Rating Systems
Fill in the blank: Employee comparisons yield only _____ data.
ordinal data —data that give no indication of the relative distance between individuals
Stating “everyone is average” is expressing what rating bias?
Central tendency basis - raters assign ratings that are not too good or too bad.
True or False: In sales jobs, supervisors rarely observe their subordinates' performance directly.
TRUE!
True or False: The presence of feedback guarantees a positive effect on future performance.
FALSE!
Feedback must be high quality to be effective (specific, constructive, etc.)
True or False: Divergent validity is to assess the degree of interrater agreement within rating dimensions and convergent validity is to assess the ability of raters to make distinctions in performance across dimensions.
FALSE!
Convergent validity is to assess the degree of interrater agreement within rating dimensions and divergent validity is to assess the ability of raters to make distinctions in performance across dimensions.
What is the difference between simple ranking and alternation ranking?
Simple: rater order all ratees from highest to lowest, from “best” employee to “worst” employee
Alternation: rater initially list all ratees on a sheet of paper. From this list, the rater first chooses the best ratee (#1), then the worst ratee (#n), then the second best (#2), then the second worst (#n−1), and so forth
Which is NOT a way leniency and severity biases can be eliminated?
A. Allocating ratings into a forced distribution
B. Requiring supervisors to stray away from rank ordering their subordinates
C. Encourage raters to provide feedback on a regular basis
D. Holding raters accountable for their given ratings
B. Requiring supervisors to stray away from rank ordering their subordinates
Why are averaged ratings more reliable than single ratings when subordinates are rating their supervisors?
Average ratings ensure subordinates remain anonymous so they feel more comfortable reporting honestly about their manager.
True or False: Feedback has maximum impact when it is given some time after the action to allow the individual to reflect on and evaluate their own performance.
FALSE!
Feedback has maximum impact when it is given as close as possible to the action.
What type of variance is a considered a problem with peer assessments that is characterized by the variance observed in a performance measure that is not relevant to the behaviors assessed, but instead is due to the method of measurement used?
Common Method Variance
What is one drawback of using narrative essays to rate?
1. They are mostly totally unstructured and they vary widely in length and content
2. Hard to make comparisons since different essays touch on different aspects of performance
Are judgmental biases in rating caused from systematic or unsystematic error?
Systematic error on the part of the rater
True or False: Subordinate ratings are better when used for administrative purposes rather than developmental ones?
FALSE!
Subordinate ratings are better when used for developmental purposes rather than administrative ones.
Based on the reading, which of the following is NOT an activity that supervisors should engage in following an appraisal interview?
A. Communicate frequently
B. Periodically assess progress towards goals
C. Share feedback publicly to promote accountability
D. Make rewards contingent on performance
C. Share feedback publicly to promote accountability
Sharing feedback could be an example of destructive feedback as it could damage self efficacy
What are four issues that must be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of 360-degree systems?
1. Relevant content
2. Data credibility
3. Accountability
4. Participation
Fill in the blank: Forced-choice system was developed to reduce _____ errors.
leniency errors - rater's tendency to be too positive or tolerant of shortcomings and to give undeservedly high evaluation
True or false: Leniency bias is when a rater assigns ratings on the basis of a general impression of the ratee.
FALSE!
Halo Bias is when a rater assigns ratings on the basis of a general impression of the ratee.
Are ratings used for salary administration purposes more or less lenient than those used for guided self development?
Ratings used for salary administration purposes are more lenient than those used for guided self development.
!!!DAILY DOUBLE!!
How does stereotype threat relate to seeking feedback (specifically when there is no formal feedback system in place)?
Employees who do not perceive a stereotype threat will be more likely to seek feedback from their supervisors and benefit from it.
According to the textbook, who are five potential parties that can rate performance?
1. Immediate supervisor
2. Peers
3. Subordinates
4. Self
5. Clients/customers served
All of the following are benefits of graphic rating scales EXCEPT:
A. Less time consuming to develop
B. Permit quantitative results to be determined
C. Give maximum control to the rater
D. They are standardized and therefore comparable across individuals
C. Give maximum control to the rater
There is no control over leniency, severity, central tendency, or halo
True or False: Halo biases are not related to measures of rating validity or accuracy.
TRUE!
What are the three basic methods utilized during a peer assessment and what are they most useful for?
1. Peer Nominations: identify very high or low performers
2. Peer Rating: providing feedback
3. Peer Ranking: discriminating performance from highest to lowest on each dimension
What are the three consequences of destructive criticism (Baron, 1988)
It produces negative feelings among recipients and can initiate or intensify conflict among individuals
It reduces the preference of recipients for handling future disagreements with the giver of the feedback in a conciliatory manner (e.g., compromise, collaboration)
It has negative effects on self set goals and feelings of self-efficacy
What is 360-degree feedback and what are some of its advantages?
360-degree feedback – system that broadens the base of appraisals by including input from self, peers, subordinates, and (in some cases) clients.
Advantages:
- Improve reliability of performance information because it originates from multiple sources and not just one source
- It usually includes information not only on task performance but also on contextual performance and counterproductive work behaviors