The Concept of Performance Appraisal - Case Study Example

rfоrmаnсе Аррrаisаl Litеrаturе Review Name: Institution: Date: Overview Over the years, business ventures have adopted the concept of performance appraisal in their operations. As such, businesses appraise their systems, production process, supply chain partners, as well as employees. These appraisals seek to enhance continuous improvement and facilitate increased efficiency. To this effect, a majority of research studies have been developed to establish the relationship between employee performance appraisals and organizational success. In this case, they seek to establish the role played by performance, the ideal application processes and the hidden organizational potential to success based on the application of these systems. However, the studies’ focus on organizational success, lack comprehensiveness. In this case, the studies fail to address the role played by performance appraisals on all respective stakeholders in organizations. For instance, employee performance appraisals failed to regard the impact of such appraisals on the respective employees appraised. They failed to seek the relationship between employee performance appraisal, results notification and successive appraisal results. Further, studies on this topic evaluated such impacts based on either short or long-term periods separately. It is based on the literature gap that Lam, Yik and Schaubroeck (2002) based their study. On its part, the study sought to establish impacts of employee performance appraisals on employees’ performances. As such, it sought to avail employee performance appraisal results to the respective international bank teller employees. Consequently, it monitored the impacts of such a feedback on respective employees’ performances and attitudes in both the short and long run periods. Therefore, the study sought to establish if performance appraisal feedback to employees played any role in facilitating increased performance and attitude change. Conceptual framework In conducting any research, whether theoretical or empirical, studies need appropriate conceptual frameworks to guide the scope and focus of the respective studies. In conducting the study, a conceptual framework of grouping employees based on their performance was adopted. On one hand, the study regarded performance appraisal feedback as the independent variable in the framework. The variable was externally introduced from past appraisals and was not affected by variables in the study. On the other hand, the study adopted employees’ attitude and performance as the dependent variables. In this case, the study categorized the study sample into high, average and low performers. The three groups are the basic employee categories as viewed by the management. In categorizing the sample into these groups, the study conceptual framework sought to expand the study scope and its market relevance. In this case, the study not only sought to establish if performance appraisal feedbacks had impacts on employees’ attitudes, but also sought to establish the nature and extent of the impacts on respective employee groups. Therefore, the research study conceptual framework played a significant role in enabling the realization of the research objective as well as enhancing specificity in established results. Organizational managements’ rely on such specific findings in decision-making. Hypothesis The research study developed an alternative hypothesis. H1: performance appraisal feedback has both short and long-term implications on organizational employees. The hypotheses argued that such feedbacks would impact the three study strata differently. As such, it developed four hypotheses, categorized into the short run and long run periods. In the short run period, on one hand, the study hypothesized that employees who received negative appraisals were likely to grow dissatisfied with the organization, feel discriminated against and develop attitudes and desire to leave the current employer. On the other hand, for employees who received positive feedback, their chances for increased performance, satisfaction and positive attitude were high. Similarly, in the long run, the study hypothesized that, on one hand, low performing employees’ attitudes’ and dissatisfaction levels would subsidize with time. However, it argued the short-term impacts on high and average performing employees would persist in the long run. Finally, the study hypothesized that if all the employees, high, average and low performers alike, received a negative appraisal feedback, the impacts of such a feedback would not persist in the long run. It is based on these hypotheses that the study adopted a research methodology for evaluating the tellers’ attitudes both in the short and long run periods. In this case, the study differentiated itself from others as in the past, studies measured feedback based o one of these periods and not both. Findings In its analysis based on the four study hypotheses, the study established a number of revelations. On one hand, it established that for the high performers, attitude changed a month after the feedback was availed. Moreover, for this group of employees, the attitudes and feedback impacts persisted even in the long run, six months after feedback was availed. On the other hand, the study established that for employees with average performance but with no high level affectivity, the developed attitudes of the perception of the organization as just, persisted in the long run. Finally, the study established for the low performing employees, the appraisal feedback had minimal impacts both in the short run and in the long run. In this case, the study findings concluded that low performing employees have little and minimal interest in career advancements and that view performance evaluation as unimportant tools in their professional development. On the contrary, the high performing and average employees viewed performance appraisals as assessment of their career development. Consequently, they developed a positive attitude for positive feedback offered. Moreover, they implemented appraisal feedback recommendations to enhance organizational success, as well as individual career development. Weakness and Future Studies Despite its strengths and findings success, the study had a number of weaknesses. One among them was the assessment of employees’ attitudes towards the organization and appraisal feedback only. Upon the receipt of such an appraisal feedback, a number of factors influence the employees’ reaction, attitudes, and eventual performance, both in the short and long run periods. As such, the study ought to have considered these factors in its conclusions of performance appraisal on employees’ attitudes. Failure to consider these factors, risks an invalidation of the study findings due to partial evaluation on the topic. In this case, it is important for further studies to be developed on this topic. Such future studies should not only evaluate the developed attitudes, but also other factors such employees’ self-esteem, mood and cultural background that could impact on their attitude towards such feedbacks. References Lam, S. K., Yik, S. M., & Schaubroeck, J., (2002). Responses to Formal Performance Appraisal Feedback: The Role of Negative Affectivity, Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(1), pp. 192-201. Read More