Do All Managers Act as HR Managers?
1. All manager are HR manager. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why ?
2. Explain the similarities and differences between job specialisation, job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment.
3. What are some of the common sources of bias in performance appraisal? How might these be overcome?
4. What are the major differences between training and development? Give example to illustrate your answer.
5. Identify the strengths and weakness of this key performance appraisal issues.
6. What is your recommendations for changes in the performance appraisal arrangements.
Every manager acts as a Human Resource (HR) manager since HR management is a part of the job undertaken by a manager. HR management refers to the process of selection, training, recruitment, evaluation and rewarding of the employees (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). The goal of the HR management remains in maximizing productivity of the organization through optimization of the effectiveness of the employees. Considering this aspect, it becomes quite clearer that the job of every manager involves performing the task of a HR manager. For instance, every manager is clearly involved in the training of the employees. After assigning an employee, the manager will train the employee on a day-to-day basis despite the fact that it is not a formal act. The process will also help in evaluation of the employees that will ultimately help in determining whether an employee promoted or retained. Thus, every manager is trying and improving the effectiveness of the employees through supervision, correction, motivation and advice.
Thus, every manager holds the responsibility of effectively managing people and doing so in an effective manner involves the choice of the right kind of people for a particular task. Every manager also performs the role of a leader necessary for helping the employee in the path of success (Bratton and Gold 2017). This involves nurturing and fostering the talent through selection of the people for enhanced training thereby identifying the people who are prepared to pile on the additional responsibilities. The managers also make use of necessary tools for incentivizing the performance. Thus, productivity of a manager lies in maximizing the effectiveness of the people who are responsible for supervision.
Job Specialization
Job specialization refers to the means of focusing the occupational concentration on one’s specific area of the expertise (Shantz et al. 2013). An enhancement in the job specialization amongst the employees makes them lesser flexible as it reduces a person’s ability in performing other works.
Job Specialization, Job Rotation, Job Enlargement, and Job Enrichment: Explained
Job Rotation
Job rotation refers to the movement of the employees within organization through systematic movement from one job to the other (Khan et al. 2014). This is done for achieving various objectives of the human resource such as employee training, orientation of the new employees, enhancement of career development and the prevention of job boredom.
Job Enlargement
Job enlargement refers to the increase in the scope of the job through extension of the range of job responsibilities and duties usually not only within the periphery but also the same level (Farzin et al. 2014). Job enlargement involves the combination of the various activities at same level within organization thereby ensuring additions to the existing job.
Job Enrichment
Job enrichment refers to the medium through which the management can motivate the self-drive employees through assigning additional responsibilities reserved for the employees of higher level (Kooij et al. 2013). This helps in making the feel that their work has meaning and holds some importance for the company.
Similarities:
A similarity exists between job enlargement and job enrichment as both involves managerial access and control over the duties, and the responsibilities not mentioned in job description. Moreover, both the job enrichment and the job enlargement act as the tools for growth and motivation.
Bias Related to Central Tendency: This type of bias occurs when the managers have low performing employees but cannot provide them with a lower score fearing the fact that it might hamper the confidence of the employees (Sekaran and Bougie 2016).
This type of bias is overcome by considering the specific competencies for determination of the process of performance appraisal.
Spillover and Regency Bias: Spillover bias occurs when the managers continues in rating the employee based on the past performances leaving aside the recent improvements (Ismail and Gali 2017). Regency bias on the other hand occurs when the managers rates the employees based on the recent performance often leaving aside the entire picture.
This type of bias is overcome by recalling the employee performance in a course of three months compared to the course of the year. This involves implementation of bi-annual or quarterly reviews.
Leniency Bias: This type of bias refers to the tendency of the rater in either rating all the employees towards positive end of scale or towards the lower end of scale (Berger, Harbring and Sliwka 2013). This takes place when a manager either over emphasizes a negative or positive behavior.
Common Biases in Performance Appraisal and How to Overcome Them
This kind of bias is overcome by the development of open mindset towards required feedback constantly throughout year along with coaching the employees how to analyze the information they receive.
Halo Effect:
The managers perform this kind of bias when the performance appraisal is based on the assessment of the behavior of the employees (Ahmad and Bujang 2013). Thus, this type of bias takes place when the personal feelings of the manager towards an employee influence the overall rating.
This type of bias is overcome by assessing an employee by collecting reviews from various sources including the colleagues, managers and the various reports.
The key differences between training and development are as follows(Ford 2014):
- Training refers to the learning process of the new employees where they are able to know about the primary skills necessary for a job. Development on the other hand refers to the training process of the existing employees for the overall development. For example, training involves vestibule training, internship training, induction training and apprentice training while development involves counseling, coaching, job rotation, role playing and mentoring.
