Sample Case Study Analysis. This is a sample not a model.

You are expected to use it for guidance but it is not a prescription. You will also find that there are elements on which you can improve. It is short and does not cover all of the elements which a more full report would incorporate, however it should provide you with an idea of the approach to take. The selected case study is: Stone, RJ. (1998). The instant appraisal. In Human Resource Management (3rd Edn). Brisbane: Jacaranda Wiley. PICTURE 1 Prepare a report which outlines the issues to be addressed and suggests a course of action to the HR Director at Yarra Bank. This report must be well argued and supported by the literature, and must contain recommendations for action.

The instant appraisal A Case Study Analysis

This report is presented as a sample to guide students in preparing a case study analysis. The case the instant appraisal is attached with the assignment brief. Note: All references in this example are fictional.

Ima Student Student No: 81??????? MBS617 Lecturer: Eva Ridge

Executive Summary
Performance appraisal refers to the practice of formally assessing employee performance. It can be a valuable management tool for such activities as planning, training needs assessment, motivation, performance improvement or decision making if it is used appropriately. This paper outlines the issues to be addressed and suggests a course of action for the HR Manager at Yarra Bank where

a problem has arisen with performance appraisal. The key recommendations included in the report are: 1. : That a meeting between Henry and James be facilitated to allow Henry to hear James concerns regarding the manner of appraisal and a joint course of action be determined to resolve the immediate problem of James appraisal. An abstract presents in a paragraph the key issues raised by the paper and the key findings reached. An executive summary is just that a summary so that the busy executive can read it, know what the main thrust of the report and its recommendations are, and then decide whether or not to read the detail. The main differences tend to be in setting out an executive summary often contains dot points and the recommendations whereas the abstract is often one or two paragraphs. Not all of the executive summary is included here.

Table Of Contents
Introduction Assumptions Diagnosis of the problem. Suggested Courses of Action Conclusion List of References

Introduction
Performance appraisal refers to the practice of formally assessing employee performance. It can be a valuable management tool for such activities as planning, training needs assessment, motivation, performance improvement or decision making if it is used appropriately. The approach of one manager at Yarra Bank to the

Introduction: Tells the reader what the topic is, what the case under analysis covers and where your paper is going.

appraisal of his subordinates could be considered to be inappropriate. The manager, Henry Austin, has given the employees a completed appraisal form to read and sign over their lunch break. This paper outlines the issues to be addressed and suggests a course of action for the HR Manager at Yarra Bank.

Assumptions
It is assumed that the performance appraisal forms being used by Henry are part of an organisation wide appraisal system, developed implemented and administered by the HR department. Assumptions about the system in place are as follows: The system incorporates planning and review stages of appraisal which are designed to involve participation by the subordinate; training in these techniques was provided to the whole workforce. It is also assumed that that a check of the records indicates that Henry, James and Ken were recipients of training in the operation of the appraisal system

Diagnosis of the problem.

One of the major issues with performance appraisal is the gulf between the prescriptions for performance appraisal and their application in organisations (Minnesota & Cutter, 2005). The instant appraisal is a clear example of this gulf. Research indicates that for appraisal to be an effective tool for improving and maintaining performance the appraisal interview process must involve two way communication between appraiser and appraisee. It has been identified that employees are more likely to be satisfied with the appraisal interview when they have participated in the feedback interview (Ceder, 2002). Henry has not allowed his subordinates to have an interview or to participate in the appraisal process. There is evidence in the literature that Henrys actions may stem from several underlying causes. Long, Sims and Gavin (2007) suggest that many supervisors fail to adequately assess their subordinates for political reasons. Examples here include the realization that they must continue in a daily relationship with their subordinates, and the permanence of the documentation of appraisal ratings. The case study suggests that Henry may be afraid of being shown up by his subordinates who he may be afraid are more qualified. He may be avoiding a situation where he has to discuss individual performance so that he can maintain a distance to allow him to avoid finding out the truth of his fears. Research has shown that appraisal is more effective when the parties

Assumptions:. In this particular case the assumptions narrow the field for the writer, and demonstrate to the marker that the writer has an understanding of the wider PA process. In the workplace it would be possible to go and check whether these assumptions are correct.

