The road to performance ratings is paved with intentions

Abstract

Employee performance appraisals are complex events in organizations. They occur in contextually rich environments and have implications for careers, training opportunities, remuneration, and interpersonal relationships. For years, the study of performance appraisals has mirrored this complexity and has revealed a multitude of variables that can influence the accuracy of performance ratings. Of late, the importance of managers’ intentions as a determinant of performance ratings has gained prominence. What is less understood is where these intentions come from and what determines their relative strength or weakness. In the current paper, we present a model that explains the simultaneous presence and strength of multiple rating intentions that managers can have when rating employee performance.