Developments in information technology[edit]

Computers have been playing an increasing role in PA for some time (Sulsky &
eo!n" #$$%&' (here are t!o main aspects to this' (he )rst is in relation to the
electronic monitoring of performance" !hich a*ords the ability to record a huge
amount of data on multiple dimensions of !ork performance (Stanton" +,,,&' -ot
only does it facilitate a more continuous and detailed collection of performance data
in some .obs" e'g' call centres" but it has the capacity to do so in a non/obvious"
covert manner' (he second aspect is in mediating the feedback process" by
recording and aggregating performance ratings and !ritten observations and
making the information available on/line0 many soft!are packages are available for
this' (he use of 1( in these !ays undoubtedly helps in making the appraisal process
more manageable" especially !here multiple rating sources are involved" but it also
raises many 2uestions about appraisees3 reactions and possible e*ects on PA
outcomes' 4ostly" the evidence so far is positive'[5%]
6ater errors[edit]
4istakes made by raters is a ma.or source of problems in performance appraisal'
(here is no simple !ay to completely eliminate these errors" but making raters
a!are of them through training is helpful' 6atter errors are based on the feelings
and it has conse2uences at the time of appraisal'[5$][7,]
8arying standards [7#]
Problem9 :hen a manager appraises (evaluates& his or her employees and the
manager uses di*erent standards and e;pectations for employees !ho are
performing similar .obs'
<;ample9 A professor do not grade the e;ams of all students in the same standards"
sometimes it depends on the a*ection that the professor has to!ards others' (his
a*ection !ill make professor give students higher or lo!er grades'
Solution9 (he rater must use the same standards and !eights for every employee'
(he manager should be able to sho! coherent arguments in order to e;plain the
di*erence' (herefore" it !ould be easier to kno! if it is done" because the employee
has done a good performance" or if it because the manager perception is distorted'
6ecency <*ects
Problem9 :hen the manager" according only to the last performance" that has been
2uite good" rates higher'
<;ample9 :hen a professor gives the course grade based .ust in the performance of
the student" only in the last !eek'
Solution9 1n order to avoid that" the manager should use some methods as
documenting both in positive and negative aspects'
Primacy <*ects
Problem9 :hen the person !ho evaluates gives more !eight according to
information the manager has received )rst'
<;ample9 1t could be a silly e;ample' :hen !e are !atching a (8 2ui= and con2uest
have to remember a list of things" they only remember the )rst ones' (his is apply
also in remembering human performance'
Solution9 performance' :hen manager has to take some decision" is better not to do
it according to !hat he or she remembers' 1t is better to based on real actions that
has happened and are recorded'
Central (endency
Problem9 :hen the manager evaluate every employees !ithin a narro! range" as
the average because he or she is dismissing the di*erences in the performance that
employees have done'
<;ample9 :hen a professor because the average of the class tends to grade harder'
(herefore" if the performance of the class average is 2uite high" the professor !ill
evaluate them more high' 1n the contrary" if the average of the class is lo!er" he or
she !ould appraise lo!er'
>eniency
Problem9 6ating of all employees are at the high end of the scale'
<;ample9 :hen the professor tends to grade harder" because the average of the
class'
Strictness
Problem9 :hen a manager uses only the lo!er part of the scale to rate employees'
<;ample9 :hen the professor tends to grade lo!er" because the average of the
class'
Solution9 try to focus more on the individual performance of every employee
regardless the average results'
6ater ?ias[7+]
Problem9 6ater@s !hen the manager rates according to his or her values and
pre.udices !hich at the same time distort (distorsionar& the rating' (hose
di*erentiations can be made due to the ethnic group" gender" age" religion" se;"
appearance'''
<;ample9 Sometimes happen that a manager treats someone di*erent" because he
or she thinks that the employee is homose;ual'
Solution9 1f then" the e;amination is done by higher/level managers" this kind of
appraising can be corrected" because they are supposed to be more partial'
Aalo <*ect
Problem9 :hen a manager rates an employee high on all items because of one
characteristic that he or she likes'
<;ample9 1f a !orker has fe! absence but the supervisor has a good relationship
!ith that employee" the supervisor might give to the employee a high rating in all
other areas of !ork" in order to balance the rating' Sometimes it happens due to the
emotional dependability based on the good relationship they have'
Solution9 (raining raters to recogni=e the problem and di*erentiating the person
!ith the performance they do'
Aorns <*ect
Problem9 (his is the opposite to the Aalo e*ect and Aorns e*ect occurs !hen a
manager rates an employee lo! on all items because of one characteristic that he
or she dislikes'
<;ample9 1f a !orker does a good performance and in some resting times he or she
loves telling .okes" but his or her supervisor hates .okes" the supervisor might give
to the employee a lo!er rating in all other areas of !ork" because they do not have
that cone;ion' Sometimes it happens !hen they do not have a close relationship
and manager do not like the person herBhim/self'
Solution9 1s the same as in the Aalo <*ect' (raining raters to recogni=e the problem
and di*erentiating the person !ith the performance they do'
Contrast
Problem9 (he tendency to rate people relative to other people rather than to the
individual performance he or her is doing'
<;ample9 At school" if you are sat do!n !here all the chatty people are and you are
silent but you do not pay attention and you do not do your home!ork" because you
are dra!ing0 !hen teacher gets angry !ith the group" you might be e;cluded of the
bad behavior they have .ust because you are silent0 but not because you are doing
a good performance' (herefore" according to the group" you are not that chatty" but
you are either doing the proper performance' Ao!ever the rater !ill only get the
idea that your behavior is not as bad as other" thus" you !ill be rate higher'
Solution9 (he rating should reCect the task re2uirement performance" not according
to other people attitude'
Similar/to/4e B Di*erent/from/4e
Problem9 Sometimes" ratters are inCuenced by some of the characteristics that
people sho!' Depending if those characteristics are similar or di*erent to ratters3
one" they !ould be evaluated di*erently'
<;ample9 A manager !ith higher education degree might give subordinates !ith
higher education degree a higher appraisal than those !ith only bachelor@s degrees'
Solution9 (ry to focus on the performance the employee is doing regardless the
common characteristic that you have
Sampling
Problem9 :hen the rater evaluates the performance of an employee relying only on
a small percentage of the amount of !ork done'
<;ample9 An employee has to do #,, reports' (hen" the manager take )ve of them
to check ho! has the !ork been made" and the manager )nds mistakes in those
)ve reports' (herefore the manager !ill appraised the !ork of the employee as a
DpoorD one" !ithout having into account the other $5 reports that the manager has
not seen" that have been made correctly'
Solution9 (o follo! the entire track of the performance" not .ust a little part of it'
:e have been looking one by one the possible solutions to each of the situations"
!hich are also complicated to put into practice" thus here !e have a general
solution that could be apply to all the possible rating errors' 1t is diEcult to
minimi=ed rater errors" since !e are humans and !e are not ob.ective' 4oreover"
sometimes" !e are not a!are of our behavior of having preferences to!ards people
but there are some tools in order to have a more ob.ective information as using
available technology to track performances and record it !hich enables manager to
have some ob.ective information about the process'