Human Resource Management, 15e (Martocchio)
Chapter 7 Performance Management and Appraisal
1) Which term refers to a goal-oriented process directed toward ensuring that organizational
processes are in place to maximize productivity of employees, teams, and the organization?
A) performance appraisal
B) strategic HR planning
C) performance management
D) development analysis
2) With performance management, a close relationship exists between performance and
________.
A) finances
B) competition
C) HR selection
D) incentive goals
3) With performance management, the effort of every worker should be directed toward
________.
A) improving compensation awareness
B) analyzing corporate understanding
C) enhancing overall organizational fit
D) achieving strategic goals
4) What is the first step of the performance appraisal process?
A) establishing employee job expectations
B) identifying specific performance goals
C) conducting a thorough job analysis
D) evaluating work performance
5) What is the most common cause for the failure of performance appraisal systems?
A) unclear goals and expectations
B) irrelevant development plans
C) time consuming for managers
D) high implementation costs
6) What is the final step in the appraisal process?
A) reviewing the appraisal with the employee
B) examining the work performance of the employee
C) appraising the work performance of the employee
D) communicating performance criteria to the employee
7) To which of the following HR practices is performance appraisal least related?
A) internal employee relations
B) training and development
C) compensation
D) recruitment
8) A formal system of review and evaluation of an individual or team task performance is
referred to as ________.
A) performance appraisal
B) strategic planning
C) performance management
D) succession planning
9) Performance appraisals are used for all of the following purposes EXCEPT ________.
A) identifying training needs
B) defending personnel decisions
C) implementing selection tests
D) providing employee feedback
10) Sam is employed as an account associate at a publishing firm. Which of the following would
most likely help Sam with career planning and development?
A) applicant tracking systems
B) compensation programs
C) performance appraisals
D) work sample tests
11) Which of the following is a problem associated with performance appraisals?
A) Technical skills are not sufficiently assessed.
B) Performance does not indicate training needs.
C) Line managers are unfamiliar with subordinates.
D) Past performance does not necessarily indicate future potential.
12) Performance appraisal is an informal system of review and evaluation of individual or team
task performance.
13) HR managers use performance appraisal data for recruitment, selection, compensation, and
training purposes.
14) Performance management helps to achieve organizational strategy and requires improving
the value of the workforce.
15) Performance appraisal is an ongoing process, while performance management occurs at a
specific time.
16) Performance appraisal may be the single largest contributor to organizational effectiveness.
17) In most cases, the first step of the performance appraisal process involves identifying
specific performance goals.
18) Performance appraisal has many purposes, including evaluation (for example, pay raise
consideration) and development (for example, training and development planning).
19) What is the difference between performance management and performance appraisal? What
is the relationship between the performance management and performance appraisal?
20) As an HR manager, how could you use performance appraisal information for HR tasks such
as training and development, recruitment, and compensation?
21) What are the steps in the performance appraisal process? What are the characteristics of an
effective PA process?
22) Which of the following is NOT a standard used in effective performance appraisal systems?
A) competencies
B) behavior
C) years of service
D) traits
23) Which of the following is a common appraisal standards?
A) traits
B) behaviors
C) competencies
D) all of the above
24) Appearance and cognitive aptitude are examples of which appraisal criteria?
A) goal achievement
B) competencies
C) behaviors
D) traits
25) Which case ruled that general characteristics such as leadership, appearance, and personal
conduct are subjective and may be unrelated to job performance?
A) Campbell v. Miller Construction
B) Smith v. Ardron Construction
C) Anderson v. West Coast Energy
D) Wade v. Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service
26) As a manager, which of the following traits would be LEAST appropriate to consider when
conducting a subordinate’s performance appraisal?
A) loyalty
B) organizational commitment
C) job–related competencies
D) job-related knowledge
27) Gina and her team members at Marshall Marketing recently received their annual
performance appraisals. Each team member was evaluated for developing others, cooperation,
and customer service orientation. Which of the following best describes these criteria?
