Performance Appraisal - Review of Literature

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Fletcher C, Performance appraisal and management, November 4, 2001: Performance

appraisal has widened as a concept and as a set of practices and in the form of performance
management has become part of a more strategic approach to integrating HR activities and
business policies. As a result of this, the research on the subject has moved beyond the limited
confines of measurement issues and accuracy of performance ratings and has begun to focus
more of social and motivational aspects of appraisal. This article identifies and discusses a
number of themes and trends that together make up the developing research agenda for this field.
It breaks these down in terms of the nature of appraisal and the context in which it operates. The
former is considered in terms of contemporary thinking on the content of appraisal (contextual
performance, goal orientation and self awareness) and the process of appraisal (appraiser
appraisee interaction, and multi-source feedback). The discussion of the context of appraisal
concentrates on cultural differences and the impact of new technology.
Gregory H. Dobbins, Performance Appraisal as Effective Management or Deadly

Management Disease, 1990: Understanding person and system sources of work variation is
fundamental to performance appraisal. Two divergent perspectives on this issue, the traditional
human resource management view and the statistical process control view (Deming, 1986), are
contrasted. Two studies are reported that investigate two specific questions that arise from a
broader view of the appraisal process. Results indicate that managers and subordinates believe
that typical poor performance has different causes and that actual productivity levels far outweigh
person or system sources of performance variance in appraisal judgments.
Gregory H. Dobbins, A Contingency Approach to Appraisal Satisfaction, 1990: The

present study explored the moderating effects of organizational variables on the appraisal
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characteristic-appraisal satisfaction relationship. Analyses indicated that the appraisal
characteristics of action plans, frequency, and rater training were more positively related to
appraisal satisfaction when subordinates experienced role conflict, were not closely monitored,
and supervisors had a large span of control. The results provide substantial support for
conceptualizing appraisal satisfaction as a contingent function of both appraisal characteristics
and organizational variables. Implications of the findings for the design of appraisal systems,
appraisal effectiveness, and future research are discussed.
Taylor Cox, Differential Performance Appraisal Criteria, 1986 : Performance appraisal

ratings of 125 first-level managers were analyzed to investigate the degree to which the criteria
used to evaluate the overall job performance of black managers differs from that used to evaluate
white managers. The performance appraisal form included items that measured both the social
behavior dimen sion and task/goal accomplishment dimension of job performance. The appraisal
ratings of both groups on each dimension were correlated with measures of overall job
performance and promot ability. Results indicated that social behavior factors are more highly
correlated with the overall job performance of black ratees than for white ratees. Implications of
these results for both black managers and organizations are discussed.
David A. Waldman, Predictors of Employee Preferences for Multirater and Group-Based

Performance Appraisal, 1997: This study conceptualizes and measures user preferences for
360-degree appraisals and group-level performance management (PM). Users are defined as
either recipients of PM processes or those whose job it is to administer the process. Aspects of
individual users, their work design, and current appraisal context were used to predict
preferences. Two studies were conducted involving data collection in a large Canadian
telecommunications conglomerate and a department of the Canadian government, respectively.
Predictors explained significant amounts of variance in user preferences, especially those
pertaining to group-level PM. Practical implications are suggested with regard to collecting and
using user preferences. In addition, suggestions for future research are offered concerning the
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need to examine a broad range of users in different organizational settings and to measure actual
system design features and their effectiveness.
Dennis W. Organ, A Restatement of the Satisfaction-Performance Hypothesis, 1988: This

article reviews recent evidence in support of Organs (1977) argument that satisfaction more
generally correlates with organizational prosocial or citizenship-type behaviors than with
traditional productivity or in-role performance. An attempt is then made to interpret just what it is
in satisfaction measures that provides this correlation, leading to the suggestion that fairness
cognitions comprise the major factor. Implications of this interpretation for theory, research, and
management practice are offered.
Grote, 2002: Performance reviews give managers and employees opportunities to discuss how
employees (1) are progressing and to see what sort of improvements can be made or help given
to build on their strengths and enable them to perform more effectively.
Einstein, 1989: Review of potential and development needs predicts the level and type of work
that employees will be capable of doing in the future and how they can be best developed for the
sake of their own career and to maximise their contribution to the organisation. Reward reviews -
determine the 'rewards' that employees will get for their past work. The reward review is usually
a separate process from the appraisal system but the review is often assisted by information
provided by the performance appraisal
.
Wesley (2004): also identifies some objectives of performance appraisal s indicated below: 1) To
review the performance of the employees over a given period of time. 2) To judge the gap
between the actual and the desired performance. 3) To help the management in exercising
organizational control. 4) Helps to strengthen the relationship and communication between
superior subordinates and management employees. 5) To diagnose the strengths and
weaknesses of the individuals so as to identify the training and development needs of the future.
6) To provide feedback to the employees regarding their past performance. 7) Provide
information to assist in the other personal decisions in the organization. 8) Provide clarity of the
expectations and responsibilities of the functions to be performed by the employees. 9) To judge
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the effectiveness of the other human resource functions of the organization such as recruitment,
selection, training and development. 10) and last but not least to reduce the grievances of the
employees.
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CHAPTER 2

Fletcher C, Performance appraisal and management, November 4, 2001: Performance

Gregory H. Dobbins, Performance Appraisal as Effective Management or Deadly

Gregory H. Dobbins, A Contingency Approach to Appraisal Satisfaction, 1990: The

Taylor Cox, Differential Performance Appraisal Criteria, 1986 : Performance appraisal

David A. Waldman, Predictors of Employee Preferences for Multirater and Group-Based

Dennis W. Organ, A Restatement of the Satisfaction-Performance Hypothesis, 1988: This

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