Deck 8: Performance Management and Appraisal

Question 1

Five people will get a scholarship today. Four good and one average person interviewed in the morning. Four bad and one average person interviewed in the afternoon. The four good people in the morning got the scholarship and because the average person in the afternoon looked so good compared to the bad people in the afternoon,that person got the scholarship in spite of being identical to the average person in the morning. What performance appraisal error is demonstrated here?

A)Attribution error
B)Primacy error
C)Proximity error
D)Similarity error
E)Contrast error

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of the following concepts is associated with evaluating large sets of capabilities and knowledge,which can significantly improve organizational productivity to a greater extent than just doing a job using an existing skill set?

A)Competency-based performance management
B)Knowledge-rated performance management
C)Employment-based performance management
D)Top centered performance management
E)Holder placement performance management

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which performance appraisal method is most associated with file folders of positive and negative performance of employees?

A)Narrative method
B)BARS
C)Critical incidents
D)MBO
E)Ranking method

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is probably the most commonly used form during formal performance appraisal?

A)Checklist
B)Graphic Rating Scale
C)Ranking
D)Narrative
E)MBO

Question 5

If it is predetermined that 5 percent of students will pass this exam and 95 percent will flunk,what kind of performance appraisal system is being used?

A)MBO
B)BARS
C)Graphic rating
D)Narrative
E)Forced distribution

Question 6

If bad weather in a sales territory were to occasionally cause a significant drop in sales for a particular salesperson and total sales is a performance criterion on their evaluation,the measure has not met the test of being:

A)Valid
B)Reliable
C)Acceptable
D)Feasible
E)Specific

Question 7

What would be an example of informal performance appraisal?

A)Graphic rating scale
B)Job analysis
C)Job evaluation
D)MBO
E)Coaching

Question 8

"You came early to class and therefore you must be a good overall student." What type of performance appraisal error is involved here?

A)Bias
B)Halo
C)Similarity
D)Stereotyping
E)Distributional

Question 9

To be accurate,objectives should be SMART. What does the M in SMART stand for?

A)Memorable
B)Measurable
C)Mechanistic
D)Methodical
E)Multifaceted

Question 10

When a performance appraisal process is valid,what does that mean?

A)It is a factual measure; it measures the process that you want to measure
B)It is consistent with all other measures
C)It has been shown to be reliable in all employment situations
D)It is acceptable to all parties
E)It is feasible to use

Question 11

If 360-degree evaluations are the best,why are they not always used?

A)Their graphic rating scales are not always accurate
B)Conflicts between managers
C)Supervisory biases
D)Time and money
E)Balanced scorecards provide higher scores

Question 12

Rating everyone high on this exam would be associated with what error?

A)Leniency
B)Halo
C)Bias
D)Goodness
E)Central tendency

Question 13

According to most research,how do employees (especially younger and less experienced employees) generally view their ability to do their job?

A)Extremely underestimate
B)Slightly underestimate
C)Underestimate in physical jobs and overestimate in mental jobs
D)Accurately estimate
E)Overestimate

Question 14

"Coming to Appointments: 30 minutes early,15 minutes early,5 minutes early,on time,5 minutes late,15 minutes late,never arrive." This scale would most likely be associated with what performance appraisal method?

A)BARS
B)Organic behavior Scale
C)Checklist
D)Critical incident scale
E)MBO

Question 15

To avoid problems in the appraisal process,which of the following should generally be minimized?

A)Evaluation of individual traits
B)Evaluation of effective behaviors demonstrated
C)Evaluation of individual results
D)Evaluation of group results
E)Evaluation of ineffective behaviors demonstrated

Question 16

What is performance appraisal?

A)The process of identifying,measuring,managing,and developing the performance of the human resources in an organization
B)The process of analyzing the activities within a job
C)The process of evaluating the difficulty of jobs
D)The annual completion of an evaluation form for each employee
E)The ongoing process of evaluating employee performance

Question 17

What are traits?

A)The physical or psychological characteristics of a person
B)The measure of goals achieved through a work process
C)The actions taken by an individual
D)The measurement of a person's capabilities through testing
E)The estimate of what the individual is likely to do

Question 18

As individuals become more knowledgeable and skilled in their work,how will they view their ability to do their job?

A)Extremely overestimate
B)Slightly overestimate
C)Accurately estimate or even underestimate
D)Massively underestimate
E)Underestimate in mental jobs and overestimate in physical jobs

Question 19

When the ad manager looked at the employee's proposed advertisement and said "you must do better than that," the performance measure did not meet the test of being:

A)Valid
B)Specific
C)Feasible
D)Based on mission
E)Acceptable

Question 20

The first step in the performance appraisal process is:

A)Develop standards and measurement methods
B)Job analysis
C)Design the appraisal form
D)Prepare and conduct formal performance appraisals
E)Coach employees

Question 21

Which one of the following is NOT true of peers as a source of performance information?

