Deck 5: Performance Appraisal

Question 1

_____ is a motivational system of individual performance improvement.

A)Performance appraisal
B)Performance management
C)Critical incidents
D)Frame of reference

Answer 1

Performance management

Question 2

One difficulty related to telework is that:

A)supervisors tend to over-rely on direct sources of information, which are less frequent in telework.
B)most employees dislike telework
C)performance appraisal cannot be conducted with these workers.
D)supervisors rely too heavily on indirect sources of information, which can often make teleworkers seem unproductive.

Answer 2

supervisors tend to over-rely on direct sources of information, which are less frequent in telework.

Question 3

_____ were a focus of much of the early research on performance appraisal.

A)Rating formats
B)Reaction criteria
C)Distribution errors
D)Critical incidents

Answer 3

Rating formats

Question 4

A performance management system typically includes:

A)critical incidents.
B)objective goal setting.
C)subjective goal setting.
D)organizational-profit forecasting.

Question 5

One reason organizations use 360-degree feedback is that:

A)it provides a broader and more accurate view of performance.
B)it is more defensible in court than other types of feedback.
C)participants take the results more seriously.
D)it is simple, cheap, and quick.

Question 6

Which of these is an example of using performance appraisal to make a personnel decision?

A)choosing which employees to demote
B)providing an employee with feedback on her performance
C)providing an employee with a list of skills she needs to develop to earn her next promotion
D)providing an employee with a list of his strengths

Question 7

A performance management system typically includes:

A)layoffs.
B)continuous coaching.
C)organizational restructuring.
D)organizational-profit forecasting.

Question 8

Five vice presidents of a bank provide appraisal ratings of the bank president. When they do this, they are:

A)committing similar-to-me errors.
B)giving upward-appraisal ratings.
C)engaging in leader-member exchange.
D)having accountability in the appraisal process

Question 9

A bad grade in a course is an example of:

A)a positive appraisal.
B)a negative appraisal.
C)an upward appraisal rating.
D)a critical incident.

Question 10

An I/O psychologist is hired by an organization that is planning to implement a 360-degree feedback system. Which of these should he or she recommend?

A)withholding information about how the ratings will be used
B)being honest and letting employees know how the ratings will be used
C)letting employees interpret survey results on their own
D)presenting as much information about performance as possible

Question 11

The oldest types of rating scales used in the evaluation of performance are known as:

A)behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS).
B)graphic rating scales.
C)employee comparisons.
D)feed-forward interviews.

Question 12

In organizations, a performance management system is implemented:

A)whenever company goals are not met.
B)when coaching and feedback have failed.
C)on a continuous cycle.
D)once per year.

Question 13

Performance appraisal can be used to make important personnel decisions, such as:

A)which employees need more motivation.
B)when an employee can be fired.
C)which employees feel satisfied.
D)which employees are stressed.

Question 14

One reason organizations use 360-degree feedback is that:

A)participants take the results more seriously.
B)this technique can help overcome any biases that exist within a single rater.
C)it is simple, cheap, and quick.
D)it is more defensible in court than other types of feedback.

Question 15

Research suggests that _____ appraisals produce more favorable outcomes and fewer negative ones than do other types of appraisals.

A)downward
B)upward
C)peer
D)customer

Question 16

Asking multiple raters and various levels of the organization to evaluate and provide feedback to a target employee is known as:

A)monosource feedback
B)round-robin feedback
C)360-degree feedback
D)circumplex feedback

Question 17

The primary disadvantages of which performance appraisal format are its lack of precision in its dimensions and its anchors?

A)employee comparison procedures
B)checklists
C)behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)
D)graphic rating scales

Question 18

One reason organizations use 360-degree feedback is that:

A)participants take the results more seriously.
B)it is simple, cheap, and quick.
C)it is more defensible in court than other types of feedback.
D)participants are happier because they are involved in the process.

Question 19

The situation of employees working from home or some other location is known as:

A)e-work.
B)virtual work.
C)telework.
D)remote work.

Question 20

Which of these is a significant purpose of performance appraisal?

A)documenting an employee's satisfaction levels
B)substantiating a decision about whether to give an employee a raise
C)identifying disgruntled employees who feel they deserve a pay increase
D)identifying an employee's interest in a training program

Question 21

Bill is a good friend of his subordinate, Anita. He gives her higher ratings than all other employees even though she is a below-average employee. Bill has had difficulty in the cognitive processing stage known as:

A)observation.
B)encoding.
C)integration.
D)retrieval.

