Question 1

Craig is starting a new business and looking for an easy-to-use performance appraisal method that he can apply to every job in the organization, from the top manager to the cleaning staff.Craig should probably adopt the ______ method of performance appraisal.

Accepted Answer

The graphic rating method is simple and can be applied universally across different job roles, making it suitable for Craig's needs.

Question 2

What is probably the most commonly used form during formal performance appraisal?

Accepted Answer

Graphic rating scale is probably the most commonly used form during formal performance appraisal. It is easy to use and allows for a quick rating of an employee's performance based on a set of predetermined criteria. A checklist may also be used, but it is more limited in scope and does not provide as much detail in the evaluation. Ranking may be used in certain situations but can be time-consuming and may not be the best choice for all types of positions. Narrative and MBO are less commonly used for formal performance appraisal, as they are more time-consuming and require a higher level of skill from the evaluator.

Question 3

Essays are most associated with the _______________ type of performance appraisals.

Accepted Answer

Narrative methods involve written or oral descriptions of an employee's performance and are often used in essay form. Therefore, essays are most associated with narrative methods of performance appraisals.

Question 4

Cole's performance appraisal describes his actions along a continuum.For example, when it comes to customer service, he receives a 1 if he regularly ignores customers, a 3 if he regularly greets customers, and a 5 if he regularly greets customers and asks how he can help.It appears Cole is using the ______ method of performance appraisal.

Accepted Answer

Cole's performance appraisal uses behaviorally anchored rating, which describes specific behaviors on a scale and evaluates an employee's performance based on those behaviors.

Question 5

When a manager makes an evaluative decision, such as who should be recognized as Employee of the Month or who gets a promotion, they are __________________ their employees.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When a manager makes an evaluative decision,...

Question 6

I have a scale with above average, average, and below average.This scale is called a(n) _____________.

Accepted Answer

The scale described is a Graphic Rating Scale, which typically includes above average, average, and below average as options that are graphically depicted on a scale.

Question 7

The performance management approach that requires managers to keep a record of specific examples of good/bad performance is the:

Accepted Answer

The critical incidents method requires managers to keep a record of specific examples of good/bad performance. This method involves collecting and analyzing critical incidents or actual examples of job performance to evaluate employees. The behaviorally anchored rating scale and graphic rating scale involve rating an employee's performance based on predefined scales or behaviors, while the ranking method involves comparing employees' performance with one another. The MBO method involves setting specific goals and objectives for an employee to achieve. Thus, the critical incidents method is the best choice for the given description.

Question 8

In what type of method are annual performance goals established jointly between the manager and employee?

Accepted Answer

Annual performance goals established jointly between the manager and employee are a key characteristic of Management by Objectives (MBO) method.

Question 9

Megan is considering who to promote into a new position.She asks each of her supervisors to write an appraisal of their employees describing each employee's strengths and weaknesses.Megan is requesting supervisors use the ________ method of performance appraisal.

Accepted Answer

The narrative method involves a written description of an employee's strengths and weaknesses, which is what Megan is requesting from her supervisors. This method allows for detailed feedback and can provide a more comprehensive evaluation of an employee's performance. The other methods listed focus on different techniques for evaluating performance, such as ranking or setting objectives.

Question 10

In the ______ method, the manager compares an employee to other employees rather than to a standard measure of performance.

Accepted Answer

In the ranking method, employees are compared to each other and ranked in order of their performance. This method does not use a standard measure of performance, but rather relies on subjective evaluations by managers.

Question 11

As part of her job as a stock clerk, Breanna is required to take inventory to identify items to be restocked.At the beginning of each quarter, Breanna and her manager set a goal for reducing the amount of time it takes to get items restocked.This quarter, her goal is to reduce the time by 10%.At the end of the period, Breanna will review her numbers with her manager.If she has reduced the restock times by 10%, she will receive a raise.Breanna's performance appraisal is done using the ______ method.