A)Peers may know the job requirements better than a supervisor in some cases.
B)Peers can evaluate the ability of others to interact within the group or team better than supervisors in many cases.
C)Research regarding validity of peer evaluations is overwhelmingly clear on their lack of bias.
D)Peer ratings are particularly useful when supervisors do not have the opportunity to observe employees.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 22

To avoid performance appraisal problems,managers should do all of the following EXCEPT:

A)use multiple raters.
B)let employees determine their initial evaluation grade.
C)give the measure the OUCH and Blanchard tests.
D)train all evaluators.
E)minimize trait-based evaluations whenever possible.

Question 23

In the ______ method,the manager compares an employee to other employees rather than to a standard measure of performance.

A)Ranking
B)forced application
C)alternation ranking
D)narrative
E)MBO

Question 24

In what type of method are annual performance goals established jointly between the manager and employee?

A)Productivity measurement and evaluation systems
B)MBO
C)Assessment centers
D)Critical incidents
E)OB modification

Question 25

According to the text,when supervisors are being evaluated,_____ may provide information about their managerial practices that we would be unable to find out using other means.

A)other managers
B)subordinates
C)the individual
D)customers
E)their bosses

Question 26

Which rater error is made when people give higher evaluation to individuals who they consider like themselves?

A)Proximity
B)Distributional
C)Halo
D)Attribution
E)Similarity

Question 27

_________ is mentally classifying a person into an affinity group and then identifying the person as having the same assumed characteristics as the group.

A)Stereotyping
B)Proximity
C)Contrast
D)Attribution
E)Recency

Question 28

I have a scale with above average,average,and below average. This scale is called a(n) _____________.

A)BARS
B)MBO
C)Narrative Scale
D)Rank Order Scale
E)Graphic Rating Scale

Question 29

Which of the following performance characteristics deals with a factual measure of the process that we meant to measure and that works the same way each time it is used?

A)Valid and Reliable
B)Acceptable
C)Feasible
D)Specific
E)Based on mission and goals

Question 30

Which rater error may cause difficulty in distinguishing among employees?

A)Contrast
B)Distribution
C)Halo
D)Stereotyping
E)Similar to me

Question 31

If a student evaluates her professor low on all evaluation criteria due to dissatisfaction with the professor's grading,the student has likely committed which rater error?

A)Stereotyping
B)Recency
C)Central tendency
D)Halo
E)Proximity

Question 32

___________ error occurs when the rater evaluates subordinates that he or she considers similar to himself or herself as a better employee.

A)Contrast
B)Similarity
C)Distributional
D)Proximity
E)Attribution

Question 33

Grading everyone as average is involved with the performance appraisal error known as ____________.

A)estimation
B)central tendency
C)means tests
D)median testing
E)mid-point analysis

Question 34

Essays are most associated with the _______________ type of performance appraisals.

A)MBO
B)narrative methods
C)BARS
D)Biodata forms
E)Graphic Rating Scale forms

Question 35

When you measure something that is explicitly identified or well defined enough so that all involved understand the issue completely,the measure is quite _______________ .

A)valid
B)feasible
C)reliable
D)specific
E)accurate

Question 36

______________ analyze individual performance on all sides.

A)Bi-level evaluations
B)Blanchard tests
C)360-degree evaluations
D)Omega tests
E)Full-view evaluations

Question 37

The performance management approach that requires managers to keep a record of specific examples of good/bad performance is the:

A)behaviorally anchored rating scale.
B)graphic rating scale.
C)critical incidents method.
D)ranking method.
E)MBO method.

Question 38

The type of performance management system where a company analyzes the performance of an individual "from all sides" is known as:

A)the critical incidents method.
B)behaviorally anchored rating scale.
C)MBO.
D)narrative method.
E)360-degree performance appraisals.

Question 39

If a manager considers one employee at a time and circles a number/word on a continuum to signify the degree to which that employee meets a criterion,he/she is likely to be using a:

A)mixed standard scale.
B)MBO scale.
C)critical incidents scale.
D)graphic rating scale.
E)behavioral initialization scale.

Question 40

Which performance management technique involves the description of a large number actions on the part of the employee,and then classifies these incidents into performance dimensions along a continuum?

A)Behaviorally anchored rating scales
B)Operational rating scales
C)Ranking
D)Critical incidents
E)MBO

Question 41

_______________ is the process of identifying,measuring,managing,and developing the performance of the human resources in an organization.

