Chapter 10—Performance Appraisal and Career Management
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Andy, a regional manager for an office supply retail company, must formally evaluate each one of his
immediate employees every year. This process is known as
a.
benchmarking.
b.
feedback interview.
c.
360-degree feedback.
d.
discipline documentation.
e.
performance appraisal.
2. Which of the following was NOT given as a reason for the importance of performance appraisal?
a.
It helps managers assess the quality of their recruitment and selection activities.
b.
It provides documentation that an organization’s promotion and reward allocation activities
are nondiscriminatory.
c.
It plays a large role in allocation of profit-sharing rewards to employees.
d.
It provides useful input into an organization’s human resource planning process.
e.
It provides feedback to employees, which may enhance their motivation and development.
3. Which of the following is one of the different terms for performance appraisal
a.
performance evaluation.
b.
performance review.
c.
employee appraisal.
d.
employee evaluation.
e.
all of these are different terms for performance appraisal.
4. What should be considered the ultimate goal of performance appraisal?
a.
To provide performance information in a useful form
b.
To provide information about an individual’s performance on all relevant dimensions
c.
To be able to improve performance on the job
d.
To document employment-related decisions based on performance
e.
To determine equitable rewards
5. Which of the following is NOT considered one of the responsibilities of the organization in the
performance appraisal process?
a.
To develop the general performance appraisal process
b.
To determine the timing of the performance appraisals
c.
To make clear and specific performance standards available to managers
d.
To have the ratee express a clear, unbiased view of his or her performance
e.
To communicate performance standards to employees
6. The role of the rater in the performance appraisal process includes all of the following EXCEPT
a.
helping to develop clear performance standards.
b.
collecting information about employee performance behaviors.
c.
learning organizational performance standards.
d.
requiring the ratee to gain an understanding of how his or her behavior affects performance.
e.
preparing the employee to work at desired levels.
7. Which of the following factors could impact a supervisor’s motivation, rather than ability, to provide a
meaningful performance appraisal?
a.
Inadequate job knowledge
b.
Favoritism toward specific workers
c.
Inadequate opportunity to observe employee performance
d.
Changing technology, which may impact the supervisor’s understanding of job tasks the
employee is required to perform
e.
The supervisor’s promotion from a different functional area of the organization
8. ____ are the most frequently utilized source of information in the appraisal process.
a.
Supervisors
b.
Peers
c.
Subordinates
d.
Customers
e.
Executives
9. 360-degree feedback utilizes information collected from
a.
customers.
b.
employees.
c.
supervisors.
d.
subordinates.
e.
all of these.
10. A ____ method of performance appraisal involves directly assessing each employee next to other
employees.
a.
paired comparison
b.
360-degree
c.
BARS
d.
rating
e.
graphic rating scale
11. Which method of performance appraisal involves grouping employees into frequencies of performance
evaluations?
a.
Ranking
b.
Paired comparison
c.
Forced distribution
d.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)
e.
Critical incident
12. Supervisor Katy is establishing a list of the best to worst performers in the department. Which
performance appraisal method is Katy utilizing?
a.
Paired comparison
b.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)
c.
Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS)
d.
Forced distribution
e.
Simple ranking
13. Which of the following is NOT a potential problem associated with the use of graphic rating scales in the
performance appraisal process?
a.
Attribution of too much objectivity to results
b.
Leniency or severity error
c.
The number of included performance dimensions must be restricted to a few
d.
Halo error
e.
Range restriction
14. Which type of performance appraisal rating method focuses on particularly good or bad performance?
a.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)
b.
Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS)
c.
Management By Objective (MBO)
d.
Critical incident method
e.
Graphic rating scale
15. Amelia is attending college and majoring in parks and recreation management. During the summer she
works with the Youth Conservation Corps doing trail maintenance and invasive species removal.
Amelia is in the career development stage
a.
exploration.
b.
establishment.
c.
maintenance.
d.
disengagement.
e.
retirement.
