{"id":8747,"date":"2016-11-23T20:01:36","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T20:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/masterybusiness2xngcxmasterspring2016\/?post_type=chapter&p=8747"},"modified":"2019-01-05T01:41:57","modified_gmt":"2019-01-05T01:41:57","slug":"reading-performance-appraisals","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wmintrobusiness\/chapter\/reading-performance-appraisals\/","title":{"raw":"Reading: Performance Appraisals","rendered":"Reading: Performance Appraisals"},"content":{"raw":"\"Two<\/a>\r\n
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The Purpose of Performance Appraisals<\/h2>\r\nA performance appraisal<\/strong> (PA) or performance evaluation is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee's job performance and productivity, in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. Other aspects of individual employees are considered as well, such as organizational citizenship behavior, accomplishments, potential for future improvement, strengths, and weaknesses. A PA is typically conducted annually. However, the frequency of an evaluation, and policies concerning them, varies widely from workplace to workplace. Sometimes an evaluation will be given to a new employee when a probationary period ends, after which they may be conducted on a regular basis (such as every year).\u00a0Usually, the employee\u2019s supervisor (and frequently, a more senior manager) is responsible for evaluating the employee, and he or she does so by scheduling a private conference to discuss the evaluation. The interview functions as a way of providing feedback to employees, counseling and developing employees, and conveying and discussing compensation, job status, or disciplinary decisions.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nHistorically, performance appraisals have been used by companies for a range of purposes, including salary recommendations, promotion and layoff decisions, and training recommendations.[footnote]Kulik, 2004[\/footnote] In general, \u201cperformance elements tell employees what they have to do, and standards tell them how well they have to do it.\u201d[footnote]United States Department of the Interior, 2004[\/footnote] This broad definition, however, can allow for appraisals to be ineffective, even detrimental, to employee performance. \u201cSecond only to firing an employee, managers cite performance appraisal as the task they dislike the most,\u201d and employees generally have a similar feeling.[footnote]Heathfield, Performance Appraisals Don't Work[\/footnote] One key item that is often forgotten during the appraisal process (by managers and employees alike) is that the appraisal is for improvement, not blame or harsh criticism.[footnote]Bacal, 1999[\/footnote]\r\n

Developing\u00a0an Appropriate Appraisal Process<\/h2>\r\nOne significant problem in creating an appraisal process is that no single performance appraisal method will be perfect for every organization.[footnote]Kulik, 2004[\/footnote] Establishing an appropriate process involves significant planning and analysis in order to provide quality feedback to the employee. The most crucial task in the process is determining proper job dimensions that can be used to evaluate\u00a0the employee against accepted standards that affect the performance of the team, business unit, or company.[footnote]Fukami, Performance Appraisal, 2007[\/footnote] Peter Drucker developed a method termed \"Management by Objectives,\" or MBO, in order to address the need for\u00a0specifying such job\u00a0dimensions. Drucker suggests that objectives for any employee can be validated if they pass the following SMART\u00a0test:[footnote]Management by Objectives\u2014SMART, 2007[\/footnote]\r\n