A)Performance Appraisal
B)Performance Management
C)Production Management
D)Work Documentation

Question 42

Electronic Performance Management:

A)doesn't appear to be very helpful in lowering organizational costs.
B)allows management to monitor employee actions on company computer systems.
C)doesn't do much to increase productivity in firms.
D)has been shown to have little or no effect on stress levels in companies where it is used.
E)appears to not provide much concrete results-based information for performance management.

Question 43

In step three of the performance appraisal process,"informal performance appraisal" refers to __________________.

A)an informal application process
B)an informal selection process
C)regular feedback on performance
D)regular meetings with a mentor

Question 44

Evaluation of a salesperson's "tenacity" and "enthusiasm" is known as a ________ appraisal.

A)behavior
B)trait
C)results
D)process

Question 45

In performance appraisal,communication is about:

A)providing standards to employees so that they know how they are graded
B)providing feedback concerning past performance
C)creating a path for two-way communication between the supervisor and subordinate
D)allowing employee feedback concerning factors that inhibit their performance
E)All of the above are correct.

Question 46

Training evaluators:

A)allows them to understand,and avoid the common problems associated with appraisal.
B)generally makes them more critical of others because they see more mistakes.
C)is extremely difficult since there are so many forms and methods for appraisal.
D)usually only has to be done one time,because the word gets passed down to others.
E)doesn't help very much with most of the common errors in performance appraisal.

Question 47

Jenna creates a very generic evaluation form which she can use for most employees,regardless of the types of jobs the employees perform.This evaluation form is too generic,and will not be useful for modifying employee behavior.Jenna's form is not _________.

A)acceptable
B)feasible
C)valid
D)specific

Question 48

Which OUCH Test standard is generally the toughest for behavioral appraisal measures to meet?

A)Objective
B)Uniform in application
C)Consistent in effect
D)Has job relatedness
E)Behavioral measures easily meet all of the OUCH Test standards

Question 49

Communication with our __________ can help identify issues within the work environment which can be fixed.

A)top managers
B)employees
C)union
D)recruits

Question 50

From a business perspective,__________ is the willingness to achieve organizational objectives.

A)motivation
B)strong-headedness
C)stubbornness
D)decisiveness

Question 51

In step two of the performance appraisal process,"develop standards" refers to ___________________.

A)standards of acceptable behavior
B)federal standards of equal opportunity
C)production standards
D)process improvement

Question 52

The performance appraisal process always begins with the __________ in step one.

A)assessment
B)job analysis
C)measurement standards
D)work process

Question 53

One of the biggest problems that limit the evaluating and motivating potential of the appraisal process is:

A)bombarding the employee with a lot of negative information that they have not heard during coaching.
B)allowing the employee to bring up issues with equipment or material that keep them from performing .
C)giving feedback on how to improve in the next appraisal period.
D)providing hard facts on results achieved during the evaluation period.
E)Providing appraisal information from many different sources (360 degree feedback)

Question 54

In step four of the performance appraisal process,the common practice is to have a ______ performance review once or twice a year.

A)formal
B)stressful
C)weekday
D)secretive

Question 55

Which performance measure generally meets the requirements of the OUCH Test better and is more acceptable to both employees and employers?

A)Physical measures
B)Trait measures
C)Psychological measures
D)Behavioral measures
E)Results measures

Question 56

Managers need to provide motivational opportunities for the employees to improve _______ over time.

A)attendance
B)performance
C)attitude
D)development

Question 57

Which OUCH Test standard(s) is it generally pretty easy for trait appraisal measures to meet?

A)Objective
B)Uniform in application
C)Consistent in effect
D)Has job relatedness
E)Trait measures usually meet all of the OUCH Test standards

Question 58

________ assesses past performance and _______ develops future performance.

A)decisions; motivation
B)evaluation; assessment
C)motivation; evaluation
D)evaluation; motivation

Question 59

In performance appraisals,________ means that the forms provide enough information for everyone to understand what level of performance has been achieved by a particular employee within a well-identified job.

A)specific
B)feasible
C)valid
D)acceptable

Question 60

Ongoing _________ can help employees perform at an above-average level.

A)coaching
B)discipline
C)evaluations
D)mentoring

Question 61

________ are a measure of the goals achieved through a work process.

A)Results
B)Behaviors
C)Products
D)Incentives

Question 62

During his performance appraisal,Julian mentioned that he was having difficulty keeping client records up-to-date because the computer system was antiquated.As a result,the department decided to replace both the software and hardware in Julian's department.As a result,Julian's department's performance increased.This is an example of the _______ reason for conducting performance appraisals.

A)communication
B)decision making
C)motivation
D)ranking

Question 63

Casey's performance appraisal indicated that she was good at managing client relationships.Casey asked her supervisor for more details and was simply told,"you just do a good job in that are a." What aspect of good performance appraisals does Casey's appraisal appear to be missing?

