Supervisor-rated Performance Research Articles

Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Relation to Work Performance and Turnover Intentions

The differential associations that job satisfaction and organizational commitment have with job performance and turnover intentions were studied in a sample of bank tellers and hospital professionals. Results showed that organizational commitment was more strongly related than job satisfaction with turnover intentions for the tellers, but not for the professionals. Job satisfaction was related more strongly than organizational commitment with supervisory ratings of performance for both samples. The findings suggest that specific job attitudes are more closely associated with task-related out-comes such as performance ratings, whereas global organizational attitudes are more closely associated with organization-related outcomes like turnover intentions.

More Evidence on Relationships Between the Work Environment and Job Performance

The purposes of this research were: (a) to develop a work environment questionnaire appropriate for assessing the situational constraints and facilitators of performance in the US. Army and (b) to evaluate relationships between individual aspects of the work environment and a wide array of performance measures. The Army Work Environment Questionnaire (AWEQ) was developed and adrninistered to 5,080 first-term Army enlisted personnel working in nine jobs. Also available for each member of this sample were peer and supervisor performance ratings, along with scores on job knowledge and work sample task proficiency tests. The results of factor analyses indicated that a five-factor solution provides a parsimonious explanation of the underlying Army work environment. Correlations of about .20 were found: (a) between ratings on some of the performance dimensions and the environmental factors, Job/'Ttlsk Importance and Supervisor Support; and (b) between performance on task proficiency measures and the environmental construct relating to relevance of training for present job assignment. Discussion focuses on the value of maintaining separate environmental constructs when examining environment-performance relationships and addresses issues related to interpreting the work environment questionnaire responses.

Comments on methodological issues

Efforts to educate and develop future military officers aim to produce highly competent, ethical and effective leaders to serve the nation. But while there is general agreement about desired outcomes, the underlying developmental processes associated with these outcomes are not well understood. How do we grow such leaders? This paper reports on a longitudinal study of West Point college students over four years, addressing three questions: (1) do military officer-cadets grow or change in their basic level of psychosocial development [Kegan, R. (1982). The Evolving Self: Problem and Process in Human Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.], (2) is the level of psychosocial development related to performance as leaders, and (3) do activities in high school predict later psychosocial development? Two groups of cadets were studied from their freshman or sophomore year to their senior year at the academy. Results show significant positive developmental growth over time for 47% of study participants, with most of this growth occurring from sophomore to senior year. Furthermore, psychosocial development predicts several peer, subordinate and supervisor ratings of cadet performance as leaders during the upperclass (junior and senior) years, a time when cadets take on substantial leadership roles. In addition, early performance ratings by high school teachers, as well as active participation in high school extracurricular activities both predict psychosocial development levels for freshman and sophomores. These findings lend support to Kegan's theoretical model, and suggest that greater attention be paid to these basic processes of human psychosocial development that can influence leader performance in important ways.

Joint relation of experience and ability with job performance: Test of three hypotheses.

Data from four different jobs (TV = 1,474) were used to evaluate three hypotheses of the joint relation of job experience and general mental ability to job performance as measured by (a) work sample measures, (b) job knowledge measures, and (c) supervisory ratings of job performance. The divergence hypothesis predicts an increasing difference and the convergence hypothesis predicts a decreasing difference in the job performance of highand low-mental-ability employees as employees gain increasing experience on the job. The noninteractive hypothesis, by contrast, predicts that the performance difference will be constant over time. For all three measures of job performance, results supported the noninteractive hypothesis. Also, consistent with the noninteractive hypothesis, correlational analyses showed essentially constant validities for general mental ability (measured earlier) out to 5 years of experience on the job. In addition to their theoretical implications, these findings have an important practical implication: They indicate that the concerns that employment test validities may decrease over time, complicating estimates of selection utility, are probably unwarranted.

