Appraisal Problems

Performance appraisals are complex tasks for managers,

requiring job understanding, careful observation of
performance, and sensitivity to the needs of employees.

The need to perform the multiple functions in the appraisal
process makes the appraisal interview difficult and even
threatening for many managers.

Appraisal Problems
Here are some issues that arise spontaneously within the
appraisal process the managers should be able to handle:
1. Managers fail to conduct effective appraisal interviews
because they lack vital skills.
2. Managers fail to gather data systematically.
3. Managers arent specific on the expected performance
improvements in the previous appraisal.
4. Managers are reluctant to address difficult or sensitive
topics, or they fail to involve the employee in the
assessment process and discussion.

Appraisal Problems
5. Managers have grown cynical about the probability that
attitudinal or behavioral changes will occur in their
employees.
6. Managers see appraisals as a meaningless game and even
intentionally distort the ratings and feedback given.

All these factors can place powerful limits on the
usefulness of the appraisal interview, unless it is conducted
properly or modified through the use of other inputs.

Appraisal Problems
In addition, several behavioral problems are inherent in the
appraisal process:
1. Confrontational. Each party is trying to convince the other
that his or her view is more accurate.
2. Emotional. The managers role calls for a critical
perspective, while the employees desire to save face
easily leads to defensiveness.
3. Judgmental. The manager must evaluate the employees
behavior and results, and this aspect places the employee
in a clearly subordinate position.

Nature of Attributions
Attributions are causal explanations. Attribution is the
process by which people interpret and assign causes for their
own and others behavior.

The attribution process closely parallels the four basic
goals of organizational behavior which are: describe,
understand, predict, and control.


Nature of Attributions
The process of making and using attributions can be
discussed in three steps:







Observation/Description
Employee
behavior occurs:
Functional?
Dysfunctional?
Understanding
Attributions are
made to personal
or situational
factors such as:
Ability
Effort
Task difficulty
Luck
Prediction/Control
Future behavior is
predicted;
methods to
assure it are
implemented
Nature of Attributions
The assessment of functionality could be attributed to high
or low ability, to greater or lesser effort, to a difficult or an
easy task, or to good or poor luck.
Ability and effort are personal attributions, while task
difficulty and luck are situational attributions.
Personal attributions tend to be given as explanations
when there is a judgment of high consistency and low
distinctiveness and low consensus. Situational attributions
tend to be used as explanations when the behavior stands out
as distinctive and different from that of peers, while also being
inconsistent.

Nature of Attributions
One important factor that affects the choice of
explanations is whether we are evaluating our own behavior
(self-serving bias) or interpreting anothers (fundamental
attribution bias).
Self-serving bias is seen when people overestimate the
influence of internal factors when assessing their own
successes and external causes for their own less successful
outcomes.
Fundamental attribution bias often exhibited when people
tend to attribute others achievements to good luck or easy
tasks.

Nature of Attributions
Level of Employee
Performance
Success


Success


Failure

Failure
Perceived by
Employee


Manager


Employee

Manager
Probable
Attribution
Personal (high
ability or strong
effort)
Situational (easy
task or good
luck)
Situational (hard
task or bad luck)
Personal (low
ability or poor
effort)
Managerial Effects
1. A formal appraisal system encourages managers to do
more analytical and constructive thinking about their
employees.
2. The requirement of a face-to-face interview encourages
managers to be more specific about identifying each
employees abilities, interests, and motivation.
3. Managers often begin to perceive that each employee is
truly different and must be treated that way.

Jeanne Audrey M. Osial