

Behaviors rather than traits.

Question 36

Why is documentation important in performance appraisals?

Answer 36

Criteria and results should be clearly communicated and documented.

Question 37

What does standardized procedures ensure?

Answer 37

Consistency and uniformity for all employees within a job group.

Question 38

What is the importance of multiple raters?

Answer 38

Ensures fairness.