Sylvia G. Roch

Organizational Justice in an Exchange Framework: Clarifying Organizational Justice Distinctions

The authors used exchange theory to clarify distinctions between organizational justice types and considered the implications of recent conceptual developments regarding justice associated with interpersonal treatment (interactional justice) and the inclusion of justice associated with outcomes (distributive justice) for an exchange model of justice. Using two samples (401 part-time and 272 full-time employees), they found unique relationships of interactional justice and justice concerning informational adequacy with supervisor relationship quality, justice concerning procedures with organizational support, and distributive justice with pay satisfaction. Also, an updated measure of interactional justice appears to capture more of the interpersonal fairness domain than the current measure.

Communication Medium and Member Familiarity The Effects on Decision Time, Accuracy, and Satisfaction

The effects of communication medium and member familiarity on decision time, member satisfaction, and decision accuracy were explored. The study represents the first known attempt to examine the role of member familiarity on the study variables in face-to-face (FTF) and computer-mediated (CM) mediums. The results of 71 three-person groups revealed familiarity affected decision time and accuracy within the CM condition. For CM groups only, as member familiarity among group members increased, decision time decreased, and unexpectedly decision accuracy decreased. Another finding for CM group members was an indication that familiarity increased satisfaction with group process. Last, satisfaction with communication medium was only influenced by the communication medium (CM group members were less satisfied). It appears that familiarity plays a larger role in CM groups than in FTF groups. Implications are discussed.

An Investigation of Factors Influencing Accountability and Performance Ratings

The authors explored whether accountability has implications for performance ratings and investigated factors that may influence both accountability and performance ratings. Specifically, they investigated (a) whether feelings of accountability are directly related to performance ratings, (b) whether experimental manipulations that have been proposed to manipulate accountability in fact do so, and (c) the role of motivationrelated constructs. They developed and tested a model of factors proposed to influence accountability and performance ratings. Results from 334 raters in an upward feedback situation in a classroom context provide empirical support that feelings of accountability influence rating level, as do perceptions of anonymity and the importance raters place on their jobs. However, neither anonymity nor importance perceptions were related to feelings of accountability.

Letters of Recommendation: Controversy and Consensus from Expert Perspectives

Letters of recommendation (LORs) are a widely used selection tool with many issues associated with their use. To address some of these issues, 575 professionals in personnel-related professions reported their experiences with LORs. We separated items into consensus, polarized, or neither categories. Experts reached consensus that letter inflation is a problem that may never be alleviated and that more weight is placed on letters written by someone the reader knows or from a prestigious institution or organization. Most items were polarized, suggesting substantial controversy in the field regarding LORs. Some items originally polarized reached consensus within profession (academic vs applied). Academic professionals reported using LORs more and placing more weight on their contents than applied professionals. Implications discussed include recommendations for future research and practice, such as the appropriate use of LORs, LOR formats, and training.

Frame of Reference Rater Training Issues: Recall, Time and Behavior Observation Training

This study investigated three controversial issues regarding frame of reference training (FOR), a type of rater training: (1) Does it improve behavioral recall, (2) Can it be improved by incorporating behavior observation training (BOT), and (3) Can its effects persist over time? Results suggested that even though FOR training increases the number of behaviors recalled, it does not necessarily improve the quality of the recalled behaviors, but a combined FOR BOT program does improve recall quality. Lastly, results suggested that FOR training can improve rating accuracy, even after a two-week delay between rater training and the rating task.

A Social Exchange Model of Employee Reactions to Electronic Performance Monitoring

The primary goal of this study was to develop and test a social exchange model of employee reactions to electronic performance monitoring (EPM) to help managers use EPM more effectively. This study proposed that certain EPM practices are related to perceptions of interpersonal and informational justice, which in turn build trust in the manager, along with other important attitudes and outcomes. In a sample of 257 call center representatives, the purpose for using EPM, development versus control, was associated with interpersonal justice perceptions, but EPM-based feedback characteristics, whether the feedback was timely, specific, and constructive, were not. Furthermore, the presence of an explanation for EPM was positively related to perceptions of informational justice. Moreover, interpersonal and informational justice perceptions were positively related to trust in the manager, which in turn was positively related to job performance and job satisfaction.

Discussion and Consensus in Rater Groups: Implications for Behavioral and Rating Accuracy

Very little research has explored the importance of discussion and consensus among raters in determining both behavioral and rating accuracy; yet groups of raters are routinely used in personnel practices such as assessment centers and panel interviews. Results, based on 225 raters in 75 three-person teams, show that not only does the anticipation of group discussion result in initial superior behavioral accuracy, but also requiring raters to reach consensus results in even greater improvements in behavioral accuracy. On the other hand, even though behavioral accuracy improved in anticipation of group discussion, rating accuracy simultaneously decreased. Rating accuracy, however, did significantly increase during the process of reaching consensus to levels comparable to those groups not anticipating discussion. Overall, group discussion and consensus appear to have larger effects on behavioral accuracy than rating accuracy. Implications, especially for both assessment centers and panel interviews, are discussed.

An investigation of motivational factors influencing performance ratings

Purpose – Managers frequently complain that performance ratings are inflated; thus, this study aims to explore what extent two motivational factors theoretically associated with accountability, rating audience and incentive, can influence rating inflation.Design/methodology/approach – One hundred and forty‐nine raters were assigned to one of four audience conditions (ratee, expert, both ratee and expert – dual, and no audience) and either to an incentive or no incentive condition.Findings – Results showed that when an incentive was offered, raters expecting an expert audience to view their ratings provided significantly lower ratings, and raters expecting a dual audience provided significantly higher ratings compared to raters not offered an incentive. Furthermore, raters expecting a ratee audience inflated their ratings, regardless of incentive.Research limitations/implications – Financial incentives were used in this study and more research is needed to explore other types of incentives. Nonetheless, th...

An Investigation of Cross-Cultural Differences on the Impact of Productivity Interventions: The Example of ProMES

The success of a productivity intervention may depend on the fit between the intervention and the country in which it is implemented. In particular, a countrys horizontal collectivism may influence the interventions effectiveness. Results based on a database of 90 organizational units from seven different countries in which ProMES, a productivity intervention, was implemented indicated that in general, ProMES is more successful in some European countries than in the United States. Furthermore, results indicate that this effect may be due to an interaction between power distance and social collectivism. The degree of collectivism plays an important role in predicting whether ProMES succeeds in countries with relatively low power distance. In countries that score relatively high in power distance, the intervention succeeds regardless of the degree of collectivism. Lastly, whether a countrys level of uncertainty avoidance has implications for the success of ProMES is also explored. Implications are discussed.

Cultural Values and Performance Appraisal: Assessing the Effects of Rater Self-Construal on Performance Ratings

ABSTRACT Much of the prior research investigating the influence of cultural values on performance ratings has focused either on conducting cross-national comparisons among raters or using cultural level individualism/collectivism scales to measure the effects of cultural values on performance ratings. Recent research has shown that there is considerable within country variation in cultural values, i.e. people in one country can be more individualistic or collectivistic in nature. Taking the latter perspective, the present study used Markus and Kitayamas (1991) conceptualization of independent and interdependent self-construals as measures of individual variations in cultural values to investigate within culture variations in performance ratings. Results suggest that rater self-construal has a significant influence on overall performance evaluations; specifically, raters with a highly interdependent self-construal tend to show a preference for interdependent ratees, whereas raters high on independent self-construal do not show a preference for specific type of ratees when making overall performance evaluations. Although rater self-construal significantly influenced overall performance evaluations, no such effects were observed for specific dimension ratings. Implications of these results for performance appraisal research and practice are discussed.