Employee Performance Chapter 6

Question 1

What is the purpose of performance appraisals for the employer?

Answer 1

To make administrative decisions (promotions, raises, terminations) and ensure legal compliance.

Question 2

What is the purpose of performance appraisals for the supervisor?

Answer 2

To provide structured evaluations, feedback, and identify training needs.

Question 3

What is the purpose of performance appraisals for the worker?

Answer 3

To receive feedback, guide career development, and gain recognition.

Question 4

What is criterion relevance?

Answer 4

How well performance criteria reflect actual job performance.

Question 5

What is criterion usefulness?

Answer 5

Whether the performance measure is practical and helpful for decision-making.

Question 6

What is criterion contamination?

Answer 6

When outside factors influence scores that are unrelated to job performance.

Question 7

What is criterion deficiency?

Answer 7

When important aspects of the job are not included in the performance measure.

Question 8

Objective vs. Subjective criteria – what’s the difference?

Answer 8

Objective = measurable outcomes (sales, output). Subjective = ratings/judgments (teamwork, leadership).

Question 9

What is the most common source of performance appraisals?

Answer 9

Supervisor appraisals.

Question 10

What is the strength and weakness of self-appraisals?

Answer 10

Strength = encourages self-reflection. Weakness = inflated ratings, less objective.

Question 11

What is the strength and weakness of peer appraisals?

Answer 11

Strength = insight into teamwork. Weakness = influenced by friendships/rivalries.

Question 12

What is the strength and weakness of subordinate appraisals?

Answer 12

Strength = upward feedback on leadership. Weakness = employees may fear retaliation.

Question 13

What is the strength and weakness of customer appraisals?

Answer 13

Strength = useful in service jobs. Weakness = customer bias can distort results.

Question 14

What is 360-degree feedback?

Answer 14

Combining multiple sources (supervisor, peers, subordinates, customers, self).

Question 15

What is the ranking method of performance appraisal?

Answer 15

Employees are ordered from best to worst.

Question 16

What is the paired comparison method?

Answer 16

Each employee is compared directly with every other employee.

Question 17

What is the forced distribution method?

Answer 17

Employees are placed into fixed categories (e.g., top 20%, bottom 10%).

Question 18

What is leniency error?

Answer 18

Rating all employees too high.

Question 19

What is severity error?

Answer 19

Rating all employees too low.

Question 20

What is central tendency error?

Answer 20

Rating everyone as “average.”

Question 21

What is the halo effect?

Answer 21

Letting one positive trait influence all ratings.

Question 22

What is the recency effect?

Answer 22

Overweighting recent performance over the entire period.

Question 23

What is causal attribution bias?

Answer 23

Misjudging the cause of performance (blaming personal flaws instead of situational factors).

Question 24

What is the actor-observer bias in appraisals?

Answer 24

Raters blame others’ failures on traits, but excuse their own as situational.

Question 25

What are personal biases in appraisals?

Answer 25

Ratings influenced by stereotypes (gender, race, age).

Question 26

What role do cross-cultural differences play in appraisals?

Answer 26

Some cultures avoid direct criticism, leading to more lenient ratings.

Question 27

What kind of performance feedback is most effective?

Answer 27

Specific feedback with clear, actionable examples → better than vague general comments.