Deck 10: Performance Appraisal & Career Management

Question 1

A critical incident is an example of particularly good or bad employee performance.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following methods is most likely to give a more realistic view of an employee's performance?

A) The forced-distribution method
B) A graphic rating scale
C) The paired-comparison method
D) The simple ranking method
E) A 360-degree appraisal

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In the paired-comparison method of performance appraisal, a manager simply rank-orders each member of a particular work group.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Contextual performance refers to tasks that are expected to be performed by an employee as part of his or her responsibilities.

Question 5

Periodic audits of performance-appraisal systems help in evaluating their effectiveness.

Question 6

Performance management differs from performance appraisal in that performance management _____.

A) involves groupingemployees into predefinedfrequencies of performanceratings
B) refers to the process of analyzing carefully what individuals perceive to be their own abilities, competencies, skills, and goals
C) is the general set ofactivities carried out by an organization to changeemployeeperformance
D) refers to tasks an employee does on the job that are not required as part of the job but that still benefit the organization in some way
E) is the specific and formalevaluation of an employeeto determine the degreeto which the employee isperforming his or her jobeffectively

Question 7

Which of the following is true of performance management?

A) It emphasizes instances of poor performance by employees.
B) It focuses on analyzing employee performance by grouping them intopredefined frequencies ofperformance ratings.
C) It plays a role as part of the larger performance-appraisal process.
D) It is a more specific process when compared to performance appraisal.
E) It is the ultimate goal of all performance-appraisal activities.

Question 8

Appraisals play a role in performance-management processes, but such feedback does not directly impact compensation decisions.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of a performance appraisal?

A) It is theultimate goal of all organizational activities.
B) It is conducted by thetop management of an organization.
C) It is focused on improving employees' performance on the job.
D) It is legally mandatory only for organizations with over a hundred employees.
E) It is a more encompassing process than performance management.

Question 10

Katy, a manager, is evaluating her team by rating the members of the team from best to worst.Which performance-appraisal method is Katy utilizing?

A) The paired-comparison method
B) The factor-comparison method
C) The critical incidents method
D) The forced-distribution method
E) The simple ranking method

Question 11

An advantage of rating performance based on outcomes is that _____.

A) reliability is increased byproviding specificbehavioral examples to reflect effective and less effectivebehaviors
B) it focuses on highlighting only the positive aspects of employee performance
C) it results in a normal distribution of performance ratings
D) feedback is relatively straightforward and easy to interpret
E) employees are monitored electronically to see how productive they are

Question 12

A central tendency error occurs whenone positiveperformance characteristiccauses a manager to rateall other aspects of performancepositively.

Question 13

A 360-degree evaluation uses information collected only from people working below the person being rated.

Question 14

Andy, a regional manager of a company selling office supplies, must formally evaluate his immediate subordinates every year.This process is known as:

A) benchmarking.
B) career counseling.
C) performance improvement.
D) discipline documentation.
E) performance appraisal.

Question 15

An employee's immediate manager typically tends to be his or her rater in the performance-appraisal process.

Question 16

Which of the following is true of rating traits?

A) It can be easily used for appraisals since employee traits can be observed directly.
B) It is less instructive to employees when compared to other types of feedback.
C) It is not useful since different traits underlie effective performance for all jobs.
D) It compares each employee with every other employee, one at a time.
E) It involvesgroupingemployees into predefinedfrequencies of performanceratings.

Question 17

The first stage of a typical career is called exploration.

Question 18

People who understand and carefully monitor theircareers are likely to understand the reasons behind theirsuccesses and failures.

Question 19

Who among the following people are the most frequently used sources of information in performance appraisal?

A) Supervisors
B) Peers
C) Subordinates
D) Customers
E) Ratees

Question 20

Which of the following factors could impact a supervisor's motivation, rather than ability, to provide a meaningful performance appraisal?

A) Inadequate job knowledge
B) Favoritism toward specific workers
C) Inadequate opportunity to observe employee performance
D) Changing technology, which may impact the supervisor's understanding of job tasks an employee is required to perform
E) Movement from one department of an organization to another

Question 21

What is the final step in the career planning process?

A) Individual assessment
B) Career counseling
C) Exploration
D) Communication
E) Trial

Question 22

Which of the following types of distribution errors occurs when amanager gives low ratings to allemployees by holding them to an unreasonably highstandard?

A) Central tendency error
B) Halo error
C) Horns error
D) Leniency
E) Severity

Question 23

Which of the following is true of career management?