The Influence of Positive and Negative Outcomes on Force Model Expectancy Predictions: Mixed Results from Two Samples

The relative validity of valence-instrumentality-expectancy (VIE) force model predictions of performance, based on positive and negative outcome lists, was examined. Using an open-ended questionnaire, Army and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets generated positive and negative outcomes associated with participation in ROTC. VIE predictions were tested separately for the two samples using both self and supervisor ratings of performance. VIE composites based on the combined lists of outcomes significantly predicted both self and supervisor performance ratings in the Navy sample, and self-ratings in the Army sample. Limited support was obtained for the hypotheses that (1) positive outcome based VIE composites would correlate greater with performance than negative-based composites, and (2) VIE correlations with self-ratings would exceed those with supervisor ratings. The results were discussed in terms of how individuals process positive and negative outcome information related to high performance. Several suggestionsforfuture research designed to specify the nature of these processes were offered.

The Participation-Performance Controversy Reconsidered

Recent literature reviews (Locke, Feren, McCaleb, Shaw, & Denny, 1980; Locke & Schweiger, 1979) dealing with the impact of participation in decision making (PDM) on work outcomes have tended to cast doubt upon the relationship between PDM and job performance criteria. Results of cross-sectional research from six different U.S. military organizations are reported. Self-report measures of the degree of influence perceived by employees (i.e., PDM) were significantly correlated with job satisfaction ratings and with supervisory performance ratings in all six samples. Moderated regression analysis and partial correlation analysis indicated that PDM performance correlations were potentially confounded with the employee's self- ratings of task competence.

Constraining Forces and the Work Performance of Finance Company Cashiers

A field study was performed examining the influence of situational constraints on the job performance of 368 finance company cashiers. Increasing levels of contextual constraint (as rated by a cashier's immediate supervisor) were negatively related to supervisory performance ratings, self-appraisals, and objective performance criteria. No differences were in evidence in the degree ofperformance variation found in high and low constraining task environments. Constraints were also found to be weakly related to ancillary measures of cashier work load.

An approach for assessing individual versus group effects in performance evaluations

A source of bias in performance evaluations is a rater's inability to differentiate an individual's (subordinate's) performance from his or her work group's performance. This paper describes an approach for specifying and assessing individual versus work group effects in performance evaluations. Multiple indicators of self‐ and supervisor ratings of performance were examined in two field samples. Study results suggest that the self‐ and supervisor ratings of individuals' performances were not biased by work group membership and that individual effects were present.

Training Appraisers: An Orientation Program for Improving Supervisory Performance Ratings

This paper addresses management's need to train supervisory personnel in the use of employee performance appraisals. First, the application as well as the usefulness of the appraisal system is described — as dictated by and in relation to — recent litigation concerning discrimination charges. After exploration of the various approaches to employee evaluation, recommendations for effective training of supervisory personnel in implementing appraisal systems are presented. These recommendations take into consideration often neglected factors such as employee motivation, employee aptitude and discussion of performance evaluations with the employees.

Physical Abilities and Performance Tests for Coal Miner Jobs

A project was carried out to develop a physical abilities test battery for coal miner jobs. A job and task analysis indicated that strength is an important requirement while cardiovascular endurance is not. A sample of 87 underground miners completed a battery of 14 physical tests and measures. Supervisor ratings of performance were obtained for the miners and used as a validation criterion. The results indicated that three isometric tests would serve as a useful battery for predicting job performance. The test data also indicated that for this workforce percent body fat increased and aerobic capacity decreased with age. Measures of these physical characteristics as part of an ongoing physical abilities testing program for current employees would provide valuable data for monitoring potential workforce problems.

Video Games and Human Performance

Workers are frequently bored with monotonous work. Thirty-three subjects, principally welders, at a local manufacturing plant were either in an experimental or a control group. They either played video games during breaks or not. A number of perceptual-motor skill tests showed no improvement due to games. Neither did supervisory ratings of job performance. However, work performance improved significantly for the one month period. Other and longer test periods are desirable.

