Question 1: Which of the following terms refers to a performance appraisal based on surveys from peers, supervisors, subordinates, and customers?

A) 360-degree feedback
B) team appraisals
C) upward feedback
D) rating committee
E) self-ratings

Question 2: Upward feedback primarily helps top-level managers to ________.

A) protect the firm against biased appraisals
B) implement organizational strategies
C) compare appraisal techniques
D) diagnose management styles
E) document critical incidents

Question 3: Which of the following terms refers to the process of allowing subordinates to rate their supervisor's performance anonymously?

A) supplemental evaluation
B) downward feedback
C) upward feedback
D) paired evaluation
E) peer evaluation

Question 4: What usually occurs when employees rate themselves for performance appraisals?

A) Ratings are reliable but invalid.
B) Ratings are subject to halo effects.
C) Logrolling leads to unrealistic ratings.
D) Ratings are higher than when provided by supervisors.
E) Ratings are about the same as when determined by peers.

Question 5: In most firms, a rating committee used for performance appraisals consists of ________ members.

A) 1-2
B) 3-4
C) 5-6
D) 7-8
E) 9-10

Question 6: Peer appraisals have been shown to result in a(n) ________.

A) reduction of social loafing
B) reduction of group cohesion
C) decrease in task motivation
D) decrease in group satisfaction
E) decrease in logrolling

Question 7: Which of the following terms refers to several peers agreeing to rate each other highly?

A) social loafing
B) group think
C) logrolling
D) alliance forging
E) impression management

Question 8: Employee performance appraisals are conducted by all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) peers
B) competitors
C) supervisors
D) subordinates
E) rating committees

Question 9: Who is in the best position to observe and evaluate an employee's performance for the purposes of a performance appraisal?

A) peers
B) customers
C) rating committees
D) top management
E) immediate supervisor

Question 10: Which of the following would most likely result in a legally questionable appraisal process?

A) conducting a job analysis to establish performance standards
B) basing appraisals on subjective supervisory observations
C) administering and scoring appraisals in a standardized fashion
D) using job performance dimensions that are too clearly defined
E) assigning specific trait names when using graphic rating scales

Question 11: All of the following are considered best practices for administering fair performance appraisals EXCEPT ________.

A) explaining how subordinates can improve their performance
B) clarifying in advance what the performance expectations are
C) basing the appraisal on observable job behaviors
D) using subjective performance data for appraisals
E) training supervisors how to conduct appraisals

Question 12: Which of the following is the primary advantage of using graphic rating scales as performance appraisal tools?

A) eliminates central tendency errors
B) offers extremely high rate of accuracy
C) provides quantitative rating for each employee
D) links with mutually agreed upon performance objectives
E) explains how employees can improve their overall performance

Question 13: Stephanie manages the accounting department at an advertising agency. She needs to conduct performance appraisals for the eight employees in her department. Stephanie wants a performance appraisal tool that is highly accurate, ranks employees, and uses critical incidents to help explain ratings to appraisees. Which performance appraisal tool is best suited for Stephanie?

A) graphic rating scale
B) alternation ranking method
C) forced distribution method
D) critical incident method
E) behaviorally anchored rating scale

Question 14: All of the following guidelines will most likely improve the effectiveness of a performance appraisal EXCEPT ________.

A) maintaining a diary of employees' performance during the year
B) establishing a tool for employees to appeal performance appraisals
C) using a graphic rating scale to ensure fair and consistent ratings
D) knowing the advantages and disadvantages of different appraisal tools
E) developing a plan to assist employees with performance improvement

Question 15: Which of the following is LEAST likely to cause a supervisor's performance appraisal of a subordinate to be biased?

A) purpose of the appraisal
B) personality of the supervisor
C) location and time of the appraisal
D) personal characteristics of the subordinate
E) relationship between supervisor and subordinate

Question 16: Which of the following has most likely occurred when a supervisor conducting a performance appraisal is influenced by a subordinate's individual differences such as age, sex, and race?

A) bias
B) unclear standards
C) central tendency
D) halo affect
E) broadbanding

Question 17: The best method for reducing the problems of leniency or strictness in performance appraisals is to ________.

A) keep critical incident logs
B) adhere to EEO guidelines
C) require multiple appraisals
D) impose a performance distribution
E) reconsider the timing of the appraisal

Question 18: The ________ problem occurs when supervisors tend to rate all their subordinates consistently low.

A) central tendency
B) leniency
C) strictness
D) unclear standards
E) halo effect

Question 19: Which performance appraisal problem is associated with supervisors giving all of their subordinates consistently high ratings?

A) central tendency
B) leniency
C) strictness
D) recency effect
E) halo effect

Question 20: The best way to reduce the problem of central tendency in performance appraisals is to ________.

A) rank employees
B) establish SMART goals
C) use graphic rating scales
D) limit the number of appraisals
E) appraise personal characteristics