Deck 7: Managing Employee Performance

Question 1

What are performance reviews most frequently used for?

A) deciding compensation
B) directing performance improvement
C) determining training needs
D) discharging decisions

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is a characteristic of a performance management system?

A) It ensures that the organization gets the right things done.
B) It has a set of integrated management practices.
C) It has a clearly defined performance review program.
D) It has processes to identify and eliminate poor performers.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following requires consideration in setting goals and establishing a performance plan?

A) The goals must be flexible and adaptable to meet a fluctuating economy.
B) The time frames in which to achieve the goals must be flexible.
C) The goals must be mandated by the manager and accepted by the employee.
D) The goals must be linked to overall business objectives.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

How are performance standards identified?

A) employees and managers reach a decision together
B) using industry performance metrics and surveys
C) data is accumulated from previous employees in the position
D) information is used from job analysis and job description

Question 5

What does a systems approach to performance management allow the organization to do?

A) integrate the management functions in order to maximize employee potential
B) identify which employees are most valuable
C) easily and fairly conduct performance reviews
D) identify and eliminate poor performers

Question 6

Why do performance appraisal programs fail?

A) Managers do not take the appraisal process seriously enough.
B) Performance standards are inconsistent between different job types.
C) Employees fail to inform managers of their accomplishments.
D) There is too much employee input into the program.

Question 7

From an employee's point of view, what is a performance management system designed to do?

A) maximize performance, increase job and organizational satisfaction
B) increase employee output and subsequently grow the organization's revenue
C) oversee an employee's performance and possibilities for promotion
D) determine what needs to be changed in an employee's job, in order to increase productivity

Question 8

For a performance management system to be effective, what must everyone in a work group have?

A) a strong desire to move ahead
B) a measurable performance criteria
C) a demonstrated caring for co-workers
D) a desire for the company to be successful

Question 9

What is critical for a performance management system to have that is applied to everyone in the work unit?

A) flexibility in standards
B) measurable work criteria
C) a ranking system
D) a qualitative performance objective

Question 10

What is a key component of a successful performance management system?

A) being aligned with organizational goals
B) having a detailed job description
C) the formal review of employees' performance
D) identification and elimination of poor performers

Question 11

Which one of the following is key to successful performance management?

A) making employees fully aware of their current performance
B) clarifying what is important to the organization
C) increasing employee satisfaction with their work and the organization
D) linking effective performance with compensation plans

Question 12

What is one objective of a performance management program?

A) determining pay levels for different job types
B) providing a paper-trail in the event that the organization is audited
C) having the employees feel more valued for their work
D) supporting HR planning when an organization has a succession plan in place

Question 13

What must every decision resulting from performance management be based upon?

A) impact on organizational objectives
B) performance standards listed in the job description
C) management and supervisor reports
D) valid, reliable and objective information

Question 14

What role does performance management play in succession planning?

A) planning for employees who might work reduced weeks instead of full retirement
B) anticipating which areas of the company may have employees take early retirement
C) determining which departments can expect a loss of staff due to retirement
D) identifying which employees have specific competencies and where gaps exist

Question 15

What is the benefit of setting goals that are quantitative and qualitative?

A) Using both sets of measures helps employees to see their impact on the business.
B) Using both sets of measures ensures the results are closely linked to business success.
C) They ensure a fair and even means for managing performance.
D) One is relatively easy to measure; the other is more objective.

Question 16

What is the primary purpose of performance reviews?

A) to make employees fully aware of their current performance
B) to clarify what is important to the organization
C) to link performance and compensation
D) to improve future performance

Question 17

What is the intended outcome of performance measurement?

A) to identify why some employees do not perform as well as others
B) to ensure that poor performers are properly managed
C) to determine how well employees performed compared to goals
D) to determine how to recognize and celebrate good performance

Question 18

What are two primary purposes of performance appraisals?

A) administrative and developmental
B) informative and developmental
C) managerial and administrative
D) managerial and informative

Question 19

What is an important first step in an effective performance management system?

A) regular and frequent coaching
B) recognizing and rewarding performance
C) scheduling task projects
D) clarifying the work to be done

Question 20

How is performance management evolving to benefit employees?

A) opening doors to new areas within the company
B) emphasizing training and development and growth plans
C) moving away from pay for production models
D) increasing recognition of quality over quantity in employee output

Question 21

What is the name for the type of scale that uses a series of scales, one for each important dimension of job performance?

A) mixed-standard scale
B) graphic rating scale
C) behaviour observation scale
D) behaviourally anchored rating scale

Question 22

What is one advantage of using a 360-degree review system?

A) Raters do not need an understanding of the performance management system prior to completing the appraisal.
B) Bosses are typically the least accurate of raters while co-workers tend to be the most accurate.
C) It does not allow for inconsistencies in rater feedback.
D) Organizations can seek input from a variety of sources.

Question 23

What are self-reviews best for?

