Building Goal Alignment in Federal Agencies’ Performance Appraisal Programs

Abstract

Public managers wrestle with how to influence organizational performance. Results-based management approaches point to the goal alignment’s importance in performance management programs for meeting organizational goals. This research examines the extent to which federal agency organizational factors allow for performance appraisal goal alignment. Goal alignment is operationalized in two ways: embedding of strategic plan goals into employee performance plans and employee knowledge of how their work relates to the agency’s goals and priorities. Using data from U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s evaluation of federal agency appraisal programs, results indicate leadership support of the program is a determining factor of plan alignment. Communication of the organization’s goals, the climate fit for achieving results, and whether the strategic plan was written for the agency program level tend to predict employee alignment. Strategic plan level is particularly important for strategic management literature, which has limited empirical evidence for the effectiveness of program-level strategic plans.