A) Career management is typically a concern of individuals in which organizations have little role to play.
B) Individuals who carefully monitor their careers will have accurate assessments of future promotion prospects and possibilities.
C) Career-management activities are important to an organization only to handle situations like unexpected acquisitions and mergers.
D) Performance effectiveness of individuals has little to do with career management.
E) Perceived career success has little impact on a person's self-esteem and self-worth.

Question 24

When a rater tends to use only one part of a rating scale, it is known as a:

A) distributional error.
B) contrast error.
C) halo error.
D) horns error.
E) projection error.

Question 25

The performance-appraisal process of a restaurant includes requires that its employees and managers to specify their targets for the coming year.Which of the following appraisal methods is the restaurant employing?

A) The 360-degree appraisal process
B) Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales
C) The simple ranking method
D) Management-by-Objectives
E) The critical incidents method

Question 26

Which of the following performance-appraisal methods is particularly reliable because examples of performance are provided in the categories of evaluation?

A) A behaviorally anchored rating scale
B) The paired-comparison method
C) The management-by-objectives system
D) The forced-distribution method
E) A graphic rating scale

Question 27

When a rater compares people against one another instead of using a set standard, he or she is committing a _____ error.

A) contextual
B) halo
C) horns
D) contrast
E) distributional

Question 28

The following item appears on a student evaluation form, to assess a student's performance outside of class.Which of the following methods of performance appraisal is represented by this example?
1 =Often unprepared when called on.Frequent late submission of assignments.
2 =Sometimes unprepared when called on.Hands in 2-3 assignments late.
3 =Unprepared on occasion, but not often.Hands in 2 or fewer late assignments.
4 =Usually well-prepared when called on, but may be unprepared on 1-2 occasions.All assignments handed in on time.
5 =Always prepared when called on.Hands in every assignment early or on time.

A) Management-by-Objectives (MBO)
B) Critical incident
C) Simple ranking
D) Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
E) Paired-comparison method

Question 29

The type of distribution error that involves giving average ratings to all employees is called _____.

A) central tendency
B) halo error
C) horns error
D) leniency
E) severity

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a potential problem associated with the use of graphic rating scales in a performance-appraisal process?

A) Horns error
B) Leniency or severity error
C) Limited performance dimensions
D) Halo error
E) Range restriction

Question 31

Which of the following methods of performance appraisalinvolves comparing each individual employee with everyother individual employee, one at a time?

A) The paired-comparison method
B) The factor-comparison method
C) The critical incident method
D) The simple ranking method
E) The forced-distribution method

Question 32

Xavier, a manager, gives a poor rating to one of his subordinates because of his poor communication skills despite excellent performances in all other aspects of the job.Which of the following errors is Xavier committing when rating his subordinate?

A) A contrast error
B) A halo error
C) A horns error
D) Leniency
E) Severity

Question 33

_____ is the traditional career stage thatinvolves identifying interestsand opportunities.

A) Advancement
B) Establishment
C) Maintenance
D) Disengagement
E) Exploration

Question 34

According to the traditional model of career stages, individuals are likely to view work as less important and nonwork activities as more important in the _____ stage.

A) maintenance
B) disengagement
C) establishment
D) exploration
E) trial

Question 35

At Lorenzo's workplace, the performance-appraisal process includes measurements of organizational citizenship behaviors, such as volunteering for unpleasant tasks and helping new employees socialize into the work team.Therefore, Lorenzo's employer is:

A) enforcing job requirements.
B) practicing leniency.
C) committing a halo error.
D) relying on a ranking method.
E) rating contextual performance.

Question 36

Which of the following is an example of formal programs in career counseling?

A) A conference organized by a software firm about new technological advancements and potential career opportunities
B) Sessions conducted for the benefit of women employees who join work after a maternity break to catch up on any advancements
C) Career guidance programs for managers of a company who have been recently promoted
D) Training programs specially designed for a company's sales force
E) Refresher programs designed for the members of the customer support team in a company

Question 37

Which of the following is the first stage in career planning?

A) Maintenance
B) Individual assessment
C) Career counseling
D) Development of a career path
E) Performance management

Question 38

Which of the following methods of performance appraisal involves grouping employees into predefined frequencies ofperformance ratings?

A) The simple ranking method
B) The paired-comparison method
C) The forced-distribution method
D) The factor-comparison method
E) The critical incidents method

Question 39

Which type of performance-appraisal rating method focuses on specific instances of good or poor performance for evaluating performance?

A) The simple ranking method
B) The paired-comparison method
C) The management-by-objectives method
D) The critical incident method
E) The forced-distribution method

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a true statement about an individual's role in managing their careers?

