Question 1

Lucy never gives her subordinates either a 7 (superior) or a 1 (unsatisfactory) when she completes the graphic rating scales during performance appraisal. As director of HR, you have caught this pattern in her ratings. Lucy explains, "A 7 would be perfection, and even I am not perfect, so none of my subordinates can be perfect. Moreover, a 1 is unsatisfactory, and I do not tolerate unsatisfactory work by my subordinates. They are either improving or gone." As the director of HR, which of the following should you do?
A)Explain to Lucy that the organizational level statistics will be skewed if she fails to use all rating scale levels.
B)Discipline Lucy because she has been improperly rating her subordinates.
C)Commend Lucy for her grasp of the nature of the graphic rating scale.
D)Design a training program for Lucy and all other supervisors on the accurate use of graphic rating scales.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is D because it is the only option that addresses the issue of Lucy's improper use of the graphic rating scale and provides a solution to correct it.

Question 2

Team appraisals pose several difficulties. Which of the following is NOT a problem?
A)Team members may rate themselves highest.
B)Team members may see their teamwork suffer after the appraisals.
C)Team members may soften their appraisals to spare feelings.
D)Team members may use the appraisal as an excuse to attack other team members.

Accepted Answer

Self-rating is not inherently a problem of team appraisals; it is a common practice in many appraisal systems. The other options describe potential negative impacts on team dynamics.

Question 3

In which of the following situations would peer ratings be most appropriate?
A)The members of the work group are drawn from a diverse population.
B)The supervisor lacks opportunity to observe each employee's performance, but other work group members do have opportunity.
C)The manager is too busy to meet with each subordinate for a formal appraisal interview.
D)A group of salespeople meets regularly as a committee to talk about strategies for improving customer relations.

Accepted Answer

Peer ratings would be most appropriate when the supervisor lacks opportunity to observe each employee's performance, but other work group members do have the opportunity. This situation allows for colleagues with firsthand experience working alongside an individual to provide insights into their performance that a supervisor might not have been able to observe.

Question 4

An artist has been a visiting instructor at a noted art academy for three years. The academy's process for moving a temporary/visiting instructor to regular faculty status is to have the artist's portfolio of work examined by a panel of noted artists who are independent of the academy. What is this process a version of?
A)team appraisal
B)field review
C)body-of-work appraisal
D)external audit

Accepted Answer

The answer of An artist has been a visiting instructor...

Question 5

The manager of HR feels employees need to think about their strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement. Consequently, the HR manager is designing a program. Which of the following kinds is it?
A)facilitated appraisal
B)self-appraisal
C)team evaluation
D)introspective analysis

Accepted Answer

The program being designed by the HR manager focuses on employees analyzing their own strengths and weaknesses and setting goals for improvement. This is indicative of a self-appraisal program.

Question 6

Karl has the HR duties in a small commercial bakery of only 16 employees. Nine of these employees are bakery assistants with the same job duties. Karl has decided to make a list placing the best employee at the top and the worst employee at the bottom, with the other employees placed in between according to how they compare with the best and the worst employees. He is satisfied that this system will work for his small company. Which of the following is the type of system Karl is planning to use?
A)ranking
B)graphic rating scale
C)checklist
D)forced distribution

Accepted Answer

Karl is planning to use the ranking system, where employees are placed in order of their performance from the best to the worst, with the best employee at the top and the worst employee at the bottom. This system is a simple and easy way to evaluate employees' performance and compare them with each other, which is suitable for a small company with only 16 employees. The other options, such as graphic rating scales, checklists, and forced distribution, are more complex and may not be as suitable for a small company like Karl's bakery.

Question 7

Which of the following is characteristic of graphic rating scales?
A)Graphic rating scales are difficult to develop.
B)Descriptive words used may have different meanings to different raters.
C)Raters typically use the full range of the scale regardless of the number of scale points.
D)Raters can use these scales without training because they are self-explanatory.

Accepted Answer

Graphic rating scales can be subjective as descriptive words may be interpreted differently by different raters, leading to inconsistencies in ratings.

Question 8

Multisource appraisal recognizes that the manager is no longer the sole source of performance appraisal information. Which of these terms is most associated with this kind of appraisal?
A)outside raters
B)peer evaluation
C)360-degree rating
D)team appraisal

Accepted Answer

360-degree rating is most associated with multisource appraisal, as it involves gathering feedback from not just the manager, but also peers, subordinates, customers, and self-evaluation. Outside raters and peer evaluation are also forms of multisource appraisal, but they are not as commonly used as 360-degree rating. Team appraisal involves appraising the performance of a team rather than individual employees.

