Performance Appraisal System Knowledge scale

Description

This measure, (Performance Appraisal System) developed by Williams and Levy (1992), describes the extent to which employees perceive they understand important aspects of the per­formance appraisal system related to their job. Performance appraisal sys­tem knowledge has been found to explain the extent of agreement between employee and supervisor ratings of work performance.

Reliability

Coefficient alpha values ranged from .85 to .89 (Kacmar & Ferris, 1991; Levy & Williams, 1998).

Validity

In Levy and Williams (1998), performance appraisal system knowledge cor­ related positively with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and perceptions of fairness.

Source

Items

Responses are obtained using a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree.

1. I understand the performance appraisal system being used in my agency
2. My supervisor and I concur on the meaning of the criteria used in the performance appraisal system
3. I understand the objectives of the present performance appraisal system
4. I have a real understanding of how the performance appraisal system works
5. I do not understand how my last performance appraisal rating was determined (R)
6. I know the criteria used by my employer to evaluate my performance
7. I understand the standards of performance my employer expects
8. My employer clearly communicates to me the objectives of the performance appraisal system
9. I would benefit from additional training in the process of the appraisal system (R)
10. Procedures regarding the performance appraisal system are not generally understood by the employees (R)
11. An attempt should be made to increase employees’ understanding of the performance appraisal system (R)

Items denoted with (R) are reverse scored.