Question 1

Whittaker Publishing Corp. is a publishing company that wants to hire more technical experts to handle the software requirements in the publishing process. However, the test given to the programmers assesses not only their technical knowledge, but also their communication skills, language abilities, and understanding of client services. The test conducted by Whittaker Publishing Corp. is _____.
A)high on reliability
B)low on strategic congruence
C)high on specificity
D)high on acceptability
E)low on validity

Accepted Answer

The test conducted by Whittaker Publishing Corp. is low on validity. Validity is the extent to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant-and only the relevant-aspects of performance. This is often referred to as "content validity."

Question 2

The performance effectiveness of employees is provided to them during the _____ process.
A)performance appraisal
B)achievement discrepancy
C)job rotation
D)ability analysis
E)performance feedback

Accepted Answer

Performance feedback is the process of providing employees information regarding their performance effectiveness.

Question 3

Rick is the vice president of the Human Resources team. He designs a new performance management process. He completes the first step and moves on to the next step of developing employee goals and actions to achieve the outcomes. Which of the following is he likely to do next to create an effective performance management process?
A)He will define performance outcomes for divisions and departments.
B)He will evaluate performance.
C)He will identify improvements needed.
D)He will provide support and ongoing performance discussions.
E)He will provide consequences for performance results.

Accepted Answer

The first step in an effective performance management process is to define performance outcomes for the company and for the individual divisions and departments. The second step is to develop employee goals and actions to achieve these outcomes. This is followed by providing support and ongoing performance discussions.

Question 4

Which performance management evaluation criterion reflects the extent to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant-and only the relevant-aspects of performance?
A)Reliability
B)Strategic congruence
C)Acceptability
D)Specificity
E)Validity

Accepted Answer

Validity is the extent to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant-and only the relevant-aspects of performance. This is often referred to as "content validity."

Question 5

Globo Analytics Inc., a data analysis company, has modified its performance management system. Apart from training employees on their specific tasks, the trainers and managers help the employees become more aware of the overall goals of the company and how their individual performances influence the broader goals of the company. As a result of this, employees' performances have become more consistent with the organization's strategies, goals, and culture. This initiative of Globo focused on the _____ criterion of performance management.
A)consistency
B)strategic congruence
C)social
D)acceptability
E)risk avoidance

Accepted Answer

Strategic congruence is the extent to which a performance management system elicits job performance that is congruent with the organization's strategy, goals, and culture. Strategic congruence emphasizes the need for the performance management system to guide employees in contributing to the organization's success.

Question 6

Appraisal politics refer to evaluators purposefully distorting a rating to achieve personal or company goals.

Accepted Answer

Appraisal politics

Question 7

As the CEO of Blue Corp., George makes it a point to meet new hires at all levels of his organization. He explains the goals of the company and emphasizes on the importance of an individual employee's role in the larger picture. This initiative of George focuses on the _____ of performance management.
A)strategic purpose
B)administrative purpose
C)developmental purpose
D)statistical purpose
E)validity purpose

Accepted Answer

This initiative of George focuses on the strategic purpose of performance management. A performance management system should link employee activities with the organization's goals. One of the primary ways strategies are implemented is through defining the results, behaviors, and, to some extent, employee characteristics that are necessary for carrying out those strategies.

Question 8

Prometheus Corp. is a large-scale manufacturer of consumer electronic gadgets. As part of its performance management system, Prometheus measures the amount each employee contributes to the profits of the company, and they are either held accountable or rewarded based on their contributions. With regard to performance measurement, under which of the following terms would contribution to profits be categorized?
A)Key risk indicators (KRIs)
B)Critical success factors (CSFs)
C)Non-performing assets (NPAs)
D)Key performance indicators (KPIs)
E)Behavioral Observation Scales (BOSs)

Accepted Answer

Critical success factors (CSFs)are factors in a company's business strategy that give it a competitive edge. Companies measure employee behavior that relates to attainment of CSFs, which increases the importance of these behaviors for employees. Employees can be held accountable and rewarded for behaviors that directly relate to the company attaining the CSFs. In the above scenario, contribution to profits is a critical success factor (CSF)of Prometheus Corp.

Question 9

Central tendency as a rating error reflects that a rater gives high ratings to all employees regardless of their performance.

Accepted Answer

Central tendency as a rating error reflects that a rater gives middle or average ratings to all employees despite their performances.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of using performance management to fulfill an administrative purpose?
A)Define the results, behaviors, and, to some extent, employee characteristics that are necessary.
B)Develop employees who are effective at their jobs.
C)Use performance appraisal to make decisions such as pay raises, promotions, retention-termination, layoffs, and recognition of individual performance.
D)Identify employees' strengths and weaknesses, link employees to appropriate training and development activities.
E)Confront employees with their performance weaknesses.

Accepted Answer

Organizations use performance management information in many administrative decisions: salary administration (pay raises), promotions, retention-termination, layoffs, and recognition of individual performance.

