(TIỂU LUẬN) addressing the issues of sally’s high variability ratings of her training seminars

[Case study mention with its key issues and consequences] The case study of Sally - employee in the training section of Floyd & Associates, has shown that Sally is facing issues regardin

ASSESSMENT TASK 3: CASE STUDY

Organization

Assignment Name Assessment Task 3: Case Study

Student Name

Student ID

I Introduction

[A theory opening about PM and Performance appraisal and evaluation with its benefits]

Performance appraisal and evaluation have long been implemented by companies in order to reflect and improve employee’s performance, which however presented great challenges for managers to personalize suitable processes for individuals’ contexts (Van Dijk- -&-Schodl 2015)-

[Case study mention with its key issues and consequences]

The case study of Sally - employee in the training section of Floyd & Associates, has shown that Sally is facing issues regarding the ineffective training seminar and performance evaluation process resulting in the lack of- -consistency in attendees’ ratings that remain unchanged over the past four years

[Paper outline with thesis and main parts mentioned]

In this essay, the process of finding the issues’ root cause Sally is facing will

be conducted, which will be addressed and analyzed with Sally in a -discussion so that a suitable improvement-plan can- -be implemented Furthermore, this process will be monitored and evaluated while implementing the improvement plan that focuses on coaching and Sally’s development Additionally, the information regarding Floyd- -&-Associates’s policies and operations will be presented based on appropriate assumptions

II Addressing the issues of Sally’s high variability ratings of her training seminars.

[1st step: Analyze the situation to diagnose the problem + relevant theory attached about the importance of this process]

The first stage to address the issues Sally faces is to analyze the situation to diagnose the problems Being a part of the performance appraisal process,

review and analyze collected data of employee’s performance are essentials

to clearly identify the employee’s progress and results to the organization’s standards and objectives (Mackay 2010)

-[Identify the key issue with evidence with evidence from the case + theory support]

With the collected data illustrates the high variability in Sally’s training seminar along with recent low-ratings from attendees, the general issue is identified as inconsistent ratings Moreover, the evaluation form completed

by attendees at the end of the class did-not provide- -information regarding feedback and suggestions after the seminars, which reflect the inadequate collecting feedback process in the training section of the company, specifically Sally’s works (Singh & Twalo- - -2015) Furthermore, when the problem is observed closely, Sally’s performance has been inconsistent over the past four years she worked at Floyd-&-Associates, which has -indicated-the-unsuitable and ineffective existing performance review and evaluation process Through the analyzing process, the issues have been clearly diagnosed to be: inconsistent ratings, inadequate collecting feedback -process and ineffective performance review -process

[2nd step: Approach to find the root cause with specific process by supporting theory + model]

For the second stage, root cause analysis (RCA) for existing problems is essential to the performance appraisal and evaluation process that will effectively solve existing issues (DeNisi &-Smith 2014)- By finding the root cause of the inconsistent ratings, inadequate collecting feedback process and ineffective performance review process through analyzing contributing factors, the RCA process can fundamentally contribute to the improvement strategies (Ershadi, Aiasi-& Kazemi 2018)- - Thus, the identified problems' root cause might come from the training department of Floyd-&-Associates, which need to be addressed on an organizational level Therefore, the RCA process

-is recommended to go through the process of: identifying contributing factors, eliminating-the impractical contributing- - -factors, collecting-relevant evidence and feedback, brainstorming the causes and effects and evaluating- -the identified root cause to effectively solve -the problem

Figure-1 The suggested Root Cause Analysis process - - -

-To begin with, the identified issues could be driven from contributing factors: knowledge and skill, ability, condition, standards and measurements, motivation and feedback (Koliba, Campbell-&-Zia-2011) With deeper analysis, information shows that Sally has the suitable qualifications, prior experience doing similar work, and proper research regarding the standards and the needs of her training seminars, which has shown that Sally has the sufficient knowledge, skill and understanding to conduct training seminars and it is likely not the root cause of the problem (Mahto-&-Kumar 2008) -However, causes like: not up-to-date training contents, classroom operating styles, presentation styles, might occur and therefore this need to be examined through surveys or interviews of the recent participants to fully understand the situation