Construct Validity of Medical Clinical Competence Measures: A Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix Study Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

This study investigates the construct validity of three methods used to evaluate clinical competence in medicine: standardized test, supervisor performance ratings, and peer performance ratings. Three attributes of clinical competence are investigated: cognitive abilities, interpersonal skills, and professional qualities. Measures representing each attribute-method combination include: National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examination (standardized test of cognitive abilities); two scales derived from the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) (standardized test of interpersonal skills and professional qualities); and the three scales derived from the Resident Evaluation Form (REF) (peer and supervisor ratings of all three attributes). Scores for each attribute-method combination were obtained from a convenience sample of 166 resident physicians in three primary care specialties. These scores were cast into a multitrait-multimethod matrix design and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results suggest a lack of construct validity for the CPI and REF scales, moderate convergent validity for the NBME, and substantial method variance in the REF-derived ratings. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications for a theory of medical clinical competence, further research and development in clinical competence measurement, and current measurement practice in medical education.

Moderating Influence of Defensiveness on the Relationship between Self-Esteem and Job Performance

The moderating influence of defectiveness on the relationship between self-esteem (global self-esteem or sense of competence) and job performance (self- or supervisor-rated) is investigated with a sample of 160 male electrical apprentices. For apprentices who are higher in defensiveness positive relationships exist between global self-esteem and self-rated performance, and between sense of competence and self- and supervisor-rated performance. Defensiveness also makes an independent contribution to self-esteem. The implications of the findings for the measurement of self-esteem are discussed.

Impact of job experience and ability on job knowledge, work sample performance, and supervisory ratings of job performance.

Une etude se fonde sur les donnees de 4 recherches independantes concernant 1474 sujets et sur une analyse de piste pour examiner l'impact causal de l'experience professionnelle sur la connaissance du travail, les capacites professionnelles et les evaluations par les superviseurs de la performance professionnelle

Relationship of Job Stress to Job Performance: A Study of Managers and Blue-Collar Workers

Four types of relationships were proposed between job stress and performance: curvilinear/U-shaped, negative linear, positive linear, and no relationship between the two. Data were collected from middle managers (N = 227) and blue-collar workers (N = 283) employed in a large Canadian organization. Bivariate multiple regression and hierarchical multiple regression analyses generally supported the prevalence of a negative linear relationship between job stress and supervisory ratings of performance. Employees' organizational commitment significantly moderated over 50% of the relationships between job stress and measures of job performance in both managerial and blue-collar samples. Implications of the findings are discussed for future research in the area of job stress.

The human factor in cellular manufacturing

AbstractRecently, Group Technology (GT) as a batch manufacturing innovation has commanded much research attention and pragmatic interest. This approach to small lot production is based on identifying and exploiting similarities. By grouping items which share common traits, GT facilitates the rationalization of activities in a wide variety of functional areas including purchasing, design, and manufacturing. When GT is used in manufacturing one potential application involves the creation and operation of production cells. A production or manufacturing cell is a group of functionally dissimilar machines that are placed together and dedicated to the manufacture of a specific range of component parts. The usefulness of cellular manufacturing is demonstrated by the impressive catalog of benefits reported by its users both in the US and abroad. Reductions in work‐in‐process and finished goods inventories, decreases in production lead time, better delivery performance, improved product quality, and an overall increase in productivity are but a few of the benefits reportedly accruing to the use of cells.While it appears that cellular manufacturing can significantly improve the operation of batch production, an important component of the GT cellular production system has, unfortunately, been overlooked. Little study has been devoted to the human aspects of the use of production cells. The research reported in this paper attempts to fill this void by systematically examining the effect of cellular production on batch manufacturing employees. The research site was a medium size plant in which a portion of the functionally arranged facilities had recently been converted to a cellular layout. Both functional and cellular workers responded to a questionnaire designed to assess employee perceptions of their jobs, their job satisfaction, and their performance. In contrast to the findings of earlier (ethnographic) studies, cellular manufacturing employees did not perceive greater autonomy, significance, identity, or cohesiveness in their jobs than workers in traditional functional jobs. Cell workers also were as satisfied with their jobs, supervision, and advancement opportunities as non‐cell workers, but were more satisfied with their pay. Supervisory ratings of performance did not vary between groups.The major contributions of this article are threefold. First, this research represents the first attempt to scientifically evaluate the human impact of cellular manufacturing. Second, in contradicting the findings of earlier descriptive studies, all of which emphasize the very positive human consequences of cellular production, the need for additional research which challenges initial intuitive presumptions is clearly indicated. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the findings of this exploratory study suggest that cellular manufacturing does not have a negative impact on worker performance, attitudes, or satisfaction. A ramification of this is that reductions in work‐in‐process and finished goods inventories, decreases in production lead time, and improved overall productivity which reportedly accompany the implementation of cellular manufacturing may be achieved without any human fallout.

