Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Using Performance Data at Celleo Engineering
Assignment Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to help you understand the collection and use of performance
data to administer feedback to employees. There are two purposes in utilizing performance data:
evaluation (i.e. salary, promotion, demotion, termination) and career development (i.e.
counseling, coaching, and improving). Performance feedback is provided to subordinates within
the context of a performance appraisal interview. The effectiveness of performance feedback
depends, in large part, on how well the appraisal interview is conducted.
The dual purposes of performance appraisal may create inherent conflicts; the evaluative aspect
requires that supervisors make judgmental decisions (good/poor) about subordinates’
performance. Communicating such judgments in the appraisal interview can lead to the creation
of an adversarial, low trust relationship between supervisor and subordinate. This, in turn,
precludes the supervisor from performing a problem-solving helping role that is essential if the
organization wants to address the development aspects of performance. Another conflict stems
from the various goals of the individual being evaluated. On the one hand, individuals want valid
feedback that gives them information about how to improve and where they stand in the
organization.
Background
Celleo Engineering is committed to both the evaluative and the developmental components of
their performance appraisal system and believes that the developmental aspect is particularly
importantly for their engineers. Engineering is a field where professional currency is short–lived.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Counseling, coaching, and career development may be essential for keeping engineers
productive and involved.
In this assignment, you will analyze supervisor and self-rated performance for selected Celleo
engineers reporting to the same manager, Dawn Tower. Dawn started her career with Celleo,
spending six years as an engineer and the last two years as a manager of new product
development. She is more comfortable with the evaluative dimension than with the
developmental component of performance appraisals. Appraisal interviews are scheduled for
next week, and Dawn is preparing for these sessions by studying the data for six of her
employees:
Jim
He has been working with Celleo for 14 years and enjoys the “intrinsic”
aspects of his work.
Anna
She has a B.S. in engineering and has been with Celleo for three years.
She likes her work, but she is uncertain about her long-range career goals.
Eric
He believes that he should be the manager of new product development.
He has been with Celleo for nine years.
She is eager to learn and to be liked. Celleo is her first professional-level
position.
stuck with Celleo Engineering. He enjoys complaining, but he hasn’t sent
out one resume in eight years with Celleo.
Alexa
She is the “personality” of the group. She gets along well with everyone,
and she keeps Dawn informed of the product group’s shop talk.
Dawn is somewhat anxious as she peruses the data and eyes her new budget.
Note
As you work through the assignment, please be sure to continually save your work after each
section. Save your work as a new Excel file using your first initial and last name. For example,
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Self- and Supervisor Ratings of Performance
This data screen includes self- and supervisory ratings of performance for six Celleo engineers
reporting to Dawn Tower. Tower’s ratings for the six employees are at the top of the data
screen (Supervisor Ratings), and the self-ratings for the same employees are found at the
bottom of the screen. Figure 1 shows the performance appraisal form and the scale
abbreviations for each performance dimension (e.g., QUAL, PROD).
Figure 1: Celleo’s Performance Appraisal Form
CELLEO ENGINEERING INC.
Performance Appraisal Form
Job Title:_____________
Date:________
Dimension
Performance
Below Exceeds
Expectations Expectations
Quality
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Productivity
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Effort
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Dependability
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Job knowledge
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Judgment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Personality
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Job ability
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Initiative
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Cooperation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Effectiveness
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
The spreadsheet section for the performance evaluation are outlined below.
Row
Description
3
Self- and Supervisor Ratings of Performance: Selected
Employees
Average Deviation Between Supervisor and Self-Ratings,
and Average Self- and Supervisor Ratings
Part I – Supervisor’s Ratings Minus Self-Ratings
The calculations in this section will be performed in the section of the Excel spreadsheet titled
“Supervisor’s Ratings Minus Self-Ratings.”
First, you will calculate the discrepancy between Dawn’s rating of Jim’s performance and Jim’s
self-rating of the quality of his performance. To do this, you will subtract Jim’s self-rating from
Dawn’s rating. Enter the formula for this in cell B29. The answer is -1. Copy the formula to
complete the remainder of the entries in this screen.
Part II – Average Deviation Between Supervisor and Self-Ratings, and Average Self– and
Supervisor Ratings
The calculations in this section will be performed in the section of the Excel spreadsheet titled
“Average Deviation Between Supervisor and Self-Ratings.” To do this, you will calculate the
following:
Average Supervisor Ratings. Compute the average supervisor rating for Jim in cell C42 and copy
the formula for all employees (e.g. through C47).
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Study Questions. Answer the following questions in a separate document.
1. In Part I, you subtracted the supervisor ratings from the self-ratings. What does the minus
indicate?
4. Which employee rated their own performance the highest?
5. Using the performance data from this assignment, briefly describe the evaluative and
developmental feedback you would provide for the following employees:
Anna
Evaluative:
Developmental:
Eric
Evaluative:
Developmental:
Margot
Developmental:
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
6. How do you interpret large discrepancies between supervisor and self-rated performance?
7. What are the limitations and advantages of relying exclusively on performance data generated
by the system when providing evaluative and developmental feedback?