To effectively brainstorming the remaining factors, the fishbone diagram is recommended to systemize the causes and their effects on Sally’s performance as well as the company’s operation and success, which can be narrowed down to identify the final root cause of the issues (Coccia 2018) Then, collecting the relevant feedback and evidence of the identified factors need to be implemented through comparing between the participants, time periods, teaching approaches, incentives and relationships between her high-rating classes and low-high-rating classes, along with how Sally adapts to changes

in recent environments to identify the causes of the issue, which all need to

be identified and analyzed clearly with relevant evidence and feedback (Medina-Oliva et al 2012; Rusu, Avasilcăi & Huţu- - -2016) On the other hand,

if the contributing factors are driven from the training department on an organizational level, feedback and evidence on a wider and deeper scale with various sources of information need to be collected to ensure the justice and critical analysis of the situation

Lastly, the root cause of the identified problems and the contributing factors need to be evaluated to be effectively solved In this case, it is crucial to understand the extent that the problem can be solved, with its barriers and the suitable approaches that can be done to develop the improvement plan Depending on the root cause of the problem, the improvement plan will be developed with appropriate approaches that best solve the problem and are encouraged to be implemented Through the-RCA-process, the identified root cause is crucial for the organization to understand the initial cause that had stimulated all the contributing factors which will fundamentally contribute to the improvement of Sally’s performance appraisal process

III Build a effective appraisal process and improvement plan

along discussion with Sally

[Importance of performance management system and its functions theory]

As it is well-known that performance appraisal is a system for assessing employees' output, identifying their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their productivity, it is also known as the process of arranged meetings between an employee and their manager that occurs on a regular basis to identify the individual's accomplishment and capacity building objectives (Dauda &-Luki-2021)

[Interpret the system with theory evidence support + case application]

According to studies, the performance appraisal conversation is detected as

a threat to employees as they felt exposed and criticized, which has led to denial of changes and conflict relationships, particularly Gallup’s research shows that only 14% of employees strongly think that their performance appraisal motivates them to work better (Iqbal-et al 2013;- - Idowu 2017;- -Sutton & Wigert- - -2019) Therefore, an effective performance appraisal process focusing not only on improving ratings but also Sally’s growth and development should be implemented, through the process of: preparation before the meeting, appraisal and improvement plan developing, coaching and monitoring the progress of improvement

Figure 2 The-recommended performance- - appraisal-process.

1 Meeting with Sally to discuss about the improvement

-plan

The first step of this process is preparation, planning for the appraisal process and understanding the performance gaps Although the existing -feedback collecting is inadequate and causes confusion and obscure analysis, it is helpful to note down Sally’s- performance-gaps: contributing effects and root cause of Sally’s low performance as well as the positive approaches of her high performance Hence, collected data and information- -should-be analysed to form a general improvement plan with recommendations to enhance the effective performance appraisal during the conversation with Sally, which shows descriptiveness and future-focused during the performance appraisal conversation (Ossenberg,-Henderson & -Mitchell-2019) During this process, performance-gaps between appraisers'- -and Sally’s views on the performance need to be addressed, which can avoid unwanted conflicts, biases and misunderstandings (Sanders- -et al 2018) -Particularly, the meeting with Sally can be- - - -done one-to-one in a formal environment such-as-a-common-meeting office that can be-booked

beforehand during an agreed time that Sally suggested, as this would enhance privacy and create a comfortable communication environment for-Sally

During the appraisal process, the appraiser should apply employee-centered communication along with performance coaching during reviews, evaluation and forming the improvement plan As communication is an essential element of successful performance appraisal, two-ways communication with sympathy and transparency can deliver common understanding and interpretation regarding the discussed ideas (Bartz 2017) Specifically, the -communication during Sally’s appraisal need to be reflecting - show the desire to understand Sally’s situation by periodically reviewing, summarizing and clarify what Sally expressed; exploring - examine Sally’s ideas-by-questions to obtain contradictory- - - -information, acceptance- -mutual respects

