Mark believes he received a less favorable performance review than his coworker Kathy due to bias from their mutual supervisor Paul. As the HR director, you cannot directly observe their work but must determine if bias occurred. The graphic rating scale format used may have influenced their scores due to issues like subjective interpretations and a lack of behavioral anchors. Other rating formats like behavioral observation scales could provide more reliable assessments but also have downsides like increased workload. Rating errors should be minimized by ensuring ratings are objective, valid, and free of biases.

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Graphic Performance Appraisal
Module 4: Week 4 – M4: Assignment 3
Baroness Thompson
PSY320 Industrial Organizational Psychology
Marian Orr
March 23, 2008

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Graphic Rating Scales
I can you try to determine whether Paul demonstrated bias against Mark by
constant review of their ratings. The ratings will fluctuate. Everyone rates are different.
The rates that where used in Mark and Kathy’s performance appraisal are never accurate.
There are several rating Scales HR can use .Money and time will determine the scales
used at a particular company. The Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) offers
rating scales for actual behaviors that exemplify various levels of performance. Because
raters check off specific behavior patterns of a rate, PA results of BARS are more reliable
and valid than those of the Graphic Rating Scale. Human resource managers must
carefully analyze each job and develop behavior patterns pertinent to various levels of
performance for the job before they use the BARS.
Graphic Rating Scale is the simplest and most popular method for performance
appraisal. The Graphic Rating Scale offers a list of areas related to job performance. A
manager rates each employee on the listed areas according to a numerical score.
Although this method is relatively simple and quick to complete, some experts question
its validity and reliability. Without elaborate description, appraisal items and scores are
subject to various interpretations of raters.
Graphic Rating Scales

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In order to overcome pitfalls of the Graphic Rating Scale, numerous other
methods have been developed.
Performance Appraisals
Employees are very hard to please. Some employees are visual. Others are not
and would rather look at videos to and take notes. The Narrative Technique is a written
essay about an employee's job performance prepared by a rater. The essay typically
describes the rate's job-related behaviors and performance. Without standard performance
description, it is a cumbersome task for raters to write an essay for several employees.
For example, a rater can be asked to describe the activities, achievements, and level of
performance of the employee in a completely open-ended format (unstructured
narration). Alternatively, the rater can be pro vided with some structure to use in the
evaluation; for example, "Describe briefly the activities, achievements, and level of
performance of the staff member in the following areas: (1) work habits, (2) planning and
organizing the tasks, (3) management skills, communications, and development of
others."
Narrative Technique
Similar to the Narrative Technique is the Critical-Incident Method, which involves
keeping a running log of effective and ineffective job performance .The Multiperson

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Comparison Method asks raters to compare one person's performance with that of one or
more others. It is intended to effectively eliminate the possibility of giving the same
rating to all employees. In order to separate performance scores among multiple
employees, the Forced Choice or Forced Distribution Methods are adopted. Raters must
choose one high performer from the list of employees or distribute certain scores to
employees at different ranks.
Subjectivity and Objectivity
A company has to take pride in all appraisals. Appraisals can help a family and a
company. When an employee is aware of their flaws, they usually improve to keep their
job. If a company wants an employee to succeed they will ensure the employee
understands all aspects of the performance appraisal. A family can benefit from a positive
report about a family member. Accuracy is critical to performance appraisal. In order to
obtain accurate performance information, raters must provide objective and unbiased
ratings of employees. But, because it is almost impossible to develop a perfectly accurate
performance checklist, managers' subjective opinions are frequently called for. Many
companies use some combination of subjective and objective assessment for actual
performance appraisal.
All companies have to invest in the most affective rating scale. Companies must
Identify who and what they are rating. These important steps are important. These steps
will ensure an accurate rate from each employee. Yet there are numerous problems in the

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actual assessment of employee performance, the first important step in developing a PA
system is to determine which aspects of performance to evaluate. The most frequently
used appraisal criteria are traits, behaviors, and task outcomes.
Traits. Many employees are assessed according to their traits, such as personality,
aptitudes, attitudes, skills, and abilities. Traits are relatively easy to assess once a rater
gets to know rates. But traits are not always directly related to job performance. Trait-
based assessment lacks validity and thus frequently raises legal questions.
In closing Behaviors. For many jobs, performance is so broadly defined or so
conceptual in nature. In such cases, desirable behaviors can be identified and assessed in
the belief that such behaviors lead to successful performance. Such behavior-focused
assessment encourages employees to adopt desirable behavioral patterns in the
workplace. The most common raters of performance are employees

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Assignment 3: Final Project
Mark and Kathy work together in the Finance department of the Florida Sun Company,
and they both report to Paul. The employees at Florida Sun Company receive
performance appraisals in the form of graphic rating scales every six months. Items in the
performance appraisal include information about the employee. For instance, the
employee:
Consistently shows up for work in time.
Works well with others.
Produces accurate work.
Attends all required meetings and conferences.
Is friendly.
Submits work in time.
Demonstrates leadership abilities.
After their recent performance appraisals, Mark learned that Kathy received a favorable
review from Paul than he did. Mark now believes that Paul tends to favor female
employees, and this explains why his performance appraisal was less favorable than

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Kathy’s. In this regard, he forwards his complaint to you, the HR director in the Finance
department at Florida Sun Company.
You have not witnessed Mark or Kathy’s actual work behavior. How can you try to
determine whether Paul demonstrated bias against Mark? To what extent do you think the
rating format used in Mark and Kathy’s performance appraisals influenced the difference
in their ratings?
In addition to graphic rating scales, which other kinds of rating formats can be used?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these formats?
Describe various types of rating errors. How can these rating errors be minimized?
If you were to devise a strategy to improve performance appraisal, what would you
recommend? How would you ensure that the appraisal process is objective?
Submit your response to the Faculty by Monday, March 24, 2008. Your response should
be at least two pages long. You can use the Course Project template to submit the answer.
Assignment 3 Grading Criteria and Respective Point Value Maximum
Points
Explained how they can try to determine if Paul has demonstrated bias against Mark. 15

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Explained to what extent they think the rating format used in Mark’s and Kathy’s
performance appraisals influenced the difference in their ratings. 15
Identified the types of rating formats that can be used, apart from graphic rating scales.
15
Identified the advantages and disadvantages of each rating format. 15
Described the various types of rating errors and explained how these rating errors can be
minimized. 15
Recommended a strategy to improve performance appraisal. 15
Explained how they would ensure that the appraisal process is objective. 15
Total: 105

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Reference Page
References:
Levy, Paul E. (2006) Industrial/ Organizational Psychology: Understanding the
Workplace. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company
http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G013.htmBaroness Thompson final project.doc
Argosy Lecture Notes. (2007). Retrieved March 23, 2008, from
http://myeclassonline.com/ec/crs/default.learn?
CourseID=2895398&CPURL=myeclassonline.com&Survey=1&47=4156968&ClientNo
deID=404511&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
http://www.personalityresearch.org/bigfive/goldberg.html: project 2 M4
http://www.answers.com/topic/performance-appraisal