Performance Appraisal Methods: Rating Scales, MBO, and Assessment Centers

All flashcards

Performance appraisal

A structured evaluation of an employee’s work used for feedback, development, and personnel decisions.

Graphic rating scale

A method in which a rater scores an employee on predefined performance dimensions.

Central tendency error

Rating most employees near the middle of a scale instead of distinguishing performance levels.

Critical incident technique

A method that records examples of employee behavior leading to unusually successful or unsuccessful results.

Behavioral observation scale (BOS)

A method that rates how frequently an employee demonstrates listed job-related behaviors.

Quiz questions

1. When using a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS), what does the evaluator select?Answer: The behavioral description that best matches the employee’s performance level.
2. What kind of evidence does the critical incident technique primarily collect?Answer: Specific examples of behavior linked to unusually successful or unsuccessful results.
3. In management by objectives (MBO), how is performance typically evaluated at the end of the period?Answer: Actual results are compared with goals agreed upon by the employee and supervisor.
4. What is the primary focus of an assessment center?Answer: Evaluating an employee’s potential for future managerial assignments.
5. Why can a forced distribution result in unfair ratings?Answer: It may impose a rating pattern that does not reflect the group’s actual performance.