The document discusses two main topics related to human resource management: performance appraisals and wage laws. It emphasizes the importance of conducting fair and unbiased performance appraisals for employee motivation, referencing various studies and scriptures to support its argument. Additionally, it compares wage laws across different states and countries, highlighting discrepancies and suggesting that organizations must assess compensation schemes to ensure fairness and improve employee morale.

1. Reply to 2 these 2 posts. Attempt to draw a parallel between
these individual posts and my own post. Minimum of 2 external
references for each response.Must be at least 250 words for
each response.
Here is the textbook:
Martocchio, J. (2015).
Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management
Approach.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. (textbook)
#1 Robbie Davis
Performance Appraisal Process
Conducting Performance Appraisals as mentioned in our text, is
a company’s way of telling employees what is expected of them
and how well they are meeting these particular expectations.
Mostly, businesses set general guidelines for employees to
follow, and then the employee should be acknowledged for
following these particular guidelines. Many companies decide to
conduct to performance appraisals to gather information on the
how the employee performance ranks against other employees.
One way that Performance Appraisals could be used
within a company is to provide monetary bonuses to employees
that meet goals and expectations. HR Managers and other direct
supervisors should be able to come up with numerous ways to
measure the employee’s job performance. It has been clearly
shown that employees perform better when they feel appreciated
and acknowledged for a job well done. McCarthy (2000)
mentions that “By focusing on specific job-related issues, there
is less likelihood of the reviewer being swayed by irrelevant
information such as personality or personal background. It can
also prevent situations where the employee is unfairly rated on

2. issues that are out of his or her control” (pg.23) When applying
this particular knowledge of performance appraisals,
management would then can be confident in the fact that the
appraisals that are completed are done correctly and without any
bias.
After now having more information from our reading on this
particular human resource function, there are many different
issues that can come along with performing employee
appraisals. In relation to this week’s readings, there are always
going to be challenges when it comes to making sure that
employee performance appraisals are done correctly and without
any type of bias. Washington (2008) mentions that “Hidden bias
also can leave employers vulnerable to shifting demographics.
Labor estimates show U.S. employers will face a shortage of
skilled workers by 2010, and organizations that allow hidden
biases to infiltrate personnel decisions won't succeed” (pg. 8).
No company can perform these types of performance analysis
without having some form of bias. HR managers and other
managers alike should be using the scripture to help guide the
companies process of performing these analysis. Titus 2:7-8
states “In everything set them an example by doing what is
good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and
soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those
who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad
to say about us” (ESV).
Another scripture that could be easily related to employee
performance appraisals is Proverbs 11:3. The verse states “The
integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of
the treacherous will destroy them” (ESV). This particular verse
warns of any type of crookedness on both the employee and
organizations part. Not only should the organization make sure
that the guidelines that are set when providing criticism is that
it is done in a manner that is not hurtful. These organizations
should make sure that everyone has the same guidelines to
prevent the obvious bias that can occur.
Reference

3. McCarthy, J. (2000). Performance evaluations. Journal of
Property Management, 65(5), 22-25. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.
ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/216402188?accountid=12085
Washington, M. L. (2008). Detecting bias in performance
appraisals (Order No. 3313794). Available from ProQuest
Central; Sociology Database. (304393951). Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.
ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/304393951?accountid=12085
#2 Gladys Hanson
Wage law and wages constitute an important part of business in
countries all over the world. Even within the United States,
wages can differ between States. According to Sabia,
Burkhauser & Hansen (2012) “In 2004, the New York State
legislature voted to raise the state minimum hourly wage by
nearly 39 percent, from $5.15 to $7.15. The wage increase was
implemented in three phases: from $5.15…from $6.75 to $7.15
on January 1, 2007.” (p. 351). In looking at this assessment, it
becomes obvious that New York has a way of calculating its
wage increases steadily over course of a few years. Although
there is no comparison with another states, it can be implied
that New York’s law deals with its own needs and does not
necessarily fit with Pennsylvania or Massachusetts. As a result,
a company moving States would need to make this assessment
before going. Sabia et al (2012) highlights the importance of
seeing importance differences in wages approaches, even within
the United States.
In the same vein, US companies cannot arrive in a country
without knowing how pay is conducted. According to
Martocchio (2015) one of the key difference between major
countries, specifically the U.S. and India, is the amount of
“government sponsored benefits offered in those countries” (p.
335). Government sponsored benefits can also refer to the
benefits that companies are mandated to provide to the
employees. For even more specificity, Canada and Mexico will

