Deck 17: Appraising Performance

Question 1

In the performance appraisal process,if a supervisor finds that the reason behind an employee's poor performance is his lack of certain skills,the supervisor should ideally:

A) dismiss the concerned employee.
B) reprimand the employee in public.
C) provide the necessary training.
D) adjust the appraisal standards and ratings.

Answer 1

C
Explanation: In the performance appraisal process, if a supervisor finds that the reason behind an employee's poor performance is his lack of certain skills, the supervisor should ideally provide the necessary training. In investigating the underlying problem, a supervisor may gain important insights by asking what can be done to help the employee reach goals.

Question 2

A performance appraisal should focus on an employee's:

A) intelligence and experience.
B) personality and beliefs.
C) behavior and results.
D) age and qualification.

Answer 2

C
Explanation: A performance appraisal should focus on an employee's behavior and results. Focusing on behavior means that the appraisal should describe specific actions or patterns of actions. Focusing on results means describing the extent to which an employee has satisfied the objectives for which he or she is responsible.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the process of performance appraisal?

A) It is a random process that takes place in six steps.
B) It is a single, short-term event.
C) It ends with measuring individual performance against standards.
D) It enables supervisors to reinforce good performance.

Answer 3

D
Explanation: The process of performance appraisal enables supervisors to reinforce good performance. The final step of the appraisal process includes reinforcement for good performance. This can be as simple as pointing out to employees where they have performed well.

Question 4

In the appraisal process,while observing and measuring individual performance against standards,a supervisor:

A) investigates the underlying problem and identifies solutions.
B) determines what a department or a work group should accomplish.
C) decides how to measure employees' performance.
D) gathers information about each employee's performance.

Question 5

In the course of the performance appraisal process,a supervisor should ideally start with:

A) observing and measuring individual performance against standards.
B) establishing and communicating expectations for performance.
C) establishing and communicating standards for measuring performance.
D) reinforcing performance or providing remedies.

Question 6

Since expectations for performance are objectives,each expectation should be:

A) discreet.
B) indefinite.
C) ambiguous.
D) measurable.

Question 7

In the appraisal process,after a supervisor establishes and communicates standards for measuring performance,the next step is to:

A) observe and measure individual performance against set criteria.
B) reinforce performance or provide remedies.
C) establish and communicate expectations for performance.
D) determine what a department or a work group should accomplish.

Question 8

In the appraisal process,while uncovering the underlying problems,if organizational policies and procedures reward inefficient or less-than-high-quality behavior,a supervisor should most appropriately:

A) apply the principles of motivation.
B) see that an employee gets the necessary training.
C) change the way work is done.
D) handle the situation with counseling and discipline.

Question 9

In the appraisal process,while reinforcing performance or providing remedies,a supervisor:

A) investigates the underlying problem and identifies solutions.
B) determines what a department or a work group should accomplish.
C) decides how to measure employees' performance.
D) gathers information about each employee's performance.

Question 10

In the appraisal process,while uncovering the underlying problems,if performance is suffering because an employee has personal problems,a supervisor should most appropriately:

A) apply the principles of motivation.
B) see that the employee gets the necessary training.
C) change the way work is done.
D) handle the situation with counseling and discipline.

Question 11

In the appraisal process,while establishing and communicating standards for measuring performance,a supervisor:

A) investigates the underlying problem and identifies solutions.
B) determines what a department or a work group should accomplish.
C) decides how to assess employees' performance.
D) gathers information about each employee's performance.

Question 12

Which of the following is one of the advantages primarily associated with a performance appraisal?

A) It protects employees against discrimination on the basis of race.
B) It motivates employees to work on their shortcomings.
C) It encourages employees to play the role of the whistle-blower.
D) It accurately measures the resources of a firm.

Question 13

In the appraisal process,while uncovering the underlying problems,if the problem is a lack of effort on an employee's part,a supervisor should most appropriately:

A) apply the principles of motivation.
B) see that the employee gets the necessary training.
C) change the way work is done.
D) handle the situation with counseling and discipline.

Question 14

During a performance appraisal,labeling people with certain characteristics is most likely to:

A) motivate employees.
B) increase the dedication of employees.
C) put employees on the defensive.
D) increase employee productivity.

Question 15

The last step in the performance appraisal process involves:

A) providing remedies or reinforcing performance.
B) establishing and communicating performance standards.
C) establishing and communicating performance expectations.
D) observing and measuring individual performance against standards.