16. A career includes all of the following EXCEPT
a.
the various specific jobs that a person performs.
b.
the kinds of responsibilities and activities that make up those jobs.
c.
movements and transitions between jobs.
d.
wages.
e.
an individual’s overall assessment of and feelings of satisfaction with these various
components of her or his career.
17. The following item appears on a student evaluation form, to assess a student’s preparation outside of
class. What type of performance appraisal is represented by this example?
1 =
Often unprepared when called on. Frequent late assignments.
2 =
Sometimes unprepared when called on. Hands in 2-3 assignments late.
3 =
Unprepared on occasion, but not often. Hands in 2 or fewer late assignments.
4 =
Usually well-prepared when called on, but may be unprepared on 1-2 occasions. All
assignments handed in on time.
5 =
Always prepared when called on. Hands in every assignment early or on time.
a.
Management by Objective (MBO)
b.
Critical incident
c.
Simple ranking
d.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)
e.
360-degree feedback
18. At Lorenzo’s workplace, the performance appraisal process includes measurements of organizational
citizenship behaviors, such as volunteering for unpleasant tasks and helping new employees socialize
into the work team. Lorenzo’s employer is
a.
enforcing job requirements.
b.
using inappropriate information.
c.
committing a halo error.
d.
relying on a ranking method.
e.
rating contextual performance.
19. When a rater compares people against one another instead of using a set standard, which type of error is
the rater exhibiting?
a.
Projection
b.
Halo
c.
Horns
d.
Contrast
e.
Distributional
20. A midcareer plateau happens during the ______ career stage.
a.
exploration
b.
establishment
c.
maintenance
d.
disengagement
e.
retirement
21. Which career stage may involve individuals’ viewing work as less important and nonwork activities as
more important?
a.
Maintenance
b.
Disengagement
c.
Establishment
d.
Exploration
e.
Trial
22. What is the final step in the career planning process?
a.
Individual assessment
b.
Career counseling
c.
Exploration
d.
Communication
e.
Trial
23. What mechanism in the career planning process is designed to align the organization’s and individual’s
expectations of the individual’s role and career prospects within the organization?
a.
Individual assessment
b.
Specification of career paths
c.
Performance management
d.
Communication
e.
Career counseling
24. All of the following would place limitations on the effectiveness of career planning EXCEPT
a.
individuals may find new opportunities outside the employing organization at unexpected
times.
b.
the organization has little flexibility in altering the career paths it predicts for its employees
over time.
c.
the organization’s human resource needs can change over time.
d.
unanticipated mergers and acquisitions can change career opportunities.
e.
people can experience changes in interests or priorities.
25. Which of the following is NOT a true statement regarding the individual perspectives on careers?
a.
Individuals who closely monitor their careers understand the reasons for success and failure.
b.
An individual’s perception of work success or failure has an important impact on his or her
self-image.
c.
Individuals can rely on their employer to manage their careers.
d.
Individuals who take responsibility for their careers are prepared to deal with career
setbacks.
e.
Individuals directly experience the impact of career events.
26. Which career stage may involves individuals’ analysis of their own competencies and skills.
a.
Maintenance
b.
Individual assessment
c.
Establishment
d.
Retirement
e.
Trial
27. Susan was offered a promotion that requires relocating. Her husband and children are happy in the
current location. Susan is stressed about the career management issue of
a.
duel-career management.
b.
work family balance.
c.
elder care.
d.
flexible work schedules.
e.
quality child care management.
28. The type of error that involves giving low ratings to all employees by using unrealistically high
standards is called
a.
central tendency.
b.
halo error.
c.
horns error.
d.
leniency.
e.
severity.
29. Career management is ultimately the responsibility of the
a.
human resource manager.
b.
line supervisor.
c.
organization.
d.
individual.
e.
recruiter.
