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Questionnaire on Performance Management System
Disclaimer: The data gathered through this interview schedule would
be used exclusively for the purpose of academic research only
Section – A: General Profile of Respondents:
1. Sex: Male Female
2. Age group: 25 – 35 36-45 46+
3. Designation : _______________________
4. Experience
a. Less than 1 year b. 2-4years c. 5-7 years d. More than 7 years
5. Which of the following economic sectors best describes your organization?
a) Public Sector b) Private Sector-
manufacturing
c) Private Sector – Service d) others (pls. specify)
6. Approximately how many people are employed in your organisation?
a) Less than 100 b) 101-500 c) 501-1000 d) More than 1001
Section B: Nature of current performance management systems:
1. Does your organisation operate a formal performance management system?
a) Yes b) No
2. If yes, which of the following groups of employees do these processes
apply to?
Senior Managers Other Managers/team leaders
Technical/ Clerical Professionals
Manual/ Blue Collar
3. How do the performance management processes you operate differ
between
the above groups?
a) Adoption of different methods of appraisal for different groups
b) Extensive use of self-appraisal for certain bands of employees
c) Adopting different time spans of appraisal for the different groups
4. What are the techniques that are used in your organization for assessing
performance?
a) Observation b) Assessment and Development Centers d) Checklists
e) Others pls. specify ___________________________________
5. Please indicate which of the following methods of performance appraisal
form a part of your system?
a) Written Essay method f) Critical Incident assessment
b) Graphic rating scales g) Behavioural Assessment (BARS)
c) Ranking method h) Paired Comparison Method
d) 360 degree appraisal i) Forced distribution method
e) Self appraisal j) Balance Score card
k) Any other pls. specify_______________

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6. Are the following processes a part of your performance management
systems?
a) Coaching b) Training and development
c) Career management & development d) Succession planning
plans
7. Who sets the performance goals/requirements for individuals?
a) Senior Managers b) Line managers/Team
leaders
c) HR professionals d) Appraisee
e) Appraiser & Appraisee e) Others (pls. specify)
8. Why do you have performance management systems in your
organisation? (Please tick as many boxes as appropriate)
Retention strategy Reward allocation
Identification of training and development needs Facilitates
Promotions & Transfers & Termination decisions To clarify an
employee’s job requirements Identifying barriers to performance
Motivational Strategy.
9. How are individual, team and organizational objectives linked?
a. Cascading of goals(Top – down approach)
b. By enabling employees to see how their job contributes to the
overall
objectives of the organisation through frequent interactions.
c. Comparing employee performance with work groups
10. What are the determinants for job performance in your organisation?
Organizational Culture Technology
Competency of the employee Intelligence
Attitude Aptitude
Section – C: Perceptions of HR Professionals about Performance
Management Systems:
1) What according to you is the most challenging aspect of performance
management?
a) Determining the evaluation criteria
b) Creating a rating instrument
c) Lack of competence
d) Errors in rating and evaluation
e) Resistance
2) What is the difference between performance appraisal and performance
management?
a) They are the same b) Performance management has a wider scope.
3) The quality management guru Edward Deming had called performance
management as a “deadly disease”. Do you agree with him? a) Yes b) No

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4) Success of performance management systems depend on:
a) Alignment of individual goals to organizational goals
b) Choosing the right method of appraisal
5) How is performance -linked pay related to performance management in your
organization?
a) Performance – Linked incentives
b) Promotions coupled with salary increase
c) Provision of Fringe Benefits
d) Providing ESOP’s
6) Who should own the performance management system?
a) Line managers
b) HR Managers
c) Employees
7) Do performance appraisals get done because the system requires it in your
organisation? ( i.e. is it a bureaucratic chore)?a) Yes b) No
8) Does performance management distract people from more important activities?
a) Yes b) No
9) According to you performance management involves:
a) Looking backwards
b) Filling forms
c) Focuses on development and fostering communication
d) Any other, pls. specify______________
10) What is the relevance of human judgement in a Performance Management
System?
a) Highly relevant
b) Has no place in competency – based performance management
Section – D: Process of Performance Management
1. Do you give an overall rating for performance?
a) Yes b) No
2. If yes, what sort of feedback do you give?
a) Numerical/alphabetical b) Verbal(all positive)
c) Verbal (positive and negative) d) Combination of the above
e) Others (pls. specify)
3. Documentation of performance reviews is the function of:
a) HR department b) Line Manager/ Project Manager
c) Individual d) others (pls. specify)
4. Do you have a separate appraisal system for evaluating teams?
a) Yes b) No
5. Do you undertake performance planning?
a) Yes b) No
6. If yes, when is performance planning carried out?
a) Hiring or transferring employees
b)Business plans are newly developed. c) Annual performance and
development reviews have been completed
7. How many meetings are scheduled in a year to discuss employee
performance?
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 or more
8. Did the following people receive training in performance management
techniques? (Please tick as many boxes as appropriate)