How state mental health workers view performance appraisal ratings

A state-wide survey of mental health workers was done to assess attitudes toward supervisory appraisal ratings of job performance. Factor analysis of responses to a 23-item questionnaire distinguished four factors involved in workers' attitudes about their performance ratings. These factors were named Objective Validity, Negative Emotional Response, Supervisory Direction, and Incentives. State workers, in general, do not view their present performance ratings, which are based on a rating of worker traits, as valid or objective. Nor do the workers feel that the ratings provide incentives for higher productivity or better quality of work. These results argue for a change in the current appraisal procedures to a more objective process. In addition, these data provide a baseline for evaluation of any new system intended to be implemented in the future.

THE EFFECTS OF GROUP INTERDEPENDENCE ON SUPERVISOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

A laboratory experiment was designed to test the effect of group member interdependence on supervisory performance ratings. Subjects played the role of supervisors in charge of evaluating members of a three‐person work group which was constructed to include two good performers and one poor performer. Supervisors were either told that group members would work closely together (high interdependence) or independently (low interdependence). As hypothesized, supervisors rated the poor performer higher and the good performers lower when the group was portrayed as highly interdependent than when the group members were relatively independent.

ORGANIZATION AND RATER DIFFERENCES IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

This study examines the effects of organizational differences and rater differences on performance appraisals. Self, peer, and supervisory ratings of performance for nurses in four hospitals and self, student, peer, and supervisory ratings for resident advisors in seven university dormitory complexes were used in this study. The analyses indicate that both organization and rater differences have significant, independent effects on performance ratings. The findings suggest that organizational differences may restrict the generality of the findings of performance appraisal studies across organizational settings. They also may have a negative impact on the usefulness of any particular performance appraisal form in different settings, and on the ability of managers to accurately interpret and compare performance ratings for individuals in different organizational subunits.

Sequential response shift rate: a correlate of human adaptivity measureable with existing personality inventories.

The rate at which Ss changed responses to successive personality inventory items was investigated. It was hypothesized that frequent shifts usually reflect the capacity and motivation to respond differentially to different situations; or that, conversely, too few shifts show a perseverative tendency paralleling inadaptivity in real-life behavior. Eight separate groups (students in nursing, education, social work, and human services paraprofessionals) totaling 286 normal Ss were tested, and their shift rates were compared with supervisory ratings of practical performance. Lanyon's Psychological Screening Inventory, Gough's California Psychological Inventory, or the Minnesota T-S-E were used to elicit shift rate or its approximate antithesis, linear perseveration. Results tended to confirm a moderate, sometimes curvilinear, relationship between shift rate and important practical performance criteria. Sequential shift rate and perseveration are crude but meaningful behavioral measures relatively independent of conventional self-descriptive scores, demonstrating that some inventories detect a previously unrecognized response variable related to general adaptivity.