Deck 9: Performance Management

Question 1

In completing the administrative assistant's evaluation, her manager, Louis, reviewed the number of phone calls she received on an average day but did not consider feedback he received regarding her lack of phone etiquette. This would be described as a performance measure that was:

A) contaminated.
B) deficient.
C) valid.
D) specific.
E) reliable.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

If you were trying to convince management to institute a weighted performance evaluation system which argument would you make?

A) All jobs add the same value to an organization and should be weighted the same in regard to such things as customer service behaviors, knowledge level, etc.
B) Quality is most important for all jobs and therefore should carry a greater weight than quantity of work output.
C) To encourage creativity as well as cooperation, behavioral aspects of the job should be weighted at a greater degree.
D) Each job dimension may carry a different level of value to the organization and in order to encourage employees to focus on what is important you must weight each dimension accordingly.
E) None of these are appropriate arguments.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Performance management programs must include the key components of:

A) disciplining and improving employee performance.
B) selecting good employees and then providing performance feedback.
C) orienting and evaluating employees.
D) training and developing employees.
E) evaluating and developing employees.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The statement "completed product has less than 5% error rate" is an example of a:

A) performance dimension.
B) global performance measure.
C) contaminated performance measure.
D) deficient performance measure.
E) performance standard.

Question 5

In order to be effective, performance measures must be all of the following EXCEPT:

A) valid.
B) clear.
C) deficient.
D) specific.
E) reliable.

Question 6

To be most effective, a 360 degree performance evaluation for a management position should include performance data from:

A) customers.
B) coworkers.
C) subordinates.
D) their supervisor.
E) all of the above.

Question 7

The more specific a performance standard is, the organization can expect all of the following EXCEPT:

A) a performance standard which is clear to the employee.
B) managers to be more consistent in how they evaluate employees
C) a larger variety of job tasks are able to be evaluated.
D) a global assessment of an employee's performance.
E) employees to better understand how each part of their job is to be performed.

Question 8

When employees are evaluated against a list of performance dimensions which have specific and scored performance standards related to the employee's attributes attached to them the evaluation method of ________ is most likely being used.

A) forced distribution
B) critical incident
C) graphic rating scale
D) ranking
E) direct measures

Question 9

If a manager has evaluated Jim against Bob and Bob has a better score. Then the manager evaluates Bob against Steve and Steve has the better score. The manager has used which method of evaluation?

A) Ranking
B) Forced distribution
C) Absolute
D) Paired comparisons
E) Forced choice

Question 10

All of the following types of evaluations use employee comparison as the basis of the outcome EXCEPT

A) ranking.
B) paired comparison.
C) forced distribution.
D) forced choice.
E) All of the above use employee comparison.

Question 11

Executive level positions which have specific quantifiable goals that employees must strive to meet may best be evaluated using which performance management approach?

A) Direct measures approach
B) Management by objectives
C) BARS
D) BOS
E) Critical incident

Question 12

When designing the performance evaluation for a chef items such as "prepares food in a timely fashion" and "follows appropriate safety and sanitation guidelines" would be examples of:

A) performance dimensions.
B) global performance measures.
C) contaminated performance measures.
D) deficient performance measures.
E) performance standard.

Question 13

All of the following statements about management by objectives is accurate EXCEPT:

A) It is the preferred method to use when you want to compare employee performance.
B) It evaluates an employee's actual performance against specific goals.
C) It is most appropriate to use when evaluating managers or those in a professional level position.
D) Goals can and should be linked to the overall goals and strategy of the organization.
E) This approach is generally effective at motivating employee's to improve.

Question 14

The direct measures approach:

A) evaluates employees based on a graphic rating scales which is tied to specific behaviors.
B) forces the rater to choose a statement which best describes the employees job performance.
C) focuses on quantifiable outcomes such as productivity or sales.
D) is driven by goal setting with the employee and continually evaluating progress.
E) requires the manager to divide employees into one of several predetermined categories.

Question 15

An organization has an evaluation scoring method which includes three levels: excellent, satisfactory, and poor. A manager has 3 employees and when evaluating them he must put each employee in each of the categories, although he would really consider one of them excellent and the other two satisfactory. This method of evaluation is knowns as:

A) ranking.
B) forced distribution.
C) absolute.
D) paired comparisons.
E) forced choice.

