Question 1

In the context of performance management,which of the following terms refers to a measure that obtains consistency of results over time?

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability refers to consistency of results over time. If a performance measure lacks test-retest reliability, determining whether an employee's performance has truly changed over time will be impossible.

Question 2

Salman,a production manager at Telecal Inc.,needs to measure the performance of 10 subordinates.He writes their names on a paper and circles Karim's name as the best-performing employee of the group.He then circles Dillon's name as the worst employee of the group.He rates the remaining employees as second best,second worst,and so on.In the context of methods of performance measurement,Salman is using the _____ method.

Accepted Answer

Alternation ranking method is a variation of simple ranking method. In this method, the manager works from a list of employees. First, the manager decides which employee is best and crosses that person's name off the list. From the remaining names, the manager selects the worst employee and crosses off that name. The process continues with the manager selecting the second best, second worst, third best, and so on, until all the employees have been ranked. In this scenario, Salman is using the alternation ranking method.

Question 3

Lawsuits filed against performance management usually involve charges of discrimination or unjust dismissal.

Accepted Answer

Since performance measures play a central role in decisions about pay, promotions, and discipline, employment-related lawsuits often challenge an organization's performance management system. Lawsuits related to performance management usually involve charges of discrimination or unjust dismissal.

Question 4

Lily,a manager at Pyramid Inc.,uses a rating tool to evaluate the performance of her subordinates.However,she finds that the scale she used did not yield consistent results and could not determine if a change had taken place in the performance of the employees.Which of the following was lacking in the rating scale?

Accepted Answer

With regard to a performance measure, reliability describes the consistency of the results that the performance measure will deliver. If a performance measure lacks test-retest reliability, determining whether an employee's performance has truly changed over time will be impossible.

Question 5

In the context of effectiveness of performance management,_____ means the extent to which a measurement tool actually measures what it is intended to measure.

Accepted Answer

Validity is the extent to which a measurement tool actually measures what it is intended to measure. In the case of performance appraisal, validity refers to whether the appraisal measures all the relevant aspects of performance and omits irrelevant aspects of performance.

Question 6

_____ is the process through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs contribute to the organization's goals.

Accepted Answer

The process through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs contribute to the organization's goals is known as performance management. Effective performance management can tell top performers that they are valued, encourage communication between managers and their employees, establish uniform standards for evaluating employees, and help the organization identify its strongest and weakest performers.

Question 7

"Performance management serves as a basis for improving employees' knowledge and skills." This statement corresponds to which of the following purposes of performance management?

Accepted Answer

In the context of purposes of performance management, the developmental purpose corresponds to improving employees' knowledge and skills. Giving timely performance feedback can help even the employees who are meeting the company's expectations.

Question 8

In the context of validity in performance appraisal,information that is gathered but irrelevant is called _____.

Accepted Answer

In the context of validity in performance appraisal, information that is gathered but irrelevant is called contamination. This irrelevant information is often omitted in performance appraisal.

Question 9

Donna,a supervisor at Cenate Inc.,wants to compare her subordinate John's performance with other employees to assess their effectiveness.Which of the following methods for measuring performance is best suited for this task?

Accepted Answer

Techniques for comparing one individual's performance with that of others are simple ranking, forced distribution, and paired comparison. In this scenario, Donna should use simple ranking.

Question 10

The improvement of an employee's performance varies according to the employee's ability and level of motivation.

Accepted Answer

The most effective way to improve performance varies according to the employee's ability and motivation. In general, when employees have high levels of ability and motivation, they perform at or above standards. But when they lack ability, motivation, or both, corrective action is needed.

Question 11

In a "tell-and-sell" approach,managers tell the employees their ratings and then justify those ratings.

Accepted Answer

During the feedback session, managers can take any of three approaches. One of them is a "tell-and-sell" approach. In the "tell-and-sell" approach, managers tell the employees their ratings and then justify those ratings.

Question 12

Charles,the HR manager at Telcare Inc.,establishes a performance management system for his company.He wants to check the consistency of results over time.In the context of criteria for determining the effectiveness of performance measures,Charles is trying to check the _____ of the performance management system.

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability refers to consistency of results over time. If a performance measure lacks test-retest reliability, determining whether an employee's performance has truly changed over time will be impossible. In this case, Charles is trying to check the test-retest reliability of the performance management system.

Question 13

The requirements for job success are clearly communicated to employees to protect against lawsuits.

Accepted Answer

To protect against lawsuits, it is important to have a legally defensible performance management system. Such a system would be based on valid job analyses, with the requirements for job success clearly communicated to employees.

Question 14

Which of the following is the last step in performance management process?

Accepted Answer

The last step in performance management process is providing consequences for achieving (or failing to achieve) performance outcomes (such as pay increases, bonuses, or action plans).

Question 15

Which of the following is the first step in performance management process?

Accepted Answer

Organizations establish performance management systems to meet three broad purposes: strategic, administrative, and developmental. The first step in the performance management process is defining performance outcomes for company division and department.

Question 16

Crimson Inc.is conducting their annual performance review process for employees.The company uses a tool that measures entrepreneurial behavior and found there was a lot of irrelevant information that was also gathered.The irrelevant information gathered from the results is termed _____.

Accepted Answer

In the case of performance appraisal, validity refers to whether the appraisal measures all the relevant aspects of performance and omits irrelevant aspects of performance. Information that is gathered but irrelevant is "contamination."

Question 17

The content of feedback is more effective when it is directed toward personalities.

Accepted Answer

The content of feedback should emphasize behavior, not personalities. For example, "You did not meet the deadline" can open a conversation about what needs to change, but "You're not motivated" may make the employee feel defensive and angry.

Question 18

Which of the following helps performance management meet the goals of supporting strategy and developing employees?

Accepted Answer

Specific feedback refers to telling employees what is expected of them and how they can meet those expectations. Being specific helps performance management meet the goals of supporting strategy and developing employees.

Question 19

Bill and Nancy,managers at Sanzen Inc.,want to the check the consistency of results for an employee on a scale of 1 to 10.This will help them evaluate his performance.In the context of criteria for effective performance management,Bill and Nancy are testing the _____.

Accepted Answer

The consistency of results when more than one person measures performance is called interrater reliability. In this scenario, Bill and Nancy, are evaluating the performance of the same employee for consistency of results.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is true of effective performance management?

Accepted Answer

Effective performance management can tell top performers they are valued, encourage communication between managers and their employees, establish consistent standards for evaluating employees, and help the organization identify its strongest and weakest employees. To meet these objectives, companies must think of effective performance management as a process, not an event.

Quiz 10: Managing Employees Performance