Question 16

To deliver their potential benefits,performance appraisals must be completely:

A) fair and accurate.
B) subjective.
C) rigid and biased.
D) task-oriented.

Question 17

Performance appraisal is best defined as the process of:

A) giving formal feedback on how well an employee is doing his or her job.
B) developing objectives that specify how each department will support organizational goals.
C) creating a back-up plan along with the original strategic plan.
D) identifying people interested in holding a particular job or working for an organization.

Question 18

In the appraisal process,which step should a supervisor undertake after establishing and communicating expectations for performance?

A) Observe and measure individual performance against standards
B) Reinforce performance or provide remedies
C) Establish and communicate standards for measuring performance
D) Determine what a department or a work group should accomplish

Question 19

In the appraisal process,while establishing and communicating expectations for performance,a supervisor:

A) investigates the underlying problem and identifies solutions.
B) determines what a department or a work group should accomplish.
C) decides how to measure employees' performance.
D) gathers information about each employee's performance.

Question 20

A supervisor ideally determines the expected accomplishments of a department or work group during the:

A) planning process.
B) reinforcement process.
C) directing process.
D) staffing process.

Question 21

Which of the following is a characteristic of effective performance appraisal measures?

A) They are subjective.
B) They are based on labels.
C) They are outside employees' control.
D) They are related to specific tasks.

Question 22

In a(n)_____ appraisal,a supervisor must write a description of an employee's performance,answering questions such as "What are the major strengths of this employee?"

A) checklist
B) essay
C) critical-incident
D) 360-degree feedback

Question 23

It has been observed that a majority of companies direct their managers to separate performance appraisals from discussions of pay.Which of the following is most likely to be the reason behind this?

A) The employees focus more on individual performance making them very self-centered and unwilling to work as part of a team.
B) The employees focus more on the pay leading them to utilize all kinds of unethical means to meet the set standards.
C) The employees are intimidated by this process leading to a drastic drop in their productivity.
D) The employees focus more on the pay making it difficult for supervisors to use performance evaluation as an opportunity for motivating and coaching.

Question 24

In the context of what to measure in an appraisal,focusing on results means that the appraisal should:

A) be based on the labels assigned to people who behave in a particular way.
B) describe specific actions or patterns of actions.
C) be subjective and outside employees' control.
D) describe the extent to which an employee has satisfied the objectives for which he or she is responsible.

Question 25

Which of the following is true of the paired-comparison appraisal approach?

A) It typically involves hiring organizational psychologists to analyze the performance of employees as a group.
B) It requires an appraiser to choose the most appropriate statement from a series of statements about an employee.
C) It is most effective when a supervisor wants to find one outstanding employee in a group.
D) It requires a supervisor to write a detailed description of an employee's performance.

Question 26

The most commonly used type of appraisal is the _____.

A) critical-incident appraisal
B) graphic rating scale
C) work-standards approach
D) behaviorally anchored rating scale

Question 27

Which of the following is a disadvantage typically associated with the graphic rating scale appraisal method?

A) The rating is subjective.
B) It is very complicated to handle.
C) The rating is unfair.
D) It fails to measure the degree of improvement.

Question 28

In which of the following types of appraisals does a supervisor list the employees in a group and then rank them?

A) Forced-choice approach
B) Work-standards approach
C) 360-degree feedback approach
D) Paired-comparison approach

Question 29

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of the forced-choice approach to appraisal?

A) It requires a supervisor to write a detailed description of an employee's performance.
B) It requires hiring organizational psychologists to analyze the performance of employees as a group.
C) It requires a supervisor to keep a written record of incidents that show positive and negative ways an employee has acted.
D) It requires a supervisor to choose from sets of statements, the most characteristic and the least characteristic ones describing an employee.

Question 30

In the context of types of appraisals,the _____ approach is used when an organization determines that supervisors have been rating an unbelievably high proportion of employees as above average.

A) forced-choice
B) work-standards
C) 360-degree feedback
D) paired-comparison

Question 31

In the _____ approach,the appraisal form gives a supervisor sets of statements describing employee behavior.

