Deck 4: Performance Appraisal

Question 1

The degree to which a weather person's predictions actually measure her ability to predict weather is referred to as

A)criterion deficiency.
B)criterion relevance.
C)criterion contamination.
D)criterion complexity.

Answer 1

criterion relevance.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a use of performance appraisal information?

A)using as a criterion to determine the effectiveness of an organizational intervention
B)providing employees with feedback about job performance
C)selection of appropriate job applicants
D)making salary decisions

Answer 2

selection of appropriate job applicants

Question 3

Performance appraisals are often used for promotion,demotion,pay raises,and terminations.These are examples of the use of performance appraisal for:

A)employee development
B)research
C)job analysis
D)administrative decisions

Answer 3

administrative decisions

Question 4

Students' performance in school (e.g.,GPA)reflects their mastery of relevant course material.However,their GPA may also reflect whether they were sick or had outside distractions.To the extent that GPA,as a measure of performance,captures things other than mastery of course material,we say that GPA has:

A)criterion deficiency.
B)criterion relevance.
C)criterion contamination.
D)criterion complexity.

Question 5

Consider the job of "student." Which of the following is a theoretical criterion for this job?

A)number of "A's" earned in a three year period
B)total number of scholarships obtained over a three year period
C)engage in scholarly activities
D)number of clubs joined

Question 6

If a criterion is deficient it lacks

A)content validity.
B)criterion related validity.
C)construct validity.
D)face validity.

Question 7

A university professor is supposed to teach,engage in scholarship,and provide service to the university.My measure of professor performance is the mean student rating received in all classes.Because this measure does NOT include scholarship or service,we say that it has

A)criterion deficiency.
B)criterion relevance.
C)criterion contamination.
D)criterion complexity.

Question 8

A university professor is supposed to teach,engage in scholarship,and provide service to the university.Because the job involves multiple tasks that can be evaluated from different perspectives,we say that job performance demonstrates:

A)dynamic criterion.
B)criterion related validity.
C)criterion complexity.
D)face validity.

Question 9

Criterion relevance refers to

A)that part of the theoretical criterion that is NOT assessed by the actual criterion.
B)that part of the actual criterion that is NOT assessed by the theoretical.
C)that part of the theoretical criterion that is assessed by the actual criterion.
D)that part of the actual criterion that assesses something other than what it was designed to measure.

Question 10

Performance appraisal information can be used

A)for employee development.
B)to justify a pay increase.
C)as a factor in the decision to terminate.
D)all of the above

Question 11

Which of the following terms describes the standard against which you judge performance and the way to distinguish good from bad performance?

A)predictor
B)criterion
C)contextual performance
D)relevance

Question 12

Using performance appraisal as the basis for promotion and pay raises is an example of what purpose?

A)administrative concerns
B)employee development and feedback
C)criteria for research
D)grievance procedures

Question 13

A _________________ allows you to distinguish between good performance and bad performance.

A)criterion
B)person-oriented job analysis
C)variance estimate
D)composite score

Question 14

You have evaluated the performance of your administrative staff on a number of dimensions including attendance,work quality,and work quantity and must now provide individual feedback to each of your employees.You should use:

A)the dynamic approach.
B)the multidimensional approach.
C)the composite criterion approach.
D)the face validity approach.

Question 15

An actual criterion is the operational definition of a theoretical criterion.

Question 16

___________ refers to the part of the theoretical criterion that is assessed by the actual criterion.

A)Criterion deficiency
B)Criterion relevance
C)Criterion contamination
D)Criterion complexity

Question 17

Your roommate,a manager for a fast food chain,is not looking forward to conducting performance appraisals on his employees.In frustration he asks you what the purpose of performance appraisal is.What do you tell him?

A)"Performance appraisal can be used to motivate employees you don't like to leave the company."
B)"Performance appraisals are a waste of managers' time.Employees don't pay attention to feedback and the company never uses the information for anything."
C)"Performance appraisals provide information for research into effective organizational practices."
D)"Performance appraisals only give employees justification to ask for larger pay increases."

Question 18

The part of the actual criterion that reflects something other than it was designed to measure is called:

A)criterion deficiency.
B)criterion relevance.
C)criterion contamination.
D)criterion validity.

