Self‐appraisal and perceptions of the appraisal discussion: A field experiment

Abstract

AbstractPerformance evaluation based on self‐appraisal has been widely advocated because of its potential for increasing the effectiveness of the performance appraisal discussion. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of a formal ’both‐rate‘ self appraisal (where both manager and subordinate independently complete appraisals before the discussion) on perceptions of ratee and rater behaviors and outcomes. One hundred fifty‐one ratees and 81 raters randomly assigned to self‐appraisal and control groups participated in the study. Results indicated that the self‐appraisal treatment had no main effects on ratee perceptions of their contributions to the discussion or satisfaction with the appraisal. Self‐appraising ratees perceived less influence over the appraisal discussion, and less agreement with their manager's rating than did non‐self appraisers. However, informal self‐appraisal behavior was significantly and positively correlated with most dependent variables. Results suggest major differences between formal and informal self‐appraisal which warrant future research.