The Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal Systems: Employee Relations and Human Resource Management

Performance Appraisals (PA) is a tool which is associated with employee performance evaluation. Researchers tend to disagree on the effectiveness of these systems. Academics claim that PAs improve employees' performance through commitment, motivation and output increases, whilst providing an optimal basis for a reward system and training needs. Conversely, it is argued that PAs are flawed from inception since they are subjective, biased and unfair. The study critically assesses research on PAs and their effectiveness towards company goals, whilst identifying a set of criteria to test the extent of their effectiveness. The findings reject the notion that PAs are totally flawed and ineffective. The investigation discloses that HR Practitioners experience difficulties in assessing PAs fairness. The author recommends a number of initiatives to improve appraisees' productivity as a direct result of PAs outcome, thus ensuring their effectiveness. Although the study reaffirms the scholars' claim that PAs effectiveness is a very debatable subject, HR Practitioners still consider PAs as vital to manage employee performance throughout the foreseeable future.

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Chapter 3, Methodology:
3.1, Chapter introduction:
This chapter incorporates a description on how the collation of both primary and secondary data was done. This is supported with justifications within the field research targeting manufacturing firms operating in Malta. The sampling technique selected for interviewing participants is presented on justified criteria, clarifying the grounds on which options were discarded. An explanation on the procedures adopted within the interview structure follows. Moreover, the chapter expounds the methods employed in evaluating the effectiveness of PAs based on criteria derived from the literature review. The rating system applied to each theme within the field research follows. The chapter concludes by a description of ethical considerations applied by the researcher throughout this study.
3.2, Research development
Throughout the study the methods used were verified and defended as suggested by Bryman and Bell (2007). The researcher was fully aware that the investigation under review contributes towards a profound academic understanding, specifically when the research gap was identified. This is in line with the perspective of Saunders et al. (2009) who argued that a researcher takes off with vague ideas, and at a later stage, channels the research to attain specific pre-determined objectives. After the dissertation title was specified, the identification of key terms, such as PAs effectiveness, benefits and flaws within such systems were investigated.
3.3, The contribution of primary and secondary research:
It was deemed pertinent to gather primary data in order to measure the extent of PAs effectiveness as perceived by HR Practitioners. Easterby-Smith et al. (2008) goes to the extent by claiming that a dissertation is deemed to be incomplete whenever primary research is excluded. The researcher followed the line of thinking adopted by Easterby-Smith et al. (2008) in the compilation of the literature review. This approach is justified on the basis of credibility and helped the author to be more knowledgeable regarding the subject matter. The researcher sourced literature on PAs by employing primary sources including academic journals, textbooks, newspaper articles, research databases, web-sites and insightful articles on electronic journals. Sufficient care was taken in the selection of literature content, so as not to be biased by any subjective perspectives on the part of the authors.
3.4, Distinguishing between qualitative and quantitative data:
Bryman and Bell (2007) state that qualitative data differs from the quantitative counterpart, since the former is factual while the latter is numerical. The researcher opted for a qualitative rather than quantitative primary research throughout this study based on Robson s (2002) model. A selection was carried out amongst exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research, since the underlying objective of the investigation changed throughout the life-cycle of the dissertation. The exploratory study approach was selected since it helped to explore whether PAs are effective. This method provided the benefits of flexibility, as a constructive platform so as to identify the study areas of PAs.
3.5, Selecting the sampling technique:
The exploratory approach adopted throughout this research entailed a systematic sampling on the views adopted by HR Practitioners within manufacturing firms operating in Malta. Saunders et al. (2009) highlighted that sampling methods can be classified within two arenas: probability and non-probability sampling. The field research undertaken at the manufacturing firms in Malta was based on a non-probability sampling. Patton (2002) remarks, that the sample size is very much reliant on the objective of the field research questions. As Saunders et al. (2009) argue, the use of non-probability sampling is suitable when qualitative data is being collated through the use of interviews. The res