Berman, Bowman, West, & Wart, Human Resource Management in Public Service, Sixth Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Study Questions
Chapter 10: Appraisal: A Process in Search of a Technique
1. What key functions does performance appraisal play in organizations? (375)
2. According to a 2012 survey, what percentage of managers and employees believed
performance appraisals were neither useful nor effective? (376)
3. How does performance evaluation relate to workplace violence? (377–378)
4. Identify at least three paradoxes of performance appraisal? (376, 378)
5. What did the CSR of 1978 seek to do regarding performance appraisal? (379)
6. How did NPR assess CSR’s success? (379)
7. Identify elements of the appraisal process (380–381)
Initial goal setting, monitoring and data availability, continuous feedback, and annual
8. What is a deficient appraisal? (382). A contaminated appraisal? (383)
9. Specify three common types of appraisal? (382ff.
10. Define a trait-based system. (382)
11. What are problems with it? (382)
12. Define the business judgment rule (384).
13. What did the court conclude in Brito v. Zia? (384)
14. What is the focus of behavior-based systems? (384)
15. What is a BARS system? (385)
16. Identify its drawbacks? (385)
17. What is MBO? (387)
18. Specify its drawbacks? (389–390)
19. What is NOT the central issue in personnel appraisal? (391)
20. What is the authors’ view of performance appraisal software? Why? (392)
21. What are some answers to the question, “Who is the rater?” (393)
22. What is the problem with self-evaluation? (392)
23. When are peer evaluations most appropriate? (392)
Berman, Bowman, West, & Wart, Human Resource Management in Public Service, Sixth Edition
SAGE Publishing, 2020
24. List the pros and cons of electronic monitoring. (393–394)
25. Define a 360 evaluation system. (393)
26. Identify four sources of rating errors. (394)
27. What is compatibility error? (394)
28. Identify the spillover effect (394)
29. What is recency effect? (394)
30. What is contrast error? (394)
31. What is leniency error? (395)
32. In many situations, providing inaccurate appraisal data is sound management.
Discuss. (395)
33. What is severity error? (395)
34. What are four problems caused by organizational influences? (395–396)
35. Identify four aspects of human nature. (396–397)
36. What are three key features of the personnel system in the Chinese public sector?
(398–399)
37. What lessons can be learned from experience in Loudon County, VA? (390–401)
38. Provide examples of negligence or misrepresentation? (401–403)
39. What are the seven elements that should constitute appraisal? (404)
40. What is the “tell and sell” technique? (404)
41. Why can disciplining an employee be difficult to administer? (406–407)
42. Do you believe more organizations should conduct exit interviews? Why or why not?
(405–406)
43. What is progressive discipline? (409)
44. Define the premise of a “just–cause” standard? (410)
45. Identify typical barriers to effective performance appraisal? (412)
46. What are some faulty assumptions concerning person-centered appraisal methods?
(411–412)
47. What are two kinds of feedback that should be provided? (414)
48. List the standards for an appraisal process (411–412).