Question 1

What advantage do peer appraisals have over other types of appraisals?

Accepted Answer

A)  Peers know the job better than most managers do. 
B)  Peers do not have a conflict of interest over honestly appraising a fellow employee. 
C)  Peers may have a more intimate view of the performance of fellow employees. 
D)  Peers don't have to worry about meeting standards for distributions. 
A)  Peers know the job better than most managers do. 
B)  Peers do not have a conflict of interest over honestly appraising a fellow employee. 
C)  Peers may have a more intimate view of the performance of fellow employees. 
D)  Peers don't have to worry about meeting standards for distributions.

Question 2

Jay is a polite, helpful, conscientious employee who often helps his fellow auto sales representatives make sales and is popular with customers due to his customer service orientation. Based on his performance appraisal, which is focused on sales, Jay is being fired because he has not sold enough cars this month. Which of the following problems is at the root of his poor performance appraisal?

Accepted Answer

A)  criterion contamination 
B)  lack of reliability 
C)  criterion deficiency 
D)  lack of relevance 
A)  criterion contamination 
B)  lack of reliability 
C)  criterion deficiency 
D)  lack of relevance

Question 3

Surprisingly, self-appraisals are typically equal to or lower than the traditional approach to appraisals where a manager fills them out.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Ideally, performance appraisals should be linked to the strategic objectives of the organization.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Which of the following is a major issue surrounding "stretch goals"?

Accepted Answer

A)  They demoralize the employee. 
B)  They increase voluntary turnover. 
C)  They could be considered unethical for several reasons. 
D)  They cause disruptive behaviours to the point that they are more costly to the organization than they are financially advantageous. 
A)  They demoralize the employee. 
B)  They increase voluntary turnover. 
C)  They could be considered unethical for several reasons. 
D)  They cause disruptive behaviours to the point that they are more costly to the organization than they are financially advantageous.

Question 6

The balanced scorecard approach integrates four categories: financial, customer, processes, and outcomes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Which of the following appraisal methods helps guard against recency error?

Accepted Answer

A)  critical incident method 
B)  forced-choice method 
C)  graphic rating scales 
D)  mixed-standard scale 
A)  critical incident method 
B)  forced-choice method 
C)  graphic rating scales 
D)  mixed-standard scale

Question 8

Feedback training for raters should include communicating effectively, diagnosing causes of performance problems, and setting goals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Which of the following is the primary limitation of the forced-choice method of appraisal?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is expensive to initially develop. 
B)  Only highly trained raters can use the format. 
C)  It does not lend itself to peer and self-ratings. 
D)  It is expensive to establish and maintain its validity. 
A)  It is expensive to initially develop. 
B)  Only highly trained raters can use the format. 
C)  It does not lend itself to peer and self-ratings. 
D)  It is expensive to establish and maintain its validity.

Question 10

Administrative purposes for performance appraisal include documenting personnel decisions and identifying individual training needs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

How often should performance feedback be delivered?

Accepted Answer

A)  It should be done at least annually. 
B)  It depends on the organizational culture, industry, and supervisor's style. 
C)  It should be done at regular intervals-the more frequent the better. 
D)  It should be an ongoing, regular part of supervisor-subordinate interactions. 
A)  It should be done at least annually. 
B)  It depends on the organizational culture, industry, and supervisor's style. 
C)  It should be done at regular intervals-the more frequent the better. 
D)  It should be an ongoing, regular part of supervisor-subordinate interactions.

Question 12

Three types of appraisal interviews are tell-and-sell, tell-and-listen, and problem-solving.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Internal customers are the most important source of valuable performance information for both developmental and administrative purposes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Which of the following is an important weakness of 360 feedback?

Accepted Answer

A)  In cases where feedback is not positive, it has been shown to increase voluntary turnover. 
B)  It is hard to know what to conclude if the appraisal results in conflicting opinions. 
C)  The quality of information is not as good as other types of appraisal systems. 
D)  The training can be demoralizing because it is so intense. 
A)  In cases where feedback is not positive, it has been shown to increase voluntary turnover. 
B)  It is hard to know what to conclude if the appraisal results in conflicting opinions. 
C)  The quality of information is not as good as other types of appraisal systems. 
D)  The training can be demoralizing because it is so intense.

Question 15

Why do employee appraisal programs sometimes fail?

Accepted Answer

In many organizations, performance appra

Question 16

The best appraisal method to use depends upon the purpose of the appraisal.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Suppose the performance appraisals that salespeople receive are based solely on sales revenue to the exclusion of other important factors. Which of the following would these performance evaluations suffer from?

Accepted Answer

A)  criterion contamination 
B)  lack of reliability 
C)  criterion deficiency 
D)  lack of criterion relevance 
A)  criterion contamination 
B)  lack of reliability 
C)  criterion deficiency 
D)  lack of criterion relevance

Question 18

Jane is manager to 10 direct reports. She is currently concerned that she is perceived as a softy and so she has decided not to give out very many high ratings on this years performance appraisal exercise. However, she doesn't want anyone to be fired either, so she has decided not to give out any very low ratings either. Which of the following will Jane's ratings suffer from?

