Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

The professor's rating of the student is not an objective measure, as it is subjective and based on personal opinion. The other options (A, C, and D) are all objective measures that can be quantified and measured.

Question 2

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?

Accepted Answer

The measure of the number of items scanned per minute is an objective measure, as it is quantifiable and based on concrete data. Theoretical measures are based on hypothetical situations or models, subjective measures are based on opinion or judgment, and critical incident measures are based on specific incidents or events.

Question 3

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?

Accepted Answer

The production manager is using objective measures, which are based on actual data and performance metrics such as absences, teddy bears produced, and defective bears per employee. This is in contrast to subjective measures, which rely on personal opinions or judgments. Theoretical measures are based on hypotheses or models, while critical incident measures focus on specific events or incidents.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

The description matches a Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS), which uses specific behaviors along a continuum to rate performance. This method provides concrete examples of behavior at different levels of performance, making it easier to evaluate an employee's dependability.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

The BARS and the graphic rating form can be used to assess the same dimensions of performance for the same jobs. The mixed standard scale and behavior observation scale are both different performance appraisal methods that do not necessarily assess the same dimensions as the BARS. The 360-degree feedback form involves input from multiple sources and can have its own unique dimensions of assessment.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Mean student rating on the course evaluation questionnaire is a subjective measure as it depends on the individual opinions and perceptions of the students. The other options are objective measures as they can be quantified and measured without any subjective opinions.

Question 7

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?

Accepted Answer

This is a graphic rating form since students rate professors on a scale of 1 to 7. The other options are not applicable since they involve different types of measurements such as behaviors or observations rather than ratings on a scale.

Question 8

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?

Accepted Answer

The multidimensional approach would be the best choice to provide specific information about various dimensions of performance. This approach involves breaking down performance into different dimensions or factors, such as quality of work, teamwork, communication, and productivity. By providing feedback on each dimension separately, employees can get a more detailed understanding of their performance and areas for improvement.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most jobs involve many different functions and...

Question 10

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:

Accepted Answer

The composite criterion approach is the best choice as it combines multiple measures or dimensions of performance to create an overall score or index. This allows for a more comprehensive evaluation and comparison of employees, taking into account different aspects of their performance. The other options (dynamic approach, multidimensional approach, face validity approach) do not provide as thorough of an evaluation or comparison.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Graphic rating forms typically focus on traits such as dependability, initiative, and punctuality, while behavior-focused rating forms concentrate on specific instances of behavior, aiming to assess how well an employee performs certain tasks or actions.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some jobs include behaviors that are extremely...

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

This type of rating form is known as a behavior observation scale, which assesses the frequency or duration of specific behaviors exhibited by the person being rated.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

Graphic rating forms are the most commonly used subjective performance measures. They allow managers to rate employees on various performance dimensions using a scale or set of scales, usually ranging from "poor" to "excellent" or "unsatisfactory" to "outstanding".

Question 15

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?

Accepted Answer

Objective measures of job performance can have limitations such as focusing on specific behaviors instead of the entire job criteria, placing more emphasis on quantity over quality, and not being appropriate for all job types. These factors can contribute to the preference of subjective measures of job performance, which may provide a more holistic evaluation of an individual's job performance.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

The fact that performance varies from week to week suggests that it is dynamic, meaning that it changes over time. This implies that criteria for evaluating performance need to be responsive to this variability and cannot be static or unchanging. A multidimensional or complex approach to criteria might also be appropriate, given the variability of performance.

Question 17

Which is NOT a weakness of objective job performance measures?

Accepted Answer

Objective job performance measures are designed to be clear and straightforward in how they relate to job performance, making interpretation typically not a weakness.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a Mixed Standard Scale (MSS)the statements...

Question 19

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?

Accepted Answer

The system described involves comparing each worker's performance to standards for low, average, and high performance on several dimensions, which is characteristic of a mixed standard scale (MSS). A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) involves developing descriptions of specific behaviors that indicate low, average, or high performance on a given dimension. A behavior observation scale (BOS) involve observers indicating the extent to which specific behaviors are exhibited by a worker. A dynamic criterion scale (DCS) involves continuously updating performance standards based on previous performance.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Objective performance measures make it easy to compare the job performance of different individuals, which is a strength in terms of evaluating performance. The other options are not necessarily true; what is considered satisfactory performance may not be obvious, not all jobs are suitable for objective performance measures, and it may not capture all relevant behaviors for a job.

Quiz 4: Performance Appraisal