Question 9

Which statement accurately characterizes informal appraisals?
A)Informal appraisals should be deferred when time is an issue.
B)Unscheduled informal appraisals would disrupt the day-to-day working relationship between a manager and an employee.
C)On-the-spot examinations of a piece of work are unacceptable due to privacy issues.
D)Frequent informal feedback to employees can prevent surprises later when the formal evaluation is communicated.

Accepted Answer

Frequent informal feedback to employees can prevent surprises later when the formal evaluation is communicated. This means that informal appraisals can play an important role in providing timely feedback and avoiding any surprises during the formal evaluation process. A and B are incorrect as they create a negative perception of informal appraisals, which can be an effective tool if used properly. C is incorrect as on-the-spot examinations are not typically considered informal appraisals, and privacy issues are not necessarily a concern if the feedback is given constructively and in a respectful manner.

Question 10

At High Flyer Airlines, managers rate their subordinates on a continuum from 1 to 7. A score of 1 indicates unsatisfactory performance, and a score of 7 indicates superior performance. Which of the following is the performance appraisal method that High Flyer is using?
A)graphic rating scale
B)checklist
C)multisource appraisal
D)ranking system

Accepted Answer

The graphic rating scale is a type of performance appraisal method where managers rate their subordinates on a continuum from low to high using a scale. In this case, High Flyer Airlines is using a continuum from 1 to 7, which falls under the graphic rating scale method.

Question 11

Employees may feel somewhat threatened by 360-degree feedback. They feel more comfortable when the method is used for a certain type of purpose. Which type?
A)benchmarking
B)administrative
C)development
D)customer relations

Accepted Answer

Employees feel most comfortable with 360-degree feedback when it is used for development purposes rather than administrative or customer relations purposes. Benchmarking may also cause some employees to feel threatened as it is used for comparison to external standards or competitors. Development purposes allow employees to focus on their own growth and improvement rather than feeling judged or evaluated.

Question 12

Which are the simplest methods for appraising performance?
A)category scaling methods
B)comparative methods
C)written methods
D)behaviourally anchored rating scales (BARS)

Accepted Answer

Category scaling methods, such as graphic rating scales and forced choice scales, are considered the simplest performance appraisal methods as they involve rating employees on a set of predetermined categories or statements. These methods are easy to use and require minimal training, making them suitable for small organizations or teams. Comparative methods such as ranking or paired comparison require more effort and are best suited for larger organizations or teams with more employees. Written methods and BARS are more complex and involve more significant amounts of documentation, making them less simple.

Question 13

Which statement presents a major disadvantage of the BARS method of performance appraisal?
A)The method requires various appraisal forms to accommodate different types of jobs.
B)The use of technical terms in the scales hampers the raters.
C)The BARS format does not offer substantial advantages over other scale formats.
D)The rating scales are often developed by different people that will eventually use them.

Accepted Answer

The BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales) method requires the development of job-specific scales, which can be a significant disadvantage due to the need for different appraisal forms for various types of jobs.

Question 14

One kind of feedback recognizes that employee performance can be multidimensional and can cross departmental, organizational, and global boundaries. Which of the following terms best applies?
A)global appraisal approach
B)360-degree feedback
C)team appraisal
D)comprehensive appraisal

Accepted Answer

360-degree feedback is designed to provide a comprehensive view of an employee's performance by gathering feedback from a wide range of sources, including peers, subordinates, supervisors, and sometimes even customers, which covers multiple dimensions and can cross departmental and organizational boundaries.

Question 15

Consider these phrases: "Greeted customer within 10 seconds of customer's entry into store" and "Failed to greet customer until customer addressed employee." For which performance appraisal method would they be typical?
A)ranking
B)management by objectives
C)behavioural rating scale
D)forced distribution

Accepted Answer

The phrases describe specific behaviors that can be assessed on a behavioural rating scale, which measures the frequency and quality of specific behaviors related to job performance. Ranking, management by objectives, and forced distribution all focus on overall performance, rather than specific behaviors or actions.

Question 16

Performance appraisals at Swamp Blossom Designs Ltd. always occur on the employee's anniversary of employment. A standard protocol is in place to report managerial impressions and observations on employee performance. What is this an example of?
A)systematic appraisal
B)objective evaluation
C)subjective evaluation
D)informal appraisal

Accepted Answer

The fact that performance appraisals occur on the same date for all employees and that a standard protocol is in place indicates that Swamp Blossom Designs Ltd. follows a systematic appraisal process. This means that the appraisals are conducted in a consistent and orderly manner, which helps to reduce bias and improve fairness.