Question 19

Criterion relevance refers to the ___________ of a job performance measure.

A)reliability
B)criterion related validity
C)construct validity
D)face validity

Question 20

The abstract definition of good performance is referred to as the

A)actual criterion.
B)theoretical criterion.
C)operational criterion.
D)criterion construct.

Question 21

Your psychology professor has decided to appraise your course performance using only objective measures.Which of the following CANNOT be used?

A)the number of times you missed class
B)his rating of you as an outstanding student
C)the number of times you submitted assignments late
D)your scores on 4 multiple choice tests

Question 22

Grocery stores sometimes measure the performance of cashiers by looking at the number of grocery items they scan per minute.This is an example of what type of performance measure?

A)objective
B)theoretical
C)subjective
D)critical incident

Question 23

Your friend is a production manager at Teddybear Town,Inc.She uses records on the number of absences,the number of teddy bears produced,and the number of defective bears per employee.She then bases her employees' pay raises on these measures.What type of measure did she use?

A)subjective
B)theoretical
C)objective
D)critical incident

Question 24

You are appraising the performance of your employees.The performance measure contains a scale that measures dependability.This scale lists several behaviors that vary in dependability from "often misses work with no excuse" to "always complete tasks by deadline." The rater selects the behavior that best describes the ratee.This performance measure is a

A)graphic rating form.
B)behaviorally anchored rating scale.
C)job evaluation form.
D)behavior observation scale.

Question 25

Both the BARS and the __________ can be used to assess the same dimensions of performance for the same jobs.

A)graphic rating form
B)mixed standard scale
C)behavior observation scale
D)360 degree feedback form

Question 26

Which of the following is a subjective measure of teaching performance?

A)mean student rating on the course evaluation questionnaire
B)percentage of students who obtained passing grades
C)number of courses taught
D)frequency with which the professor skips his or her office hours

Question 27

At the end of the semester students rate professors on a scale that ranges from 1 (much worse than most)to 7 (much better than most).What type of measure is this?

A)behaviorally anchored rating scale
B)mixed standard scale
C)graphic rating form
D)behavior observation scale

Question 28

The manager of Teddybear Town,Inc.,wants to provide feedback to her employees in order to give specific information about various dimensions of performance.What approach would you recommend?

A)the theoretical criterion approach
B)the composite criterion approach
C)the multidimensional approach
D)the dynamic criterion approach

Question 29

Most jobs involve many different functions and tasks,thus administrative decisions often depend on

A)a theoretical criterion.
B)a composite criterion.
C)multidimensional criteria.
D)dynamic criteria.

Question 30

You have evaluated the performance of your administrative staff on a number of dimensions including attendance,work quality,and work quantity and must now compare your employees to determine merit raises.You should use:

A)the dynamic approach.
B)the multidimensional approach.
C)the composite criterion approach.
D)the face validity approach.

Question 31

Graphic rating forms tend to focus on ______ while behavior-focused rating forms concentrate on ___________.

A)specific instances of behavior; traits
B)attendance; dependability
C)traits; specific instances of behavior
D)dimensions of job performance; job criterion

Question 32

Some jobs include behaviors that are extremely important but very rare.For example,police officers rarely use their guns,but when they do it is important that they shoot accurately.Such important but rare behaviors pose a major problem for

A)graphic rating forms.
B)behaviorally anchored rating scales.
C)mixed standard scales.
D)behavior observation scales.

Question 33

In response to each item,the rater indicates the amount of time the rater engaged in that behavior.This describes a

A)graphic rating form.
B)behaviorally anchored rating scale.
C)mixed standard scale.
D)behavior observation scale.

Question 34

Which of the following is the most popular type of subjective performance measure?

A)behaviorally anchored rating scale
B)mixed standard scale
C)graphic rating form
D)behavior observation scale

Question 35

Objective measures of job performance have the advantage of being available and their quantitative nature makes it easy to compare the job performance of individuals in the same job.However,they are not as popular as subjective measures.Why?

