Contents

Introduction ii

Activity 1. 1-4

Activity 2 5-8

Conclusion 8

References 9

i
 Introduction

Quantum Inc is a small Information Technology firm located in Jamaica. They seek to

upgrade their performance management system by incorporating a result approach in measuring

performance. In this assignment, we seek to evaluate Quantum’s appraisal form against

components that should be present in one. We also attempt to recommend changes to the form

and state the repercussion if these changes are not done.

Quantum also formulated what they think is a communication plan. We attempted to

improve the plan by stating what was missing and recommended some key additions for the plan

to be effective. Finally, we illustrate why we would recommend the changes and the impact these

changes would make if they were to be administered.

ii
 Activity 1.

Present a detailed evaluation of the Appraisal Form – Appendix A’s content against the Major

Components of Appraisal Forms as presented by Aguinis and also Quantum’s stated

requirement.

The content of the appraisal form was evaluated against the Major Components of

Appraisal Forms by Aguinis and these were our findings. The Major Components consist of

basic employee information, accountability, objectives and standards, competencies and

indicators, major achievements and contributions, developmental achievements, developmental

needs, plans and goals, stakeholders input, employee comments and signatures. Quantum Inc.

appraisal form asks for employee’s basic information. The form asks employees to state the

nature of their duties, which would be accountabilities however there are no objectives, standards

or way of rating their performance. There were 21 competencies listed on the form with a rating

scale, grading 1 - 5 and what each signifies. At the starting of the appraisal form by Quantum

Inc., raters asked employees to put any academic qualifications and professional courses

attended, these are a form of developmental achievements. However, developmental needs, plans

and goals, major achievements and contributions and stakeholders input were not asked for.

Lastly, raters ask for employees' comments and signatures.

In summary, evaluating Quantum Inc. appraisal form against Aguinis major components of

appraisal form are shown in the table presented below. The tick in the box means that the

component is present in the Quantum Inc. appraisal form. The present components of Aguinis

major components of appraisal form that are in the form of Quantum Inc. are basic employee

information, developmental

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achievements, employees comments and signatures. The components that are not acknowledged

are accountabilities, objectives and standards, competencies and indicator, major achievements

and contributions, developmental needs, plans and goals and stakeholder inputs. Quantum Inc.

should ensure that all necessary components are present before implementing this appraisal form.

Quantum Inc. Appraisal Form against Aguinis Major Components of Appraisal Form

Basic Employee Information 

Accountabilities, Objectives and Standards 

Competencies and Indicators 

Major Achievements and Contributions 

Developmental Achievements 

Developmental Needs, Plans and Goals 

Stakeholder Input 

Employee Comments 

Signatures 

Based on the evaluation above, it is confirmed that changes, further developments, and

subtractive actions should be taken for a more effective evaluation tool. Concerning Quantum

Inc.'s appraisal form, it is recommended that the company revisit the form and use a more

modernized and user-friendly design to facilitate a more smooth navigation. The outline is a bit

confusing where requirements and headings are not explicitly identified and can be a challenge

for the employee and the appraisers. However, based on the evaluation, more specific

readjustments can be made as in the following:

● The heading “Duties for the period under review” can be renamed to “Accountabilities,

objectives and standards” and expanded it to include the objectives agreed upon by the

2
 employee and his/her manager along with the extent to which the objectives should be

achieved, the standards.

● In addition, the company should incorporate a section on the appraisal for major

achievements and contributions to recognize the significant achievements the employees

have achieved for the period under review.

● The appraisal form did provide several competencies and indicators, however, the

competencies aren’t defined. Therefore, Quantum Inc. should provide clear definitions

for the 21 competencies identified so that the employees understand the scope of each

competency.

● The recommendations heading of the appraisal form can be identified as the

developmental needs, plans, and goals component, however, we think that the company

can allow for more customized responses to cater to specific developmental needs and

goals than having a fixed list.

● Based on the evaluation, we advise the company to also incorporate a new section to

acquire stakeholders' feedback on the employee's performance. These stakeholders may

include customers, subordinates, and colleagues.

If Quantum Inc. does not make the necessary amendments, the following negative consequences

may occur:

● Inaccurate and unjust appraisals: Without a clear and thorough understanding of the

employee's accountabilities, objectives, and standards, appraisers may struggle to

effectively assess their performances, and employees may not fully comprehend what is

expected of them. This might result in unfair assessments that do not fully represent the

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 ● employee's efforts, as well as confusion, decreased productivity, and poorer work

satisfaction.

● Failure to acknowledge successes: Without a specific area to highlight big achievements

and contributions, employees' noteworthy accomplishments may go unnoticed.

Employees may feel devalued and unappreciated as a result of this. This might have a

detrimental influence on their morale and drive to complete their tasks.

● Misinterpretation of competencies: The absence of precise definitions for the stated

competences on the appraisal form may result in misunderstandings and discrepancies in

how they are evaluated. This might lead to unfair comparisons between employees and a

lack of clear improvement direction.

● Generic developmental feedback: A specified list of recommendations may not address

each individual employee's distinct and unique needs and goals. As a result, they may get

general and inadequate feedback that fails to give meaningful actions for improvement,

thus limiting their professional growth and development.

