Deck 6: Managing Performance

Question 1

What are two primary purposes of performance appraisals?

A)administrative and developmental
B)informative and developmental
C)managerial and administrative
D)managerial and informative

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which statement is an example of a well-written performance standard?

A)Customer service representatives should be energetic and pleasant to customers.
B)Resident dorm advisers should be easily accessible to students.
C)Desk clerks are expected to process fifteen customers every half hour.
D)Police should respond to a call within a short period of time.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What are self reviews best for?

A)developmental purposes
B)administrative purposes
C)promotional purposes
D)regulatory purposes

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a characteristic of a performance management system?

A)it ensures that the organization gets the right things done
B)it is a set of integrated management practices
C)it is a clearly defined performance review program
D)it is designed to identify and eliminate poor performers

Question 5

What are performance appraisals most frequently used for?

A)deciding compensation
B)directing performance improvement
C)determining training needs
D)discharging decisions

Question 6

What is an important first step in an effective performance management system?

A)regular and frequent coaching
B)recognizing and rewarding performance
C)scheduling task projects
D)clarifying the work to be done

Question 7

When setting goals for a performance plan,what must be clearly linked?

A)performance goals and compensation increases
B)employee goals and overall business objectives
C)performance expectations and performance evaluations
D)quantitative measures and performance expectations

Question 8

Which of the following is the least effective reward for performance accomplishments?

A)being recommended for a promotion
B)being excluded from future evaluations
C)being profiled in a journal or newspaper
D)being the recipient of supervisory praise

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of performance reviews?

A)to make employees fully aware of their current performance
B)to clarify what is important to the organization
C)to link performance and compensation
D)to improve future performance

Question 10

Who is NOT an appropriate source of information about a person's job performance in a 360-degree review system?

A)customers
B)peers
C)supervisors
D)competitors

Question 11

Why are peer reviews beneficial?

A)peers often see different dimensions of performance than supervisors
B)peer reviews prevent the supervisor from having to deliver bad news
C)peers have more extreme views of performance than supervisors
D)peer reviews allow the supervisor to give up control over the process

Question 12

What is one advantage of peer reviews?

A)peers are often partially responsible for the performance of other co-workers
B)peers may work harder to help other employees improve performance
C)peers are less politically motivated than supervisors
D)peers may provide more accurate and valid information than supervisors

Question 13

Which of the following does NOT need to be given consideration in setting goals and establishing a performance plan?

A)the goals must be specific and include a time frame
B)the employee must have a say in which goals he or she needs to achieve
C)discussions between supervisor and employee to ensure involvement and commitment to goals
D)the goal must be linked to overall business objectives

Question 14

Which statement is NOT considered to be a key performance appraisal guideline?

A)supervisors should be trained to use the appraisal form correctly
B)performance appraisals should be frequent and informal
C)employees must be given a written copy of their job standards in advance of the appraisal
D)performance appraisals must be job-related

Question 15

In most instances,who is in the best position to perform the function of appraising an employee's performance?

A)a co-worker
B)the employee's supervisor
C)a specialist from the HR department
D)the employee him/herself

Question 16

What is one objective of an appraisal program?

A)to determine pay levels for different job types
B)to identify the knowledge,skills,and abilities required to be successful in a job
C)to have the employees feel more valued
D)providing a supervisor the opportunity to show his/her superior how well their employees are performing

Question 17

What do critics of the self-review method of employee assessment argue?

A)that employees disregard areas for improvement and only think about strengths
B)that managers do not trust the results of self-reviews
C)that employees are more lenient than managers in their reviews
D)that research shows that employees overstate their performance in self-reviews,and they are free of most biases that other rating sources may have

Question 18

What is the intended outcome of performance measurement?

A)to identify why some employees do not perform as well as others
B)to ensure that poor performers are properly disciplined
C)to determine how well employees performed compared to the established goals
D)to determine how to recognize and celebrate good performance

Question 19

Why do performance appraisal programs fail?