A)They tend to focus on specific behaviors that may be only part of a job criterion.
B)They tend to focus more on quantity than quality.
C)Often they are not appropriate measures for all jobs.
D)All of the above

Question 36

Your roommate argues that performance varies from week to week,and that the best performer this week will not necessarily be the same as the previous week.This implies that criteria are

A)multidimensional.
B)complex.
C)dynamic.
D)static.

Question 37

Which is NOT a weakness of objective job performance measures?

A)It is not always obvious what number is considered satisfactory performance for productivity measures.
B)They may be deficient.
C)Difficult to interpret their meaning in relation to job performance.
D)Focus on quantity instead of quality.

Question 38

In a Mixed Standard Scale (MSS)the statements for the various dimensions are presented in random order.This serves to

A)keep the rater attentive.
B)keep the rater unaware of the dimensions being measured.
C)decrease the bias of the rater.
D)all of the above

Question 39

At New Millennium Enterprises,a new performance appraisal system has been implemented.This new system has raters compare each worker's performance to standards for low,average,and high performance on several dimensions.What type of scale is this?

A)A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
B)A behavior observation scale (BOS)
C)A mixed standard scale (MSS)
D)A dynamic criterion scale (DCS)

Question 40

Which of the following is a strength of objective performance measures:

A)It is obvious what level is considered satisfactory performance.
B)It is easy to compare the job performance of different individuals.
C)They are appropriate for all jobs.
D)They capture all relevant behaviors for a job

Question 41

Combining one's self rating with ratings from peers,subordinates,and superiors is often used for employee development.This approach has the advantage(s)of

A)being more efficient to administer.
B)decreasing the cost of the appraisal.
C)reducing individual bias.
D)increasing favoritism by the immediate supervisor.

Question 42

George received negative ratings on all five performance dimensions because he is really quite poor on all dimensions.This is an example of

A)a halo error.
B)true halo.
C)a distributional error.
D)either halo error or true halo; without more information we can't know which.

Question 43

Current research into the influence of cognitive processes on the performance appraisal process indicates that when supervisors rate employee work performance

A)they are unaffected by the context in which the appraisal take place.
B)they use schemata to choose the behaviors to observe,to organize the behaviors in memory,and to decide on ratings.
C)they make inferences based on stereotypes and not actual observations.
D)none of the above

Question 44

Which step(s)in the evaluation process might be influenced by schemata?

A)observing performance
B)storing information about performance
C)retrieving information about performance from memory
D)all steps might be influenced by schemata

Question 45

Many students would like professors to make what type of error when grading examinations?

A)Leniency errors
B)Severity errors
C)Central tendency errors
D)Halo errors

Question 46

If raters' ratings are based on a general impression of an employee rather than on memory of the employee's actual behavior, is likely to occur.

A)a distributional bias
B)a general tendency error
C)a halo error
D)true halo

Question 47

Which of the following is the first step that you would take in developing a behavior-focused form for use in performance appraisal?

A)Develop descriptions of effective and ineffective job performance.
B)Develop job dimensions and place descriptions into the dimensions.
C)Conduct a job analysis.
D)Evaluate the effectiveness of the descriptions.

Question 48

A new client asks you to recommend a performance appraisal method that would allow them to measure the amount of time that an employee was engaged in particular behaviors.What type of scale would you recommend?

A)A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
B)A behavior observation scale (BOS)
C)A graphic rating form (GRF)
D)A mixed standard scale (MSS)

Question 49

Janis believes that Bill Gates,the founder of Microsoft,is a great manager and evaluates managers based on how similar they are to Gates.Thus,Janis uses Gates as a:

A)a sociotype.
B)a stereotype.
C)a prototype.
D)a cognitive model.

Question 50

Managers rate themselves and are also rated by their peers,subordinates,and supervisors.They are then given information about all these ratings.This process is called

A)contextual performance.
B)multidimensional rating.
C)multidimensional feedback.
D)360 degree feedback.

Question 51

Professor Smith is a very organized lecturer,but because he is rude and short with students,he received negative ratings on all dimensions (including organization).This is an example of a

A)halo error.
B)distributional error.
C)severity error.
D)leniency error.

Question 52

Your roommate tells you that all engineers are socially shy and wear pocket protectors,white shorts,and thick glasses.This is an example of

A)a sociotype.
B)a stereotype.
C)a prototype.
D)a cognitive model.

