78) Which performance appraisal problem is associated with supervisors giving all of their
subordinates consistently high ratings?
A) leniency
B) strictness
C) central tendency
D) halo effect
79) The ________ problem occurs when supervisors tend to rate all their subordinates
consistently low.
A) central tendency
B) leniency
C) strictness
D) bias
80) The best method for reducing the problems of leniency or strictness in performance
appraisals is to ________.
A) reconsider the timing of the appraisal
B) require multiple appraisals
C) keep critical incident logs
D) rank employees
81) Which personality trait is associated with performance appraisal ratings that are too strict?
A) agreeableness
B) extroversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness
82) Which of the following has most likely occurred when a supervisor conducting a
performance appraisal is influenced by a subordinate’s age, sex, or race?
A) bias
B) strictness
C) central tendency
D) halo affect
83) Stephanie manages the accounting department at an advertising agency. She needs to
conduct performance appraisals for the eight employees in her department. Stephanie wants a
performance appraisal tool that is highly accurate, ranks employees, and uses critical incidents to
help explain ratings to appraisees. Which performance appraisal tool is best suited for Stephanie?
A) forced distribution method
B) alternation ranking method
C) behaviorally anchored rating scale
D) graphic rating scale
84) Which of the following is the primary advantage of using graphic rating scales as
performance appraisal tools?
A) offers extremely high rate of accuracy
B) provides quantitative rating for each employee
C) links with mutually agreed upon performance objectives
D) explains how employees can improve their overall performance
85) Which of the following would most likely result in a legally questionable appraisal process?
A) assigning specific trait names when using graphic rating scales
B) using job performance dimensions that are too clearly defined
C) conducting a job analysis to establish performance standards
D) basing appraisals on subjective supervisory observations
86) Dwayne, an IT specialist, is viewed by his supervisor and co-workers as unfriendly;
however, his work quality is excellent. On his performance appraisal, Dwayne received
unsatisfactory ratings for all traits. Which of the following appraisal problems most likely
occurred?
A) leniency
B) halo effect
C) central tendency
D) unclear standards
87) Which of the following should a manager do to prepare for an appraisal interview?
A) give the employee a day’s notice to compile questions and comments
B) compare the employee’s performance to industry standards
C) locate a private area for conducting the interview
D) set aside at least two hours for the interview
88) What is the primary purpose of an appraisal interview?
A) reinforce satisfactory performance
B) discuss compensation requirements
C) explain corporate policies and procedures
D) determine an effective discipline procedure
89) A legally defensible performance appraisal is most likely based on ________.
A) employee rankings
B) supervisory opinion
C) feedback
D) job analysis
90) The checklist of best practices fir administering fair performance appraisals include all of the
following EXCEPT ________.
A) use a standard employee review procedure for all employees
B) do not include an appeals mechanism
C) make sure you understand the review procedures yourself
D) document the appraisal review
91) Central tendency is a problem that occurs when a supervisor’s rating of a subordinate on one
trait biases the rating of that person on other traits.
92) Central tendency is defined as the influence of a rater’s general impression on ratings of
specific ratee qualities.
93) Studies indicate that the idiosyncratic biases of appraisers account for the largest percentage
of observed variances in performance ratings.
94) An appraisal interview is used to make plans for new hires as they move through the
selection and training process.
95) During an appraisal interview, the supervisor should speak in generalities to avoid potential
legal ramifications.
96) Researchers have found that employees’ engagement rose when they experienced
psychological meaningfulness.
97) The continuous process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance of
individuals and teams and aligning their performance with the organization’s goals is known as
________.
A) employee performance monitoring
B) performance management
C) performance appraisal
D) performance analysis
98) Which component of performance management refers to communicating a firm’s higher-
level goals throughout the organization and then translating them into departmental and
individual goals?
A) coaching
B) role clarification
C) goal alignment
D) direction sharing
99) Oshman manufactures small kitchen appliances, such as blenders, toasters, and mixers. The
firm has nearly 80,000 employees in 22 countries. Employees receive annual performance
appraisals from their supervisors that combine critical incidents with a graphic rating scale.
However, the firm’s CEO advocates shifting from performance appraisals to performance
management in an attempt to make Oshman more competitive and performance driven.
Which of the following, if TRUE, supports the argument to replace Oshman’s traditional
appraisal methods with the performance management approach?
A) Oshman has experienced problems associated with central tendency and bias, and the firm
wants to ensure that appraisals are legally sound.
B) Oshman executives want to align the firm’s strategic plan with individual employee goals and
development needs.
C) Oshman uses management by objectives as a primary appraisal method and requires
supervisors to develop SMART goals.
D) Oshman executives believe that upward feedback helps managers improve their own
management style and interpersonal skills.
100) Oshman manufactures small kitchen appliances, such as blenders, toasters, and mixers. The
firm has nearly 80,000 employees in 22 countries. Employees receive annual performance
appraisals from their supervisors that combine critical incidents with a graphic rating scale.
However, the firm’s CEO advocates shifting from performance appraisals to performance
management in an attempt to make Oshman more competitive and performance driven.
All of the following questions are relevant to Oshman’s decision to replace its traditional
appraisal methods with the performance management approach EXCEPT ________.
A) What procedures are already in place to effectively identify and measure critical incidents?
B) What methods would be most effective to keep employees’ goal-driven performance on track?
C) How would the firm’s mission and vision translate into departmental, team, and individual
goals?
D) What technology is available to help managers gain immediate access to employee
performance data?
101) Firms that use performance management are more likely to keep employee performance on
track through the use of ________.
A) rewards
B) punishments
C) job enlargements
D) job postings
102) Managers at Watson Pharmaceuticals e-mail subordinates weekly progress and exception
reports. The reports are based on the employee’s progress toward meeting performance goals.
Watson Pharmaceuticals most likely uses ________.
A) goal alignment
B) direction sharing
C) ongoing performance monitoring
D) coaching and developmental support
103) Managers at ADK Marketing will start using information technology to automate
performance management. What should managers do first?
A) provide work teams with developmental training goals
B) assign financial and nonfinancial goals to each team’s activities
C) implement reward systems to motivate low-performing teams
D) gather a list of skills and competencies for each team member
104) In a brief essay, discuss the components necessary for an effective performance
management process.
105) Describe the manager’s role in performance management