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Q:
Raters who commit severity errors generally:
A) rate employees on the basis of liking.
B) restrict ratings to the high portion of the appraisal scale.
C) restrict ratings to the low portion of the appraisal scale.
D) rate employee performance similarly in all appraisal areas.
Q:
You are training first-line supervisors on how to give performance appraisals. In your explanation of the halo error, you tell these managers that they can avoid this mistake if they:
A) consider organizational goals.
B) remain current on EEO laws.
C) consider each dimension individually.
D) avoid personal relationships with workers.
Q:
You are reviewing the performance appraisal conducted by your middle managers. You notice that Carrie tends to give each employee the same score across all dimensions of the evaluation. For example, Brian's scores all are in the average range while Karl's all tend to be in the excellent range, even though you know that each man has done very well on some and very poorly on some of the dimensions. Brian and Karl's evaluations exhibit a:
A) severity error.
B) halo error.
C) leniency error.
D) central tendency error.
Q:
The tendency to rate similarly across dimensions is best known as ________ error.
A) liking
B) severity
C) halo
D) leniency
Q:
Which of the following is LEAST likely a challenge of effective performance measurement?
A) Employee contributions
B) Organizational politics
C) Instrument invalidity
D) Rater errors
Q:
How do firms use performance appraisals? What is the difference between a performance appraisal system built on a relative or an absolute judgment format? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each format?
Q:
A performance appraisal system in which workers review their supervisors is called a(n) ________.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a performance appraisal system in which workers at the same level in the organization rate one another.
Q:
A(n) ________ is a performance appraisal system in which workers rate themselves.
Q:
________ is a goal-directed approach to performance appraisal in which workers and their supervisors set goals together for the upcoming evaluation period.
Q:
A(n) ________ is an appraisal tool that asks managers to assess the results achieved by workers.
Q:
A(n) ________ is an appraisal tool that asks managers to assess a worker's behavior.
Q:
An appraisal tool that asks a supervisor to make judgments about worker characteristics that tend to be consistent and enduring is referred to as a(n) ________.
Q:
________ is an appraisal format that asks supervisors to make judgments about an employee's performance based solely on performance standards.
Q:
An appraisal format that asks supervisors to compare an employee's performance to the performance of other employees doing the same job is referred to as ________.
Q:
More firms are basing performance assessments on ________, which are observable characteristics that are associated with successful job performance.
Q:
________ is an aspect of performance that determines effective job performance.
Q:
The identification, measurement, and management of human performance in organizations is referred to as ________.
Q:
The choice of which appraisal tool to use should be based on the purpose of the appraisal.
Q:
The advantage of outcome-based appraisal systems is that they eliminate subjectivity and the potential for rater error.
Q:
Behavioral rating systems are well accepted by managers because they can be developed quickly.
Q:
The critical-incident technique is useful for developing BARS.
Q:
Like trait systems, behavioral systems are somewhat relative since the effectiveness and frequency of an important behavior is subjectively judged by the rater.
Q:
The most common form of behavioral appraisal instrument tends to measure the value rather than the frequency of rated behaviors.
Q:
Trait ratings evaluate worker characteristics that tend to be consistent and enduring. Consequently, like absolute systems, they eliminate all ambiguity from appraisals.
Q:
Colleen is appraising workers in the manufacturing department of a woodworking shop. She ranks Horace as the most skilled woodworker, Kayla as the second most skilled woodworker, and Eric as the least skilled of the three. Colleen is performing an absolute judgment appraisal.
Q:
The "big picture" quality of the absolute rating system makes performance feedback too ambiguous to be beneficial.
Q:
Relative ranking systems require managers to make performance distinctions among workers even if none actually exist.
Q:
The absolute judgment format permits comparison ratings of individual workers in different work groups by various managers.
Q:
The performance appraisal system should praise and criticize past behavior and focus on the future in terms of how workers will achieve their potential.
Q:
To be the most effective, all managers in a firm should maintain comparable rating standards.
Q:
Additional Case 7.1
Shannon is the CEO of a firm that provides high-tech service support to other small businesses. He plans to revise the performance appraisal system to align it more closely with company goals. The tailored program should be fair and ethical and should produce consistent results.
Shannon wants service employees to work together to maximize service quality. Since the sales force has not been particularly aggressive, sales are lagging. Shannon believes that profits and customer satisfaction will increase if sales people start providing after-sale service to customers.
