Robert L. Cardy

A Contingency Approach to Appraisal Satisfaction: An Initial Investigation of the Joint Effects of Organizational Variables and Appraisal Characteristics

The present study explored the moderating effects of organizational variables on the appraisal characteristic-appraisal satisfaction relationship. Analyses indicated that the appraisal characteristics of action plans, frequency, and rater training were more positively related to appraisal satisfaction when subordinates experienced role conflict, were not closely monitored, and supervisors had a large span of control. The results provide substantial support for conceptualizing appraisal satisfaction as a contingent function of both appraisal characteristics and organizational variables. Implications of the findings for the design of appraisal systems, appraisal effectiveness, andfuture research are discussed.

Performance Appraisal as Effective Management or Deadly Management Disease: Two initial empirical investigations

Understanding person and system sources of work variation is fundamental to performance appraisal. Two divergent perspectives on this issue, the traditional human resource management view and the statistical process control view (Deming, 1986), are contrasted. Two studies are reported that investigate two specific questions that arise from a broader view of the appraisal process. Results indicate that managers and subordinates believe that typical poor performance has different causes and that actual productivity levels far outweigh person or system sources of performance variance in appraisal judgments. Implications for performance appraisal practice and research are discussed.

Modelling inherent worker differences for workforce planning

Most of the literature in the area of workforce planning assumes that workers are identical. This paper considers fundamental decisions in workforce management assuming that workers are inherently different. General Cognitive Ability (GCA) is used as the measure for individual differences. A mixed integer programming model is developed to determine the amount of hiring, firing, and cross-training for each GCA level to minimize total costs, which include training costs, salary costs, firing costs and missed production costs over multiple time periods. Two sets of experiments were developed: (1) to show that the model can be applied to realistic manufacturing systems with large numbers of machine groups, and (2) to study the parameters that affect workforce decisions. Our results indicate that worker differences should be considered when planning and managing the workforce.

Human resource management in a total quality organizational environment: Shifting from a traditional to a TQHRM approach

Abstract The major characteristics of a TQM organizational environment are reviewed and a conceptual framework distinguishing the process and content characteristics of traditional and total quality approaches to HRM is offered. Implications of this new paradigm for research in HRM are considered. It is concluded that future theoretical and empirical research must be responsive to the quality environment.

Implications of situational constraints on performance evaluation and performance management

Abstract Situational constraints and facilitators have not been adequately considered in the area of performance appraisal. In this article we examine the influence of situational constraints on observed performance levels and the performance evaluation process, including scale design, cognitive processing and rater training. In addition, implications of situational constraints for performance management and performance appraisal interviews are considered. We conclude that situational constraints have the potential to exert a significant influence on the performance evaluation process and should be more vigorously examined in future research.

Interfacing high technology operations with blue collar workers: selection and appraisal in a computerized manufacturing setting

Abstract Selection and performance appraisal are fundamental human resource management functions that need to be studied in the context of high technology. The present investigation examines selection test validities and the effectiveness of both subjective and objective measures of performance. The setting was a blue collar but nontraditional forging operation which is best characterized as a technical batch (Hull & Collins, 1987) production system. The pattern of results indicate the relative importance of higher level cognitive over routine mechanical and motor capabilities and suggest deficiency in objective measures of worker performance. Directions for future human resource management research in the area of high technology are discussed.

The Applied Value of Laboratory Research

Laboratory studies and studies conducted with students are frequently criticized for questionable generalizability. The basis for the criticism has simply been that because students and laboratory settings are not managers and work settings, findings based on the former may not have anything meaningful to say about the latter. This commentary focuses on the issue of generalizability of laboratory studies and, more generally, explores the utility of both laboratory and field studies. Rationale for each approach and criteria for assessing each are offered.

Accommodating claims of disability: The potential impact of abuses

Abstract The potential impact of employee abuses of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 on employer judgements and behaviors is explored. A model depicting the process underlying managerial judgments about employee requests for accommodation is presented. It is proposed that individuals will attribute accommodation requests to disability or to a motive to deceive. This attribution process impacts perceptions of the degree of reasonableness of an accommodation. Attributions to deception and perceptions of unreasonableness of an accommodation request will contribute to perceived violations of the employer-employee psychological contract. This private judgment process will culminate in the short term and public judgment of whether accommodation will be made. In the longer run, violations of the psychological contract will impact the quality of the manager and employee relationship and increase the managers tendency to attribute accommodation requests to a motive to deceive.

Dynamic and customer-oriented workplaces: implications for HRM practice and research

Abstract Changes in competitive environments are resulting in changes to the nature of work. We present job structure changes and a heightened customer orientation as two primary examples of changes that necessitate adaptation of human resource management (HRM) practices. The level of success in light of these organizational changes will largely be determined by how effectively people are managed in the new organizational environments. HRM practices that adapt to the new organizational conditions can add tremendously to the business and be a key to long-term competitiveness. We examine the implications of these changes for HRM practice and research, with particular attention to psychological contracts, job analysis, selection, and performance appraisal. The thrust of the article is to identify and describe research directions that have the potential for contributing to the future relevance and success of HRM.

Total quality and the abandonment of performance appraisal: Taking a good thing too far?

Abstract Proponents of total quality management often argue that performance appraisal is fundamentally at odds with quality-oriented management. This argument is made both on the basis of logical analysis and statistical demonstration. We show that neither of these arguments creates a compelling case against performance appraisal. We conclude that thoughtful organizations need to make decisions about performance appraisal in the same way that other business decisions are made, that is, in terms of a cost-benefit analysis.