Question 16

When considering which sources to use for performance data all of the following statements are correct EXCEPT:

A) self appraisals are generally inflated.
B) subordinates providing negative information may fear retaliation.
C) coworker feedback can speak well to behavioral issues.
D) supervisor data is the most complete of any data source.
E) customer feedback is only useful in certain situations.

Question 17

If a performance evaluation is designed to focus on an employee's traits it would include a review of all of the following EXCEPT:

A) professionalism.
B) knowledge.
C) productivity.
D) communication skills.
E) teamwork skills.

Question 18

Performance management systems are important because they:

A) create documentation related to disciplining or possibly terminating an employee.
B) can help managers make decisions about who to promote within the organization.
C) may be used to make compensation adjustments.
D) help identify areas where an employee may need further training or education.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 19

All of the following statements about behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) are accurate EXCEPT:

A) BARS evaluates how often an employee displays certain behaviors on the job.
B) The consistency across raters who use BARS is relatively high.
C) BARS provides specific examples of different levels of behavior to help minimize subjectivity.
D) The creation of a BARS evaluation tool is time consuming.
E) BARS is job specific and therefore unique forms must be created for each position.

Question 20

Using multiple raters or sources for performance evaluation data has which of the following advantages?

A) Decreases rating errors
B) Increases timeliness
C) Decreases cost
D) Provides less variety of ratings
E) Enhances subjectivity

Question 21

LMN Company recently received an order for one million products to be completed and shipped within the next two months. In order to create an incentive for employees to work as a team and increase production which evaluation method may be most useful?

A) Direct measures
B) Graphic rating scales
C) Critical incident
D) Forced-choice
E) BARS

Question 22

John needs to meet with Alice to discuss her performance evaluation. Alice, an older, long-term employee, is a satisfactory employee but her performance has be declining since the new equipment and computer software was installed. She is not generally an open minded person and tends to "shut down" when someone tries to discuss concerns with her. What might John want to consider doing to ensure he has an effective meeting with her?

A) Ask Alice how she thinks things are going and ask how she feels about the new equipment and software.
B) Consider that Alice has perfect attendance, is very professional towards coworkers and customers, offers to work late and volunteers to help others when they get behind.
C) Tell Alice that perhaps she should consider a position that does not involve as much direct involvement with technology and look for something more suitable for her age and limitations.
D) A and B are correct.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 23

Ellen's job as receptionist primarily involves answering the phones for a busy law office. In addition she types correspondence, maintains files, keeps inventory and orders office supplies, and also provides coverage when the executive secretary is off periodically. Based on this information how might you most likely weight each of her job dimensions?

A) Phones 85%, Clerical work 5%, Supplies 5%, Coverage 5%
B) Phones 30%, Clerical work 50%, Supplies 5%, Coverage 15%
C) Phones 60%, Clerical work 25%, Supplies 10%, Coverage 5%
D) Phones 25%, Clerical work 25%, Supplies 25%, Coverage 25%
E) Phones 50%, Clerical work 10%, Supplies 35%, Coverage 5%

Question 24

In order to avoid discussing his poor performance, Edgar's supervisor scored him as a "meets" instead of a "needs improvement" on the performance standard related to the quality of his work. This type of type of rating error is known as:

A) central tendency.
B) leniency.
C) strictness.
D) similar to me.
E) primacy.

Question 25

Jim scored a 90 on quality and 82 on quantity of work on his recent evaluation. Sara scored 83 on quality and 79 on quantity. Ken scored 92 on quality and a 71 on quantity. The organization weights quality at 60% and quantity at 40%. What rank order would the employees fall into once their scores are calculated?

A) Jim, Ken, Sara
B) Ken, Jim, Sara
C) Jim, Sara, Ken
D) Sara, Ken, Jim
E) Ken, Sara, Jim

Question 26

When an employee has behavioral or motivation issues that are impacting performance:

A) be sure the employee is clear about what is expected of them in their role.
B) define how their performance will be evaluated and what each standard means.
C) show how performance measures support what the organization views as important.
D) consider redesigning the job if role concerns exist.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 27

Darren is an average performing employee but he has very poor attendance. Because of his attendance problem his supervisor has scored him lower in other areas of his evaluation such as customer service skills and problem solving, although he does a satisfactory job at these things. His supervisor has committed which rating error?