In the past, Shannon's sales managers have been receiving the same raises, regardless of their effectiveness. Now, Shannon wants to identify and reward the best-performing managers. By comparing managers across functions, Shannon believes he will be able to identify workers who are ready for more challenging responsibilities.
Refer to Additional Case 7.1. Shannon is considering an appraisal system based on relative judgment. Which statement best supports the use of such a system?
A) The firm would benefit from specifying the differences between employees.
B) Managers need to know which employees are the best at the firm.
C) The firm frequently needs to make decisions about pay raises.
D) Employees require specific details about their performance.
Q:
Additional Case 7.1
Shannon is the CEO of a firm that provides high-tech service support to other small businesses. He plans to revise the performance appraisal system to align it more closely with company goals. The tailored program should be fair and ethical and should produce consistent results.
Shannon wants service employees to work together to maximize service quality. Since the sales force has not been particularly aggressive, sales are lagging. Shannon believes that profits and customer satisfaction will increase if sales people start providing after-sale service to customers.
In the past, Shannon's sales managers have been receiving the same raises, regardless of their effectiveness. Now, Shannon wants to identify and reward the best-performing managers. By comparing managers across functions, Shannon believes he will be able to identify workers who are ready for more challenging responsibilities.
Refer to Additional Case 7.1. The best appraisal system for Shannon's sales management team would most likely be:
A) rank order.
B) trait based.
C) outcome based.
D) behavioral based.
Q:
Additional Case 7.1
Shannon is the CEO of a firm that provides high-tech service support to other small businesses. He plans to revise the performance appraisal system to align it more closely with company goals. The tailored program should be fair and ethical and should produce consistent results.
Shannon wants service employees to work together to maximize service quality. Since the sales force has not been particularly aggressive, sales are lagging. Shannon believes that profits and customer satisfaction will increase if sales people start providing after-sale service to customers.
In the past, Shannon's sales managers have been receiving the same raises, regardless of their effectiveness. Now, Shannon wants to identify and reward the best-performing managers. By comparing managers across functions, Shannon believes he will be able to identify workers who are ready for more challenging responsibilities.
Refer to Additional Case 7.1. The best appraisal system to enhance cooperation among service personnel would most likely be a:
A) trait-based appraisal system.
B) behavioral appraisal system.
C) relative judgment process.
D) self-review tool.
Q:
Additional Case 7.1
Shannon is the CEO of a firm that provides high-tech service support to other small businesses. He plans to revise the performance appraisal system to align it more closely with company goals. The tailored program should be fair and ethical and should produce consistent results.
Shannon wants service employees to work together to maximize service quality. Since the sales force has not been particularly aggressive, sales are lagging. Shannon believes that profits and customer satisfaction will increase if sales people start providing after-sale service to customers.
In the past, Shannon's sales managers have been receiving the same raises, regardless of their effectiveness. Now, Shannon wants to identify and reward the best-performing managers. By comparing managers across functions, Shannon believes he will be able to identify workers who are ready for more challenging responsibilities.
Refer to Additional Case 7.1. Shannon's first step in developing the new performance appraisal system is to:
A) identify the performance dimensions to measure.
B) identify the performance appraisal tool(s) he wants to use.
C) develop the performance management process he will use.
D) communicate the changes in the program to the employees.
Q:
The implementation of a ________ process offers a well-rounded picture of an employee's performance.
A) self-review
B) peer review
C) subordinate review
D) 360° feedback
Q:
Ahmad has been a line manager at a large jewelry factory for nearly 10 years. This year, the factory is letting the employees directly under him contribute to Ahmad's performance appraisal. This is an example of:
A) subordinate review.
B) superior review.
C) self-review.
D) 360° feedback.
Q:
Which of the following is an upward performance appraisal process?
A) Peer reviews
B) Self reviews
C) Team reviews
D) Subordinate reviews
Q:
If supervisors want to help employees gain insight into their performance problems and have input into the performance appraisal, they should most likely use:
A) peer reviews.
B) self reviews.
C) team reviews.
D) subordinate reviews.
Q:
Which appraisal format has the greatest legal defensibility?
A) Relative
B) Absolute
C) Behavior
D) Outcome
Q:
Studies of performance appraisal systems show that the most influential element on the effectiveness of the system is the:
A) number of employees for whom the rater is responsible.