A)reliable
B)specific
C)accepted
D)feasible

Question 64

Brittney recently read that once-a-year performance appraisals are ineffective.In response,she is asking all her managers to begin providing monthly performance appraisals to all their employees.Each manager has 30 employees and balk at the idea of providing that many performance appraisals each month.What aspect of good performance appraisals does Brittney's plan appear to be missing?

A)valid
B)specific
C)accepted
D)feasible

Question 65

Ryan's manager provided him with a performance appraisal that covered the past six months.Ryan asked his manager on what the appraisal was based.Ryan contends that his manager only came to Ryan's work area once or twice in the past six months and could not possible know enough about Ryan's work to write an appraisal.What aspect of good performance appraisals does Ryan's appraisal appear to be missing?

A)based on mission and objectives
B)reliable
C)accepted
D)feasible

Question 66

When using subordinates to evaluate employees' performance,________ must be maintained.

A)transparency
B)safety
C)integrity
D)confidentiality

Question 67

Charlie beat his deadline three times this month.Kara,his supervisor,puts a note in his file,so she will remember his efforts during his performance evaluation later this year.Kara's note represents a ________________.

A)critical incident
B)complaint
C)formal charge
D)promotion

Question 68

Allison found several job duties that were listed on her subordinate's job description which are no longer part of the job.Also,the company recently updated its strategic plan.Based on the new plan,Allison will add some related job duties to her subordinate's job and communicate with her subordinate about the changes. Allison is engaged in ________.

A)performance appraisal
B)performance management
C)performance monitoring
D)performance planning

Question 69

At Acme Global,customer service is an important priority.However,Michael's latest performance appraisal focused on his lack of critical thinking and his lack of knowledge of the company's technology.What aspect of good performance appraisals does Michael's appraisal appear to be missing?

A)valid
B)based on mission and objectives
C)accepted
D)feasible

Question 70

Samuel's supervisor is reviewing his attendance and punctuality record as part of an annual evaluation.This type of evaluation is known as a _________ appraisal.

A)trait
B)behavior
C)results
D)statistical

Question 71

Sean has two supervisors who both provide appraisals on Sean's performance.On a scale of 1-5,both supervisors gave Sean a 4.2.It is likely that Sean's performance appraisal is __________.

A)valid
B)reliable
C)specific
D)feasible

Question 72

Max is evaluating Murray's performance by using data about accounts that Murray manages.Murray maintained 100% of his existing accounts,and added additional services to 35% of his existing accounts.Max is evaluating Murray using a __________ appraisal.

A)trait
B)behavior
C)statistical
D)results

Question 73

Adam evaluates everyone in his department as "average" - no one is a great employee,but no one is a bad employee,either.Adam is exhibiting a distributional error known as ________________ in his evaluations.

A)leniency
B)severity
C)central tendency
D)inflation

Question 74

Some evaluation items like attitude,initiative,and promotability are difficult to measure _______.

A)objectively
B)honestly
C)decisively
D)independently

Question 75

When a manager makes an evaluative decision,such as who should be recognized as 'Employee of the Month' or who gets a promotion,they are __________________ their employees.

A)judging
B)ranking
C)separating
D)combining

Question 76

Jungmin's job as a biomedical engineer involves conducting research on the engineering aspects of the biological systems.Most important are his written reports on his findings.Jungmin's supervisor based Jungmin's performance appraisal on the reports.It is likely that Jungmin's performance appraisal is _________.

A)valid
B)reliable
C)based on mission and objectives
D)feasible

Question 77

When evaluating employees based on behaviors,we are assessing them based on ________.

A)their attitudes
B)their opinions
C)the things they think
D)the things they say and do

Question 78

Alyssa's manager has asked her to complete a review of Alyssa's past six months on the job.Next week,Alyssa will sit down with her manager to go over the review and receive her manager's feedback on her work for the past six months. Alyssa and her manager are engaged in ________.

A)performance appraisal
B)performance management
C)performance monitoring
D)performance planning

Question 79

Tammy is evaluating employees on the 2nd shift.Sara,whose son attends Tammy's alma mater,receives a higher ranking than her peers.Tammy is exhibiting _________ toward Sara,which affects the outcome of the evaluation.

A)bias
B)discrimination
C)consistency
D)hostility

Question 80

Richard received a low score on his performance appraisal because he did not create project-specific data management plans as part of his job as a clinical data manager.However,Richard has not received training on creating such plans and will likely get a low score on this part of his appraisal again next year.This suggests Richard's appraisal falls short of which reason for conducting performance appraisals?

A)communication
B)decision making
C)motivation
D)ranking