Suchergebnisse

This study surveys performance appraisal practices, focusing upon North Carolina municipal governments. General appraisal procedures involving performance standards, specific types of performance appraisal systems, add-on practices (designed to enhance appraisal effectiveness), and the various purposes underlying appraisals are examined. In addition, the effects of city and organizational size and that of governmental structure on these personnel practices are studied.In general, performance appraisal practices are little used among North Carolina's municipal governments. Under a third claim generic procedures, and a sixth do not have any specific system. Among add-on options only interviews and interim appraisals garner use in as much as a quarter of the towns. Purposes fare somewhat better, with nearly half using performance appraisal as a guide for merit pay decisions. For the most part, performance appraisal is but marginally used in aiding personnel decisions.Population and workforce effects are somewhat in evidence among the Tarheel towns. Larger communities and organizations are slightly more likely to engage in these practices. However, a somewhat more clear cut case can be made with regard to professional managers. While the employment of a town manager is not a sufficient condition, it may be a necessary one if performance appraisal practices are to be properly employed.

The performance appraisal process, in its fullest development, can assist an organization in identifying areas in which its employees need improvement and in identifying individual strengths that can be developed. Based on a 1983 survey of Iowa public employees, this article examines the training and development needs identification aspect of the Iowa MBO/Performance Standards appraisal system, taking particular note of its relationship to perceptions of organizational success. Survey respondents were inclined to indicate that the performance appraisal process neither helped them develop plans for training nor aided them in receiving needed training. These attitudes, in turn, negatively affected perceptions of how fair the performance appraisal process itself was, and how successful the organization was felt to be.

This paper examines the impact of the Federal merit pay system on motivation. The 1980 Federal Employee Attitude Survey includes a sample of mid-level managers and supervisors (GS 13-19) and SESers who actually experienced a merit pay cycle. This enables us to analyze the differences between merit pay recipients and nonrecipients. Basically, there were no major differences. Merit pay recipients do not appear to be any more motivated nor do they perceive their organizations as being more effective or responsive.