2. A 1996 paper reported that 25% of companies use some form of upward or multisource feedback survey process (Antonioni 1996)
Terms of Reference Term Definition Performance Appraisal For the purposes of this study, this term generally refers to the periodic evaluation of employee performance. Performance Management This term refers to "a strategic and integrated approach of increasing the effectiveness of organizations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors" (Armstrong & Baron 1998, 38)
On the one hand, to the extent that companies allow ratees to participate in the rater selection process is likely the extent to which the feedback provided will be inflated and therefore of diminished value; on the other hand, to the extent that ratees are not allowed to participate in the rater selection process is also likely the extent to which they will regard the feedback -- especially negative feedback -- with a "grain of salt" (Becton & Schraeder 2004). Notwithstanding the increased popularity of the 360-degree feedback approach, there also remains a paucity of studies available concerning the validity of the ratings on which the approach is based (Atkins & Wood 2002)
23). Not surprisingly, these more robust reports of performance provided by multisource evaluations have resulted in a number of positive outcomes, including: (a) better performance information; (b) more reliable ratings than those from a single supervisor; and (c) improved ratee performance following receipt of the feedback (Becton & Schraeder 2004, p
In 2000, a follow-up report indicated that as many as 12% to 29% of all U.S. organizations were using this method (Church 2000)
6. Managers confronting organizational change recognize the importance of being attuned to the changing expectations of multiple constituencies, and they realize that this requires continuous learning (Dalessio 1998)
In addition, Green reports that the 360-degree feedback approach can also be used to assess the performance of leadership teams. An important point to note is that the weaknesses that are identified through the 360-degree feedback approach are termed "improvement areas" while an individual's strengths are behavioral based and that all survey information from the multiple sources used is collected anonymously (Green 2002)
, employees are assigned a grade or number that identifies the top performing employees compared to the worst performing employees. This type of appraisal system might be used by companies in the event they are considering downsizing and need to identify their best employees (Kulik, 2004)
In this regard, London makes this minor but potentially important distinction clear: "Multisource feedback refers to ratings that can come from subordinates, peers, supervisors, internal customers, external customers, or others. When feedback comes from all the locations around a person (boss, subordinates, suppliers, customers) it is also called "360-degree" feedback" (London 2003, 67)
73). Indeed, the use of 360-degree feedback is now regarded as an essential element in any leadership development initiative, and its use within organizations is increasing significantly to the extent that it has been described as being one of the most important human resource interventions of the last decade (Storey 2004)
Irrespective of who is interviewed, what instruments are used, and what performance metrics are assigned, when more than one rater is used, there will be a corresponding increase in the amount of resources needed to support the evaluation method, a consideration that is especially salient for the 360-degree feedback method, making an assessment of its effectiveness for this purpose equally important. While much of the attention being directed at the 360-degree feedback approach is relatively recent, the approach itself dates back to the mid-20th century although informal or variations on the theme were in use prior to that time (Weiss & Kolberg 2003)
For instance, Wimer notes that in recent years, "Most organizations use it for multisource feedback as part of their management development or performance appraisal processes, or on an ad hoc basis with individuals. The idea is that if employees are armed with better self-awareness, they can make important changes in their work behavior" (Wimer 2004, p
They can easily devolve into popularity contests, deliver damaging and blunt messages, and be corrupted by people who solicit biased ratings to take unfair advantage of the system. Multirater methods also show low levels of interrater agreement and are subject to considerable halo because raters are usually poorly trained, if at all" (Zaccaro & Klimoski 2001, p
Development can mean a lot of things, yet in terms of Organizational Development it is the act of planning and implementing strategies for progressing. The concept of Organizational Development relies on planning as a major foundation for future success (Rouda & Kusy, 1995)
Organizational Development The Understanding and Application of Knowledge in Organizational Development The understanding and application of knowledge in organizational development is very important. Organizations want and need to grow and develop if they are to remain viable and relevant in their marketplace (Argyris & Schon, 1978; Carter, 2004)
This will show the value of these areas and how they can be applied to life situations in various capacities. While most people only think of organizational development from a business and professional standpoint, the principles that go along with it can also be used from a personal standpoint (Brown, 2004; Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995)
Applying organizational development knowledge to situations within an organization or personal relationship can be difficult, but there are techniques that can be learned and that will help to make things easier. Understanding organizational development knowledge is not the same thing as being able to apply that knowledge correctly (Carter, 2004; Brown, 2004)
The ability to apply organizational development knowledge to organizational situations is one of the most important skills a person can have. There are many different situations faced by organizations, but knowledge of proper organizational development techniques can be used in all of those situations and can also be used in personal situations of different types (Griffin & Minors, 2004)
There is no reason why a person would not want to use the information gained through organizational development, because the techniques and knowledge base can only benefit others and will not cause detrimental difficulties. Organizational development is a large part of learning, and when a person or a business needs to further develop skills and abilities, that development can be a significant part of being able to move forward (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Sullivan, 2010)
Organizations want and need to grow and develop if they are to remain viable and relevant in their marketplace (Argyris & Schon, 1978; Carter, 2004). In order for them to do that, they must be ready for the future and willing to embrace change (Sullivan, 2010)