Author Question: Using your current work situation, or one of someone you know well, describe whether performance is ... (Read 59 times)

dbose · **on:** Jul 7, 2018

Using your current work situation, or one of someone you know well, describe whether performance is measured using a trait, behavior, or results approach.

Use the checklist below to identify whether or not your company should measure performance using the trait, behavior, or results method.

Adopting a Traits Approach to Measuring Performance Is Most Appropriate When
- The organization is undertaking a drastic structural change
Adopting a Behavior Approach to Measuring Performance Is Most Appropriate When
- Employees will take a long time to achieve the desired outcomes
- The link between behaviors and results is not obvious
- Outcomes are distant in the future
- Poor results are due to causes beyond the performer's control
Adopting a Results Approach to Measuring Performance Is Most Appropriate When
- Workers are skilled in the needed behaviors
- Behaviors and results are obviously related
- Results show consistent improvement over time
- There are many ways to do the job right

Is this approach appropriate given your job responsibilities and the climate of the organization? Explain whether or not you think that the system could be improved using a different approach to measuring performance.
What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Contingent pay (CP) plans reward individuals based on how well they perform on the job.

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

brbarasa · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 7, 2018

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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