Essay format
Learning Outcomes: the following will be fully or partially achieved.
- Plan effective performance management policies and practices to improve organisational and employee performance.
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of performance management.
TASK
The role of the line manager in managing an organisation's performance management system has been subject to much discussion and debate. According to Hendry (1997) "The architects of strategic performance interventions are reliant on line management to transmit the desired messages but line managers have also been identified as the weak link in the application of performance management systems". More recently a global survey has identified that many employees have a poor view of their organisation's performance management system and attribute this view to the lack of manager capacity and capability.
With reference to your organisation, or one that you are familiar with:
(1) Critically examine the role of line managers in managing the organisation's performance management system.
(2) What actions can be taken by the organisation and its HRM function to improve the role of line managers to engendergreater employee satisfaction and engagement with the performance management system?
GUIDELINES
Introduction
- The assignment is arranged in two parts, each part is equally weighted. The first part is concerned with examining your organisation's performance management system and in particular the role of the line manager in this process. The second part of the assignment focuses on the practical actions that organizations, and their HRM function, can take to improve the role of the line manager in the PMS process to engender greater employee satisfaction and engagement.
- Literature suggests that PMS are somewhat bureaucratic, complex, time-consuming, are perceived by employees to be unfair and that managers may not always have the appropriate competencies and proficiency to carry out this role effectively.
- To assist you in this assignment it is important that you refer to a number of appropriate sources (minimum of 10 different sources) to inform your examination. Please see the following journal articles that provide a useful foundation for your work.
Journal Articles
1. Alfes, K, et al (2013) The relationship between line manager behavior, perceived HRM practices, and individual performance: examining the mediating role of engagement, Human Resource Management, November/December 2013, Vol. 52, No. 6, pp839-859
2. Farndale, E. &Kelliher, C. (2013) Implementing performance appraisal: exploring the employee experience, Human Resource Management, November/December 2013, Vol. 52, No. 6, pp 879-897
3. Harris, L. (2001) Rewarding employee performance: line managers' values, beliefs and perspectives, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12:7 November 2001, 1182-1192
4. Heslin, P.A., VandeWalle, D. (2011) Performance appraisal procedural justice: the role of a manager's implicit person theory, Journal of Management Vol. 37, No.6, November 2011, 1694-1718
Assignment Structure
The assessment criteria provide an outline of the structure you should adopt, i.e.
Introduction - in this section you identify the key elements of your assignment.
Review of academic literature - in this part of your assignment you will be expected to define the role and purpose of a PMS and compare and contrast different views associated with the role of the line manager in managing this process. Keep in mind that you should be examining issues of management capacity and capability. It is also important that you look at the importance of engaging employees in the PMS process.
Analysis and discussion - here you have the opportunity, in the light of the literature review, to provide a discussion around examples of good and poor management of PMS.
Conclusions and recommendations - enable you to draw together the key conclusions derived from the preceding sections to inform your recommendations.
Word count: 3000 (excluding references and bibliography)