Question 1

What key factor determines the effectiveness of the appraisal process?

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

As a peer appraiser,why might you be tempted to give your colleagues a low rating?

Accepted Answer

Limited merit pay is a common reason for peer appraisers to give their colleagues a lower rating, as they may believe that by doing so, they increase their own chances of receiving a larger pay increase. This is not an ethical practice, and peer appraisers should always strive to provide honest and accurate ratings for their colleagues.

Question 3

Which source uses many different rating groups to evaluate the employee's performance?

Accepted Answer

360-degree feedback is a performance evaluation method that collects feedback from a variety of sources, including supervisors, subordinates, peers, and sometimes external stakeholders. This approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of an employee's performance as multiple perspectives are taken into account.

Question 4

Which of the following methods has appraisers rate the frequency of occurrence of different employee behaviours?

Accepted Answer

The method that has appraisers rate the frequency of occurrence of different employee behaviours is called behavioral observation scales (BOS). BOS involves observing and measuring the frequency of certain behaviors and then using a rating scale to evaluate the employee's level of performance. This method is more objective compared to other methods, such as graphic rating scales or management by objectives, as it focuses on actual observable behaviors rather than subjective opinions or goals.

Question 5

In general,research suggests which source of appraisals is more lenient in making their ratings?

Accepted Answer

Peers tend to be more lenient in their appraisals due to personal relationships and the desire to maintain harmony within the team.

Question 6

Which source of appraisals works better for feedback purposes than as a basis for merit pay?

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

Which of the following conditions is more likely to create the need to evaluate individuals in teams?

Accepted Answer

When working in temporary project teams with part-time members, it is important to evaluate individuals to ensure that each member is contributing to the project and that everyone's work is aligned with the team's overall goals. Strong positive group work norms, intrinsic motivation, and member commitment to overall team goals are all important factors in creating a collaborative team environment, but they do not necessarily create a need for individual evaluation.

Question 8

Which of the following is not a key element of performance management?

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

Which of the following is not a source of performance appraisals?

Accepted Answer

The board of directors is not typically involved in providing performance appraisals for individual employees. The other options (supervisors, subordinates, and professional raters) are all common sources of performance appraisals.

Question 10

What major advantage does BOS have over BARS?

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Which source is much less accurate in assessing the performance of managers?

Accepted Answer

Subordinates may have biased opinions about their managers due to personal conflicts, lack of communication, or resentment. Their assessment may not be objective and may be influenced by their personal opinions, emotions, or perceptions. Therefore, their evaluations may not be as accurate as those from other sources such as peers, professional raters or supervisors who may have a more objective and holistic view of the manager's performance.

Question 12

You have decided to set a maximum amount of money available for merit pay and then allocate it across your departments. Which of the following approaches have you used to determine the total amount of money available for merit pay?

Accepted Answer

The "top-down" approach involves setting a total budget for merit pay and then allocating it across departments based on their individual performance and needs. This approach ensures consistency and fairness in the distribution of merit pay.

Question 13

The concept of "performance management" incorporates what central feature?

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

According to the author's research,which of the following sources is used by the majority of Canadian employers?

Accepted Answer

According to the author's research, the majority of Canadian employers use only supervisory appraisals for employee performance evaluations.

Question 15

Which of the following methods provides the supervisor with a "second opinion" of the employee's performance,and may reduce bias?

Accepted Answer

Field review involves having another supervisor or manager observe and evaluate the employee's performance, which provides a "second opinion" and reduces the potential for bias from the employee's direct supervisor. The other options listed may also be useful for performance evaluation but do not necessarily provide a second opinion or reduce bias to the same degree as a field review.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a characteristics of effective goals?

Accepted Answer

Effective goals should be specific and narrow rather than broad. This allows for a clear focus and direction towards achieving the goal.

Question 17

Which source of appraisals can be expected to work well only in high-involvement organizations?

Accepted Answer

Subordinate appraisals work well in high-involvement organizations where there is a culture of openness and trust, allowing employees to provide honest feedback about their supervisors.

Question 18

What advantage does traditional superior-only ratings have over 360-degree systems?

Accepted Answer

Traditional superior-only ratings are often more straightforward and easier to align with merit pay decisions, as they typically involve fewer perspectives and are more directly tied to the hierarchical structure of the organization.

Question 19

You have designed your merit pay grid so that employees with a "satisfactory" performance rating receive no merit increase if they are in the third and fourth quartiles,and a 3 or 4 percent merit increase if they are in the first or second quartile. What is the logic behind your decision?

Accepted Answer

The logic behind the decision is that employees who are paid above the midpoint have already been rewarded for their "satisfactory" performance, and therefore, they don't need an additional merit increase. Giving a merit increase to employees in the first and second quartile incentivizes and rewards better performance.

Question 20

What two key elements make management by objectives a highly effective approach to employee motivation?

Accepted Answer

Management by objectives involves setting specific and challenging goals for employees and providing regular feedback and progress updates. This approach combines two key elements of employee motivation: goals give employees a sense of direction and purpose, while feedback provides them with a sense of progress and achievement.

Quiz 10: Evaluating Individuals