A) Strictness
B) Contrast
C) Horn
D) Recency
E) Halo

Question 28

Discipline can be either:

A) progressive or preventative.
B) positive or progressive.
C) punitive or progressive.
D) preventative or positive.
E) progressive or person-focused.

Question 29

If you are trying to take a more positive approach to disciplinary action all of the following statements are accurate EXCEPT:

A) you will identify and address problems early before they get out of control.
B) constructive feedback will be provided so that improvement can occur.
C) the employee is given the responsibility of improving their own behavior.
D) documentation is unnecessary since the intention is not to terminate the employee.
E) the focus is on problem solving rather than punishing the employee.

Question 30

Which of the following statements is most accurate in regard to solving performance problems?

A) Problems related to effort and motivation are the hardest to solve.
B) Correcting competencies issues are the most difficult performance issues.
C) Work environment issues can best be solved through training and development.
D) If an employee lacks appropriate skills redesigning their job may be the best solution.
E) Mentoring is the best approach to solving a behavioral problem.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is most accurate in regard to using disciplinary steps?

A) Every performance or behavior issue should be taken through all steps before terminating an employee.
B) Once a verbal warning occurs a manager should complete a written warning to ensure they have gotten through to the employee.
C) The employee is clear on where they stand and what they need to do to avoid further action.
D) Suspending an employee should be a step that is never skipped in the process.
E) Focusing on what the employee needs to improve should only be part of an evaluation.

Question 32

Which of the following examples of evaluation approaches is most appropriate?

A) An organization with 400 employees using a ranking approach.
B) A new counseling center using the direct measure approach.
C) An organization with 25 employees using critical incident approach.
D) A company with 800 employees using the BARS method.
E) An older dry cleaning business using paired comparisons.

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of poor performance?

A) Constantly talking employees disrupt an employee's workflow and decrease the entire group's productivity.
B) An employee is trying hard to learn a new piece of equipment but continues to have low quality output.
C) All orientation and training have been completed by the employee does not seem to be interested in getting to work on time and takes extended breaks and lunches when he is at work.
D) B and C are correct.
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 34

When determining whether or not to weight performance standards, a manager must consider:

A) that employee scores will remain relatively the same.
B) that the employee may focus on the item more highly weighted and responsibilities in other areas may suffer.
C) how they will collect performance data from more than one source.
D) that it will have little impact on employee compensation.
E) how to use self appraisal information.

Question 35

All of the following statements regarding performance feedback are accurate EXCEPT:

A) Not providing routine feedback makes evaluations ineffective.
B) Giving feedback is important to an employee's continual improvement.
C) Delaying performance feedback until an annual evaluation is preferred.
D) Providing feedback is most effective if completed before action planning.
E) Generally, employees who need feedback the most get it the least.

Question 36

When setting up a feedback meeting with an employee it is important to keep all of the following in mind EXCEPT:

A) discuss both the positive and negative aspects of the employees performance.
B) focus on one set of job responsibilities rather than the whole spectrum of the employee's tasks.
C) ask employees for their input and concerns regarding their performance and goals.
D) focus on specific behaviors and outcomes rather than making personal comments.
E) consider holding a separate meeting for the evaluation and one to discuss development.

Question 37

Most often, disciplinary steps follow which of the following orders?

A) suspension, written, verbal, termination.
B) written, suspension, termination.
C) verbal, suspension, written, termination.
D) verbal, written, suspension, termination.
E) written, verbal, termination.

Question 38

All of the following are examples of how organizational demands can impact the performance management system of an organization EXCEPT:

A) ensuring that the evaluation method selected is aligned with the company strategy to maintain competitive advantage.
B) designing a system which will most fairly evaluate telecommuters since they have limited face to face interaction with coworkers and their supervisor.
C) determining which evaluation approach makes the most sense given the size of the organization.
D) considering the organizational culture and how it will impact whether employees support and understand the performance management system selected.
E) creating a system which is both procedurally and distributionally just in the eyes of the employees.