Question 11

The process through which an organization gets information on how closely an employee's actual performance meets his or her performance plan is known as _____.
A)performance appraisal
B)job analysis
C)performance feedback
D)ability analysis
E)achievement discrepancy

Accepted Answer

Performance appraisal is the process through which an organization gets information on how well an employee is doing his or her job. A properly conducted appraisal can help the company identify the strongest and weakest employees.

Question 12

The major advantage of the 360-degree appraisal technique is that it provides a means for minimizing bias in an otherwise subjective evaluation technique.

Accepted Answer

The major advantage of the 360-degree appraisal technique is that it provides a means for minimizing bias in an otherwise subjective evaluation technique. This technique consists of having multiple raters (boss, peers, subordinates, customers)provide input into a manager's evaluation.

Question 13

A software company assesses its developers more on their client support skills rather than their development skills. Which of the following terms would best describe the software company's performance management process?
A)Deficient
B)Contaminated
C)Unreliable
D)Inconsistent
E)Unspecified

Accepted Answer

A contaminated measure evaluates irrelevant aspects of performance or aspects that are not job related. The performance measure should seek to minimize contamination, but its complete elimination is seldom possible. In the above scenario, the software company should assess its developers on their software development skills more than their client support skills.

Question 14

A performance measure is said to be contaminated when:
A)it does not measure all aspects of performance.
B)it evaluates irrelevant aspects of performance.
C)it is a subjective supervisory measure of job performance.
D)it is not reliable over time.
E)the overlap between actual job performance and the measure of job performance is maximized.

Accepted Answer

A contaminated measure evaluates irrelevant aspects of performance or aspects that are not job related. The performance measure should seek to minimize contamination, but its complete elimination is seldom possible.

Question 15

_____ is the means through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs are congruent with the organization's goals.
A)Performance standardization
B)Performance budgeting
C)Performance management
D)Performance indicator
E)Performance dampener

Accepted Answer

Performance management is defined as the means through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs are congruent with the organization's goals. Performance management is central to gaining competitive advantage.

Question 16

Elle Inc. is a firm that holds frequent reviews and feedback sessions for its employees. It demands that the same person should review the employees of a team to ensure that the performance evaluation is consistent; tests-retests are conducted periodically to make sure the evaluation is consistent. These two steps taken by Elle focus on the _____ of performance management.
A)reliability
B)strategic congruence
C)specificity
D)acceptability
E)validity

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a performance measure. A measure that results in drastically different ratings depending on when the measures are taken lacks test-retest reliability.

Question 17

Output is a factor to be considered in analyzing poor performance.

Accepted Answer

Input, employee characteristics, feedback, performance standard/goals, and consequences are factors that need to be considered in analyzing poor performance.

Question 18

The process of performance management begins with:
A)developing employee goals, behavior, and actions to achieve outcomes.
B)defining performance outcomes for company division and department.
C)providing consequences for performance results.
D)identifying the improvements needed.
E)providing support and ongoing performance discussions.

Accepted Answer

The first step in the performance management process starts with understanding and identifying important performance outcomes or results. Typically, these outcomes or results benefit customers, the employees' peers or team, and the organization itself.

Question 19

_____ is the extent to which the performance management system elicits job performance that is consistent with an organization's strategy, goals, and culture.
A)Specificity
B)Reliability
C)Validity
D)Strategic congruence
E)Acceptability

Accepted Answer

Strategic congruence is the extent to which a performance management system elicits job performance that is congruent with the organization's strategy, goals, and culture. Strategic congruence emphasizes the need for the performance management system to guide employees in contributing to the organization's success.

Question 20

Once the expected performance has been defined and employees' performances have been measured, it is necessary to feed that performance information back to the employees so they can correct any deficiencies.

Accepted Answer

Once the expected performance has been defined and employees' performances have been measured, it is necessary to feed that performance information back to the employees so they can correct any deficiencies.

Quiz 8: Performance Management

The performance effectiveness of employees is provided to them during the _____ process.

Which performance management evaluation criterion reflects the extent to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant-and only the relevant-aspects of performance?

Appraisal politics refer to evaluators purposefully distorting a rating to achieve personal or company goals.

Central tendency as a rating error reflects that a rater gives high ratings to all employees regardless of their performance.

Which of the following is an example of using performance management to fulfill an administrative purpose?

The process through which an organization gets information on how closely an employee's actual performance meets his or her performance plan is known as _____.

The major advantage of the 360-degree appraisal technique is that it provides a means for minimizing bias in an otherwise subjective evaluation technique.

A software company assesses its developers more on their client support skills rather than their development skills. Which of the following terms would best describe the software company's performance management process?

A performance measure is said to be contaminated when:

_____ is the means through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs are congruent with the organization's goals.

Output is a factor to be considered in analyzing poor performance.

The process of performance management begins with:

_____ is the extent to which the performance management system elicits job performance that is consistent with an organization's strategy, goals, and culture.

Once the expected performance has been defined and employees' performances have been measured, it is necessary to feed that performance information back to the employees so they can correct any deficiencies.