I tried once before to add my two cents to this discussion, but I do not think it was distributed, so I am going to try again.
I have raised my contribution to three cents in this iteration just in case you got the first iteration. See the third point.
First, don't throw out the baby with bath water. Just because many performance appraisals are done poorly does not mean that all of them should not be done. The problems that can occur with both the interpersonal process and the performance appraisal itself are well documented. Too few organizations have made any serious attempt at tackling them. For those of us in the academic world, could you imagine if we graduated all those who met the qualifications to be admitted to our college or university? For those of you in the commercial world, could you imagine hiring graduates of a college or university that did such? Performance appraisals, selection tools, and academic exams are not perfect, and they probably never will be, but to stop doing them and to stop improving them will likely impede, not assist their improvement as well as individual and organizational improvement.
Second, performance appraisals should not be treated as a discrete event. Performance appraisals are simply one part of Clark Wilson's Management Task Cycle. If the manger has done a good job with the subordinate at goal setting, planning and problem solving, facilitating their work, and coaching, then the performance appraisal in a natural next step followed by reinforcing good performance. To borrow a line, the best surprise in a performance appraisal is no surprise. Where managers and organizations get themselves in trouble is when there is an abrupt change in signals given to individuals regarding their performance.
Third, there is no substitute for the professional integrity and wisdom. If upper management feels that they have to force a distribution on those who are doing the rating, they should reexamine whom they are promoting/selecting to do the rating.
Frank Shipper, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Perdue School of Business
Salisbury State University
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: (410) 543-6333
FAX: (410) 546-6208
E-mail:
fmshipper@ssu.edu
Home Page: http://perdue.ssu.edu/~fmshippe/home/welcome.htm