A) forced-choice
B) work-standards
C) 360-degree feedback
D) paired-comparison

Question 32

In the context of types of appraisals,the paired-comparison approach:

A) rates the degree to which an employee has achieved various characteristics.
B) combines assessments from several sources, including customers or peers.
C) can be used to identify the best candidate for a special assignment.
D) can be tailored to an organization's objectives for employees.

Question 33

Which of the following is true of graphic rating scales?

A) They are relatively easy to use.
B) They involve ratings that are completely objective.
C) They measure the relative performance of employees in a group.
D) They are the least commonly used types of appraisals.

Question 34

The behaviorally anchored rating scales are best defined as a performance appraisal:

A) that only rates the degree to which an employee has achieved various characteristics.
B) in which an employee is rated on scales containing statements describing performance in several areas.
C) that presents an appraiser with sets of statements describing employee behavior and the appraiser rates the statements.
D) in which a supervisor typically keeps a written record of incidents that show positive and negative ways an employee has acted.

Question 35

A graphic rating scale is best defined as a performance appraisal:

A) that primarily marks the degree to which an employee has achieved various characteristics.
B) that primarily measures the relative performance of employees in a group.
C) that presents an appraiser with sets of statements describing employee behavior and requires the appraiser to rate the statements.
D) that requires a supervisor to keeps a written record of incidents that show positive and negative ways an employee has acted.

Question 36

Which of the following appraisal methods is best suited for measuring the relative performance of employees in a group?

A) Essay appraisal
B) Forced-choice approach
C) Paired-comparison approach
D) Critical-incident appraisal

Question 37

In the context of performance appraisals and pay reviews,which of the following statements is true?

A) The pay of an employee has no link to his or her performance, as the pay for every employee is typically fixed by the EEOC.
B) The fixing of pay on the basis of performance makes training and coaching programs more effective.
C) Companies that do not base the pay structure on performance can more readily keep the appraisal focused on an employee's performance.
D) A performance appraisal should not focus on behavior.

Question 38

The _____ published the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures,which include guidelines for designing and implementing performance appraisals.

A) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
B) Association for Prohibiting Age Discrimination in Employment
C) Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Commission
D) Fair Employee Recruitment Directive

Question 39

In the context of what to measure in an appraisal,focusing on behavior means that the appraisal should:

A) be based on the labels assigned to people who behave in a particular way.
B) describe specific actions or patterns of actions.
C) be subjective and outside employees' control.
D) describe the extent to which an employee has satisfied the objectives for which he or she is responsible.

Question 40

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's general guidelines on performance appraisals,the behaviors or characteristics measured by a performance appraisal should strictly be:

A) related to the educational qualification of an employee.
B) related to the job and to succeeding on the job.
C) based on the company's policies.
D) based on an employee's personal views.

Question 41

Which of the following is an advantage of a critical-incident appraisal?

A) It is relatively less time consuming.
B) It is less objective than some other approaches.
C) It allows supervisors to focus more on positive events.
D) It allows focusing on actual behaviors.

Question 42

For 360-feedback to be effective,the person managing the review process should:

A) ensure that the responses are anonymous.
B) exclude employees' peers from the appraisal process.
C) only share feedback that is positive and unbiased.
D) avoid the use of self-assessments.

Question 43

The appraisal method that contains a series of questions such as "Does the employee have adequate job knowledge?" to which an appraiser answers yes or no is known as the:

A) essay appraisal.
B) forced-choice approach.
C) graphic rating scale.
D) checklist appraisal.

Question 44

A performance appraisal method in which a supervisor keeps a record of situations that show positive and negative ways an employee has acted and uses it to assess the employee's performance is known as the:

A) critical-incident appraisal.
B) checklist appraisal.
C) graphic rating scale.
D) forced-choice approach.

Question 45

Work-standards approach to appraisal is best defined as a performance appraisal:

A) that marks the degree to which an employee has achieved various characteristics.
B) in which an employee is rated on scales containing statements describing performance in several areas.
C) that presents an appraiser with sets of statements describing employee behavior and requires the appraiser to rate the statements.
D) in which an appraiser compares an employee's performance to objective measures of what an employee should do.

Question 46

In the context of assessments by someone other than a supervisor,supervisors:

A) often know how an employee behaves at all times and in all situations.
B) always appreciate the full impact of an employee's behavior on people inside and outside an organization.
C) can use subordinate appraisals to supervise more effectively and to make their organization more competitive.
D) should ensure that the employees' names and their individual responses are revealed to everyone involved.

