Performance Management/ Motivational Theory Performance Management

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Performance Management/ Motivational Theory

Performance Management

The main purpose of performance management is to help businesses, such as IKEA to remain competitive. To do this, the organisation needs to measure the performance of its employees. There are number of ways, in which IKEA can measure the performance of its employees. However, the most common method that the organisation often uses is called the appraisal system.

Appraisals- performance reviews

One of the ways in which employers can get feedback on employee performance is through appraisal. Appraisal can be open or closed. If the appraisal is open, the appraisee can actively take part in the review process and discuss the results. If the appraisal is closed, the report remains confidential.

The appraisal looks at what an employee's job is, how well it is being performed and at what action should be taken into account for the future. The appraisal is made up of several stages.

Setting up the appraisal system

Businesses, such as IKEA need to decide the purpose of the appraisal system and must ask themselves, 'What are we trying to achieve by appraising staff?' The organisation needs to aim to identify areas where the employee can become more effective and to set new targets both for performance and for personal development.

The organisation should set up an appropriate scheme which will achieve the targets. This may include observation, discussion, checking performance figures, etc.

The organisation needs to decide who the appraisors will be. For example, is the appraisal to be by peers assessing one another (this is known as peer evaluation)?

Carrying out the appraisal

In order to achieve an effective appraisal system, the organisation needs to carry out the following stages:

) Identify criteria- this must be clear what is being assessed and what creates satisfactory performance

2) The appraisal itself- this may involve observing co-worker's work, reviewing performance figures against targets and an interview to discuss about performance

3) Follow-up- this need to be agreed by the appraiser and the appraisee. This stage may involve identifying any weaknesses, setting out priorities for improvement, identifying any support that is required, setting out development or training needs, agreeing to future targets and reviewing dates

4) Appraisal should give a basis for rewarding productivity in those occupations where traditional bonuses and commission schemes are difficult to apply

Types of appraisal techniques

There are number of types of appraisal techniques that many businesses often use. The most common types of appraisals include:

* Self-appraisal- this involves employees assessing themselves against a series of criteria. These results can be used to make comparison with the views of others

* Upward appraisal- this is where employees are rated by their subordinates rather than by their superiors

* Peer appraisal- this involves employees on the same level within an organisation assessing each other

* 360 degree feedback- this involves getting feedback from a number of people within the organisation both above and below the appraisee. This type of appraisal is often referred as a multi-source assessment

The key features of a good appraisal interview include:

* The individual being appraised (this is known as appraisee) is given advance warning of the date of the appraisal, by the person doing the appraising (this is known as the appraisor)

* The appraisee clearly understands what will be discussed. The normal content is:

o review of past performance to date

o a review of job performance overall, including any difficulties encountered by the appraisee

o new aims and objectives for the employee set for the forthcoming year

o an assessment of training and development requirements- this links to the needs of the employee to future performance objectives

o a discussion about future career aims and progression opportunities to help employee to plan their career

* the appraisee should do most of the talking and should be encouraged to make suggestions to improve performance or develop career ambitions

* the aim of appraisal is to provide the employee and the manager a time together to concentrate on the apraisee. Many appraisees may find this motivational and satisfying

A successful appraisal aims to:

* enable the organisation to find out who deserves future rewards, such as promotion opportunities

* discover the future potential of employees

* identify the training needs which are required and link these to the business aims and objectives

* control and monitor staff performance

* give employees the time to talk about their hopes, aspirations and problems, with their line manager in private

* assist employees to identify areas where the would like to develop their skills and expertise

* bring past successes to the attention of their boss, if these seen to have gone unnoticed

* improve employee motivation by understanding and recognising their own needs

* to check the effectiveness of current practices in relation to recruitment and training

Advantages of performance appraisal include:

* it identifies areas which are unsatisfactory

* it find areas where employees need to be trained and developed

* it encourages and rewards good performance- maybe with performance-related pay in the form of bonuses or pay rise

Disadvantages of performance appraisal include:

* it can be time-consuming and therefore very expensive

* where poor performance is identified, it can be difficult to provide useful feedback

The link between performance appraisal and motivation

The performance appraisal can set out goals for improvement; identify opportunities for development of skills or for promotion. This can make the employee feel valued and therefore committed to the organisation.
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Measuring performance

It is important that IKEA measure the performance of its employees, in order to find out whether they are meeting the Company's objectives. There are number of ways, in which IKEA can measure the performance of its business, e.g.:

* Performance through profit- this involve comparing profits for different years or against competitors' profits

* Performance through quality- this involves checking the quality of the products and services and making sure that they are at high standards

* Performance through productivity- this involve measuring employees productivity

* Performance-related pay- this involve ...

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