International Human Resource Management

Managing employee performance

Performance appraisal system for Matrix Organization

The performance appraisal system would have seven components as described.

1. Personnel assessment

Personnel assessment seeks to evaluate all employees by collecting their demographic information with a focus on their numbers, specific occupations, and output in the workplace in terms of work hours and product quantities as well as feedback from other personnel and customers (Crawley, Swailes & Walsh, 2013). The intention of this step is to gather information about the individual personnel with the intention of making career-related and employment decisions. To be more precise, the results of the assessment help in making decisions about program evaluation, career guidance and exploration, promotion, training and development, placement, and selection. It involves the use of assessment tools (presented as procedures and tests) that measure employment and career-related qualifications with a focus on sampling performance and behavior. The procedures and tests can include projective instruments, subjective procedures, inventory, and traditional ability and knowledge tests. As such, the personnel assessment is designed to measure vocational interests, work values, work styles, skills and abilities. It is deliberated to predict job tenure, satisfaction, career success, leadership potential and job performance. It is presented as a computer simulation, work-sample, or paper-and-pencil format. Its level of quantifiability, objectivity and standardization will be subject to legal and professional standards, and vary with personality inventories, interview, achievement tests, and subjective evaluations of resumes being used (Barney & Hesterly, 2014). International Human Resource Management

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2. Corrective actions and disciplinary policies

This component acknowledges that there are occasions when personnel perform below par or require attention and corrective action would be necessary. It details the corrective action and when they would be required to include guidance, positive reinforcement and coaching. It also mentions how the managers and supervisors would handle performance issue and track underperformance. The scope of these policies include progressive discipline, corrective action, verbal coaching, verbal warning, written warning, review of corrective action, disciplinary action, disciplinary probation, demotion, suspension, termination for cause, investigative leave, and emergency leave (Crawley, Swailes & Walsh, 2013). While the organization offers a harmonious and safe work environment where personnel can perform their jobs effectively and productively, the personnel’s conduct must uphold the organization’s reputation and integrity. Towards this end, the organization must adopt a code of conduct that establishes the standards that all personnel must follow in their dealings with customers, other personnel and stakeholders. The code should include the corrective actions and disciplinary policies that govern performance and conduct. In addition to the code, personnel are expected to follow all federal, state and local laws and regulations in fulfilling their personnel responsibilities and duties. Disciplinary and correction actions would be undertaken in cases where personnel fail to meet performance and/or conduct expectations, or violate pertinent organization procedures and policies or laws. It is important to note that corrective actions and disciplinary policies do not constitute an implied or express contract between personnel and the organization. This implies that the organization reserves the right to discontinue, modify, alter or change these policies as required (Barney & Hesterly, 2014).

3. Performance standards and job descriptions review

This component indicates what each personnel must conduct to meet performance expectations, as well as indicating the performance levels that match to the different ratings of under-performance and over-performance. The intention is to ensure that each personnel has a well-crafted position whose description by personnel and the organization match, to facilitate mutual problem-solving and communication (Crawley, Swailes & Walsh, 2013). A well-defined job description is preferable since it generates greater accountability through defining the scope of work, what is expected of personnel, and the required competencies and skills. It is important for the description to focus on the job objectives and goals to include the broad parameters of the job such as degree of financial responsibility, periodic and daily activities, production responsibilities and management responsibilities as well as the expected interactions with other personnel positions especially when they overlap. Through this information, the organization is able to ensure that the right people are recruited for the job positions, and those who are already in the position can be trained for specific elements to address their existing shortcomings (Bowerman & Van Wart, 2015).

4. Describing performance appraisal form

This component describes the performance appraisal format best suited for the organization. Graphic rating scales are preferred since they are simple, identify goals, and offer periodic measurements for goal attainment and rating performance. In addition, it mentions how often the performance appraisal should be conducted, whether annually, six-monthly or any other time period (Crawley, Swailes & Walsh, 2013). A comprehensive performance appraisal form has three sections that use a rating scale to be completed by both the personnel (self-assessment) and supervisor/manager/appraiser. The first section presents the objectives, action items, outcomes, personnel rating and manager rating. The second section presents the general performance requirements to include job knowledge (professional and technical skills), communication skills, management skills, organizational skills, and initiative. The final section presents professional development to check the training and certification programs attended and successfully completed (Christiansen & Chandan, 2017). International Human Resource Management

5. Training manual drafts for managers/supervisors and personnel

The training manual should have two sections. The first section is targeted at managers/supervisors, and presents a discussion on why performance appraisal is necessary for the organization, how objective appraisals should be conducted, how appraiser error and bias should be minimized, and how to conduct meetings with personnel to deliver their performance appraisal (Ozbiglin, Groutsis & Harvey, 2014). The second section is presented at personnel and presents a discussion on how personnel can conduct self-assessment of their performance, and how to interact with appraisers. Also, how to use constructive feedback, and professionally dispute unfair appraisals. This is intended to create workable and effective solutions to managing performance in the workplace (Ozbiglin, Groutsis & Harvey, 2014).

6. Personnel motivation

The performance appraisal should be linked to personnel motivation. That is because the appraisal offers feedback to aid in the development of personnel. In fact, the appraisal is used in the distribution of rewards such as promotions, pay raises, and bonuses. This is not a surprising link given that motivation theories mention that rewarding behavior improves the odds of that behavior being repeated. To be more precise, linking the results of performance appraisal to motivations and rewards is anticipated to result in personnel perceiving that good performance will be rewarded thereby creating a positive loop. These sentiments are expressed by the two main groups of motivational theories, process theories (such as Locke’s goal setting theory, Adam’s equity theory, Women’s expectancy theory and Skinner’s reinforcement theory) and content theories (such as Herzberg’s two factors theory, McCelland’s theory of needs, Alderfer’s ER theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). These theories all acknowledge that motivation occurs through reinforcement and rewards whereby the desired performance is rewarded while the undesired performance is punished. The motivation should be well structured and formalized so that all personnel are handled fairly and the organization does not strain to fulfill the motivation conditions (Plunkett, Allen & Attner, 2013). International Human Resource Management

7. Improving performance

The performance appraisal should make good use of feedback to improve performance. In this case, feedback should be offered in a constructive manner that focuses on discussing the issues negatively affecting performance while aiding personnel to resolve these issues without criticizing the personnel. In fact, feedback should shift attention from behavior since this creates the possibility of the personnel being defensive and non-receptive to the feedback. To be more precise, the feedback should increase personnel participation through offering them an opportunity to present their side of the story thus allowing them to react positively to the feedback process and accept it as fair. In addition, it is important for the manager/supervisor/appraiser to be acknowledge about the personnel’s performance so as to offer constructive feedback (Christiansen & Chandan, 2017).

References

Barney, J. & Hesterly, W. (2014). Strategic management and competitive advantage concepts and cases. London: Pearson Education Limited.

Bowerman, K. & Van Wart, M. (2015). The business of leadership: an introduction. New York, NY: Routledge.

Christiansen, B. & Chandan, H. (2017). Handbook of research on human factors in contemporary workforce development. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Crawley, E., Swailes, S. & Walsh, D. (2013). Introduction to international human resource management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ozbiglin, M., Groutsis, D. & Harvey, W. (2014). International human resource management. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Plunkett, W., Allen, G. & Attner, R. (2013). Management: meeting and exceeding customer expectations (10^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. International Human Resource Management