B) intelligence and experience of the rater.
C) type of tool or system being used.
D) job category being evaluated.
Q:
Outcome-based appraisal tools have a tendency to:
A) use ambiguous criteria.
B) encourage employee conflicts.
C) provide a distorted view of worker performance levels.
D) force raters to make unnecessary distinctions between employees.
Q:
MBO performance appraisal systems focus primarily on employee:
A) competencies.
B) behaviors.
C) results.
D) traits.
Q:
Outcome-based performance appraisal systems are more likely to:
A) lead to a "results at any cost" mentality.
B) require significant time to establish criteria.
C) face managerial and employee resistance.
D) cause legal difficulties because of unclear standards.
Q:
Which of the following is a drawback of a behavior-based performance appraisal system?
A) Time-consuming to develop
B) Distorted worker performance levels
C) Ambiguous ratings which leads to bias
D) Managerial resistance due to required training
Q:
A company designs a performance evaluation process that evaluates the value of specific employee behaviors. The company is most likely using a(n):
A) outcome-based system.
B) relative judgment system.
C) trait-based system.
D) behavioral-based system.
Q:
The critical incident technique can be used to create ________ rating scales.
A) relative-judgment based
B) trait-judgment based
C) outcome-based
D) behavior-based
Q:
The most common form of behavior appraisal instrument is a:
A) management by objectives format.
B) behaviorally anchored rating scale.
C) situational interviewing form.
D) personality trait scale.
Q:
Trait-based performance appraisal systems are most similar to:
A) outcome-based performance appraisal systems.
B) behavioral-based performance appraisal systems.
C) relative judgment performance appraisal systems.
D) absolute judgment performance appraisal systems.
Q:
Shawn is reviewing a performance appraisal instrument with a scale of 1-10. Each number has a descriptive statement next to it, from 1 (rarely gives direction when assigning work) to 10 (makes expectations clear). This is an example of a(n):
A) trait-based appraisal instrument.
B) outcome-based appraisal instrument.
C) behavior-based appraisal instrument.
D) relative judgment appraisal instrument.
Q:
Bob wants to focus this year's employee assessment interviews on discussing the traits each employee displays. You should most likely tell him that trait-based appraisal tools:
A) can be beneficial but are more expensive than other methods.
B) have a tendency to make employees defensive.
C) are illegal according to EEOC guidelines.
D) are helpful in boosting employee morale.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT a common criticism of trait appraisal instruments?
A) Lack of legal defensibility
B) Too much rater bias
C) Costly and time consuming
D) Ambiguous ratings
Q:
Which of the following is NOT a trait typically used on trait-based rating scales?
A) Decisiveness
B) Punctuality
C) Reliability
D) Energy
Q:
An appraisal system that focuses on individuals rather than on any other factor is a(n):
A) absolute system.
B) behavioral system.
C) relative system.
D) trait-based system.
Q:
Which of the following is a disadvantage of an absolute judgment performance appraisal system?
A) Managers make irrelevant and unfair distinctions among employees
B) Conflict develops among employees competing for the best rating
C) Legal defense of evaluations is difficult
D) Standards vary among managers
Q:
Which of the following is most likely a true statement about relative and absolute judgment appraisal systems?
A) Relative judgments do not force raters to make distinctions between employees where none exist, but absolute judgments do.
B) Absolute judgments allow for equal ratings among employees, but relative judgments do not.
C) Absolute judgments tend to create conflict between employees, but relative judgments do not.
D) Relative judgments are easy to defend in court, but absolute judgments are not.
Q:
You are discussing changing your performance appraisal system with your executive management team. The VP of Operations wants the ability to compare employees working for different managers in different areas of the plant. The best appraisal system for this would be a(n):
A) ranking system.
B) relative system.
C) absolute system.
D) behavior-based system.
Q:
A firm implementing a relative judgment performance appraisal system would most likely experience which of the following?
A) Employees comparing themselves to other employees
B) Managers making judgments based completely on performance standards
C) Managers grouping employees into two categories when evaluating performance
D) Employees receiving clear and useful information about improving their performance
Q:
Your CEO is considering the use of a relative judgment system for your company's performance appraisal program. She asks you about the disadvantages of such a system, and it would be most appropriate for you to state that such systems:
A) provide unclear performance feedback to employees.
B) rely too much on employee competencies.
C) fail to measure job-relevant behavior.
D) are costly and time consuming.
Q:
A pitfall of using relative judgments for performance appraisal is that they:
A) fail to clarify how great or small the performance differences are between employees.
B) force appraisers to make judgments based solely on performance standards.
C) focus too much on the individual rather than the individual's performance.
D) provide inadequate information when making termination decisions.
Q:
One of your managers returns from a management seminar eager to use a relative judgment system for performance appraisals. He asks you for your opinion about the value of such systems. It would be most accurate for you to state that relative judgment systems:
A) require supervisors to differentiate between employees.
B) minimize employee conflict regarding performance assessment.
C) clarify performance differences between similarly ranked employees.
D) force managerial judgments based exclusively on performance standards.
Q:
Which term refers to observable characteristics that are associated with successful job performance?
A) Ethics
B) Traits
C) Dimensions
D) Competencies
Q:
Job performance dimensions are:
A) a way to eliminate rater bias in the performance appraisal.
B) aspects of performance that determine effective job performance.
C) the relative judgments that a rater makes about an employee's job performance.
D) job appraisals conducted in businesses that are greatly influenced by organizational politics.
Q:
Billy will be appraising employees at H.R.T., Inc. He is compiling a list of aspects by which he will measure the employees. Billy is compiling:
A) dimensions of job performance.
B) measurement standards.
C) relative judgments.
D) absolute judgments.
Q:
When it comes to the performance appraisal process:
A) it is most commonly conducted twice a year.
B) most firms fail to maximize its potential.
C) most firms use a team-based appraisal.
D) it is rarely used by most businesses.
Q:
Keith owns a small marketing firm and has 15 employees. Keith needs to implement a performance appraisal system. Which of the following is most important for Keith?
A) Developing broad job dimensions
B) Using quantitative measurement tools
C) Assessing employees on a monthly basis
D) Ranking performance levels within work teams
Q:
The most common use of performance appraisals is to:
A) comply with EEO rules.
B) justify employee recruitment.
C) improve organizational performance.
D) make personnel administrative decisions.
Q:
Emma is thinking through the future evaluation of her employees. Right now she is determining what specific areas of each employee's work to examine. Emma is in the process of:
A) measuring performance to make a judgment about employee effectiveness.
B) identifying areas of job performance that should be evaluated.
C) managing the work process within an organization.
D) determining employee training needs.
Q:
A manager is in the process of deciding how effective or ineffective an employee's behavior has been. This manager is in the ________ stage of the performance appraisal model.
A) identification
B) measurement
C) management
D) design
Q:
Which of the following is a comprehensive list of the functions in a performance appraisal?
A) Identifying, measuring, and managing
B) Identifying, determining, and implementing
C) Recruiting, selecting, and assessing
D) Managing, selecting, and assessing
Q:
Job-search assistance and emotional support are two functions of a firm's job design services.
Q:
An important goal of outplacement services for laid-off workers is to help them remain productive, pending their layoff.
Q:
Anita, an HR manager, has been asked to design a job-search assistance program as part of her employer's outplacement services. Which of the following skills would LEAST likely be addressed in the program?
A) Resume writing
B) Career planning
C) Downsizing
D) Interviewing
Q:
The use of outplacement services among large corporations serves all of the following goals EXCEPT:
A) minimizing litigation.
B) implementing HR strategies.
C) protecting the firm's reputation.
D) helping separated workers find jobs.
Q:
Which of the following typically handles outplacement activities?
A) External consultants hired by the firm
B) Local employment agencies
C) HR specialists at the firm
D) Federal agencies
Q:
Companies provide outplacement to terminated workers for a number of reasons, such as:
A) meeting federal requirements.
B) decreasing unemployment taxes.
C) lowering absenteeism among remaining workers.
D) reducing morale problems associated with laid-off workers.
Q:
How can a firm maintain the morale of employees who survive a layoff? How can outplacement services improve the morale and self-esteem of displaced workers?
Q:
As the director of HR, you have the responsibility of implementing a layoff for a medium-sized company. List the key issues that must be settled in the implementation.
Q:
A federal law requiring U.S. employers with 100 or more employees to give 60 days' advance notice to employees who will be laid off as a result of a plant closing or a mass separation of 50 or more workers is the ________.
Q:
In order to reassure surviving employees of recent layoff information, they should be informed of the reasons for the layoff and how it occurred.