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions that Breanna and her manager set a specific goal at the beginning of each quarter to reduce the restocking time. This aligns with the Management By Objectives (MBO) method, which involves setting specific goals and objectives for employees to achieve. Furthermore, the statement indicates that Breanna's performance is evaluated based on whether she achieves the goal or not, which is also a characteristic of the MBO method. Therefore, the best choice is B, management by objectives.

Question 12

To provide accurate performance appraisals, Samantha keeps a box of index cards on each of her employees.When an employee does something particularly well or particularly poorly, Samantha writes the event down on a card and puts it in that employee's box.It appears Samantha is using the ______ method of performance appraisal.

Accepted Answer

Samantha is using the critical incidents method of performance appraisal, as she is noting down specific incidents where an employee did well or poorly. This method focuses on specific behaviors rather than general traits or abilities.

Question 13

To be accurate, objectives should be SMART.What does the M in SMART stand for?

Accepted Answer

The M in SMART stands for measurable, which means that the objectives should be quantifiable and there should be a way to track progress towards achieving them. This helps to ensure that the objectives are specific and achievable.

Question 14

Whenever an employee has a major achievement, Anna asks that employee to send her an email describing the achievement.Likewise, if an employee makes a mistake, Anna asks the employee to send her an email describing the mistake and what happened.When it's time to do performance appraisals, Anna brings all the emails she received from each employee together to create an appraisal.It appears Anna is using the ________ method of performance appraisal.

Accepted Answer

Anna is using the critical incidents method of performance appraisal, which involves keeping a record of specific events or incidents where an employee displayed exceptional or poor performance. These incidents are then used to evaluate the employee's overall performance during the appraisal.

Question 15

If a manager considers one employee at a time and circles a number/word on a continuum to signify the degree to which that employee meets a criterion, he/she is likely to be using a(n):

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a graphic rating scale, which involves evaluating employees on a continuum that includes specific performance criteria. A mixed standard scale involves comparing employees to one another, an MBO scale involves setting goals and evaluating progress towards them, a critical incidents scale involves recording specific instances of good or poor performance, and a behavioral initialization scale involves rating employees on observable behaviors rather than subjective criteria.

Question 16

Which performance appraisal method is most associated with file folders of positive and negative performance of employees?

Accepted Answer

The Critical Incidents method of performance appraisal is most associated with maintaining file folders of positive and negative performance of employees. This method involves documenting specific examples of employees doing something exceptionally well or failing to meet a certain standard.

Question 17

Charlie beat his deadline three times this month.Kara, his supervisor, puts a note in his file so she will remember his efforts during his performance evaluation later this year.Kara's note represents a ________________.

Accepted Answer

A critical incident is a specific event or behavior that is documented to provide evidence of an employee's performance, which can be used during performance evaluations.

Question 18

"Coming to Appointments: 30 minutes early, 15 minutes early, 5 minutes early, on time, 5 minutes late, 15 minutes late, never arrive." This scale would most likely be associated with what performance appraisal method?

Accepted Answer

BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales) is a performance appraisal method that uses specific behavioral examples to rate performance, such as arriving at appointments at various times.

Question 19

If it is predetermined that 5% of students will pass this exam and 95% will flunk, what kind of performance appraisal system is being used?

Accepted Answer

Forced distribution is a performance appraisal system where employees are evaluated and ranked based on a pre-set distribution curve. In this case, the predetermined distribution curve is that only 5% of students will pass the exam, indicating that a forced distribution system is being used to evaluate the students' performance.

Question 20

Which performance management technique involves the description of a large number of actions on the part of the employee, and then classifies these incidents into performance dimensions along a continuum?

Accepted Answer

The technique described here is Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS). BARS involves creating behavioral examples of performance which are then categorized and rated along a scale. It combines the use of critical incidents and rating scales to provide a more specific and objective review of employee performance.

Quiz 8: Performance Management and Appraisal