30. Which of the following is part of an informal career counseling program
a.
workshops.
b.
conferences.
c.
one-on-one interaction of employee and supervisor.
d.
career-development centers.
e.
fast-track programs.
Scenario 10.1
Ellen Jones is the human resource manager for Tent-Sations, a midsize company that manufactures
recreational camping tents. Tent-Sations employs approximately two hundred employees. Ellen is in the
process of redesigning the company’s performance management system. She has been instructed by top
management to develop a performance management system that encourages employees to go beyond
their formal job duties. Therefore, top management would also like the performance management
system to assess particular employee behaviors that specifically support organizational goals in addition
to employees’ everyday job tasks. Supervisors in this fast-paced organization have limited opportunity to
view their subordinates’ performance on a daily basis. Employees work in self-managed cross-functional
work teams, with each team being responsible for the entire tent-making process. With input from
supervisors, each team sets its own output goals for each month of the year and employee compensation
is based on the team’s goal achievement as well as on individual performance factors.
31. Refer to Scenario 10.1. Ellen, representing Tent-Stations’ human resource department, will be in charge
of all of the following facets of the new performance management system EXCEPT
a.
determining the timing of the performance appraisals.
b.
ensuring that performance standards are clearly communicated to employees.
c.
linking performance appraisal information to training and development efforts.
d.
linking performance appraisal information to the company’s compensation system.
e.
collecting employees’ performance information on a day-to-day basis.
32. Refer to Scenario 10.1. Given Tent-Stations’ work structure, what additional source of performance
information may be critical in assessing employee performance?
a.
Supervisors
b.
Peers
c.
Customers
d.
Self
e.
Top management
33. Refer to Scenario 10.1. Considering the team-based approach used by Tent-Stations, which method for
appraising performance would likely be the WORST choice?
a.
360-degree feedback
b.
Simple ranking
c.
Critical incident
d.
BARS
e.
MBO
34. Refer to Scenario 10.1. By considering employees behaviors that go beyond their formal job duties, what
aspect of performance is being included in the new performance management system?
a.
Contextual performance
b.
Strategic performance
c.
Behavioral performance
d.
Critical performance
e.
Incident performance
35. Refer to Scenario 10.1. Ellen would like to ensure that Tent-Stations employees who are asked to do
performance appraisals are as accurate as possible. All of the following actions may be helpful in this
regard EXCEPT
a.
frame-of-reference training.
b.
rewards for raters who do a good job of performance appraisal.
c.
rater-accuracy training.
d.
elimination of any threat of punishment for raters who do a poor job of performance
appraisal.
e.
reinforcement to raters of the importance of performance appraisal.
TRUE/FALSE
36. Appraisals play a role in the performance management process, but such feedback does not directly
impact compensation decisions.
37. The supervisor is typically the rater in the performance appraisal process.
38. Officers in the U.S. Army are only allowed to put ten percent of her or his subordinates in the top
performance category. This is an example of a simple ranking method.
39. U.S. high schools have been accused of grade inflation. Universities complain that students with good
grades are arriving at college unprepared. This is an example of the central tendency error.
40. Willingly staying late at work to meet deadlines and helping co-workers get their work done are referred
to as organizational citizenship behaviors.
41. Persons age twenty-five and younger are protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
42. Individuals who have structured leisure activities and those who do volunteer work tend to adjust better
to retirement.
43. Organizations have an important stake in career development. They experience, most directly, the
benefits and rewards of successful careers and incur the costs and frustrations of unsuccessful careers.
44. Informal career-counseling programs usually take the form of workshops, conferences, and
career-development centers.
45. Career-management activities can be judged only by their success at any one point in time.
SHORT ANSWER
46. Describe the basics of the most popular rating methods that may be used in the performance appraisal
process.
47. Briefly describe the most common deficiencies in performance appraisal.
48. Describe the experiences that individuals go through in the traditional career stage progression.
49. What benefits may organizations accrue from helping their employees with career planning?
50. How can human resource managers help employees manage career/family issues?