A) developmental purposes
B) administrative purposes
C) promotional purposes
D) regulatory purposes

Question 24

Which of the following is a guideline for a formal performance appraisal?

A) Employees are not permitted to appeal or disagree with assessments about their performance.
B) Employees are prohibited from participating in performance review discussions.
C) Employees must be given a written copy of their job standards at the time of the appraisal.
D) Performance appraisals must be job-related as determined through job analysis

Question 25

Why are peer reviews beneficial?

A) Peers often see different dimensions of performance than supervisors.
B) Peer reviews prevent the supervisor from having to deliver bad news.
C) Peers have more extreme views of performance than supervisors.
D) Peer reviews allow the supervisor to give up control over the process.

Question 26

What is one disadvantage of the 360-degree appraisal system?

A) The quality of the information gathered is less accurate and trustworthy.
B) The system is administratively complex in combining all the responses.
C) Responses are gathered from multiple perspectives.
D) Feedback from peers and other sources may increase conflict between reviewers and those being reviewed.

Question 27

Reviewer training can remove which of the following barriers to effective performance reviews?

A) self-confidence, time constraints, lack of knowledge
B) interpersonal conflicts, self-confidence, lack of knowledge
C) lack of knowledge, bias, lack of preparation
D) time constraints, lack of knowledge, interpersonal conflicts

Question 28

Which performance review method uses a rating scale where there is one scale for each performance dimension within a job?

A) results
B) behaviour
C) trait
D) attitudinal

Question 29

What appraisal method should you use if your primary objective for a performance appraisal is to give employees developmental feedback?

A) results
B) behavioural
C) trait
D) attitudinal

Question 30

What do critics of the self-review method of employee assessment argue?

A) Employees disregard areas for improvement and only think about strengths.
B) Managers do not trust the results of self-reviews.
C) Employees are more lenient than managers in their reviews.
D) Research shows that employees understate their performance in self-reviews.

Question 31

What are the three basic performance review methods?

A) trait, behavioural, judgmental
B) trait, behavioural, results
C) behavioural, judgmental, attitudinal
D) behavioural, judgmental, results

Question 32

What is one advantage of the subordinate review?

A) Feedback from employees regarding the manager's leadership and communication is gained.
B) Subordinates compile their feedback in a group to ensure anonymity.
C) Plenty of examples become available to substantiate the subordinate's rating of their manager.
D) Subordinates can easily see how effective their manager is in their job-specific tasks.

Question 33

What are two types of errors that managers need to ensure they do not make when conducting a performance review?

A) halo error and preferential treatment
B) recency error and halo error
C) preferential treatment and recency error
D) halo error and gender bias

Question 34

Which statement is an example of a well-written performance standard?

A) Customer service representatives should be energetic and pleasant to customers.
B) Resident dorm advisers should be easily accessible to students.
C) Desk clerks are expected to process fifteen customers every half hour.
D) Police should respond to a call within a short period of time.

Question 35

Which of the following is a non-financial reward for performance accomplishments?

A) recommendation for a promotion
B) exclusion from future evaluations
C) use of a company vehicle
D) conference attendance to improve employee development

Question 36

What is one major advantage of using a behaviour observation scale?

A) short development time
B) can be used for multiple jobs
C) provides detailed, job-specific feedback
D) can be used across many jobs

Question 37

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Management by Objectives (MBO) approach?

A) Employees and managers agree on the employee's goals.
B) It is inefficient for mature organizations.
C) The goals should be EAT: Entrepreneurial, Achievable and Targeted.
D) Employees are rated on a scale for how closely they achieved their objectives.

Question 38

What is the benefit of a customer review that is not always evident with other review processes?

A) Customer reviews can reveal a problem with the employer's product or service.
B) If multiple dissatisfied responses are received, the problem may be departmental.
C) It is an unbiased view of the employee.
D) It can identify if the employee is following procedures.

Question 39

What is one disadvantage of using result measures for performance reviews?

A) Objectives may be misinterpreted by employees.
B) Possible disputes may arise between employees and managers about the measures used.
C) It may encourage employees to focus only on short-term objectives.
D) Its measures may be too difficult to measure accurately.

Question 40

The graphic rating scale is used in which performance review method?

A) self-review method
B) results method
C) behaviour method
D) trait method

Question 41

The Balanced Scorecard evolved from which performance management method?

A) results
B) management by objectives
C) behaviour
D) trait

Question 42

Performance evaluation programs are used only in large organizations in both the public and private sectors.

Question 43

For those organizations who have eliminated annual performance reviews, what have they implemented instead?

A) self-reviews
B) performance meetings
C) quarterly reviews
D) ongoing coaching and feedback

Question 44

A supervisor may ask an employee to review his or her own performance for which of the following reasons?

A) to increase the employee's involvement in the review process
B) to attempt to identify how truthful the employee is being
C) to establish a baseline for performance expectations
D) to minimize the amount of criticism the supervisor must convey

Question 45

Which of the following are organizational practices and policies that might impact an employee's performance?