4. be analyzed. Although both countries border the US but have
largely different ways of pay. According to Luce (2015) “in
Mexico, a tripartite body of government, employer and union
representatives set a daily minimum wage.” (p.73). In this
reference, the author points to the fact that the pay scale in
Mexico is different because they have a daily minimum wage
which may spill into the amount of hours a person could be. On
the other hand, Canada “possess a statutory minimum wage
law…Alberta currently had the lowest minimum wage rate (i.e.
$9.75) the highest rate (i.e. $11.00) can be found in Nunavut”
(Martocchio, 2015, p.336). In comparison to Mexico, Canada
has a more specific with the amount that people can get paid.
On the contrary, Mexico has a daily minimum wage. Thus,
demonstrating a difference in how different countries believe
pay should be given.
Aside from the physical wages, the idea of an intrinsic
compensation should also be considered. Intrinsic compensation
is defined as “the employee’s psychological mind-sets that
result from performing their jobs” (Martocchio, 2015, p.3). In
other words, intrinsic compensation deals with the idea that
employees enter into a task with certain expectations and
mindsets. These mindsets can affect how they view the jobs
they have been given. On the other hand, extrinsic
compensation focuses more on monetary compensation (p.3). In
other words, how does a company approach motivation without
the use of wages? In different countries, wages may not be
enough and companies will need to assess the importance of
both intrinsic motivations. All in all, wages differ in various
countries but that is not the only consideration. Aside from how
these wage structures are different, companies must also assess
how wages differ and how to keep workers happy aside from
this.
References
Luce, S. (2015). $15 per hour or bust: An appraisal of the
higher wages movement. New Labor Forum (Sage Publications
Inc.), 24(2), 72-79. doi:10.1177/1095796015578919

5. Martocchio, J. J. (2015). Strategic compensation: A human
resource management approach (8th). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Sabia, J. J., Burkhauser, R. V., & Hansen, B. (2012). Are the
effects of minimum wage increases always small? New evidence
from a case study of New York State. Industrial & Labor
Relations Review, 65(2), 350-376.
My Thread
Based on this week’s readings, this discussion board will seek
to compare how compensation schemes within a company
always compare to strategic compensation and analyse
weaknesses in the current compensation models while at the
same time pinpointing methods which can be used to ensure that
women and middle-income workers are elevated in their
compensation strategies to bolster equality and fairness in the
workplace. Further, this discussion will also seek to analyze the
role compensation models play in motivating employees within
an organization.
Compensation schemes
Disparities which exist in compensation schemes
The first topic which I would like to learn about and
extensively include the compensation schemes used in different
business organizations both in the US and across the globe. This
is because there have been huge disparities in the amounts of
payments workers take at home as shown in the case of
Enbridge were the CEO was paid $8.1 million in bonuses in
2011 despite the company causing a big oil spill in the Pacific
Ocean
(Nikiforuk, 2016). Therefore, compensation schemes used by
different companies have therefore created a puzzle since
members of the management have been known to earn over 100
times the salary of that if their lowest paid workers which seeks
to show the inequalities which exist in most organizations while
at the same time providing important insights which can be used

6. b organizations to streamline their payment policies, eliminate
inequality and provide fair compensation schemes for all their
workers in order to improve efficiency, employee retention rates
and employee loyalty
(Gupta, 2015).
Therefore getting to understand the compensation schemes
used in different business organizations will provide great
insights on the tools used to rank companies as some of the best
organizations to work with while at the same time pinpointing
how transparency, openness, and accountability have played a
big role in elevating these organizations to those distinct places
and help in identifying weaknesses which exist in the current
compensation models to indicate areas where they can be
improved on
(Negash, Zewude, & Megersa, 2014).
Incentives which can be used to promote fair schemes
Further, the subject matter will also seek to indicate areas
where huge disparities exist between male and female
employees working in the same capacity who receive different
remuneration packages while at the same time outlining
measures which could be taken like creating effective
legislation systems to abolish unequal pay in the workplace and
ensure that everyone receives equal pay
(Gupta, 2015). This will, therefore, seek to show how the
compensation schemes adopted by different organizations
always benefits companies by increasing the employee’s morale
thus improving the productivity and efficiency of the workforce.
In addition, by effectively analyzing the compensation
packages offered by companies, the subject matter will offer
important insights on the incentives which can be used to
increase the productivity, efficiency, and loyalty of most
employees. These includes incentives like providing health
insurance, offering pay bonuses and paid levels to all employees

7. within the organization and providing sound retirement benefits
through 401k Plans. Thus by analyzing the role incentives play
in motivating the workers within the company and looking for
ways to improve talent retention through providing fair
compensation schemes will go a long way towards ensuring that
organizations are the best places to work in and thus making the
role of the HR division be simpler. Further, adopting incentives
increases the appeal an organization has both at home and
abroad making employees willing to work for these
organizations since they have the core characters of an
organization which cares about the welfare of their employees
(Negash, Zewude, & Megersa, 2014).
References
Gupta, P. (2015).
Equal pay, gender wage gaps and "constantly moving
goalposts": Review of 40 years of research - Journalist's
Resource
.
Journalist's Resource
. Retrieved 18 October 2016, from
http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/gender-
society/equal-pay-gender-wage-gaps-moving-goalposts-
research-review
Negash, R., Zewude, S., & Megersa, R. (2014).
The effect of compensation on employees motivation: In Jimma
University academic staff.
Basic Research Journal
,
32
(2), 17-27. Retrieved from
http://http//www.basicresearchjournals.org

8. Nikiforuk, A. (2016).
Enbridge Execs Got Big Pay Raises After Continent's Costliest
Pipeline Spill | The Tyee
.
The Tyee
. Retrieved 19 October 2016, from
http://thetyee.ca/News/2012/07/12/Enbridge-Executives-Pay-
Raise/