Question 39

To get good results, it is most important for action planning to include:

A) specific goal statements and thorough training.
B) mentoring programs and coaching opportunities for the employee to take advantage of.
C) ways to remove barriers to the employee's success and have agreed upon targets and timeliness.
D) objectives set by the manager and specific timetables for completion.
E) clearly outlined steps and a pre-determined reward and recognition program.

Question 40

The production manager has determined that Darla, an employee who started 11 weeks ago, is having some performance issues related to her lack of knowledge regarding the shipping paperwork that must be completed at the end of each shift. All of the following may be ways to address the problem EXCEPT:

A) have her sit through orientation again regarding that particular process.
B) have her job shadow a coworker to see how the paperwork is completed.
C) set up a time for her to meet with the shipping coordinator to be trained on the paperwork process.
D) have the department director mentor her about the history and purpose shipping process.
E) the production manager could hold a coaching session with her in regard to this task.

Question 41

When a supervisor compares the performance of an exceptional employee to the performance of an average employee and the average employee gets a lower score than if they were not compared, contrast effect has occurred.

Question 42

When determining what performance dimensions to include on an expatriates evaluation which of the following are examples of what must be considered?

A) Strong union presence in the host country
B) Cultural differences between the home and host country
C) High poverty level in the host country
D) Political environment of the host country
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 43

Which of the following is the best example of how to evaluate a manager's diversity efforts in their department?

A) Track the number of minorities hired in that manager's department.
B) Identify the number of minorities that a manager has groomed for promotions.
C) Use feedback from minority customers related to how they were treated by the manager.
D) Have the manager complete a self-appraisal which includes questions about their biases.
E) Both A and B are correct.

Question 44

When gathering performance data on an expatriate the best source(s) would be:

A) host country supervisor's observations.
B) observations of host country supervisor and peers and home country supervisor's observations.
C) home country supervisor's interactions and observations.
D) home and host country coworker feedback.
E) host country customer survey results and host country supervisor observations.

Question 45

Using a critical incident approach to performance evaluations allows you to focus on traits rather than the behaviors of employees.

Question 46

To ensure that employees view their performance management system as an ethical process an organization should:

A) use senior management staff to design and implement the system.
B) focus primarily on procedural justice.
C) involve employees in the process by getting their input about their performance.
D) allow supervisor's to challenge the employee's self-appraisal ratings.
E) design the system so that it can be adjusted by supervisor staff to meet the needs of certain employees.

Question 47

A 360 degree appraisal involves the employee assessing their own performance and providing that information to their supervisor to be considered as part of their performance evaluation.

Question 48

Using global performance measures helps you break down an individuals job and focus on what areas they need to improve upon.

Question 49

Jim, the store manager, tends to rate all of his employees very harshly regardless of their actual performance level. This means Jim tends to commit the error of central tendency.

Question 50

Documenting employee performance is important for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) only documentation related to performance evaluations is relevant.
B) in order to have information to support why certain employment related decisions were made.
C) so that the manager can keep accurate record of an employee's accomplishments and necessary improvements.
D) to help avoid certain biases of an individual employees.
E) eliminate misperceptions or confusion about several employees' performance outcomes.

Question 51

When a performance evaluation is ________ there are increased concerns about biases based on ethnicity, gender and age.

A) objective
B) outcome-based
C) subjective
D) job related
E) attribute-based

Question 52

By including something such as cleanliness of delivery vehicle in a florists assistant's performance evaluation may be considered contaminating their performance management system.

Question 53

Which of the following is the best way to reduce the possibility of discrimination in a performance management process?

A) Use a method such as forced distribution to rank employees and avoid scoring everyone at the same level.
B) Base employee evaluations on an objective standard such as, number of parts produced during the evaluation period.
C) Evaluate employees based on a similar-to-me approach so that all employees are scored based on the same standard.
D) Use a global performance measure rather than individual performance dimensions so that you have one overall evaluation score.
E) Create contaminated performance measures so that all aspects of the individual's job are captured.