Question 22

One of the main disadvantages of the forced-distribution method of evaluation is that:

A)it is unpopular among raters.
B)it allows too many employees to be categorized as "Excellent."
C)it is highly unreliable.
D)administering it becomes very complex in large organizations.

Question 23

Which of these is a distributional error in performance appraisal?

A)inaccuracy
B)central tendency
C)implicit prototypes
D)halo

Question 24

When a rater relies on his global evaluation of a subordinate, he is more likely to make _____ errors.

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

Question 25

When helping to develop behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS), a bank teller writes that an example of low effectiveness would be giving a customer the wrong amount of cash during a transaction. The bank teller is giving a:

A)distribution error.
B)retranslation.
C)critical incident.
D)graphic account.

Question 26

One drawback to the development of a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) as an appraisal format is the:

A)lack of precision in the dimensions.
B)lack of precision in the anchors.
C)criticism from raters and ratees.
D)substantial investment of time and money.

Question 27

Which statement about performance appraisal research is true?

A)Paired comparisons are clearly superior to other rating format types.
B)Employee comparison methods are clearly superior to other rating format types.
C)Companies most often use checklists as their preferred rating format.
D)Companies most often use a hybrid of a graphic rating scale and a BARS.

Question 28

Jimmy is working on a performance appraisal for his subordinate, Jackie. The questionnaire asks whether Jackie is effective at working with others. Jimmy doesn't have many opportunities to observe Jackie around others, but he thinks she's a good employee in general, so he rates her high on this characteristic. Jimmy has made which type of rating error?

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

Question 29

Which rating format involves a lengthy development procedure and results in a scale with behavioral descriptions as anchors along a scale?

A)CARS
B)behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)
C)checklists
D)forced distribution

Question 30

Allison documents her subordinates' performance activities on a weekly basis. When she needs to remember how well her subordinates have been performing, she can consult her documents. In this way, Allison can avoid errors in _____ when appraising her subordinates' performance.

A)retrieval
B)integration
C)storage
D)encoding

Question 31

Juanita's average overall rating for her subordinates is 4 out of 5 on their performance appraisals. Even for poor employees, she never goes below a rating of 3. She has likely committed the error of:

A)central tendency.
B)severity.
C)leniency.
D)forced distribution.

Question 32

One disadvantage of a forced-choice checklist is that:

A)ratings are unreliable.
B)it is very difficult to design.
C)raters tend not to like this format.
D)the rating process can be complex.

Question 33

One of the main disadvantages of a paired-comparison procedure is that:

A)it leads to unreliable ratings.
B)it can lead to a tie among incumbent appraisals.
C)it becomes complicated when there are a large number of subordinates.
D)it allows supervisors to rate every employee's performance as above average.

Question 34

Which of these is a step in the creation of a BARS scale?

A)re-sorting incidents into dimensions
B)counting how many critical incidents fit into each dimension
C)surveying applicants to see if they like the scale
D)rating the social desirability of each item

Question 35

The type of rating format most prone to rater error is:

A)the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS).
B)forced distributions.
C)checklists.
D)an employee comparison method

Question 36

Andy is completing a performance appraisal and must choose two items (from a group of four) that best describe his customer service employee. The type of appraisal format that Andy is completing is a:

A)graphic rating scale.
B)paired comparison.
C)forced-choice checklist.
D)retranslation.

Question 37

Greg, a manager at a car repair shop, must identify one-third of his mechanics as above average, one-third as average, and one-third below average. Greg is being asked to use a:

A)rank-ordered comparison.
B)forced distribution.
C)normal distribution.
D)paired comparison.

Question 38

When Tamika rates her subordinate, Chad, she gives him all 5s. She does this because Chad is genuinely excellent on all the performance dimensions on the appraisal. Tamika's ratings represent:

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

Question 39

Mimi is a supervisor with three subordinates-Alice, Blake, and Cleo. For performance appraisal purposes, she must first compare Alice to Blake, then Alice to Cleo, and finally Blake to Cleo. This procedure is known as a:

A)forced-choice checklist.
B)paired comparison.
C)forced distribution.
D)CARS.

Question 40

Monique works in the HR department of an organization. She needs to implement a performance appraisal format that is easily developed and then easily used by an organization. Monique should use:

A)behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS).
B)employee comparison procedures.
C)critical incidents.
D)checklists.

Question 41

Raters can lose the respect of their subordinates by committing the error of _____ to maintain the impression of being tough and in charge.

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

Question 42

Which of these is an issue related to the social-psychological context in which performance appraisal takes place?

A)pay levels
B)the role of organizational strategy
C)the use of critical incidences to generate BARS items
D)employee participation in the appraisal process

Question 43

Recently, _____, also known as the "neglected criteria," have been used to evaluate performance appraisals.

