Deck 5: Performance Management

Question 1

Brad is implementing a new 360-degree performance feedback rating system.In which situation would this feedback be most ideal?

A) Brad's organization is a very hierarchical "command and control" environment.
B) Brad is concerned about the disadvantages of using peer ratings.
C) Brad wants to provide employees with feedback for development and training purposes.
D) Brad is looking for an alternative to supervisor ratings.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is a strength of Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)?

A) BARS integrate job analytic information directly into the performance appraisal measure.
B) BARS incorporate a frequency rating scale for each behaviour to identify the specific rate of incidence.
C) Raters are able to create their own anchors to ensure flexibility in ratings.
D) BARS are simple and inexpensive to develop.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Alyssa knows that her performance evaluation is coming up shortly, and her performance is being monitored, so she is motivated to work hard and perform to her best.Which of the following best describes this performance?

A) her maximal performance
B) her contextual performance
C) her typical performance
D) her task performance

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Behaviourally anchored rating scales use job behaviours derived through a critical incident job analysis to anchor values on a rating scale.

Question 5

Which of the following defines the degree to which a criterion measure is available, plausible, and acceptable to organizational decision makers?

A) criterion relevance
B) criterion practicality
C) criterion contamination
D) criterion reliability

Question 6

Arlene is using a balanced scorecard method for her business.Through what perspectives does this method assess performance?

A) supervisor, peer, client, self
B) customer, financial, internal business processes, and learning and growth
C) internal; external client & customer organizational, and societal
D) job (task), fiscal, and interpersonal performance

Question 7

According to your text, what can we conclude about behavioural observation scales (BOS)?

A) They do not involve any analysis of critical incidents.
B) They take more time and money to develop than do BARS.
C) They use a standardized rating scale created by detailed explanations of what behaviours are required for each rating level.
D) The development of BOS requires the participation of the supervisors and workers.

Question 8

According to the text, what do we know about peer ratings?

A) Peer feedback is one of the best predictors of job performance.
B) Most organizations involve coworkers in the assessment process.
C) Peer evaluations are unrelated to work-group tensions and group performance.
D) Peer ratings tend to exclude information about contextual performance.

Question 9

Athena tends to assign an applicant the same rating across different job dimensions, regardless of actual performance.She may be accused of making what type of error?

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

Question 10

In addition to supervisor ratings, Jack wants to include measures such as absenteeism, number of customer complaints, and rate of sales growth.What are these measures known as?

A) individual rating-system measures of job performance
B) subjective measures of job performance
C) 360-degree measures of performance
D) objective measures of job performance

Question 11

Stephanie has developed a performance measure of administrative assistants in a large manufacturing organization.The measure includes the assistants' performance in their key job tasks (i.e., typing, filing, and scheduling).Unfortunately, she didn't include any measurement of their performance in dealing with clients, which is a major part of their job.What is this oversight in her performance measure called?

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

Question 12

The balanced scorecard approach is a useful method for clarifying the multiple performance dimensions of a job.

Question 13

Peer evaluations are unrelated to work-group performance.

Question 14

Halo rating errors involve assigning applicants with average ratings across different job dimensions, regardless of their actual performance.

Question 15

Sam is trying to assess the sales performance of sales people.He inadvertently assesses the extent to which the sales people have good organizational citizenship behaviours (attend meetings, attend staff functions, etc.).What is the measurement of aspects not related to job performance known as?

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

Question 16

Shelley is in charge of hiring employees for new positions in the health care field.A team of HR specialists will review all applications, conduct interviews, and administer the selection tests.She wants to ensure high rater accuracy in selecting new employees, and she ensures that all of them have the same understanding of the rating system's instructions, and the same interpretation of the performance dimensions.She is using what type of process?

A) frame of reference training
B) performance domain definition
C) rater accountability
D) 360 degree ratings

Question 17

Which of the following best defines voluntary behaviours that violate significant organizational norms, jeopardizing the well-being of the organization and the employees?

A) organizational citizenship behaviours
B) counterproductive behaviours
C) contextual performance
D) typical performance

Question 18

Raters who tend to assign an applicant an average rating across different job dimensions, regardless of actual performance, may be suspected of making what type of error?

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

Question 19

A performance appraisal technique in which employees are assessed on their performance in a "fake" setting (which tries to duplicate a real situation) is known as which of the following?

A) job knowledge test
B) 360-degree feedback test
C) simulation
D) multi-source assessment

Question 20

When does typical performance usually occur with employees?

A) when they are aware that they are being evaluated
B) when they are involved in a short-term, evaluative training session
C) when they experience high motivation at their jobs
D) when they are assessed over an extended period of time

Question 21

Compare and contrast the BARS with the BOS.

Question 22

Peer feedback is among the best predictors of job performance.

Question 23

Discuss the four relative rating systems discussed in this chapter.

Question 24

Criterion relevancy is the degree to which the scores are free from random measurement errors.

Question 25

Simulations involve assessing workers' performance in performing one or more job tasks in a setting that resembles their real job setting and tasks.

Question 26

Roz is the founder of the not-for-profit Shoppers Counselling Group (SCG).SCG is an organization that runs programs and individual counselling sessions for shopaholics (people with severe shopping addictions).She has a staff of 30 counsellors and administrative assistants, and she needs to develop a system to assess the performance of her staff.She comes to you for advice on the different rating systems.Explain to her the difference between relative and absolute rating systems, and the specific types of systems that each entail.

Question 27

Neither internal nor external customer ratings provide valid information on employee performance.

Question 28

Leniency errors are made when a rater assigns a lower rating to an employee, after rating the previous employee very highly.

Question 29

Self-ratings of performance tend to have the least degree of agreement with ratings from other sources.

Question 30

In reality, many ratings that appear to be "halo" are really a reflection of true high performance in all areas.

Question 31

You are preparing for your annual performance appraisal.You are a bit worried about the process, because you know your supervisor uses an unstructured process, and she is sometimes prone to biases.Recalling what you learned about rater biases, you think about how you can increase your chances of getting a positive performance appraisal.List and define four of these biases and explain how you can use them to your advantage.