Question 53

Shirley receives ratings of "outstanding" on all five performance dimensions.This is an example of

A)a halo error.
B)a distributional error.
C)true halo.
D)either a or c; without more information we cannot know which.

Question 54

Categories,or frames of reference,used to help interpret and organize experiences are called

A)schemata.
B)halo effects.
C)error.
D)rater bias.

Question 55

A ____is a model of some characteristic or type of person.

A)stereotype
B)prototype
C)criteria type
D)sociotype

Question 56

An event reflecting either effective or ineffective behavior by an employee is referred to as a(n)

A)prototypical incident.
B)critical incident.
C)graphic incident.
D)observational incident.

Question 57

In Borman's (1987)study of solder effectiveness,experienced officers did not agree on what constituted good performance.

Question 58

Your professor tends to rate everyone's presentation the same.We would say that these ratings contain

A)a halo error.
B)distributional errors.
C)true halo.
D)no errors.

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT involved in the development of a behavior focused form?

A)supervisors and job incumbents in identifying critical incidents.
B)frame of reference training.
C)job analysis.
D)knowledgeable judges rate the effectiveness of descriptions.

Question 60

George thinks all professors are absent minded.This is an example of a

A)stereotype.
B)prototype.
C)sociotype.
D)none of the above

Question 61

Dr.Smith gives semester grades of "A" to all 15 students in her class.This is an example of

A)a leniency error.
B)a severity error.
C)accurate ratings of good students.
D)either accurate ratings or a leniency error; without more information we can't know which.

Question 62

If Bill rates all his employees as average on their performance evaluations he has committed a

A)leniency error.
B)severity error.
C)central tendency error.
D)halo error.

Question 63

Which of the following statements about rater error training (RET)is correct?

A)RET decreases rater errors and increases rating accuracy.
B)RET decreases rater errors but often decreases rating accuracy.
C)RET often increases rater errors and increases rating accuracy.
D)RET has no effect on either rater errors or rating accuracy.

Question 64

The purpose of frame of reference training is to:

A)provide raters with a common understanding of the rating task.
B)scientifically determine the appropriate salaries for jobs.
C)familiarize raters with rater errors and teach them to avoid those rating patterns.
D)ensure that all employees perform their jobs in the organizationally preferred manner.

Question 65

The BARS and MSS were originally developed in part to eliminate rating errors.Do they?

A)No,they are as prone to rating errors as other measures.
B)Somewhat,they decrease halo and leniency error only.
C)Yes,they consistently decrease all types of rater error.
D)It is unclear and more studies are needed to answer this question.

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT a component of a legally defensible performance appraisal system?

A)Dimensions of performance should be based on a job analysis.
B)Raters should be trained in how to assess performance.
C)Raters should always be in a depressed mood,because of their better information processing abilities.
D)Supervisors should keep detailed records of performance.

Question 67

Your roommate tells you that he is concerned that his manager's depressed mood might affect his performance appraisal.Based on the research on the effect of rater mood on appraisal ratings,is your roommate justified in his concern?

A)No,appraisals conducted by trained evaluators are not influenced by mood.
B)No,the evaluations by depressed raters appear to be more accurate.
C)No,depressed raters tend to exhibit less halo errors.
D)both b and c

Question 68

Technology has not affected which type of performance measure?

A)graphic rating forms
B)the BOS.
C)360 degree feedback
D)contextual performance

Question 69

Which of the following is correct?

A)Supervisors give better ratings to subordinates they like.
B)Supervisors like subordinates who perform well.
C)Supervisors give higher ratings when they are in a good mood.
D)All of the above are correct.

Question 70

Technology has most affected which type of objective performance measure?

A)absences
B)accidents
C)productivity
D)incidents

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT correct?

A)Supervisors give better ratings to subordinates they like.
B)Supervisors give more accurate ratings when they're in a good mood.
C)Supervisors like subordinates who perform well.
D)Supervisors give good ratings to subordinates they expect to perform well.

Question 72

In the U.S.it is illegal to discriminate in performance appraisal on the basis of factors except:

A)age.
B)mental disability.
C)race
D)performance