Opening statement indicates direction of argument to follow.

hold a favourable attitude to its effectiveness (Long & Goff, 2002). Such an attitude could be reflected in the manner in which the appraisal is conducted. Henry may have no faith in the effectiveness of the performance appraisal process. For appraisal to be effective supervisors must have not only the skills to undertake appraisal, but also the willingness (Long et al, 2007). Sometimes the lack of willingness can stem from a lack of understanding of the potential benefits or the potential problems. It can also stem, however, from a more global lack of willingness by a peer group, or a culture which has failed to adopt performance appraisal into its values and norms (Cutter & Minnesota, 2005). Aside from the fact that PA is an expensive tool which is not being used to its full potential there are other potential problems which could arise. Henrys failure to undertake performance appraisal in an appropriate manner could lead to a lack of faith in the system from his subordinates, and ultimately a lack of trust in him. There is the potential for James to become disillusioned with Yarra Bank and leave. There is the potential also for James and Ken to model Henrys behavior in the future when they appraise their subordinates, and there is the potential for the expensive appraisal system to fail to meet its objectives, at least in the case of Henrys subordinates (Stamp, 2008).

Suggested Courses of Action

The HR Manager at Yarra Bank needs to be concerned with several levels of this problem. There is the immediate difficulty of the current situation, there is the medium term problem of how to alter Henrys behaviour, and there is the longer term problem of setting in place a culture which discourages such an attitude to performance appraisal. The prescriptive literature (eg Stamp, 2008) suggests that in a wellconstructed appraisal system there should be a grievance procedure or a complaints mechanism which James can resort to if he is unhappy with his appraisal. This includes the manner in which it is conducted not just the content of the evaluation. The HR manager needs to be aware, however, that new employees, such as James, are unlikely to speak up about a matter which may affect their relationship with their boss (Williams, 2007). In the short term, any complaint by the employees needs to be dealt with swiftly. One option for the management of the short-term issue would be to conduct a meeting with Henry to discuss the organisations performance appraisal policies and procedures and the desired approach. It will be necessary to check whether Henry has been

counselled on this matter previously. This meeting will be the precursor to a longer more protracted process to address the issue of Henrys conduct of performance appraisals, but the central theme at this stage will be to discuss the particular matter of this appraisal. If James has lodged a complaint then it may be appropriate to meet with both James and Henry. The tone of such a meeting needs to be friendly, with the particular behaviours being the focus of the discussion, and the HR Manager taking on the role of an assistant or facilitator looking for ways to improve the situation, not the role of evaluator or judge (Scott, Williams & Flowers, 2002). RECOMMENDATION: That a meeting between Henry and James be facilitated to allow Henry to hear James concerns regarding the manner of appraisal and a joint course of action be determined to resolve the immediate problem of James appraisal. In the medium term there is the issue of altering Henrys behaviour Henrys actions need to be assessed. It is important for the HR manager to determine the causes of his attitude to performance appraisal. Henrys actions could be a deliberate sabotage of the process; a reflection of his lack of understanding of the importance of the process; a demonstration that he is not aware of the appropriate procedures; due to the influences of his peers; a cultural artifact, or simply a one off event due to other pressures. The evidence is that this is the way Henry always conducts his appraisals and that Ken, for example, does not expect anything different. This rules out the possibility that his actions are an isolated event. This behaviour could be symptomatic of Henrys apparent fear of dealing with more highly educated subordinates. Changing behaviour requires not only action but commitment and competence as well (Martinelli, 2009; Executive Help, 2000). Simply requiring Henry to undertake performance appraisal in a new format is unlikely to be effective. The HR Manager will need to sell the benefits of performance appraisal to Henry. Education in the benefits to both Henry and the organisation of his carrying out appraisal according to the organisations prescribed format will help him to change his behaviour. Training or retraining in the conduct of appraisals, which includes role playing in a non-threatening environment may assist him, and demonstrated commitment from senior management will reinforce these activities (Stamp, Stone & Smith, 2000). RECOMMENDATION: That the underlying causes of Henrys behaviour be explored and assistance provided to help him