-by actively listening and giving unbiased opinions from both the appraisers and Sally (Seemann, Stofkova-&-Binasova-2020) Thus, appraisers -should-implement performance coaching when providing Sally feedback as it is a sensitive process which can cause conflicts and misunderstanding Specifically, good-performance should be- - -reviewed first to point out effective approaches in her high-rating classes, which partly ease out the conversation and enhance the relationship-before-the following evaluation- - -process (Al-Jedaia & Mehrez 2020).- -

-With studies showing that evaluation is a threatening process for employees, -appraisers are encouraged-to use the performance- - - -coaching approaches to enhance the satisfaction for both parties while avoiding conflict (McFarlin-&-Sweeney-1992; Cook-&-Crossman-2004) While performance feedback and review focus on evaluating past performance, it is suggested for appraisers

to implement performance coaching - essentially problem-solving with an emphasis on identifying what will encourage a staff member to be more productive with collaborative discussion about solutions to improve

performance (Hillman,-Schwandt & Bartz- - -1990; Bartz 2017) Particularly, the implemented-process encourages Sally to self-evaluate her performance before discussing the identified issues and its root cause, then provide all the -evaluations with collected data in accordance to task related objectives and -enhance collaborative communication to build an improvement plan This will-create a trusting and supportive environment for the appraiser to -motivate Sally reflecting her performance while identifying suitable -objectives for the improvement plan, with employee development and -potential being prioritized to avoid conflicts and uncooperation (Gesme-&-Wiseman-2011; Sabir 2016)

-Regarding the improvement plan, the solutions must be built based on the evaluated root cause, with future performance should be evaluated in accordance-with suitable measurements and objectives To effectively-construct the improvement plan, the need for innovative performance -measurements and objectives are observed, as they can effectively reflect the root cause As formal ratings procedure and annual or quarterly-feedback are not suitable for the agile business environment anymore, companies-like Deloitte, Accenture-and-KPMG updating their performance appraisal process using enhanced rating processes and using a broader range of data as well

as provide more frequent feedback and evaluation (Cappelli &- -Tavis 2016; -Murphy 2020) Therefore, it is suggested for the appraiser and Sally to discuss the suitable performance measurement-and objectives with updated- -attendees evaluation forms including specific expectation, feedback and recommendation to effectively reflect Sally’s training seminar (Rivera et al- -2021) Since-studies found that setting clear expectations can enhance both productivity and engagement, the appraiser may clarifies the expectations and standards of Sally’s work task with specific goals set by Sally - the performance goals she want to achieve as well as the development goals (skills, knowledge…) she want to enhance During this process, it is crucial to -compare past-objectives-to find out more appropriate and- -effective

objectives from Sally’s RCA process (Boice & Kleiner 1997; Islami, Mulolli & Mustafa 2018)

Then, discussed solutions regarding the improvement plan should be clarified

of its impact and implemented based on the conducted RCA process, the agreed-measurements and Sally focusing on the development and improvement according to the goals she has set earlier Specifically, prescribing solutions can be coaching and training if the root cause is -knowledge and skill, flexible work models and health tracking if the root cause is Sally’s mental or physical ability, providing suitable tools and assistance if the root cause is working condition, etc By- -implementing appropriate solutions-according-to the issues’ root cause and Sally’s development goals, this will create a growth mindset for Sally to accept- -changes and work on improving her performance (Derler,-Sanders & Steel -2019) However, it-is-also crucial for - the appraiser to point out possible challenges that might- - -occur during this process, explain the possible -repercussion-and motivate-Sally-to clarify the process and engage her in -ỉmproving the performance (Sabir-2016)

Lastly, the improvement plan should provide Sally with constant performance coaching and feedback to provide real-time evaluation-and enhance the- - -effectiveness During the process, it is crucial for not only the supervisor but -also participants and colleagues to track the progress with collaborative feedback Moreover, real-time and constant feedback from both parties -should be enhanced, as studies show that weekly feedback from- - -various-sources led to 5 times more engaged and-motivated-performance, with companies like General Electric, IBM, (Cappelli-&-Tavis 2016) Mid-plan adjustment is also enhanced by checking with Sally of what is working well and what is not, specify it with-a-RCA process and adjust the improvement -plan in accordance with the collected information (Lüftenegger- - -et al 2018)

-In this process, Sally’s manager should play the role of- - -creating a- -learning