First Advisor

Walter Ellis

Date of Publication

1995

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Administration and Policy

Department

Public Affairs and Policy

Language

English

Subjects

Employees -- Rating of, Corporate culture

DOI

10.15760/etd.1154

Physical Description

1 online resource (vi, 153, [38] pages)

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between an organization's culture and its performance appraisal (PA) system and process. The initial phase of this study involved examining an organization's culture and the properties of its performance appraisal system from organizational archival information. Information derived from this phase of the study was later utilized to formulate interview questions, guide the search for the organizational culture survey instrument, and to construct the performance appraisal perceptions measuring instrument. This latter instrument is a quantitative measure that was later employed in testing the primary hypothesis that stated the performance appraisal process had a positive effect on organizational culture. The results of the hypotheses testing revealed that the PA process, in terms of individual member perceptions thereof, had a significant positive effect on the selected organizational cultural elements. Further analysis of the data revealed that members of the organization that had been recently appraised had statistically stronger positive perceptions towards the PA process and, therefore, stronger inclination towards the espoused cultural values. These findings make a strong case for using the performance appraisal process for the purpose of not only evaluating individual performance for various administrative goals, but for other goals related to creating, maintaining, and perpetuating the desired organizational culture. This suggests that organizational leadership (through its management), when designing its PA system should pay attention to the value system, or the culture, it wants to prevail in its organization and include this information along with other relevant performance measures into the PA structure. Such a policy can lead to the existence of an appropriate culture for that organization if, as the results of this study show, the managers and supervisors at all levels timely perform such appraisals for all their subordinates. Performance appraisal, which itself is often considered a structural element designed for organizational control, has the potential to have as much impact on an organization's culture as any other mode of communication. In that regard, this study takes a step towards looking at PA as one more criteria to be examined during organizational cultural studies and organizational intervention

Rights

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Comments

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Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/4588

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