Question 47

Rating employees more favorably than their performances merits is referred to as _____ bias.

A) proximity
B) harshness
C) recency
D) leniency

Question 48

Which of the following types of appraisals can provide information that is more useful for problem solving and employee development than the typical results of a traditional top-down appraisal?

A) Subordinate appraisals and 360-degree feedback
B) Management by objectives and checklist appraisal
C) Graphic rating scales and paired-comparison approach
D) Forced-choice approach and work-standards approach

Question 49

The major advantage of using behaviorally anchored rating scales is that they:

A) prevent a supervisor from saying only positive things about employees.
B) can be tailored to an organization's objectives for employees.
C) are more subjective than some other approaches.
D) do not allow the pay structure to be linked to performance.

Question 50

The performance appraisal method in which a supervisor compares each employee's accomplishments with the goals for that employee is referred to as:

A) critical-incident appraisal.
B) checklist appraisal.
C) work-standards approach.
D) management by objectives.

Question 51

Performance appraisals conducted by an employee's co-workers are known as _____.

A) checklist appraisals
B) peer reviews
C) 360-degree appraisals
D) graphic rating scales

Question 52

Which of the following is true of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)?

A) Some organizations pay behavioral scientists or organizational psychologists to create BARS.
B) The major drawback of using BARS is that they cannot be tailored to the organization's objectives for employees.
C) The BARS approach is more subjective than some other approaches because it uses statements describing behavior.
D) Developing BARS is less time consuming and therefore relatively inexpensive.

Question 53

_____ rate employee performance using a series of statements that describe the range of performance from ineffective to effective.

A) Management by objectives
B) Behaviorally anchored rating scales
C) Critical-incident appraisals
D) Graphic rating scales

Question 54

Rating employees more severely than their performances merits is referred to as _____ bias.

A) proximity
B) harshness
C) recency
D) leniency

Question 55

To use the _____ approach,a supervisor tries to establish objective measures of performance.

A) forced-choice
B) work-standards
C) 360-degree feedback
D) paired-comparison

Question 56

Combining several sources of appraisals is called _____.

A) 360-degree feedback
B) checklist appraisal
C) essay appraisal
D) work-standards approach

Question 57

Which of the following is a disadvantage of checklist appraisal?

A) A supervisor has no way to adjust the answers for any special circumstances that affect performance.
B) The quality of the appraisal completely depends on a supervisor's writing skills.
C) It makes some employees look good at the expense of others, which can make it ineffective for motivating team performance.
D) Supervisors tend to record negative events more than positive ones, resulting in an overly harsh appraisal.

Question 58

The difference between a harshness bias and a leniency bias is that:

A) the former involves selecting employee ratings in the middle of a scale, and the latter involves selecting employee ratings toward the ends.
B) the former involves rating employees more severely than their performance merits, and the latter involves rating employees more favorably than their performance merits.
C) the former involves assigning similar scores to items that are near each other on a questionnaire, and the latter involves leaving out items placed close together.
D) the former involves judging others more negatively when they are like oneself, and the latter involves judging others more positively when they are like oneself.

Question 59

Which of the following approaches to performance appraisal is also used as a planning tool in organizations?

A) Behaviorally anchored rating scales
B) Checklist appraisals
C) Graphic rating scales
D) Management by objectives

Question 60

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of the 360-degree feedback performance appraisal method?

A) It requires that only a supervisor assess the subordinates.
B) It combines assessments from several sources.
C) It combines the checklist appraisal and the work-standards approach.
D) It is also known as peer review.

Question 61

Which stage of the appraisal process occurs in an interview between supervisor and employee?

A) The stage at which a supervisor reinforces performance or provides remedies
B) The stage at which a supervisor establishes and communicates standards for measuring performance
C) The stage at which a supervisor establishes and communicates expectations for performance
D) The stage at which a supervisor observes and measures individual performance against standards

Question 62

Which of the following supervisors best demonstrates halo effect?

A) A supervisor who gives poor ratings to good performers
B) A supervisor who places the most weight on events that have occurred lately
C) A supervisor who generalizes one positive aspect of an employee to the employee's entire performance
D) A supervisor who forms preconceived judgments about an employee based on the employee's membership in a group

Question 63

_____ refers to the human tendency to place the most weight on events that have occurred lately.

A) Recency syndrome
B) Proximity bias
C) Halo effect
D) Central tendency

Question 64

The tendency to assign similar scores to items that are near each other on a questionnaire is called:

A) harshness bias.
B) similarity bias.
C) proximity bias.
D) central tendency.