A)quantitative criteria
B)reaction criteria
C)psychometric criteria
D)proactive criteria

Question 44

Which of these describes why range restriction in performance ratings is a problem for organizations?

A)The ratings do not discriminate between effective and ineffective employees.
B)Managers are held accountable to a standard for rating they cannot obtain.
C)Managers have to engage in impression management with their superiors.
D)Managers know only how their highly effective subordinates have performed.

Question 45

Gino, a CEO, is concerned that his managers are purposely misusing appraisal rating scales to make it look as though their teams are very effective. Which action should Gino take to fix the problem?

A)He should use Rating Error Training.
B)He should use Frame of Reference (FOR) training.
C)He should tell managers that they will have to justify their ratings to him in a face-to-face meeting.
D)He should threaten to fire any manager whose ratings are too high.

Question 46

When raters give higher ratings to people who have the same beliefs and attitudes, it is known as the _____ error.

A)just-like-me
B)self-enhancement
C)similar-to-me
D)self-promotion

Question 47

One reason why Rater Error Training (RET) does not appear to improve rating accuracy is that:

A)raters can never avoid making rating errors.
B)raters are more concerned with politics than with rating accuracy.
C)true halo may be occurring.
D)the training takes too much time to implement.

Question 48

Research suggests that subordinates reported less anger and higher perceptions of justice when the supervisor conducting the evaluation:

A)was female.
B)was Caucasian.
C)provided justification for his or her ratings.
D)used the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS).

Question 49

The social-psychological climate in which performance appraisal takes place is known as the:

A)halo.
B)politics.
C)context.
D)culture.

Question 50

On her first day on the job, Caryn said something rude to one of her coworkers. Since then, however, she has always been polite and friendly to her coworkers. If her supervisor rates her as being impolite on her performance evaluation, that supervisor may be making which type of error?

A)leniency
B)recency
C)primacy
D)similar-to-me

Question 51

Jericho gives all his subordinates low ratings on their appraisals in an effort to intimidate them. Jericho is making which type of rating error?

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

Question 52

Which approach can help improve rater accuracy?

A)Rater Error Training
B)Frame of Reference (FOR) Training
C)Rating Enhancement Approach
D)Rating Accuracy Calibration

Question 53

A type of training that is focused on calibrating raters' scores and involves practice exercises to improve appraisal accuracy is known as:

A)Frame of Reference (FOR) Training.
B)Behavioral Observation Training.
C)Rater Error Training.
D)Cognitive Processing Training.

Question 54

Holding raters accountable for their ratings works best when:

A)raters must justify their ratings in a face-to-face meeting.
B)raters must justify their ratings in writing.
C)raters are faced with dismissal for misusing rating scales.
D)raters attempt to maintain harmony in the workplace.

Question 55

Raters who are going to judge student projects at a science fair have to attend several sessions at which they learn about the rating scales they will use, and they will have opportunities to view examples of good versus poor science fair projects. This type of training is known as:

A)Rater Error Training
B)Rater Efficacy Training
C)State-of-Mind Training
D)Frame of Reference (FOR) Training

Question 56

Usually, Casey is very friendly with customers. Last week, however, she had a bad day, and lost her temper with a customer in front of her supervisor. If her supervisor rates her poorly on customer service, that supervisor may be making which type of error?

A)leniency
B)severity
C)recency
D)primacy

Question 57

Madison, who is a white, conservative Catholic, also tends to give higher ratings to other white, conservative Catholics. Madison is likely making a _____ error.

A)just-like-me
B)similarity
C)similar-to-me
D)self-promotion

Question 58

If ratings do not adequately discriminate between effective and ineffective performers:

A)there is a higher likelihood of adverse impact in the workplace.
B)there will be a lower chance of range restriction.
C)they will not be useful for making personnel decisions.
D)employees will experience higher morale.

Question 59

Proponents of reaction criteria for performance appraisal have suggested that worker attitudes toward performance appraisal are more important than psychometric indices because:

A)psychometric indices are often biased.
B)the effectiveness of a performance appraisal is limited if participants do not support its use.
C)a great deal of research suggests ways to make participants enjoy performance appraisal more.
D)the mathematics behind psychometric indices of agreement are controversial.

Question 60

Kirk finds completing performance appraisals to be exhausting, so he does not bother to spend extra time reviewing his employees' performances. Instead, he gives them all ratings of 2.5 out of 5 without differentiating between good and poor performers. Kirk has likely committed the error of:

A)severity.
B)halo.
C)first impression.
D)central tendency.