- Training is basically a short term process extending over three to six months while the process of development represent a constant procedure and hence it refers to a long term process.
- Training primarily focuses on the development of knowledge and skill for the present job. While development aims at building necessary knowledge, competency and understanding for overcoming all the future challenges.
- There is a limited scope for training as it is job specific while the aspect of development refers to career orientation.
- Training always have a trainer who provides training and the necessary instructions while in the process of development the manager directs his own self for future assignments.
- Many individuals collectively attend a training process while the process of development involves only one individual responsible for his/her development.
The strengths of the key performance appraisal include (Aggarwal and Thakur 2013):
- The performance appraisal process undertaken by the software company helps in evaluating actual employee performance in comparison to expected performance. This also helps in rewarding and recognizing the software developers thereby motivating them in excelling further. The process also forms a basis for the determination of the salary hikes, promotions, bonus and benefits based on their merit.
- The process of performance appraisal provides the basis for the improvement of the performance of the software developers. The process also helps in identification of the development and training needs of the team while providing them with morale boosts in increasing the organizational productivity.
- The process of performance evaluation helps the supervisors in identifying the weakness, strengths, skills, job knowledge and the commitment of the software development team. Through the process, the developers also become aware of the improvement areas along with understanding the expectations and the needs of the organization.
- The process of performance appraisal also helps in recognizing the objectives and the goals of the software development team. The appraisal process also helps the managers in tapping the skills, interests and the proficiency of the software developers thereby ensuring complete utilization of each member.
The weakness of the key performance appraisal includes (Fletcher and Williams 2013):
- Performance appraisal in Effective Apps is left to the appraiser with no formal forms or procedures. Sometimes, this is affected by office politics where the manager might not access the subordinates in a fair manner. Here the manager provides his feedback based on personal disliking and liking. The informal approach of the process sometimes leads to the postponement of the appraisal that might also be de motivating for the software developers.
- The performance appraisal in Effective Apps is unable in fulfilling the aim of putting forward the problem areas of the work since it is the process where the software developers are judged and evaluated based on which they either receive a promotion or a pay hike.
Recommendations for Changes in the Performance Appraisal System
Team leader can adopt five ways for bringing about changes in the performance appraisal system:
- By making use of a periodic document related to performance appraisal on a quarterly basis throughout year for assessing the progress of the employee. The document for performance appraisal represents consolidated information related to performance appraisal. In others words, such documents provides a picture of the employee progress and accomplishments throughout year.
- Ensure providing regular feedback to the employees that helps in nipping the problem before they become grand.
- Ensuring engaging the employees in two-way discussion related to their performance. This might help in improving the performance appraisal provided the conversation in reinforcing and positive for the employees.
- It is recommended to ensure conducting a self-appraisal process amongst the employee’s prior to actual process of performance appraisal.
References:
Aggarwal, A. and Thakur, G.S.M., 2013. Techniques of performance appraisal-a review. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT), 2(3), pp.617-621.
Ahmad, R. and Bujang, S., 2013. Issues and challenges in the practice of performance appraisal activities in the 21st century. International Journal of Education and research, 1(4), pp.1-8.
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Berger, J., Harbring, C. and Sliwka, D., 2013. Performance appraisals and the impact of forced distribution—An experimental investigation. Management Science, 59(1), pp.54-68.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Farzin, M.R., Kahreh, M.S., Hesan, M. and Khalouei, A., 2014. A survey of critical success factors for strategic knowledge management implementation: applications for service sector. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109, pp.595-599.
Fletcher, C. and Williams, R., 2013. Appraisal, feedback and development: Making performance review work. Routledge.
Ford, J.K., 2014. Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press.
Ismail, H.N. and Gali, N., 2017. Relationships among performance appraisal satisfaction, work–family conflict and job stress. Journal of Management & Organization, 23(3), pp.356-372.
Khan, F., Rasli, A.M., Yusoff, R.M., Ahmed, T., ur Rehman, A. and Khan, M.M., 2014. Job rotation, job performance, organizational commitment: An empirical study on bank employees. Journal Of Management Info, 3(1), pp.33-46.
Kooij, D.T., Guest, D.E., Clinton, M., Knight, T., Jansen, P.G. and Dikkers, J.S., 2013. How the impact of HR practices on employee well?being and performance changes with age. Human Resource Management Journal, 23(1), pp.18-35.
Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Shantz, A., Alfes, K., Truss, C. and Soane, E., 2013. The role of employee engagement in the relationship between job design and task performance, citizenship and deviant behaviours. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(13), pp.2608-2627.
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