Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management
Eighth Edition
DeCenzo and Robbins
Chapter 10
Establishing the Performance Management System
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Introduction
• Employees generally see performance
evaluations as having a direct effect on
their work lives.
• The performance management
systems need to include:
– decisions about who should evaluate
performance
– what format should be used
– how the results should be utilized
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Performance Management
Systems
Purposes of a Performance
Management System
– Feedback - let employees know how well
they have done and allow for employee
input.
– Development – identify areas in which
employees have deficiencies or
weaknesses.
– Documentation - to meet legal
requirements.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Performance Management
Systems
Difficulties in Performance
Management Systems
– Focus on the individual: Discussions of
performance may elicit strong emotions
and may generate conflicts when
subordinates and supervisors do not
agree.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Performance Management
Systems
Difficulties in Performance
Management Systems
– Focus on the process: Company policies
and procedures may present barriers to a
properly functioning appraisal process.
– Additionally, appraisers may be poorly
trained.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Performance Management and
EEO
• HRM practices must be bias free,
objective and job-related.
• Valid performance appraisals are
conducted at established intervals and
are done by trained appraisers.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
The Appraisal Process
7. Appeal if not satisfied
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
The Appraisal Process
• Establishment of performance
standards
– Derived from company’s strategic goals.
– Based on job analysis and job description.
• Communication of performance
standards to employee.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
The Appraisal Process
• Measurement of performance using
information from:
– personal observation
– statistical reports
– oral reports
– written reports
• Comparison of actual performance with
standards.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
The Appraisal Process
• Discussion of appraisal with employee.
• Identification of corrective action where
necessary.
– Immediate action deals with symptoms.
– Basic corrective action deals with causes.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Three approaches:
• Absolute standards
• Relative standards
• Objectives
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Evaluating absolute standards:
• An employee’s performance is
measured against established
standards.
• Evaluation is independent of any other
employee.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Evaluating absolute standards:
– Essay Appraisal: Appraiser writes
narrative describing employee
performance & suggestions.
– Critical Incident Appraisal: Based on key
behavior anecdotes illustrating effective or
ineffective job performance.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Evaluating absolute standards:
– Checklist Appraisal: Appraiser checks off
behaviors that apply to the employee.
– Adjective Rating Scale Appraisal:
Appraiser rates employee on a number of
job-related factors.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Evaluating absolute standards:
– Forced-Choice Appraisal: Appraisers
choose from sets of statements which
appear to be equally favorable, the
statement which best describes the
employee.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Evaluating absolute
standards:
• Behaviorally Anchored
Rating Scales (BARS):
Appraiser rates employee on
factors which are defined by
behavioral descriptions
illustrating various dimensions
along each rating scale.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Relative standards:
• Employees are evaluated by comparing
their performance to the performance of
other employees.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Relative standards:
• Group Order Ranking: Employees are
placed in a classification reflecting their
relative performance, such as “top onefifth.”
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Relative standards:
– Individual Ranking: Employees
are ranked from highest to
lowest.
– Paired Comparison:
• Each individual is compared to
every other.
• Final ranking is based on number
of times the individual is preferred
member in a pair.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Using Achieved Outcomes to Evaluate
Employees
Management by Objectives (MBO)
– includes mutual objective setting and
evaluation based on the attainment of the
specific objectives
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Appraisal Methods
Using Achieved Outcomes to Evaluate
Employees
– Common elements in an MBO program
are:
•
•
•
•
goal specificity
participative decision making
an explicit time period
performance feedback
– Effectively increases employee
performance and organizational
productivity.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
• Leniency error
– Each evaluator has his/her own value
system.
– Some evaluate high (positive leniency) and
others, low (negative leniency).
• Halo error: Evaluator lets an
assessment of an individual on one trait
influence evaluation on all traits.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
• Similarity error: Evaluator rates others
in the same way that the evaluator
perceives him or herself.
• Low appraiser motivation: Evaluators
may be unwilling to be accurate if
important rewards for the employee
depend on the results.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
• Central tendency: The unwillingness to use
the extremes of a rating scale and to
adequately distinguish among employees
being rated.
• Inflationary pressures: Pressures for
equality and fear of retribution for low ratings
leads to less differentiation among rated
employees.
• Inappropriate substitutes for performance:
Effort, enthusiasm, appearance, etc. are less
relevant for some jobs than others.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
Attribution Theory
• Evaluations are affected based on
whether someone’s performance is due
to
– internal factors they can control
– external factors which they cannot
• If poor performance is attributed to
internal control, the judgment is harsher
than when it is attributed to external
control.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Factors that can Distort
Appraisals
• Impression management:
• If employee positively influences the
relationship with the supervisor, he/she
is likely to receive a higher rating.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Use Behavior-Based Measures:
• Measures based on specific
descriptions of behavior are more jobrelated and elicit more inter-rater
agreement than characters, such as
“loyalty” or “friendliness”.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Combine Absolute and Relative
Standards:
• Absolute standards tend to be positively
lenient; relative standards suffer when
there is little variability.
• Combining the standards tends to offset
the weaknesses of each.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Provide Ongoing Feedback:
• Expectations and disappointments
should be shared with employees on a
frequent basis.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Use Multiple Raters:
• Increasing the number of raters leads to more
reliable and valid ratings.
– Use peer evaluations: Coworkers offer
constructive insights and more specific
evaluations.
– Upward appraisals allow employees to give their
managers feedback.
– 360-Degree appraisals: Supervisors, peers,
employees, team members, customers and others
with relevant information evaluate the employee.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Rate Selectively
– Appraisers only evaluate in those areas
about which they have sufficient
knowledge.
– Appraisers should be organizationally as
close as possible to the individual being
evaluated.
– More effective raters are asked to do the
appraisals.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Train Appraisers:
• Untrained appraisers who do poor
appraisals can demoralize employees
and increase legal liabilities.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
Creating More Effective Performance
Management Systems
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
International Performance
Appraisal
• Who performs the evaluation?
– Different cultural perspectives and
expectations between the parent and local
country may make evaluation difficult.
– Evaluation forms may not be translated
accurately.
– Quantitative measures may be misleading.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins
International Performance
Appraisal
• Evaluation Formats
– May make sense to use different forms for
parent-country nationals and host-country
nationals.
– Performance criteria for a particular
position should be modified to fit the
overseas position and site.
– Include a current expatriate’s insights as
part of the evaluation.
Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins