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Q:
Employees who earn performance-based pay are more _____.
a. mobile
b. satisfied
c. educated
d. cynical
Q:
Some organizations believe that appraisals are useful :
a. as a warning to inexperienced employees.
b. only for highly effective or ineffective employees.
c. only for veteran employees.
d. for employees nearing retirement.
Q:
Managers often first assume poor performance of subordinates to:
a. inadequate training.
b. poor motivation.
c. external constraints.
d. lack of ability.
Q:
Research suggests that when it comes to our own performance, most of us first attribute our bad performance to:
a. inadequate training.
b. poor motivation.
c. external constraints.
d. lack of ability.
Q:
It is recommended that a diagnosis of poor employee performance focus on all of the following EXCEPT:
a. skill.
b. personality.
c. effort.
d. external conditions.
Q:
Tips for using criticism constructively includes all of the following EXCEPT:
a. considering whether it is really necessary.
b. not exaggerating.
c. watching one's timing.
d. using the "sandwich technique."
Q:
An inappropriate interview technique in which praise serves to cushion criticism by alternating positive statements with negative statements is known as:
a. the sandwich technique.
b. the cushioning technique.
c. the rollercoaster technique.
d. sympathetic interviewing.
Q:
As a rule of thumb, a supervisor should spend approximately ____ percent of the time talking during an appraisal interview.
a. 10 to 15
b. 20 to 25
c. 30 to 35
d. 40 to 45
Q:
As an appraiser, one should try to do all of the following EXCEPT:
a. minimizing criticism.
b. changing the person, not the behavior.
c. identifying the source of ineffective performance.
d. being supportive and demonstrating that one cares.
Q:
Listening, accepting, and responding to feelings are essential elements of the _____ performance evaluation format.
a. tell-and-develop
b. tell-and-listen
c. tell-and-sell
d. problem-solving
Q:
In which type of appraisal interview does the interviewer communicate the strong and weak points of an employee's performance during the first part of the interview and then explore the employee's feelings about the appraisal in the second part?
a. Problem-solving
b. Tell-and-develop
c. Tell-and-sell
d. Tell-and-listen
Q:
Which of the following type of formatsgives both managers and employees an opportunity to release and iron out anyfrustrating feelings they might have?
a. Tell-and-develop
b. Tell-and-listen
c. Tell-and-sell
d. Problem-solving
Q:
The appraisal interview that requires interviewers to possess the ability to persuade an employee to change his or her behavior in a certain wayis:
a. tell-and-develop.
b. tell-and-listen.
c. tell-and-sell.
d. problem-solving.
Q:
The three basic types of formats for providing feedback during a performance evaluationmeeting or feedback sessionare:
a. tell-and-sell, tell-and-train, and developmental.
b. tell-and-sell, tell-and listen, and problem-solving.
c. tell-and-train, problem-solving, and developmental.
d. tell-and-listen, tell-and-train, and problem-solving.
Q:
The appraisal interview:
a. should take place in one session in order to give the employee a complete view of his or her performance.
b. can be divided into two sessions, though this is not advisable.
c. is most suitable for the supervisor to give feedback on past performance and should not be used for developmental purposes.
d. should be held in two segments because the rater must perform the role of both evaluator and counselor.
Q:
The appraisal interview should be divided into two sessions, one each for:
a. positive comments and negative comments.
b. performance review and employee's growth plans.
c. performance review and compensation discussion.
d. establishing performance standards and reviewing performance.
Q:
The choice of an appraisal method should be largely based on:
a. the preferred technique of the personnel department.
b. the purpose of the appraisal.
c. the reaction of employees.
d. what skills the developer of the system possesses.
Q:
An appraisal system that takes into account financial, customer, processes, and learning categories is called:
a. the balanced scorecard approach.
b. the 360-degree evaluation.
c. the customer-oriented approach.
d. management by objectives.
Q:
An appraisal system thatallows each individual to see clearly how his or her performance tiesinto the overall performance of the firm is:
a. the balanced scorecard approach.
b. the 360-degree evaluation.
c. the customer-oriented approach.
d. management by objectives.
Q:
Requirements for a successful management byobjectives (MBO) program include all of the following EXCEPT that:
a. the results must be under the control of the employee.
b. timeframes for when the goals are to be reviewed and evaluated need to beestablished.
c. goal statements must be accompanied by descriptions of how they will be accomplished.
d. both trait and critical incident objectives must be set.
Q:
If an appraisal focuses on a narrow set of results criteria to the exclusion of other important but less quantifiable performance dimensions, the performance management system may suffer from:
a. criterion deficiency.
b. rater bias.
c. lack of reliability.
d. criterion contamination.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT a component of the Balanced Scorecard approach?
a. Competitor
b. Learning
c. Customer
d. Financial
Q:
Which of the following is a performance appraisal approach designed to measure how frequently employees exhibit certain behaviors?
a. Management by objectives
b. Behaviorally anchored rating scale
c. Behavior observation scale
d. Trait scale
Q:
The procedures followed to develop a behaviorally anchored rating scale typically result in scales that:
a. havea high degree of construct validity.
b. have a high degree of content validity.
c. can be used to rate employees across different jobs.
d. cost the least to develop.
Q:
One major advantage of a behaviorally anchored rating scale is that:
a. it requires a great deal of employee participation which leads to greater acceptance.
b. the same rating scale can be used across all the departments of an organization.
c. it takes a relatively short time to develop.
d. the rating scale can be developed with little expertise.
Q:
The type of scale that uses critical incidents as examples of different points along the scale is known as:
a. the mixed-standard scale.
b. the global rating.
c. the behaviorally anchored rating scale.
d. the dimensional rating.
Q:
What is the first step in the management by objectives (MBO) process?
a. Develop organization goals and metrics
b. Develop department goals and metrics
c. Review performance
d. Add new inputs
Q:
If the primary objective of a performance appraisal is to give employees developmental feedback, which of the following appraisal methods is most ideal?
a. Trait
b. Results
c. Behavioral
d. Attitudinal
Q:
€Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the essay method?
a. It is very time-consuming.
b. It must follow a job-specific format.
c. It's appraisalquality could be influenced by the supervisor's writing skills.
d. It is highly subjective and could be biased.
Q:
A method of rating performance in which the rater chooses from statements that appear equally favorable or equally unfavorable is known as the:
a. forced-distribution method.
b. graphic rating scales.
c. behaviorally anchored rating scale
d. forced-choice method.
Q:
Which rating format uses three specific behavioral descriptions relevant to each trait and then asks supervisors to evaluate whether an employee's behavior is better than, equal to, or worse than the standard for each behavior?
a. Mixed-standard scale
b. Forced-choice method
c. Behaviorally anchored rating scale
d. Behavior observation scale
Q:
In the ____ method, each trait or characteristic to be rated is represented by a scale on which a rater indicates the degree to which an employee possesses that trait or characteristic.
a. mixed-standard scale
b. graphic rating scale
c. behaviorally anchored rating scale
d. behavior observation scale
Q:
Performance appraisal methods can be broadly classified as either ____, ____, or ____ approaches.
a. trait, behavioral, judgmental
b. trait, behavioral, results
c. behavioral, judgmental, results
d. behavioral, judgmental, attitudinal
Q:
A feedback training program for performance appraisal raters should cover at least all of the following areas EXCEPT:
a. effective communication techniques.
b. diagnosing the root causes of performance problems.
c. setting goals and objectives.
d. developing independent learning objectives.
Q:
If one inflates the evaluation of people with whom they have something in common, one commits a:
a. leniency error.
b. similar-to-me error.
c. recency error.
d. central tendency error.
Q:
If one rates an average employee's performance high because they compared the employee to poor performers, one commits a: a. leniency error. b. contrast error. c. recency error. d. central tendency error.
Q:
€If one rates an employee's performance largely on the basis of the employee's recent behavior, one commits a:
a. leniency error.
b. contrast error.
c. recency error.
d. central tendency error.
Q:
Which method of performance appraisal requires managers to place a certain percentage of employees into various performance categories?
a. Forced distribution method
b. Checklist method
c. Percent method
d. Forced-choice method
Q:
A performance rating error in which the rater tends to give employees either extremely high or extremelylow ratings is referred to as a(n):
a. recency error.
b. error of central tendency.
c. leniency or strictness error.
d. halo error.
Q:
A performance rating error in which the rater is reluctant to give employees either extremely high or extremely low ratings is referred to as a(n):
a. recency error.
b. error of central tendency.
c. leniency or strictness error.
d. halo error.
Q:
One advantage of peer evaluations is that:
a. peers are less politically motivated than supervisors.
b. peers may furnish more accurate and valid information than supervisors.
c. peers may work harder to help other employees improve performance.
d. peers are often partially responsible for the performance of other co-workers.
Q:
Self-appraisals are best for:
a. administrative purposes.
b. developmental purposes.
c. promotional purposes.
d. regulatory purposes.
Q:
Performance-relatedbehaviors such as leadership ability, ability to delegate, and employee supportivenessmay best be appraised by:
a. the manager/supervisor.
b. peers.
c. subordinates.
d. the management team.
Q:
In most instances, who is in the best position to perform the function of evaluating an employee's performance?
a. The HR personnel
b. The employee's supervisor
c. The employee
d. Co-workers
Q:
In light of recent court rulings, HR managers suggest that performance evaluations should meet all of the following legal guidelines EXCEPT:
a. performance ratings must be job-related.
b. employees must beprovided with clear, written job standards in advance of theirevaluations.
c. performance evaluation should rarely be tied to compensation decisions.
d. supervisors should be trained to use the evaluation form correctly.
Q:
The Supreme Court ruling states that:
a. vague performance standards can be acceptable when clearly written.
b. organizations should have carefully defined and measurable performance standards.
c. while performance standards should be somewhat specific, there should be room for individual interpretation.
d. descriptions of traits such as attitude and cooperation are acceptable performance standards.
Q:
Reliability in performance appraisal is measured by:
a. correlating two sets of ratings made byasingle rater or by two different raters.
b. correlating the ratings of an employee at two different points in time.
c. linking performance standards to organizational goals.
d. quantifiable performance standards.
Q:
If a performance standard is found to be stable or consistent over time, it is said to be:
a. free from contamination.
b. relevant.
c. reliable.
d. valid.
Q:
If the performance evaluations that salespeople receive are based solely on sales revenue to the exclusion of other important factors, the performance management system suffers from:
a. criterion contamination.
b. lack of reliability.
c. criterion deficiency.
d. organizational politics.
Q:
Freedom from criterion deficiency of performance appraisals refers to the extent to which:
a. standards relate to the overall objectives of the organization.
b. standards capture the entire range of an employee's responsibilities.
c. individuals tend to maintain a certain level of performance over time.
d. factors outside the employee's control can influence performance.
Q:
The strategic relevance of performance appraisals refers to the extent to which:
a. standards relate to the overall objectives of the organization.
b. standards capture the entire range of an employee's responsibilities.
c. individuals tend to maintain a certain level of performance over time.
d. factors outside the employee's control can influence performance.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the trait method of appraisals?
a. Inexpensive to develop
b. Uses meaningful dimensions
c. Low potential for rating errors
d. Easy to use
Q:
If a manager rates an employee higher than he or she deserves in order to look good as a manager in the eyes of his or her own superiors, this is an example of:
a. criterion deficiency.
b. organizational politics.
c. criterion contamination.
d. administrative appraisal purpose.
Q:
In _____, the U.S. Supreme Court found that employees had been ranked against a vague standard, open to each supervisor's own interpretation.
a. California Board of Regents v. Bakke
b. Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
c. Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody
d. Brito v. Zia
Q:
Which of the following is NOT a reason for the failure of appraisal programs? a. They discourage teamwork by focusing on workers' individual achievements. b. They lay more focus on employee input into the development of the appraisal program. c. They are not useful for the majority of employees in the middle in terms of performance. d. They often focus on short-term achievements rather than long-term improvement and learning.
Q:
Developmental purposes of performance appraisal include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. recognizing individual performance.
b. validating selection procedures.
c. improving communication.
d. identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Q:
Administrative purposes of performance appraisal include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. determining promotion candidates.
b. evaluating training programs.
c. documenting personnel decisions.
d. providing performance feedback.
Q:
The two primary purposes of performance appraisals are:
a. informative and developmental.
b. managerial and administrative.
c. managerial and informative.
d. administrative and developmental.
Q:
One study showed that organizations with strong performance management systems are____ more likely to outperform their competitors in the areas of revenue growth, productivity, profitability, and market value
a. 10-15 percent
b. 20-30 percent
c. 40-50 percent
d. 80-90 percent
Q:
A problem with performance appraisal is that it:
a. tends to be objective and consistent.
b. identifies weaknesses of employees as well as strengths.
c. tends to focus on short-term objectives rather than long-term learning.
d. tends to be a bottom-up process.
Q:
The federal government began evaluating employees in 1842, when Congress passed a law mandating yearly performance review for:
a. departmental clerks.
b. military personnel.
c. postal employees.
d. all federal employees.
Q:
The "horn error" is the opposite of the "halo effect."
a. True
b. False
Q:
Self-evaluations are often best used for administrative decisions rather than developmental purposes.
a. True
b. False
Q:
A diagnosis of poor employee performance should focus on the three interactive elements of ability, motivation, and external conditions.
a. True
b. False
Q:
A person's performance is a function of ability, environment, and motivation.
a. True
b. False
Q:
If an employee is doingsomething wrong, waiting for a formal evaluation later in the year to communicate thatinformation is an example of a balanced approach to effective communication. a. True b. False
Q:
Performance discussions should focus on the employee rather than on his or her behaviors.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Expressing appreciation for the work an employee has done well is likely tomake the person more defensiveabout aspects of the job that arenot going so well.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Since praise is a powerful motivator, appraisers should alternate positive and negative statements during a performance appraisal interview.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Because the appraisal interview is for developmental purposes, the interviewer rather than the employee should spend the majority of the time talking.
a. True
b. False
Q:
€A self-evaluation ensures that an employee knows against what criteria he or she is being evaluated, eliminating any potential surprises.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The problem-solving formatseeks to obtain an employee's buy-in for a mutually agreed-upon way to overcome obstacles and improve the person's actual performance.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The three basictypes of formats for providing feedback during a performance evaluationmeeting are tell-and-sell, tell-and-listen, and problem-solving.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Dividing the performance evaluation meeting into two sessions, one for the performance review and the other for the employee's growth plans, is a good strategy to improve communication between the parties.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The choice of performance evaluation method to use depends upon the purpose of the evaluation.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The Balanced Scorecard evaluation method translates broadcorporate goals into divisional, departmental, team, and individual goals in a cascadingway.
a. True
b. False
Q:
The Balanced Scorecard approach integrates four categories: financial, customer, process, and learning measures.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Measurable and quantifiable performance objectives are requirements for a successful MBO program.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Behavior observation scales have rater check statements that they believe are characteristic of the employee.
a. True
b. False
Q:
Results evaluations often give employees responsibility for their outcomes and discretion over the way they accomplish them.
a. True
b. False