A)because managers do not take appraisals seriously enough
B)because performance standards are inconsistent between different job types
C)because employees fail to inform managers of their accomplishments
D)because there is too much employee input into the development of the appraisal program

Question 20

What is wrong with doing performance evaluations once a year?

A)it is too easy for managers to forget aspects of past performance
B)the evaluations are too focused on outcomes and not enough on process
C)there is less incentive to address issues that have already been resolved
D)there is too much information to have to review,discuss and absorb

Question 21

What is an advantage of the management by objectives method for performance evaluation?

A)supervisors will be more easily able to determine the performance of an employee
B)employees can be actively involved in the setting of objectives
C)it is easier to identify critical incidents of performance
D)the process of achieving objectives becomes the focus of the review

Question 22

What would be considered to be counterproductive during an appraisal interview?

A)focusing on behaviour change
B)limiting employee input
C)minimizing criticism of the employee
D)focusing on solving problems

Question 23

What is one major advantage of using a behaviour observation scale?

A)it takes a relatively short time to develop
B)the rating scale can be used for multiple jobs
C)it is easier for the supervisor to provide constructive feedback
D)the rating scale can be used across many jobs

Question 24

Which is NOT a characteristic of an effective performance appraisal interview?

A)it invites and encourages active participation
B)it asks for employee self-assessment
C)it focuses on all performance issues
D)it minimizes criticism

Question 25

The diagnosis of poor employee performance should focus on which three interactive elements?

A)skill,internal motivation,external conditions
B)skill,internal motivation,attitude
C)skill,external conditions,effort
D)skill,internal motivation,effort

Question 26

On what should the choice of an appraisal method be largely based?

A)the preferred technique of the supervisor
B)the type of job the employee holds
C)the hierarchical level of the employee
D)the purpose of the appraisal

Question 27

In which four categories does the balanced scorecard measure results?

A)financial,customer,internal processes,learning & growth
B)financial,competitor,external processes,learning & growth
C)financial,customer,external processes,learning & growth
D)financial,competitor,internal processes,learning & growth

Question 28

What appraisal method should you use if your primary objective for a performance appraisal is to give employees developmental feedback?

A)results
B)behavioural
C)trait
D)attitudinal

Question 29

What is the name for the type of scale that uses a series of scales,one for each important dimension of job performance?

A)mixed-standard scale
B)graphic rating scale
C)behaviour observation scale
D)behaviourally anchored rating scale

Question 30

What is one advantage of the team review?

A)team reviews recognize team accomplishments rather than individual performances
B)it is easier to identify individual contributions with team reviews
C)team reviews help to identify critical team harmony issues
D)team reviews are much more effective than peer reviews

Question 31

Why would a supervisor ask for an employee to review his or her own performance?

A)to increase the procedural justice of the appraisal system
B)to attempt to identify how truthful the employee is being
C)to establish a baseline for performance expectations
D)to minimize the amount of criticism the supervisor must convey

Question 32

What barriers to effective performance reviews can be removed via the training of reviewers?

A)self-confidence,time constraints,lack of knowledge
B)interpersonal conflicts,self-confidence,lack of knowledge
C)lack of knowledge,time constraints,self-confidence
D)time constraints,lack of knowledge,interpersonal conflicts

Question 33

What should the interviewer do to maximize performance improvement of the employee being assessed?

A)focus mainly on the positive behaviours
B)focus mainly on recent behaviours
C)focus mainly on past behaviours
D)focus mainly on the future behaviours

Question 34

What is one disadvantage of the 360-degree appraisal system?

A)the quality of the information gathered is less accurate and trustworthy
B)the system is administratively complex in combining all the responses
C)responses are gathered from multiple perspectives
D)feedback from peers and other sources may increase conflict between reviewers and those being reviewed

Question 35

What are the three basic performance review methods?

A)trait,behavioural,judgmental
B)trait,behavioural,results
C)behavioural,judgmental,attitudinal
D)behavioural,judgmental,results

Question 36

What is a disadvantage of using productivity measures for performance reviews?

