Question 1

Komali,the founder of Astro Computing,believes in employee empowerment,so as soon as she began hiring managers,she made subordinate reviews part of her company's performance appraisal system.However,she and her human resource manager have realized that the managers don't always place enough emphasis on efficiency and results,perhaps out of fear that their employees will give them lower ratings.What would be the best way for Astro Computing to use subordinate feedback?

Accepted Answer

Instead of discontinuing subordinate feedback, Astro Computing can use the results to identify areas where managers can improve their leadership skills and develop their employees. This can also help in providing developmental opportunities for employees. It is important to maintain anonymity to encourage honest feedback. Giving employees greater opportunities to observe the behavior of their managers can also help in providing accurate feedback. Limiting the information gathering by subordinates to short periods may not be enough to accurately evaluate a manager's performance. Therefore, the best option would be to use the results of subordinate feedback for employee development.

Question 2

James,the production manager of Zenfax Inc. ,is writing a recommendation to begin gathering performance appraisal information from peers along with other sources of information.Which of the following statements best supports James's recommendation?

Accepted Answer

Peers have expert knowledge of job requirements, and can provide valuable insight into an employee's performance. Evaluations from multiple sources including peers, supervisors, and subordinates can provide a more complete picture of an employee's strengths and areas for improvement.

Question 3

The HR team at Gray Pharma is meeting to discuss ways to improve the validity of its performance management system.One staffer suggests adding customer evaluations of the sales representatives in order to gauge their impact on customer satisfaction and sales.What is the major challenge of this approach?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The HR team at Gray Pharma is...

Question 4

When an employee evaluates his or her manager low on all performance criteria due to dissatisfaction with the manager's disposition,the employee has most likely committed a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a horns error, where an employee lets a single negative trait about their manager influence their evaluation of all other aspects of the manager's performance.

Question 5

Which of the following is an advantage of using results-oriented performance measurement?

Accepted Answer

Results-oriented performance measurement is easy to link to the organization's goals. This is because it focuses on the specific outcomes that an employee is expected to achieve, rather than on how the employee goes about achieving those outcomes. By focusing on outcomes that are aligned with the organization's goals, results-oriented performance measurement helps ensure that employees are working towards the organization's strategic objectives.

Question 6

How can data analytics improve the measurement of employees' performance?

Accepted Answer

Data analytics can help in finding patterns in an employee's behavior, which can provide insights into their performance. This can be done by analyzing various data sources, including performance metrics, employee feedback, and even social media activity, to identify patterns and trends. These insights can then be used to develop targeted training and development plans, as well as more effective performance evaluations.

Question 7

Lydia,a supervisor at Sansen Inc. ,needs to appraise the performance of her subordinate,Charlie.In the context of performance information,which of the following is the least biased source of information for appraisal and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lydia,a supervisor at Sansen Inc. ,needs to...

Question 8

When Xavier joined Big Tuna Corporation as its human resource manager,he was surprised to hear some of the executives repeatedly laughing over stories about how the company's founder ensured that his fraternity brothers moved into management positions.According to the stories,these employees had a routine of Friday-night drinks and basketball,during which time they painted rosy pictures of one another's accomplishments-stories that embellished the performance appraisals and influenced later staffing decisions.Xavier talked to some employees about performance management at Big Tuna and learned that the system was widely viewed as corrupt.What can Xavier do,besides discouraging the storytelling,to decrease the political behavior related to performance management?

Accepted Answer

Xavier should persuade executives not to tolerate or ignore distorted ratings. This will send a strong message that unethical behavior related to performance management will not be accepted and may lead to consequences. Additionally, Xavier can work with executives to develop a fair and transparent performance management system that is based on objective criteria and is not subject to personal biases or political influence.

Question 9

Subordinate evaluations are the most appropriate to use for which of the following purposes?

Accepted Answer

Subordinate evaluations, also known as 360-degree feedback, are most appropriate for developmental purposes. These evaluations collect feedback from multiple sources, including supervisors, peers, and subordinates, to provide a comprehensive view of an individual's strengths and weaknesses. This type of evaluation can be used for personal and professional development, as well as for identifying areas for improvement and creating individual development plans. It may not be the best choice for administrative, investigative, strategic, or executive purposes, which may require a different type of evaluation or assessment.

Question 10

What is the name of the rating error that leads employees to believe that no aspect of their performance needs improvement?

Accepted Answer

The halo error occurs when a rater's overall positive impression of an employee's performance leads to an overestimation of their abilities and strengths, and a corresponding underestimation of areas where improvement is needed. This can lead to inflated ratings and inaccurate feedback for the employee.

