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Essay Instructions: Introduction:
In this task you are presented with a management incident that requires you to apply sound
performance appraisal concepts to the situation.

Given:
An engineer was hired two years ago at a mid-sized manufacturing plant. The engineer
previously worked in the aerospace industry and is a bright, detail-oriented person and a
hard worker. The engineer has suggested changes at the plant that resulted in considerable
savings on manufacturing energy costs and eliminated a significant safety hazard that had
been overlooked by the previous engineer. However, some co-workers resent the engineer
because of clashing personalities, and they often play practical jokes on the engineer.
It is time for the engineer’s second annual performance review. The plant manager is
considering skipping this review because the first annual review ended with the engineer
angrily exclaiming that, as the only trained engineer in the company, there was no one??"
including the manager??"who was qualified to evaluate the engineer’s work. The engineer
had little confidence in the company’s overall approach to performance evaluation and was
particularly upset that most of the rating scales focused on personal characteristics and
relationships with co-workers. After learning about the 360-degree evaluation method, the
plant manager wonders if a 360-degree approach might be a good way to handle the
engineer’s review.
Using the plant’s current performance evaluation form, the plant manager starts to make
some tentative decisions on how to rate the engineer this year. The first item is friendliness.
The manager gives a medium rating on that scale because the engineer seems standoffish
with co-workers. The next item is neatness of workspace. The engineer’s desk is always
cluttered and sometimes piled high with papers or memos, so a low-medium rating seems
justified. It is more difficult for the manager to give a rating on attitude. The engineer
always seems to complete important tasks as needed, and they are usually done well;
however, the engineer frequently demonstrates a poor attitude toward co-workers and does
not pay close attention when the manager is talking to the group. A low-medium rating
seems warranted on this item also.
The manager stops at this point and decides to give some additional thought to the
engineer’s performance evaluation before continuing.

Task:
Write an essay in which you do the following:

A. Explain three points of concern with the given company’s current evaluation form.
1. Define the most commonly-used sets of criteria which should be evaluated in a
performance evaluation.
B. Compare the relative value of the commonly-used sets of evaluation criteria identified in
A1.
C. Explain the advantages of including supervisors, peers, and subordinates in the
evaluation process.
D. Explain the disadvantages of including supervisors, peers, and subordinates in the
evaluation process.
E. Compare and contrast at least three common performance evaluation methods used to
analyze performance data after it has been gathered.
F. Provide examples of at least three biases and/or errors that frequently impact the
accuracy of performance evaluations.
G. Based upon your findings, describe appropriate tools and techniques that can be used to
improve performance evaluations in the given situation.
H. Include all in-text citations and references in APA format.

Essay Instructions: Course: Industrial and Organizational Psychology

? 8 page research paper on ?The Use and Value of Performance Evaluations?
Review at least 5 relevant journal articles, + any other sources if need be, and provide a well-reasoned, articulate summary of your findings.

1. Introduction: Describe the Problem
Why is this analysis appropriate?
Importance of the problem
The scope of the review
Identify the research question(s) you hope to answer

2. Methodology Identify the method used to identify and locate sources;
Explain the rationale used for selecting the sources to analyze;
Explain the procedures to be used for analyzing the sources;
Identify the criteria for evaluating the information found.

3. Analysis and Discussion (General points to consider)
Present evidence and ideas from sources
Concepts are organized by sub-topics
Sources are grouped by concepts instead of individual entities
Grouping may be related to research question(s).
Declarative Statements are supported and cited.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations Identify and synthesize findings
Systematically answer your research questions
Provide recommendations (where possible). Options include:
Future research
Policies and Procedures
Application Opportunities

6. References
Use a separate page for References
List each of your references using APA format

12-Point Times New Roman Font & Double Spaced

Essay Instructions: The task is to design an internal performance evaluation system. Refer to reference material throughout the course and feel free to do additional research as needed.
Write a memo to the CEO outlining the performance criteria, the reasons for selecting the included criteria, and both advantages and disadvantages of stated criteria and the system as a whole.
Additional guidance:
State the industry or type of company for which you are designing the system.
Financial information must be part of the evaluation, but does not have to be the only criteria.
What is the main purpose of the evaluation system?
How will the performance evaluation system benefit the organization?
How will the performance evaluation system benefit managers being evaluated?
Does the organization have the needed data in place, or would the proposed system involve creating new classifications and/or reports?
It is important to answer the questions as posed. The discussion should be 5 pages and written in a clear and concise manner. Support your discussion with references in APA format. You are encouraged to use Excel or other compatible spreadsheets when computations are involved.
References:
DeBusk, G. K., DeBusk, C. 2011. Has your accounting department evolved?: Accounting and the use of lean six sigma. Cost Management. Boston: May/Jun 2011. Vol. 25, Iss. 3; pg. 15.
Gjerde, Kathy A. Paulson and Hughes, Susan B. (2007). Tracking performance: when less is more Management Accounting Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/MAQ/2007_Q4/2007MAQ_fall_hughes.pdf.
Khan, M. H., Halabi, A. K., Sartorius, K. 2011. The use of multiple performance measures and the balanced scorecard (BSC) in Bangladeshi firms. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies. Bingley: 2011. Vol. 1, Iss. 2; pg. 160.
Martin, J. R. (n.d.) Management Accounting: Concepts, Techniques, and Controversial Issues - Chapter 13: Profit Analysis: An Overall Performance Evaluation. Retrieved from http://maaw.info/Chapter13.htm
Mudde, Paul A. and Sopariwala, Parvez R. (2008). .Examining Southwest Airlines' strategic execution: a strategic variance analysis. Management. Accounting Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Examining+Southwest+Airlines'+strategic+execution%3A+a+strategic...-a6
Taticchi, Paolo, Balachandran, Kashi R., Botarelli, Marco, and Cagnazzo, Luca, (2008). Performance Measurement Management for Small and Medium Enterprises: an Integrated Approach. Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research: SPECIAL ISSUE ON PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, 6(2), 57-71.
Walther, l. (2012). Chapter Twenty-Two. Tools for Enterprise Performance Evaluation. Retrieved (including video lecture) from http://www.principlesofaccounting.com/
Kihn, L. A. 2010. Performance outcomes in empirical management accounting research; Recent developments and implications for future research. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. Bradford: 2010. Vol. 59, Iss. 5; pg. 468.

Essay Instructions: Why is it important to conduct effective employee performance evaluations? What aspects of employee performance should be evaluated and why is it important to set goals and objectives?