A)the objectives may be misinterpreted by employees
B)there may be a dispute between employees and managers about the measures used
C)it may encourage employees to only focus on short-term objectives
D)the measures may be too difficult to measure accurately

Question 37

Which performance review method requires that employees be rated according to a scale of characteristics?

A)forced-distribution method
B)forced-choice method
C)behaviourally anchored rating scale
D)graphic rating scale

Question 38

Which performance appraisal approach is designed to measure how frequently employees exhibit certain behaviours?

A)management by objectives
B)a behaviour checklist method
C)behaviourally anchored rating scales
D)a trait scale

Question 39

Which appraisal method helps guard against recency error?

A)critical incident method
B)graphic rating scales
C)mixed-standard scale
D)forced-choice method

Question 40

What must be known about performance problems before planning a course of corrective action?

A)the magnitude of the performance problems
B)the impact of the performance problems on employee confidence
C)the length of time the performance problems have existed
D)the sources of performance problems

Question 41

Which of the following sources of ineffective performance is an example of a "policies and practices" problem?

A)low work ethic
B)heavy-handed management
C)constantly changing work requirements
D)inadequate equipment and materials

Question 42

Research has shown that performance appraisals are used most widely for developmental purposes.

Question 43

A systems approach to performance management allows the organization to get the right things done and helps increase employees' satisfaction.

Question 44

A performance management system helps to create documents that are useful in HRM processes that may result in legal action.

Question 45

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.Which statement is a well-written performance standard for AB employees who work at the production machines?

A)machine operators should operate machines in a safe manner
B)machine operators should ensure that machines are operating efficiently
C)machine operators should produce 10 units per hour of machine operation
D)machine operators should be prepared to assist other machine operators

Question 46

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.What should the primary purpose of performance reviews at AB Corp.be?

A)to make AB employees fully aware of the problems with their current performance
B)to clarify why the organization needs better performance from employees
C)to link the performance of AB employees to their compensation levels
D)to improve the future performance of AB employees

Question 47

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.Even though the AB supervisors have been trained to use the performance system,what must they still know about their employee performance problems before they can plan a course of corrective action?

A)the magnitude of the performance problems for the worst of the AB employees
B)the impact of the performance problems on employee confidence and morale
C)the length of time the performance problems have existed at AB
D)the sources of performance problems for underperforming AB employees

Question 48

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.Why should the employees in the assembly and package area switch to a team review method for performance assessment?

A)it will recognize team accomplishments rather than deal with individual performances
B)it will be easier to identify individual contributions with team reviews
C)the team reviews will help to identify interpersonal conflicts within the teams
D)the team reviews will result in a better understanding of team processes

Question 49

Effective performance management systems should include minimal feedback and employee coaching on an annual basis to enable staff to reach their objectives.

Question 50

Performance management system is a set of integrated management practices.

Question 51

Which source of ineffective performance is considered to be a "job concern"?

A)lack of advancement opportunities
B)lack of attention to employee needs
C)supply shortages
D)unclear reporting relationships

Question 52

Many observers see performance appraisal programs as a logical means to appraise,develop and utilize the knowledge of employees.

Question 53

What is the best course of action for dealing with continued ineffective performance?

A)take disciplinary action
B)transfer the employee to a different department
C)schedule the employee for retraining
D)modify the working conditions to increase job satisfaction

Question 54

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.Which items will be clearly linked after your improvements to the AB performance plan?

A)AB employee performance goals and their eligible compensation increases
B)AB employee performance goals and overall business objectives of AB
C)AB's performance expectations and type of performance evaluations implemented
D)the qualitative measures used for AB employees and their performance expectations

Question 55

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.As you improve performance measurement at AB,what is the intended outcome of your performance measurement improvements?

A)to identify why some employees at AB are not performing as well as others
B)to ensure that the poor performers are identified and properly disciplined
C)to determine how well AB employees perform as compared to established goals
D)to determine which AB employees deserve to be recognized and celebrated

Question 56

The primary purpose of performance reviews is to improve future performance.