Question 61

In order to ensure our performance appraisal system evaluates job-relevant criteria, we typically rely on:

A)goal setting.
B)training.
C)developmental planning.
D)a job analysis.

Question 62

Recent research in the perception of justice by employees has suggested that performance management systems may be an effective tool for enhancing organizational:

A)trust.
B)reputation among customers.
C)politics.
D)feedback orientation.

Question 63

The systematic review and evaluation of job performance is known as:

A)job evaluation.
B)performance appraisal.
C)critical evaluation.
D)content appraisal.

Question 64

Which of these is an example of using performance appraisal for a developmental purpose?

A)choosing which employees to demote
B)choosing which employees to promote
C)providing documentation to justify why a certain employee receives a raise
D)providing an employee with a list of his or her strengths

Question 65

Research has suggested that individuals who are particularly uncomfortable in evaluating others are more likely to:

A)provide lenient ratings.
B)provide harsh ratings.
C)fall victim to the central tendency error.
D)demonstrate highly accurate ratings.

Question 66

A performance management system typically does NOT include:

A)sales forecasting.
B)continuous coaching.
C)developmental planning.
D)performance appraisal.

Question 67

The performance management cycle is central to employee development. Its key element is:

A)the extent to which employees receive and use feedback.
B)the degree to which rating sources agree.
C)the amount of self-efficacy raters and ratees have.
D)the number of goals that raters have when making ratings.

Question 68

Research suggests that _____ is a key predictor of positive reactions to a performance appraisal system.

A)age
B)leniency
C)participation
D)tenure

Question 69

Which of these appear to be a key determinant for positive attitudes toward employee development?

A)social support
B)financial incentives
C)threats
D)low procedural justice

Question 70

A department store manager wants to foster positive employee reactions toward its appraisal system. An I/O psychologist should suggest that the manager:

A)assess personality in the employee hiring process.
B)use only the low end of the rating scale when making ratings.
C)base her ratings on global evaluations of the employees.
D)allow employees to participate in meetings to improve the rating scales.

Question 71

Individuals who successfully overcome organizational politics are those who tend to be:

A)high in agreeableness.
B)high in extraversion.
C)low in neuroticism.
D)high in conscientiousness.

Question 72

Jeff wants a favorable appraisal from his boss, so he provides exceptional customer service whenever his boss is standing nearby. Jeff has engaged in:

A)self-efficacy.
B)upward appraisal.
C)leader-member exchange.
D)impression management.

Question 73

Using a job analysis for performance appraisal is important because it:

A)allows us to fire or demote an employee more quickly.
B)ensures that we are measuring criteria that are actually relevant to the job.
C)allows the organization to forecast how many employees it will need to promote within the next few years.
D)ensures that we are evaluating employees on subjective, rather than objective, job performance.

Question 74

Research on the leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship has shown that employees who experienced a high level of LMX with their supervisor were rated:

A)high on performance regardless of objective performance indicators.
B)high on performance, but they were low on objective performance indicators.
C)low on performance, and were also low on objective performance indicators.
D)low on performance, but they were high on objective performance indicators.

Question 75

Which of these is a part of the feedback process?

A)attending to the feedback
B)ignoring the feedback
C)refuting the feedback
D)rejecting the feedback

Question 76

The due process metaphor view of performance appraisal emphasizes:

A)the accuracy of rating.
B)the judgments based on evidence.
C)written instructions for rating behavior.
D)the type of rating format used.

Question 77

Research by Kluger and DeNisi (1996) indicated that nearly one-third of studies on feedback found that:

A)feedback had a negative effect on performance.
B)participants were excited about developing their skills.
C)companies rely on executive coaches to deliver feedback.
D)participants had never received any feedback at work.

Question 78

A study showed that raters who had low trust in the Trust in the Appraisal Process Survey (TAPS) were:

A)more lenient raters than those who had higher trust.
B)more severe raters than those who had higher trust.
C)likely to commit fewer rating errors than those who had higher trust.
D)likely to have lower discomfort in evaluating others.

Question 79

In the research conducted by Werner and Bolino (1997), which of these was identified as one of the most important criteria used by the courts in deciding performance appraisal discrimination claims?

A)type of rating format used
B)the use of job analysis
C)length of appraisal form
D)time spent to develop appraisal

Question 80

If Kirsty wants to receive a high evaluation from her supervisor, which of these actions might she take, according to research on LMX?

A)She should work to develop a good relationship with her supervisor and also communicate with her supervisor frequently.
B)She should work to develop a good relationship with her supervisor but should avoid communicating with her supervisor.
C)She should focus primarily on improving her contextual performance.
D)She should focus primarily on improving her maximal performance.