● Without stakeholder input, the assessment may not offer a clear picture of the employee's

performance since it lacks crucial insight from people who have firsthand knowledge and

are affected by said performances. As a result, biased or inaccurate evaluations of

individual performance may arise.

Quantum Inc. may miss out on opportunities to improve employee performance, discover areas

for development, and cultivate a more engaged and productive workforce if the appraisal form is

not modified.

4
 Activity 2

Review the plan and make recommendations for improvement. Explain clearly why you are

making these recommended changes.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a part of the U.S. The Department

of Education defined a communication plan as a strategic blueprint for delivering consistent,

coordinated, and targeted messaging to achieve specific goals. Aguinis (2018) states that a good

communication plan should be able to answer the following questions: “What is performance

management?” “How does performance management fit into our strategy?” “What’s in it for

me?” “How does it work?” “What are my responsibilities?” “How is performance management

related to other initiatives?”

Quantum communication plan does require some adjustments/improvements in order to

achieve specific goals. The first recommendation would be that instead of email being sent only

to the department head it should be sent to all employees to ensure that information regarding the

performance management system is widely disseminated in the organization (Aguinis, 2018).

This allows awareness amongst members of the organization as it relates to any changes in the

performance management system. Implementation of the plan requires many players and also

credible communicators, as such, communicating to only top management will set the plan up for

failure. The next recommended improvement would be to relate core competencies to the

organization's strategic goals as well and not just for specific divisions within the organization.

After all, each division should be working toward executing and achieving the organization’s

5
goal. This would answer the question, “what’s in it for me”, people typically embrace things if

they were a part of the creative process.

Furthermore, the Quantum communication plan should make mention that meetings will

be held for a subset of different reasons. The use of email to tell employees how the system will

work can hinder the employees from discussing any queries that they might find with the system.

Without meetings, there may also be limited ideas pouring into the company and considering that

they are a technological firm it is vital that new ideas are always welcome in an open way

without barriers. It is clear that one of the responsibilities of the supervisor is to disseminate

information to employees; however, the detailing of the other responsibilities of the supervisor

should also be communicated in this plan and not just to the employees. Ensuring that

supervisors are equipped with a better understanding of the systems will enable them to be in a

better position to answer any questions or address any concerns that the employees might have

with the system. Final recommendation would be to include other activities that would take place

in order for supervisors and employees to be familiarized and well-rounded with the performance

management system as this could result in promotions and performance base pays. Trainings and

workshops could be put into place to enable workers with the understanding and knowledge of

reaching targets.

Even after the changes have been made, it is important to know that the communication

plan might still be ineffective. This is fact because people think differently and biases such as

selective exposure, perception and retention may occur. These in a nutshell are the fact that

employees select aspects of the system that are familiar with their way of thinking and perceive it

a certain way. This may also influence other employees to view the system the same way.

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However, in limiting these biases, Quantum Inc may involve the employee as much as possible

from conception stage. This makes them feel apart and not being forced by the organization

against their will. Management should also be intimate with employees needs and frame the

system in such a way that these needs can be met through performance management. As an

organization, Quantum should aim to make the information being disseminated as transparent

and credible as possible. This can be achieved by putting out written communication so people

can be accountable for the information. This information should also be realistic and truthful; in

other words “do not sell dreams”. In the company, you may find employees who can influence

the masses, you may use these employees to gain some sense of acceptance of the system.

Finally, seeing that individuals have their own individual biases, the information should be

shared frequently to clear up any misinterpretations of the system. It should be put out in a

different way so that people can become familiar with the content of the system. This will

answer all questions that employees might have about the system and clear all scrutiny of it.

Because employees generally see the Human Resources Department as the enemy, the appeal

process should be firmly and transparently communicated. In such a case, it would be good if

departments other than HR could share the information to gain some level of credibility.

Appealing a decision is critical to the adaptation of the plan; employees should feel confident in

the system. Also, they would be more confident if they were aware that the evaluators are trained

and equipped with the proper knowledge about the system and how to effectively rate an

employee.

For Quantum Inc communication plans to work they must adapt to certain changes.

Transparency and effective communication of the plan are key to the acceptance of the plan. This

7
will minimize biases and misinterpretations, which can cause the communication to be extremely

ineffective.

Conclusion
Based on our analysis, Quantum Inc performance appraisal form and communication plan

requires adjustment in order to achieve its goals. The performance appraisal form should be

modified to include a user friendly design, explicit headings and definitions for its competencies.

Additionally, the form should incorporate a section for stakeholder input and major

achievements and contributions. The company’s communication plan on the other hand, will

benefit from the abovementioned recommendations such as sharing the plan with all members

within the organization, relate core competencies to the organization’s strategic goals, holding

meetings to discuss the plan to everyones who is involved among others.

By implementing these changes, Quantum Inc can create a more effective performance

appraisal form and communication plan that will help to improve its overall employee

performances, engagement and satisfaction.

8
 References
Aguinis. (2018). Performance management, 4e.

REL Southwest. (n.d.). Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a part of the U.S. Department of

Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/regions/southwest/publications/pdf/5.2.10-comm-

plan-508.pdf