Answer to Question 1
(Answers will vary but should be aligned with the definitions of each type of performance measure.)
The trait approach emphasizes the individual performer and ignores the specific situation, behaviors, and results. It is best used when the organization is undergoing a drastic restructuring, so that the organization can best allocate its human resources across the new organizational units.
The behavior approach emphasizes what employees do on the job and does not consider employees' traits or the outcomes resulting from their behaviors. This is basically a process-oriented approach that emphasizes how an employee does the job.
The results approach emphasizes the outcomes and results produced by the employees. It does not consider the traits that employees may possess or how employees do the job and focuses on what is produced (e.g., sales, number of accounts acquired, time spent with clients on the telephone, number of errors, etc.). A results approach to measuring performance usually takes less time because defining and measuring results usually takes less time than defining and measuring behaviors needed to achieve these results. In fact, measuring both behavior and results is the approach adopted by many organizations.
For example, assume an organization measures performance using results through the management by objectives methodology. This would be appropriate if the organization employs a highly skilled workforce, and there are several different ways to do a job successfully. Usually, the better you do your particular job, the better your results will be. This organization may be a metric-oriented organization, so results are seen immediately. However, there are some elements of performance such as a supervisor's ability to manage that would be better measured through the behavior method. Using behaviors would draw attention to managers' behaviors and put more focus on walking the talk, rather than just fulfilling the relevant metrics.
Answer to Question 2
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