Question 65

The tendency to select employee ratings in the middle of a rating scale is called:

A) leniency bias.
B) rating tendency.
C) central tendency.
D) similarity bias.

Question 66

Which of the following is true of central tendency as a source of bias in performance appraisals?

A) People are comfortable taking a strong stand at either extreme than on the middle of a scale.
B) This bias causes a supervisor to miss important opportunities to praise or correct employees.
C) It is the tendency to assign similar scores to items that are near each other on a questionnaire.
D) Supervisors with this bias rate their employees more favorably than their performance merits.

Question 67

When uncertain how to answer or when the overall scoring on a test looks undesirable,a supervisor is most likely to make _____.

A) gross errors
B) guesstimates
C) random choices
D) fair judgments

Question 68

When using a type of appraisal that requires answers to specific questions,a supervisor might succumb to making _____.

A) gross errors
B) guesstimates
C) random choices
D) biased judgments

Question 69

Which of the following supervisors best demonstrates recency syndrome?

A) A supervisor who gives poor ratings to good performers
B) A supervisor who focuses more on events that have occurred lately while reviewing performance
C) A supervisor who generalizes one positive aspect of an employee to the employee's entire performance
D) A supervisor who forms preconceived judgments about an employee based on the employee's membership in a group

Question 70

While conducting performance appraisals,Mike gives more weight to factors such as a problem an employee caused last week or to an award an employee just won.This tendency is specifically referred to as the:

A) recency syndrome.
B) similarity bias.
C) proximity bias.
D) halo effect.

Question 71

Which of the following supervisors best demonstrates prejudice?

A) A supervisor who gives poor ratings to good performers
B) A supervisor who places the most weight on events that have occurred lately
C) A supervisor who generalizes one positive aspect of an employee to the employee's entire performance
D) A supervisor who forms preconceived judgments about an employee based on the employee's membership in a group

Question 72

Jake shares his supervisor's views on political issues and also his interest in golf.It is observed that Jake is given an excellent appraisal report even though he deserved only an average.This form of bias is referred to as:

A) halo effect.
B) similarity bias.
C) central tendency.
D) harshness bias.

Question 73

Which of the following appraisal methods would be most effective in checking the recency syndrome?

A) Critical-incident appraisal
B) Peer review
C) Essay appraisal
D) Graphic rating scale method

Question 74

In the context of conducting an appraisal interview,a supervisor should:

A) fill the appraisal form just one hour before the interview to prevent his prejudices from clouding his judgment.
B) notify the employees about the appraisal interview ahead of time so that they get the time to think about their performance.
C) arrange the interview in an area that is easily accessible to the other employees to increase the transparency of the system.
D) discourage the employees from offering any form of feedback as this would only lead to an argument.

Question 75

Which of the following supervisors best demonstrates harshness bias?

A) A supervisor who gives poor ratings to good performers
B) A supervisor who focuses more on events that have occurred lately
C) A supervisor who generalizes one positive aspect of an employee to the employee's entire performance
D) A supervisor who forms preconceived judgments about an employee based on the employee's membership in a group

Question 76

The primary purpose of holding an appraisal interview should be to:

A) allow employees to demand salary increases.
B) communicate information about an employee's performance.
C) form informal groups so as to improve employee performance.
D) sort out the problem of nepotism.

Question 77

_____ refers to the tendency to generalize one positive or negative aspect of a person to the person's entire performance.

A) Recency syndrome
B) Similarity bias
C) Central tendency
D) Halo effect

Question 78

_____ bias refers to the tendency to judge others more positively when they are like ourselves.

A) Proximity
B) Similarity
C) Recency
D) Leniency

Question 79

The most effective way to overcome the bias resulting from the recency syndrome is to:

A) focus on the recent information.
B) keep records throughout the year.
C) use the employee's co-workers to do the rating.
D) use the essay appraisal method.

Question 80

Sarah believes that all graduates from a certain university have poor engineering skills and uses this belief as a base to appraise the performance of all employees from that university.In this case,Sarah's _____ is affecting the appraisal process.

A) central tendency
B) narcissism
C) ethical belief
D) prejudice