A) Individuals who closely monitor their careers understand the reasons for success and failure.
B) An individual's perception of work success or failure has an important impact on his or her self-image.
C) Individuals should preferably rely on their employer to manage their careers.
D) Individuals who take responsibility for their careers are prepared to deal with career setbacks.
E) Individuals directly experience the impact of career events.

Question 41

Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager of a midsize company that manufactures camping tents.The company employs approximately two hundred employees.Ellen is in the process of redesigning the company's performance- management system.She has been instructed by the top management to develop a performance-management system that encourages employees to go beyond their formal job duties.Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have a limited opportunity to track their subordinates' performances on a daily basis.Employees work in self-managed cross-functional work teams, with each team responsible for its own productivity.With input from supervisors, each team sets its own goals for each month of the year, and employee compensation is based on the team's goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors
Refer to Scenario 10.1.In order to ensure that performance appraisals conducted in the organization are accurate, which of the following measures should the management take?

A) Offer frame of reference training to managers.
B) Emphasize the most recent behaviors of employees.
C) Focus on information from peers.
D) Focus only on the positive aspects of employee performance.
E) Compare employees with each other rather than using an objective standard.

Question 42

Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager of a midsize company that manufactures camping tents.The company employs approximately two hundred employees.Ellen is in the process of redesigning the company's performance- management system.She has been instructed by the top management to develop a performance-management system that encourages employees to go beyond their formal job duties.Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have a limited opportunity to track their subordinates' performances on a daily basis.Employees work in self-managed cross-functional work teams, with each team responsible for its own productivity.With input from supervisors, each team sets its own goals for each month of the year, and employee compensation is based on the team's goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors
Refer to Scenario 10.1.By considering employees' behaviors that go beyond their formal job duties, which of the following aspects is included in the appraisal process of the company?

A) Contextual performance
B) Career management
C) Employee assistance
D) Behavioral modification
E) Career counseling

Question 43

Describe the basics of the most popular rating methods that may be used in the performance appraisal process.

Question 44

Describe the traditional career stages through which an individual progresses.

Question 45

What are the limitations associated with career planning?

Question 46

Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager of a midsize company that manufactures camping tents.The company employs approximately two hundred employees.Ellen is in the process of redesigning the company's performance- management system.She has been instructed by the top management to develop a performance-management system that encourages employees to go beyond their formal job duties.Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have a limited opportunity to track their subordinates' performances on a daily basis.Employees work in self-managed cross-functional work teams, with each team responsible for its own productivity.With input from supervisors, each team sets its own goals for each month of the year, and employee compensation is based on the team's goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors
Refer to Scenario 10.1.Given the company's work structure, who among the following is likely to provide the most useful information to appraise each employee's performance?

A) Human resource managers
B) Peers
C) Clients
D) Self
E) Top management

Question 47

Briefly describe the most common rating errors in performance appraisal.

Question 48

What benefits can organizations obtain by helping their employees with career planning?

Question 49

Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager of a midsize company that manufactures camping tents.The company employs approximately two hundred employees.Ellen is in the process of redesigning the company's performance- management system.She has been instructed by the top management to develop a performance-management system that encourages employees to go beyond their formal job duties.Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have a limited opportunity to track their subordinates' performances on a daily basis.Employees work in self-managed cross-functional work teams, with each team responsible for its own productivity.With input from supervisors, each team sets its own goals for each month of the year, and employee compensation is based on the team's goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors
Refer to Scenario 10.1.Considering the team-based approach used by the company, which performance-appraisal method is most likely to provide a realistic view of a person's performance?

A) A 360-degree appraisal
B) The simple ranking method
C) The critical incident method
D) A behaviorally anchored rating scale
E) The forced-distribution method

Question 50

Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager of a midsize company that manufactures camping tents.The company employs approximately two hundred employees.Ellen is in the process of redesigning the company's performance- management system.She has been instructed by the top management to develop a performance-management system that encourages employees to go beyond their formal job duties.Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have a limited opportunity to track their subordinates' performances on a daily basis.Employees work in self-managed cross-functional work teams, with each team responsible for its own productivity.With input from supervisors, each team sets its own goals for each month of the year, and employee compensation is based on the team's goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors
Refer to Scenario 10.1.Which of the following is NOT likely to be one of the responsibilities of Ellen's department according to the company's new performance-management system?

A) Determining the timing of the performance appraisals
B) Ensuring that performance standards are clearly communicated to employees
C) Linking performance-appraisal information to training and development efforts
D) Linking performance-appraisal information to the company's compensation system
E) Collecting information about the day-to-day activities of employees during appraisals