recognise these RECOMMENDATION: That Henry be counselled about the detrimental effects of his behaviours, and the positive benefits to him of conducting appraisal according to the banks desired procedure. The longer-term issue is to ensure that the culture of the bank discourages such an approach to performance appraisal. Bernard (2006 cited in Dyer, Smith & Howell, 2008) suggests that organisations set up mechanisms that provide managers with feedback about how well they are conducting appraisals. Monitoring has the effect of making managers more accountable for their actions, and therefore more careful of their approach. One method of doing this is to make conduct of performance appraisal one of the aspects of a managers own performance which is assessed or evaluated when the time comes for their own appraisal. If Henrys actions are an isolated case, then the messages associated with counselling Henry and the changes associated with making supervisors accountable for their appraisals should be sufficient. If, however, Henrys behaviour is typical of a group of managers, then such a measure alone will not suffice to change the culture of the organisation. A strong message needs to be sent from the top that this behaviour is unacceptable. Communication from the CEO, and those responsible for deciding such matters as promotion will assist in reinforcing the appropriate behaviour. As will requiring managers such as Henry to undergo retraining in the appraisal process (Cole, 2006; Schumann, 2000). RECOMMENDATION: That the practices of all managers and supervisors be reviewed to determine whether Henrys behaviour is an isolated case. RECOMMENDATION: The organisational culture be examined, and, where necessary, culture change mechanisms be employed to ensure that the messages about the importance of performance appraisal reach everyone in the organisation. This may involve a range of activities from top management expressing their support to an evaluation criteria relating to the conduct of performance appraisals being incorporated into the appraisal of mangers and supervisors. If the appraisal system has been in place for a while it may also be appropriate to involve staff, including Henry, and James, in a task force to review the system and improve it. Participation in the development, monitoring and review of a system can often help users to understand and adopt it (Karter, 2007). A monitoring and review team can assist with the fine tuning process and provide feedback on how the system works in practice. RECOMMENDATION: That a systems monitoring and review

procedure, which involves participants from all levels of the organisation be set up to examine the appraisal process on a continuing basis.

Conclusion
The conduct of performance appraisal will only have the desired effect in organisations if it is conducted in a manner which assists in the improvement of performance. Henrys conduct of the appraisal of James and Ken is unlikely to produce the desired effect. The HR Manager must deal with the manner in which Henry is conducting appraisal at three levels: immediate action to resolve the current issue, longer term behavioural change interventions to prevent Henry from making the same mistakes again, and global cultural change interventions to ensure the culture at Yarra Bank discourages such behaviours in the future.

List of References
Ceder, D. (2002). An investigation of the tools to increase subordinate satisfaction with the appraisal interview. Journal of Applied Personnel Psychology 77(4) 66-74. DOI: XXXXXXXXXX Cole, KM. (2006, March). If the shoe fits Executive pp. 12-15. Retrieved 10 th March, 2012 from Proquest. Dyer, DM, Smith, R & Howell, S. (2008). Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York: Stone. Executive Help. (2000). Change management and Performance Appraisal [pdf file]. Retrieved 17 th June, 2002 from http://www.executivehelp.com.au. Karter, R. (2007). Changing organisations. Thousand Oaks, Calif: HBR. Long, CO, Sims, HP & Gavin, DA. (2007). Behind the shield: Performance appraisal politics. Management Executive, 1(3) 183-193. DOI XXXX!!XXXX Long, CO. & Goff, SJ. (2002). Performance appraisal effectiveness. Advanced Management Journal, 57(2) 17-23. Retrieved 12th March 2012 from: Proquest. Martinelli, DM. (2009) The ingredients of good training outcomes. Training 30(8) 51-55. DOI: XXXIIIXXXXXX Minnesota, C, & Cutter, M. (2005) Performance Appraisal: A guide to the research. London: Sage. Schumann, DE. (2000) The importance of organisational culture.

The Psychology Review, 36(11) 88-111. DOI: XXXXXIIIII Scott, LH, Williams, DJ & Flowers, N. (2002). Performance interviews: An empirical investigation of the supervisor subordinate dyad. Personnel Research, 68(2) 77-92. Retrieved 14 th March 2012 from: Sage. Stamp, RJ. (1998). Performance appraisal in practice. Sydney: Hall. Stamp, RJ, Stone SM, & Smith, MJ. (2000). The current state of research into changing employee behavior: Concerns, directions and implications. Management, 18(2) 321-352. DOI: XXXIIIXXXXX Williams, DJ. (2007). Evaluating performance. The Executive Review, 12(1) 1-16. Retrieved 15 th March 2012 from EBSCOHost.