Accepted Answer

A)  similar-to-self bias 
B)  leniency error 
C)  forced distribution 
D)  central tendency error 
A)  similar-to-self bias 
B)  leniency error 
C)  forced distribution 
D)  central tendency error

Question 19

Why is performance appraisal important?

Accepted Answer

A)  because it is key to the validation of selection procedures, which are the foundation of all HR practices 
B)  because all organizations need to weed out lower-performing individuals at a rate of about 10 percent of employees per annum 
C)  because employees need to know that they are being evaluated in order to perform at an appropriate level 
D)  because the success of the entire HR program depends on knowing how the performance of employees compares with the goals established for them 
A)  because it is key to the validation of selection procedures, which are the foundation of all HR practices 
B)  because all organizations need to weed out lower-performing individuals at a rate of about 10 percent of employees per annum 
C)  because employees need to know that they are being evaluated in order to perform at an appropriate level 
D)  because the success of the entire HR program depends on knowing how the performance of employees compares with the goals established for them

Question 20

Which of the following is exemplified by a manager rating an employee higher than he or she deserves in order to look good as a manager in the eyes of the manager's own superiors?

Accepted Answer

A)  criterion deficiency 
B)  organizational politics 
C)  criterion contamination 
D)  administrative appraisal purpose 
A)  criterion deficiency 
B)  organizational politics 
C)  criterion contamination 
D)  administrative appraisal purpose

What advantage do peer appraisals have over other types of appraisals?

Surprisingly, self-appraisals are typically equal to or lower than the traditional approach to appraisals where a manager fills them out.

Ideally, performance appraisals should be linked to the strategic objectives of the organization.

Which of the following is a major issue surrounding "stretch goals"?

The balanced scorecard approach integrates four categories: financial, customer, processes, and outcomes.

Which of the following appraisal methods helps guard against recency error?

Feedback training for raters should include communicating effectively, diagnosing causes of performance problems, and setting goals.

Which of the following is the primary limitation of the forced-choice method of appraisal?

Administrative purposes for performance appraisal include documenting personnel decisions and identifying individual training needs.

How often should performance feedback be delivered?

Three types of appraisal interviews are tell-and-sell, tell-and-listen, and problem-solving.

Internal customers are the most important source of valuable performance information for both developmental and administrative purposes.

Which of the following is an important weakness of 360 feedback?

Why do employee appraisal programs sometimes fail?

The best appraisal method to use depends upon the purpose of the appraisal.

Suppose the performance appraisals that salespeople receive are based solely on sales revenue to the exclusion of other important factors. Which of the following would these performance evaluations suffer from?

Why is performance appraisal important?

Which of the following is exemplified by a manager rating an employee higher than he or she deserves in order to look good as a manager in the eyes of the manager's own superiors?

The World of Human Resources Management

Strategy and Human Resources Planning

Equity and Diversity in Human Resources Management

Job Analysis, Employee Involvement, and Flexible Work Schedules

Expanding the Talent Pool: Recruitment and Careers

Employee Selection

Training and Development

Managing Compensation

Pay For Performance: Incentive Rewards

Employee Benefits

Safety and Health

Employee Rights and Discipline

The Dynamics of Labour Relations

International Human Resources Management

Creating High Performance Work Systems

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Exam 8: Appraising and Improving Performance

What advantage do peer appraisals have over other types of appraisals?

Surprisingly, self-appraisals are typically equal to or lower than the traditional approach to appraisals where a manager fills them out.

Ideally, performance appraisals should be linked to the strategic objectives of the organization.

Which of the following is a major issue surrounding "stretch goals"?

The balanced scorecard approach integrates four categories: financial, customer, processes, and outcomes.

Which of the following appraisal methods helps guard against recency error?

Feedback training for raters should include communicating effectively, diagnosing causes of performance problems, and setting goals.

Which of the following is the primary limitation of the forced-choice method of appraisal?

Administrative purposes for performance appraisal include documenting personnel decisions and identifying individual training needs.

How often should performance feedback be delivered?

Three types of appraisal interviews are tell-and-sell, tell-and-listen, and problem-solving.

Internal customers are the most important source of valuable performance information for both developmental and administrative purposes.

Which of the following is an important weakness of 360 feedback?

Why do employee appraisal programs sometimes fail?

The best appraisal method to use depends upon the purpose of the appraisal.

Suppose the performance appraisals that salespeople receive are based solely on sales revenue to the exclusion of other important factors. Which of the following would these performance evaluations suffer from?

Why is performance appraisal important?

Which of the following is exemplified by a manager rating an employee higher than he or she deserves in order to look good as a manager in the eyes of the manager's own superiors?

The World of Human Resources Management

Strategy and Human Resources Planning

Equity and Diversity in Human Resources Management

Job Analysis, Employee Involvement, and Flexible Work Schedules

Expanding the Talent Pool: Recruitment and Careers

Employee Selection

Training and Development

Managing Compensation

Pay For Performance: Incentive Rewards

Employee Benefits

Safety and Health

Employee Rights and Discipline

The Dynamics of Labour Relations

International Human Resources Management

Creating High Performance Work Systems

Filters