Question 1

The tendency to select employee ratings in the middle of a rating scale is called:

Accepted Answer

Central tendency is the tendency to choose options in the middle of a rating scale, neither high nor low. This can make it difficult to differentiate between employees' performances and can hinder the accuracy of performance evaluations. Leniency bias refers to a tendency to rate employees more positively, while harshness bias refers to a tendency to rate employees more negatively. Similarity bias refers to a tendency to rate employees who are similar to the rater more positively.

Question 2

In the context of conducting an appraisal interview,the supervisor should:

Accepted Answer

It is important for the supervisor to notify the employees beforehand about the appraisal interview so that they have enough time to prepare themselves and reflect on their performance. This will help in making the interview more productive and effective. Options A, C and D are not appropriate as filling the form just one hour before the interview may lead to biased judgments, conducting the interview in an area easily accessible to other employees may compromise confidentiality and discouraging feedback may hinder communication and improvement.

Question 3

The tendency to assign similar scores to items that are near each other on a questionnaire is called:

Accepted Answer

Proximity bias refers to the tendency of evaluators to assign similar scores to items that are close to each other on a questionnaire, influenced by their physical proximity on the form.

Question 4

While conducting performance appraisals,Mac gives more weight to factors such as a problem the employee caused last week,or to an award the employee just won.This tendency is specifically referred to as the:

Accepted Answer

Recency syndrome refers to the tendency of giving more weight to the recent performance or events, while evaluating an employee. In this scenario, Mac is giving more importance to the problem caused last week or the recent award won by the employee, indicating the recency bias. The other options, such as similarity bias, proximity bias, and halo effect, are different types of biases or errors that may impact the performance appraisal process.

Question 5

The appraisal process takes place in two steps,establishing and communicating expectations for performance.

Accepted Answer

The appraisal process typically involves more than two steps, including setting expectations, monitoring performance, providing feedback, and evaluating performance.

Question 6

Grace believes that all graduates from a certain university have poor engineering skills,and uses this belief as a base to appraise the performance of all employees from that university.Grace's _____ is affecting the appraisal process.

Accepted Answer

Grace's belief that all graduates from a certain university have poor engineering skills is a prejudice, which means she has a preconceived idea or bias towards a particular group of people. This bias is affecting her appraisal process as she is applying this belief to all employees from that university, which is unfair and may result in incorrect evaluations.

Question 7

Work-standards approach to appraisal is best defined as a performance appraisal:

Accepted Answer

The work-standards approach to appraisal involves comparing an employee's performance to objective measures of what an employee should do. This method focuses on the achievement of predetermined work standards and is often used in jobs where performance can be quantified, such as factory work or sales positions. This approach is different from other appraisal methods that rely on subjective evaluations of an employee's behavior or characteristics.

Question 8

Through action plans,a supervisor spells out who is to do what to accomplish the objectives set during the planning process.

Accepted Answer

Action plans are an essential tool for supervisors to assign tasks and responsibilities to achieve the goals and objectives set during the planning process. It specifies who is responsible for each task, what resources they need, and what the timeline is for completion.

Question 9

The most effective way to overcome the bias resulting from the recency syndrome is to:

Accepted Answer

Keeping records throughout the year allows for a consistent and comprehensive evaluation of the employee's performance, rather than relying solely on recent events or achievements. This helps to mitigate the impact of the recency bias by providing a more complete picture of the employee's overall performance over a longer period of time.

Question 10

Tim shares his supervisor's views on political issues and also his interest in golf.It is observed that Tim is given an excellent appraisal report even though he deserved only an average.This form of bias is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The bias described in the scenario is similarity bias, where the supervisor's positive feelings towards Tim's shared interests influence their appraisal of his performance. The halo effect refers to a general positive bias towards an individual based on one or a few positive qualities. Central tendency bias occurs when ratings are clustered around the average, regardless of individual performance. Harshness bias is the opposite, where ratings are consistently low.

Question 11

To ensure that the employees are clear about the objectives to be achieved by them,the supervisors should exclude them from the process of developing performance goals.

Accepted Answer

Supervisors should involve employees in the process of developing performance goals to ensure that they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and to increase their ownership and commitment towards achieving these goals. Excluding them from this process may lead to confusion and lack of motivation among employees.

Question 12

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a 360-degree feedback method?

Accepted Answer

The defining characteristic of a 360-degree feedback method is that it combines assessments from several sources, including peers, subordinates, supervisors, and self-evaluations. Option A is incorrect because it limits the input to only the supervisor. Option C combines two different types of performance appraisals and is not unique to the 360-degree feedback method. Option D is incorrect as peer review is a separate method of evaluating employee performance.

Question 13

A formal performance appraisal ensures that feedback to an employee covers all important aspects of the employee's performance.

Accepted Answer

A formal performance appraisal is structured and comprehensive, covering multiple aspects of an employee's performance, including their accomplishments, strengths, areas for improvement, and overall progress towards goals. This ensures that feedback is thorough and well-rounded, which can help both the employee and the organization identify areas of success and opportunities for growth.

Question 14

The performance appraisal method in which a supervisor compares each employee's accomplishments with the goals for that employee is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

The management by objectives (MBO) method involves setting specific goals and objectives for each employee, and then evaluating their performance based on their achievements relative to those objectives. This method is focused on aligning employee and organizational goals, and promotes a collaborative approach between the supervisor and employee in setting and measuring success.

Question 15

The primary purpose of holding an appraisal interview should be to:

Accepted Answer

The primary purpose of an appraisal interview is to communicate information about the employee's performance. While salary increases may be discussed, it should not be the main focus. Forming informal groups or addressing the problem of nepotism are not relevant to the purpose of an appraisal interview.

Question 16

When conducting the appraisal interview,the supervisor should initially:

Accepted Answer

It is important for the supervisor to create a comfortable and non-threatening environment during the appraisal interview. This will allow the employee to be more open and honest about their performance, and it will promote a constructive dialogue. Reprimanding the employee or provoking them to act instinctively will likely create a defensive atmosphere and hinder the appraisal process. Ignoring the mistakes of the employee is also not a productive approach to the interview.

Question 17

Which of the following appraisal methods would be most effective in checking the recency syndrome?

Accepted Answer

Critical-incident appraisal focuses on specific events, behaviors or incidents which occurred recently, rather than on general behaviors observed over a long period of time. Therefore, this method would be the most effective in checking the recency syndrome, which is the tendency to heavily weigh recent occurrences when evaluating an employee's performance.

Question 18

Performance appraisals are not of much help in motivating employees.

Accepted Answer

Performance appraisals can motivate employees by providing feedback, recognizing achievements, and setting goals for improvement, which can enhance job satisfaction and performance.

Question 19

The difference between a harshness bias and a leniency bias is that:

Accepted Answer

A harshness bias involves rating employees more severely than their performance merit, while a leniency bias involves rating employees more favorably than their performance merit. Choice A is incorrect because it describes central tendency bias, not harshness and leniency biases. Choice C is incorrect because it describes proximity errors, which are different from harshness and leniency biases. Choice D is incorrect because it describes the similarity bias, which is not related to harshness and leniency biases.

Question 20

At the end of the appraisal interview,the supervisor and the employee should ideally:

Accepted Answer

Both supervisor and employee should sign the appraisal form to acknowledge that they have discussed the performance and agreed on the ratings given.

Quiz 17: Appraising Performance