A) traits
B) behaviors
C) goal achievement
D) improvement potential
28) What performance criteria include a broad range of knowledge, skills, traits, and behaviors
that are needed to perform a job successfully?
A) credibility
B) competencies
C) accomplishments
D) future possibilities
29) Competencies chosen for performance appraisal purposes should be closely related to
________.
A) job success
B) job seniority
C) pay grade
D) skill level
30) Monica, a sales consultant, will receive a performance appraisal soon. Monica’s supervisor
will be assessing Monica’s ability to deliver products to clients according to schedule and her
ability to meet customer quality requirements. Which performance standard is most likely
important to Monica’s employer?
A) improvement potential
B) strategic contribution
C) goal achievement
D) employee traits
31) If a firm wants to emphasize the future, including the behaviors and outcomes needed to
develop the employee, and, in the process, achieve the firm’s goals, what performance criteria
should be used?
A) improvement potential
B) competencies
C) goal achievement
D) traits
32) When you include ________ in the evaluation process, it helps to ensure more effective
career planning and development.
A) goals
B) potential
C) behaviors
D) traits
33) Which of the following is primarily responsible for coordinating the design and
implementation of performance appraisal programs?
A) high–level executives
B) shared service center managers
C) labor union representatives
D) human resource departments
34) Which of the following has traditionally been responsible for evaluating employee
performance?
A) team members
B) subordinates
C) immediate supervisors
D) top corporate customers
35) All of the following are reasons that immediate supervisors conduct most performance
appraisals EXCEPT that supervisors ________.
A) regularly observe their employees’ job performance
B) coordinate employees’ flexible spending benefits
C) manage all aspects of work within a particular unit
D) need subordinates who are appropriately trained
36) Which of the following is the most likely problem of supervisors evaluating subordinates?
A) focusing too much on a single performance standard
B) coordinating employee training needs and programs
C) being responsible for only one department within the firm
D) lacking opportunities to observe the employee’s job performance
37) Among U.S. employees, ________ percent get feedback about their performance from their
managers.
A) 90
B) 34
C) 85
D) 53
38) What is the benefit of having subordinates evaluate supervisors?
A) increasing the opportunity to expand a department
B) decreasing the reliance on traditional performance appraisals
C) increasing a supervisor’s awareness of the workgroup’s needs
D) decreasing a supervisor’s authority over subordinates in a workgroup
39) What is essential when subordinates are given the opportunity to evaluate their supervisor?
A) training subordinates how to evaluate performance
B) teaching evaluators how to measure performance
C) guaranteeing anonymity of the evaluators
D) benchmarking all evaluations
40) Which of the following is NOT an advantage associated with using team members to
appraise performance?
A) Team members are familiar with each other‘s performance.
B) Team members are receptive to criticism from coworkers.
C) Peer review relies on more than one opinion.
D) Peer pressure motivates members of a team.
41) What appraisal method appeals to managers who want employees to participate in their own
evaluation and development?
A) superior
B) peer appraisal
C) subordinate
D) self–appraisal
42) A&B Enterprises may add customer appraisals as a component of employee performance
appraisals. All of the following are most likely reasons for A&B to use customer appraisals
EXCEPT ________.
A) fostering change
B) holding employees accountable
C) evaluating development programs
D) demonstrating customer commitment
43) Traits such as adaptability, judgment, appearance, and attitude may be used in performance
appraisals if they are job–related.
44) Desired behaviors may be appropriate as evaluation criteria because if they are recognized
and rewarded, employees tend to repeat them.
45) Behaviors include a broad range of knowledge, skills, and traits that may be technical in
nature, relate to interpersonal skills, or be business oriented.
46) If organizations consider ends more important than means, goal achievement should be a
factor in performance appraisals.
47) Focusing on an employee’s potential during a performance appraisal ensures that more
effective career planning and development will occur.