Performance Appraisal: Burden or Tool for Development

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Introduction

It is time for mid-year performance appraisals at EconTechnology, a high-tech company in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. Phyllis Johnson (Director of the Economic Analysts Group) and Ken Nakamura (one of Phyllis's direct reports) are meeting today to discuss Ken's performance review.

Each EconTechnology employee has a clear job description. Formal appraisals are based on goals and duties the employees and managers identified at the beginning of the year. Mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews provide a feedback platform to discuss employee development and continuous improvement.

Employees complete and submit to the manager a self-assessment one week prior to each review session. The manager produces a mid-year and end-of-year summary of each performance appraisal session. Both the employee and manager rank the employee's general performance as unacceptable, acceptable, good, very good, or outstanding.

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This case was prepared by Dr. Judith Kirkhorn as the basis for class discussion on issues related to communication and human resource policies. The issues in the case were constructed by the case study author with the editorial assistance of Dr. Larry Rosenberg. The individuals in the case are purely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Last updated 17-Jul-2005
© 2005 University of Maryland University College, 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 USA
Produced by the UMUC MBA Program and Center for the Virtual University.