A) unclear or constantly changing work requirements
B) insufficient job training
C) conflict between work and family demands
D) management-employee conflict

Question 46

Managing employee performance is best done on an annual basis instead of providing daily feedback.

Question 47

Research has shown that performance appraisals are used most widely for developmental purposes.

Question 48

A performance management system is similar to an ERP, as it contains data about employees within the organization.

Question 49

Many observers see performance appraisal programs as a logical means to appraise and develop the knowledge of employees.

Question 50

Why are some organizations choosing to eliminate performance reviews?

A) Employees don't believe the data, which is up to a year old.
B) They are considered a waste of time.
C) Managers need to be retrained every year on how to complete them.
D) Performance reviews are costly and the return on investment hard to measure.

Question 51

What is the best course of action for dealing with continued ineffective performance?

A) Take appropriate disciplinary action.
B) Transfer the employee to another department.
C) Schedule the employee for retraining.
D) Modify the working conditions to increase job satisfaction.

Question 52

The legality of any performance review is measured on which three criteria?

A) reliability credibility, and fairness
B) validity, credibility, and legality
C) reliability, fairness, and validity
D) fairness, validity, and credibility

Question 53

Which of the following are job concerns that might impact an employee's performance?

A) boredom with work, unsafe work environment, lack of job skills
B) lack of job skills, conflict between work and family demands, heavy-handed management
C) unsafe work environment, heavy-handed management, boredom with work
D) management-employee conflict, conflict between work and family demands, unsafe work environment

Question 54

A systems approach to performance management allows the organization to achieve its goals and helps increase employees' satisfaction.

Question 55

Effective performance management systems should include minimal feedback and employee coaching on an annual basis to enable staff to reach objectives.

Question 56

In which four categories does the Balanced Scorecard measure results?

A) financial, customer, processes, and learning
B) financial, competitor, processes, and learning
C) financial, customer, external processes, and learning
D) financial, competitor, internal processes, and learning

Question 57

Which statement best explains the difference between a trait method and behaviour method review?

A) Behaviour reviews focus on activities that the employee does consistently whereas trait reviews focus on the employee's results.
B) Behaviour reviews focus on activities that achieve the organization's objectives whereas trait reviews focus on certain characteristics that the employee displays.
C) Behaviour reviews focus on certain characteristics that the employee displays whereas trait reviews focus on activities that the employee does consistently.
D) Behaviour review focuses on activities that the employee does consistently whereas trait reviews focus on certain characteristics that the employee displays.

Question 58

What is the purpose of an action plan?

A) to identify performance problems and how to alleviate them
B) to clarify work, setting goals and a clear understanding of what is necessary to improve performance
C) to identify where an employee can move within the organization to achieve better results
D) to identify who is creating performance barriers for the employee and how the situation can be solved

Question 59

The primary purpose of performance reviews is to correct poor performance.

Question 60

What should be considered when determining which performance review method to select?

A) The selected method should align with the organization's culture and values.
B) 360-degree reviews are the most effective and relevant.
C) Inexpensive techniques often provide the most accurate information.
D) Using multiple techniques often produces the most detailed and effective results

Question 61

A performance management system helps to create documents that are useful in HRM processes that may result in legal action.

Question 62

Employees should be given a written copy of their job standards in advance of appraisals.

Question 63

The final step in an effective performance management system is the clarification of work to be accomplished in terms of expected outcomes and how they will be measured.

Question 64

Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, appraisal systems must be, above all, valid.

Question 65

One of the main concerns of employees is the fairness of the performance management system because it is central to many HRM decisions.

Question 66

In order to increase employee motivation levels, management should avoid written performance standards that are defined in quantifiable and measurable terms.

Question 67

Inflation of evaluations by a manager who desires higher salaries for his or her employees is an example of a bias in a performance management system.

Question 68

Being considered for a promotion or given the opportunity to work on a special project are examples of non-financial rewards for good performance.

Question 69

Self-appraisal or review works well when supervisors and subordinates jointly establish future performance goals or employee development plans.

Question 70

Most performance management systems include an annual formal review of the employee's overall performance.

Question 71

Appraisals should not be discussed openly with employees as it decreases employee motivation.

Question 72

An employer's credibility is strengthened when it can support performance evaluation results by documented instances of poor performance.

Question 73

The halo error, recency error, and preferential treatment are all recognized rater biases.

Question 74

Careful listening and asking close-ended questions are key to coaching success.

Question 75

To enable employees to express disagreement with the formal evaluation, an appeals procedure should be established.

Question 76

More and more companies are removing ethics as part of the performance standards because behaving ethically is difficult to measure.

Question 77

In most effective appraisal programs, the HR department develops the objectives and standards for the program.

Question 78

A manager's decision about a person's performance based on recent events is called the halo error.

Question 79

Employees can help ensure that the appraisal is fair by being well prepared.

Question 80

Research has shown that there is a very weak link between performance management results and the development of training objectives.