Question 11

Clayton,a supervisor,needs to rate the performance of 20 subordinates.He uses a rating scale to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10.He rates 18 employees at 5,which leads to central tendency.In the context of types of rating errors,Clayton commits a _____ error.

Accepted Answer

Clayton commits a distributional error, specifically a central tendency error, by rating most employees around the middle of the scale rather than using the full range of ratings.

Question 12

Jose,the human resource manager at Wind Chimes Inc. ,wants to use subordinates as sources of performance appraisal information.Which statement best supports that idea?

Accepted Answer

Subordinates often work closely with their managers and can provide insight into their behavior and interactions with employees. This can be valuable information for a performance appraisal, as it can provide a more complete picture of the manager's effectiveness. While options B, C, D, and E may also be true in certain situations, they do not directly support the idea of using subordinates as sources of performance appraisal information.

Question 13

Janet,a production manager,thinks management by objectives (MBO)is a good way to measure performance results of employees in an organization.What advantage does this method offer Janet?

Accepted Answer

MBO is relatively easy to link to the organization's goals, which offers Janet the advantage of aligning individual employee goals with the overall objectives of the organization. This helps to ensure that employees are working towards the same vision and mission as the organization, and can help to improve overall performance and productivity.

Question 14

Under which of the following circumstances is appraisal politics most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Appraisal politics are more likely to occur when there is a culture or history of distorted ratings, as indicated by senior employees sharing stories about such practices with newcomers.

Question 15

Cole,a vice president of human resources,recommends adding self-appraisals to the company's performance management system.The other executives wonder why,since people would certainly want to inflate scores of their own performance.Which of the following statements best supports Cole's idea of using self-appraisals?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cole,a vice president of human resources,recommends adding...

Question 16

Barry,a human resource manager at Yenzen Hotels Inc. ,is considering the use of self-appraisals.Which statement describes a limitation on the validity of self-appraisals?

Accepted Answer

One limitation of self-appraisals is that employees have a tendency to inflate their self-assessments, which can lead to an inaccurate representation of their actual performance. This is known as the leniency or halo effect, where employees overestimate their own performance or are biased towards themselves.

Question 17

Oswald & Rutabaga,CPAs,brought in an HR consulting firm to evaluate the firm's performance management system.The firm has offices in six locations,and the manager of each location rates the office's staff members using a 5-point rating scale.After studying the appraisal results from the past three years,the consultants reported that they cannot make comparisons among the offices.Which of the following is the most likely problem?

Accepted Answer

The problem described is consistent with the managers using only part of the rating scale, which is a type of distributional error. This would make it impossible to compare ratings across locations, as each location would have a different interpretation of the scale. Therefore, option D is the most likely problem. Options A, B, C, and E are not supported by the information given.

Question 18

Jonathan,a supervisor,needs to assess Megan,a subordinate's,performance.He considers that Megan is reliable and meets all his requirements,so he will rate her as a good performer.But then Jonathan thinks about an exceptional employee,Sue,in his department,and decides that,compared with her,Megan is just average.In this way,Jonathan's rating is a _____ error.

Accepted Answer

Jonathan's rating is affected by the contrast effect, where he is comparing Megan's performance with that of an exceptional performer in his department, Sue. This bias can result in rating Megan lower than her actual performance, as she is being compared to an exceptionally high standard.

Question 19

Jacinta,a production manager at Alphonso Inc. ,needs to evaluate the performance of her employees.She asks her subordinate,June,to carry out this job.June uses a rating scale,which ranges from 1 to 10,to rate 50 employees.She gives a score of 3 to 39 employees.In doing so,June commits a _____ error.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jacinta,a production manager at Alphonso Inc. ,needs...

Question 20

Roberto,a manager at Z-Cart Inc. ,is asked by his manager to rate his subordinates' performances.He needs to rate 30 employees on a scale that ranges from 1 to 10.He rates 25 employees with a score of 8.In doing so,Roberto commits a rating error.In the context of types of rating errors,Roberto's mistake is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Roberto's mistake is a leniency error, as he has rated all 25 employees with an 8, indicating a tendency to rate everyone high. A central tendency error would involve rating all employees in the middle of the scale, a halo error would involve allowing one positive trait to influence the overall rating, and a horns error would involve allowing one negative trait to influence the overall rating. There is no indication of a statistical error in this scenario.

Quiz 10: Managing Employees Performance