Question 17

At Triad Software Ltd., appraisals for non-technical employees are conducted annually, while technical employees receive evaluations every six months. Which of the following statements provides the probable reason for the more frequent evaluations of technical employees?
A)Developmental cycles for technical employees are short.
B)They need more performance guidance from their managers.
C)They tend to be harder to manage because of poor interpersonal skills.
D)They are more prone to turnover.

Accepted Answer

The answer of At Triad Software Ltd., appraisals for non-technical...

Question 18

The vice president of HR for Health Wizard Ltd. is designing a performance appraisal system that allows subordinates to rate their supervisors. The supervisors are concerned about this and have raised many objections. Which of the following ideas are they unlikely to have presented?
A)that the appraisals will interfere with their development as supervisors
B)that letting subordinates evaluate them is inappropriate
C)that they will be rated on how nice they are to subordinates rather than on how well they supervised
D)that subordinates will avoid giving them negative feedback because of fear of reprisals

Accepted Answer

The supervisors are unlikely to object to the performance appraisal system because it will interfere with their development as supervisors. This objection is more likely to come from the HR department, who may be concerned that supervisors will focus more on pleasing their subordinates than on developing their skills as managers.

Question 19

Raters in a multisource appraisal situation know that their input will affect someone's career or pay. Which of the following do they commonly do in response?
A)avoid completion of the ratings
B)inflate ratings
C)provide highly accurate ratings
D)minimize ratings

Accepted Answer

Raters often inflate ratings in a multisource appraisal situation, especially when they know their input could significantly impact someone's career or pay. This is typically done to avoid conflict, maintain good relationships, or out of concern for the individual's feelings and career prospects.

Question 20

On which assumption are the traditional ratings of employees by supervisors based?
A)Supervisors provide criticisms that the employees who report to them will be more receptive to hearing.
B)Supervisors are more aware of their subordinates' desires and goals.
C)Supervisors are the people most qualified to evaluate the employees' performance realistically and fairly.
D)Supervisors have regular day-to-day opportunities for informal appraisals.

Accepted Answer

Traditional ratings of employees by supervisors are based on the assumption that the supervisors are the people most qualified to evaluate the employees' performance realistically and fairly. This assumption is based on the idea that supervisors have the necessary knowledge, experience, and perspective to provide an accurate assessment of their employees' strengths and weaknesses. However, this assumption has been challenged in recent years, as organizations have explored alternative approaches to performance management that involve more input from peers, clients, and other stakeholders.

Quiz 9: Performance Management and Appraisal

Team appraisals pose several difficulties. Which of the following is NOT a problem?

In which of the following situations would peer ratings be most appropriate?

The manager of HR feels employees need to think about their strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement. Consequently, the HR manager is designing a program. Which of the following kinds is it?

Which of the following is characteristic of graphic rating scales?

Multisource appraisal recognizes that the manager is no longer the sole source of performance appraisal information. Which of these terms is most associated with this kind of appraisal?

Which statement accurately characterizes informal appraisals?

At High Flyer Airlines, managers rate their subordinates on a continuum from 1 to 7. A score of 1 indicates unsatisfactory performance, and a score of 7 indicates superior performance. Which of the following is the performance appraisal method that High Flyer is using?

Employees may feel somewhat threatened by 360-degree feedback. They feel more comfortable when the method is used for a certain type of purpose. Which type?

Which are the simplest methods for appraising performance?

Which statement presents a major disadvantage of the BARS method of performance appraisal?

One kind of feedback recognizes that employee performance can be multidimensional and can cross departmental, organizational, and global boundaries. Which of the following terms best applies?

Consider these phrases: "Greeted customer within 10 seconds of customer's entry into store" and "Failed to greet customer until customer addressed employee." For which performance appraisal method would they be typical?

Performance appraisals at Swamp Blossom Designs Ltd. always occur on the employee's anniversary of employment. A standard protocol is in place to report managerial impressions and observations on employee performance. What is this an example of?

At Triad Software Ltd., appraisals for non-technical employees are conducted annually, while technical employees receive evaluations every six months. Which of the following statements provides the probable reason for the more frequent evaluations of technical employees?

The vice president of HR for Health Wizard Ltd. is designing a performance appraisal system that allows subordinates to rate their supervisors. The supervisors are concerned about this and have raised many objections. Which of the following ideas are they unlikely to have presented?

Raters in a multisource appraisal situation know that their input will affect someone's career or pay. Which of the following do they commonly do in response?

On which assumption are the traditional ratings of employees by supervisors based?