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All Employees Other Managers/team leaders
Heads of departments Appraisers
HR Team None
9.Are there trade unions operating in your organisation?
a) Yes b) No
10. If yes, were the current performance management arrangements agreed
with the union? a) Yes b) No
11. What was the attitude of the union(s)?
a) Positive b) Neutral
c) Negative
Section E: Analysis on Issues in Performance Management:
1. What in your opinion are the causes for failure of performance appraisal
system? a) Lack of role clarity b) Interval of appraisals c) Lack of
communication by superiors d) Any other pls.
specify______________________________
2. What are the stages of performance management during which you
communicate with your employees?
a. Goal-setting stage
b. Data-gathering stage
c. Mid – term reviews
d. Annual Reviews
3. Do you use any of the following to reduce subjectivity and bias in the
performance appraisal system?
a) Multiple raters b) Critical Incidents
c) Continuous Observation d) Peer review
outcomes
e) Selective evaluation f) Training evaluators
4. What do you do when you identify poor performers post your review
session?
a) Training b) Improvement coaching
d) Relocation e) Dismissal/discharge
5. As an appraiser which role do you think you perform better?
a) Judge b) Helper c) Both
6. Do you believe that the entire process can be carried out objectively?
a) Yes b) No
7. Your opinion on employee self-appraisal?
a) Highly beneficial b) Beneficial to a certain degree
c) tends to be inflated d) Not beneficial at all
8 .In which of the following situations you find yourself uncomfortable:
(pls. tick as many options as appropriate)
a) Appraising distant subordinate
b) Appraising technically superior subordinate
c) The older, highly experienced subordinates
d) The highly compensated individual
e) Dealing with unrealistic expectations
f) Coping with employee defensiveness
9. What according to you would constitute psychological barriers to effective
performance appraisal?

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a) Feelings of insecurity
b) Being too skeptical or modest
c) Worrying that performance appraisal might cause resentment to
subordinates.
10. Do you believe that linking rewards to performance would:
a) motivate employees b) compound problems
Section F: Effectiveness of Performance Management Systems and methods
used in evaluation:
1. Is there a formal system for evaluation of performance management
practices of the organisation?
a) Yes b) No
2. If yes, please specify the process you use, to evaluate.
a) Opinion/ attitude surveys b) Informal feedback (verbal)
c) Formal Feedback (written) d) Others (pls. specify)
3. What strategies of your organization have been linked to the performance
management systems to make it more effective?
a) Reward Strategy b) Culture Strategy
c) Team work strategy d) Leadership strategy
4. Is attrition rate computed in your organisation after the performance
appraisal?
a) Yes b) No
5. If yes, what do the trends suggest with regard to attrition during the post
appraisal phase?
a) Increase in employee turnover
b) Decrease in employee turnover
6. In general, how effective has your organization’s performance management
processes proved in improving overall performance?
a) Effective b) Moderately effective c) Ineffective d) Don’t
Know
7. Which according to you would improve effectiveness of an organization’s
performance management process?
a) Bureaucratic approach b) Participative approach
8. Are you going to make any changes to your performance-management
systems in the next 12 months?
a) Yes b) No c) Don’t Know
9. If yes, in what aspect of performance management would you introduce the
change?_______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
10. Are there any other comments you would like to make about your
performance management arrangements not covered in the questions above?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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