Question 54

Steve sold 31 units this month, Kara sold 28, and Marie sold 25. Therefore, using the ranking approach based on sales Steve would be considered the top performer.

Question 55

All of the following, although perhaps legal and necessary, can create a work environment of distrust and unethical behavior EXCEPT:

A) create costly safety programs that may impact financials but lower employee injury rates.
B) monitor employee phone use to ensure there is no abuse of personal phone calls.
C) put systems in place to track employee internet use and then shutdown access to websites that employees visit frequently.
D) block all personal emails employees receive in order to improve productivity.
E) use an evaluation method that compares employees to ensure the best employees are getting rewarded.

Question 56

All of the following can impact an expatriates performance evaluation EXCEPT:

A) compensation adjustment.
B) home country performance standards.
C) host country performance standards.
D) method of evaluation.
E) timeliness of the evaluation.

Question 57

Once the manager has completed the evaluation it is important that they next provide timely and constructive feedback to the employees so that improvements can be made.

Question 58

Which of the following statements is most accurate when considering how to design the performance management system for employees in a host country?

A) Using an evaluation method that compares employee performance is most acceptable in a collectivist country.
B) An operations manager job in the home and host countries have the same job dimensions and therefore should be evaluated using the same method.
C) Countries that value teamwork and emphasize work relationships would choose an individualist approach to evaluations.
D) Cultural norms may impact how employees interpret performance dimensions.
E) Host country performance standards must remain consistent with those used in the home country in order to evaluate employees consistently.

Question 59

Using a forced choice approach to performance management could mean that the rater does not know how the performance statements are valued so that bias does not impact the evaluation.

Question 60

To be most effective performance feedback should not address development opportunities and should focus on the supervisor conveying to the employee what needs to be corrected going forward.

Question 61

Using multiple raters from both countries ensures that an expatriate will receive a fair performance evaluation.

Question 62

If an organization can make their performance management system more subjective it may increase the accuracy of the evaluations and decrease employee complaints regarding the system.

Question 63

If performance management systems impact an employee's pay the employee may tend to be more vocal about the feedback a manager provides if it does not portray them as positively as they think it should.

Question 64

A performance standard on the manager's job evaluation states that their department cannot have greater than 10% turnover. This is an example of a performance standard that has a high level of ________.

Question 65

Creating an evaluation system that relies on financial performance to determine scores and compensation increases may encourage unethical behavior in employees.

Question 66

A performance management system used by an organization in their home country will be suitable in their operations overseas because the same types of jobs are used overseas to produce the same product.

Question 67

When an employee disagrees with how the performance management system is carried out they have distributional justice concerns.

Question 68

Joan's performance was evaluated based on how many boxes she packed during each shift. It was not evaluated based on how many of the boxes she packed correctly, therefore her performance measure could be said to be ________.

Question 69

Evaluating ________ and developing ________ are key components of any performance management program.

Question 70

The disciplinary process can be positive rather than punitive if you focus on what the employee must do to make the necessary improvements as soon as issues arise.

Question 71

Documentation regarding how an evaluation score was calculated should be maintained in the employees file but the complete evaluation document can be given to the employee.

Question 72

The performance management system an organization designs and implements should support their philosophy about work/life balance or it runs the risk of confusing employees about job expectations.

Question 73

In some cases, when evaluating a telecommuter it is best to based performance feedback on things such as quantity or quality of work rather than their work place behaviors.

Question 74

When implementing a diversity initiative, an organization can measure the performance of managers by tracking how many minorities they hire or promote in their department.

Question 75

Monitoring phone calls and computer usage has become something that employees are accepting of and organization's have no reason to be concerned about their perceptions of being under constant surveillance.

Question 76

Evaluating employees based on productivity numbers will be more legally defensible than ranking employees against each other.

Question 77

Evaluating an employee's problem solving skills as well as their ability to operate a piece of equipment are examples of performance ________.

Question 78

If a job expectation is that 100 products be completed each shift without any defects this would be considered a ________ for each person that holds that job.

Question 79

Based on recent studies, if an organization has only a few minority employees, versus a larger minority population, diversity has more of an impact on performance ratings.

Question 80

A country which values collectivism may not be accepting of a performance management system which rewards individual accomplishments.