Question 57

Performance management is central to the everyday work of a manager.

Question 58

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.Assume you have trained AB supervisors to use newly implemented assessment methods.What barriers to effective performance reviews will have been removed as a result of your training?

A)time constraints,lack of knowledge,self-confidence
B)interpersonal conflicts,lack of knowledge,self-confidence
C)time constraints,lack of knowledge,self-confidence
D)time constraints,lack of knowledge,interpersonal conflicts

Question 59

Performance evaluation programs are used only in large organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Question 60

Scenario 6.1
You have recently been hired by the CEO of AB Corp.as the first HR professional.It is a small but rapidly growing organization.The company specializes in manufacturing small,inexpensive souvenirs.Most staff work at machines that produce plastic or metal parts,or are on small teams in assembly and packaging,which is a fast-paced,manual labour environment.Many employees are dissatisfied with their jobs and generally confused about exactly what is expected of them.There are existing employee performance issues,some of which have been ongoing for years.There is a moderate amount of conflict between employees and supervisors.
Your arrival coincides with the annual performance appraisal time in the company.As you review the appraisal instrument,you quickly realize that it is of little value because it consists mainly of subjective measures that are not well connected to the goals of the organization.This situation concerns you,so you decide to act.One of the first things you do is speak with staff representatives and key supervisors in the organization,soliciting their opinions about the current performance appraisal system and appraisal instrument.Not surprisingly,you find that nearly everyone is dissatisfied with the current approach,and nobody really likes or understands how to properly use the appraisal tool.
One of the first priorities given to you by the CEO is the training of supervisors in assessing performance because this has not yet happened.The CEO knows there are issues,but doesn't fully understand the scope of the issues.You decide to address the matter as a system issue,knowing that improving only one part of the system will not solve all the problems.
Please refer to Scenario 6.1.What problem could result if you decide to change the current qualitative appraisal method to one that uses productivity measures for performance reviews?

A)the new quantitative objectives may be misinterpreted by AB employees
B)there may be a dispute between employees and supervisors about the measures used
C)it may focus AB employees only on short-term objectives,and ignore the larger goals
D)it may include measures that are too difficult for AB supervisors to measure accurately

Question 61

Research has shown that there is a very weak link between performance management results and the development of training objectives.

Question 62

In most effective appraisal programs,the HR department develops the objectives and standards for the program.

Question 63

Well-run systems ensure the absence of rater biases in the performance management process.

Question 64

Having appraisals reviewed by a supervisor's superior reduces the chance of superficial or biased evaluations.

Question 65

To enable employees to express disagreement with the formal evaluation,an appeals procedure should be established.

Question 66

Self-appraisal or review works well when supervisors and subordinates jointly establish future performance goals or employee development plans.

Question 67

Most performance management systems include an annual formal review of the employee's overall performance.

Question 68

Employees should be given a written copy of their job standards in advance of appraisals.

Question 69

Self-review should be used primarily for administrative purposes.

Question 70

Appraisals should not be discussed openly with employees as it decreases employee motivation.

Question 71

An employer's credibility is strengthened when it can support performance evaluation results by documented instances of poor performance.

Question 72

Employees can help ensure that the appraisal is fair by being well prepared.

Question 73

One of the main concerns of employees is the fairness of the performance management system because it is central to many HRM decisions.

Question 74

Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,appraisal systems must be,above all,valid.

Question 75

The final step in an effective performance management system is the clarification of work to be accomplished in terms of expected outcomes and how they will be measured.

Question 76

Coaching involves fault-finding,criticizing,and correcting.

Question 77

Inflation of evaluations by a manager who desires higher salaries for his or her employees is an example of a bias in a performance management system.

Question 78

A small company that has a strategic objective of introducing 20 new products in the next 2 years should develop innovation and creativity performance standards.

Question 79

In order to increase employee motivation levels,management should avoid written performance standards that are defined in quantifiable and measurable terms.

Question 80

Being considered for a promotion or given the opportunity to work on a special project are examples of non-financial rewards for good performance.