Performance Appraisal
‘The problems associated with performance appraisal systems can be overcome by improvements to their design and implementation’. Discuss with reference to the orthodox and radical critiques of performance appraisal.
Introduction Performance appraisal is an opportunity for an employee or those employees who are concerned with their performance, to get engaged in a dialogue with their reporting supervisors about their performance and development and the support required from their reporting supervisors to improve their performance. Performance appraisal is an important part of the performance management strategy. Performance appraisal is only one of the aspects of the performance management process. Since, performance appraisal is carried out by the line manages rather than the HR professionals it is very important for them to understand their role in managing overall performance of employees in their organisation. It is very important for line managers to identify that performance appraisal is not just about assessing the past but also about driving behaviour that will sustain performance in the future (CIPD factsheet; May 2011). This essay will attempt to describe the problems associated with performance appraisal systems and how can organisations overcome the problem by improvements to their design and implementation in reference with the orthodox and the radical critiques of performance appraisal.
The orthodox critique
An elemental, and the most common problem, is that the appraisal process is used for a variety of conflicting purposes (Strebler et al. 2001; Wilson 2002).Performance appraisal can be used to motivate employees to improve their performance by ascertaining clear objectives for future and also letting them know what is expected out of them. This is completely in contrast with the appraisal system that concerns distribution of rewards based on assessment of past performance. In this type of performance appraisal the appraiser is forced to
Introduction Performance appraisal is an opportunity for an employee or those employees who are concerned with their performance, to get engaged in a dialogue with their reporting supervisors about their performance and development and the support required from their reporting supervisors to improve their performance. Performance appraisal is an important part of the performance management strategy. Performance appraisal is only one of the aspects of the performance management process. Since, performance appraisal is carried out by the line manages rather than the HR professionals it is very important for them to understand their role in managing overall performance of employees in their organisation. It is very important for line managers to identify that performance appraisal is not just about assessing the past but also about driving behaviour that will sustain performance in the future (CIPD factsheet; May 2011). This essay will attempt to describe the problems associated with performance appraisal systems and how can organisations overcome the problem by improvements to their design and implementation in reference with the orthodox and the radical critiques of performance appraisal.
The orthodox critique
An elemental, and the most common problem, is that the appraisal process is used for a variety of conflicting purposes (Strebler et al. 2001; Wilson 2002).Performance appraisal can be used to motivate employees to improve their performance by ascertaining clear objectives for future and also letting them know what is expected out of them. This is completely in contrast with the appraisal system that concerns distribution of rewards based on assessment of past performance. In this type of performance appraisal the appraiser is forced to
References: Human Resource management: Derek Torrington, Laura Hall , Stephen Taylor :2008 : Employee performance management: Page 293-308 Brown, M and Benson, J(2003) Rated to Exhaustion? Reactions to performance appraisal processes Newton, T. And Findlay, p (1996) ‘Playing God? The performance appraisal’, Human resource management Journal, 1(2) Townley, b