Differences between 'Developmental' and 'Judgmental' Aspects of Appraisal System: Do they compliment or contradict with each other?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LITERATURE REVIEW3

Research Questions3

Introduction3

Performance Feedback4

Performance Appraisal6

Performance Appraisal Objectives7

Content of Appraisal8

Contextual Performance9

Goal Orientation10

Appraisal Process11

Advantages of Performance Appraisal11

Factors for making Performance Appraisals13

Performance Appraisal Techniques14

360 Degree Feedback Model16

Effective Attributes of a Performance Appraisal20

Different Aspects of Performance Appraisal System21

Effect of Performance Appraisal on Employees23

LITERATURE REVIEW

Research Questions

The guidelines of the research are lead by the central question, “Why do organizations prefer implementing judgmental appraisals rather than developmental ones?” which will be clarified and answered once the following guiding research questions are addressed:

Why do organisations focus mainly on judgmental aspect of appraisal?

Is it difficult to have a balance between judgmental and developmental performance appraisals?

Will training and development become expensive if developmental aspects are to be considered in appraisals?(you need to clarify this as presumably the cost of the appraisal will stay the same. It is the actions taken after the appraisal that become expensive ?

Can lack of line managers' knowledge on conducting developmental appraisals be a major problem for the effectiveness of appraisals?

Introduction

In the modern world, performance appraisal has come to be defined as a structured formal relationship between a subordinate and the supervisor. This takes place in the form of a periodic interviews which maybe annually or semi-annually. It involves examination work performance of the subordinate as well as discussing on ways of improving. It also involves identification of subordinate weaknesses, strengths and the opportunities that lie for improving and developing skills. According to Poon(2001), they describe it as “the process of evaluating work behaviours by measurement and comparison to previously established standards, recording the results, and communicating them back to the employee. It is an activity held between a manager and an employee(Poon,2001,Pp1106).

In most corporations and organizations, the results of the appraisals are used either in whole or partially in helping formulate reward outcomes. Simply put, the appraisal results help in identification of better performing workers and the lousy workers, in doing so it is used to formulate pay increases, additional benefits and promotions. Using the same application, the appraisal results can be used in helping identify workers who may need counselling or in worst-case scenario demotion or dismissal. In doing so, an organization should seek laws that might hinder their capability of dismissing or decreasing a worker's pay(Patton,2001, Pp 376).

Performance Feedback

Few aspects of working life impact employees' as much as receiving feedback from others. Feedback, or the information employees receive regarding their performance-related behaviour, can serve to reward positive behaviour, shape goals, impart a sense of efficacy, heighten awareness of one's problem areas, and increase motivation to improve . These positive reactions, however, are far from guaranteed. Indeed, Mullins(2009) noted that performance actually declined following feedback in a third of the cases they reviewed. As a result of the inconsistent findings associated with feedback, scholars have recently attempted to better understand its role in performance improvement(Mullins,2009,Pp26). Aligned with this research stream, the impetus of the present study was to contribute to theory about ...