Part 2: 12. What type of training is required to make adequate use of performance management systems?

The type of training which is required to make adequate use of performance management systems are :
1. To measure performance, which is to identify good employee and under performers, implement career program.
2.To provide feedback, which is to carry out an effective performance feedback process.
3. To set up performance standard and goals, which is to provide employee with specific performance expectations for each major duty and to carry out goal with the SMART concept.
4. To provide interpersonal skills such as communication skills like oral, written, listening and questioning ; styles of  behaviour, emphasising the importance of a positive response and a confident professional manner ; leadership and team work.

Part3:16 What role can HR play in improving organisation performance?

The Human Resource Manager should concentrate on providing guidance and training on how to collect valid evidence concerning job performance by using appropriate appraisal tools and techniques; ensure that there is a good relationship between employer and employee by creating a good atmosphere between the two parties; provide training to managers in performance interviewing so that they can provide good feedback to employee which will reinforce productivity and promote employee development.

Part3:15 How can a PMS assist with the up-skilling and development of an employee?

After all a Performance Management System is used to monitor the performance of employees within an organization so as determine whether tasks are being done effectively and efficiently and what have been achieved so far, thus helping to improve performance for a better result.
Before assisting with the development of an employee, it is important to check his or her amount of tasks to be done and the results obtained and also how the job done.

If an employee requires more skills and development, then PMS can be very helpful by transmitting the knowledge of doing a task, proper education and trainings to the employee. Those training and developments include action learning sets, job rotation, mentoring, and coaching. He or she can also be provided with on-going coaching and feedbacks are given upon evaluation.

Part 3:14 How can performance management systems be improved.

              Improving and evaluating the performance management in an organisation is fundamental,managers must always ensure that the system is effective and efficient,performance management has to be continious reviewed and evaluated for it to be relevant and meaningful.
              Managers have to continuously improve the apraisal system,they have to collect informaion on the reaction of the supervisor upon changers and see to it that the performance levels are maintained and adopt corrective measures to deal with low performances.Managers must also ensure that the HR policies are still effective.The manager must also ensure that obstacle that influence performances must be dealt with and removed.

Part2:11 What guidelines for framing and commnunicating performance feedback would you recommend to a manager about to conduct formal performance reviews for the first time?

The guidelines are:

1. Feedback should be impersonal, that is, not to refer to the individual directly which can be done by avoiding the use of YOU and I. 
2. Concentrate on specific behaviours. it should be very specific in a way that it will not an overall observation.
3. After observational behaviour, feedback should be followed on a regular basis.
4. Feedback are mostly accepted when its source are credible, expert and attractive. 
5. Feedback should be in concrete and factual terms so as to describe how a job holder actually performs but sometime when feedback needs to be evaluative, then it should be based in terms of established criteria.
6. Feedback should be easy to understand and it is important to check whether the feedback was understood.
7. Perceptions, reactions and opinions should all be presented straight forward.
8. Concerning a specific area of performance, it is advisable that it is done on a rating of high and low points.
9. Suggestions should be made so as to improve performance when discussing about performance problems.
10. Feedback should not be emotional as it may hurts staffs. 
11. Feedback should be concerned with factors or variables which is being controlled  by the job holder.
12. The person providing the feedback should deal rather than persuade when rising defences or emotiontial reactions are seen.
13. Feedback should easily be accepted by the receiver and accept it as it is. 
14. Feedback should be done at the right time and moment.
15. feedback is more productive when job holder show the improvements to be done.
16. Feedback should be comprehensible from the receiver's perspective and also the team leader needs to select the issues to be discussed and at which depth.  

Part 1:10 When developing a PMS,managers need to choose between various option or features of design available to them.Outline at least four such options.Your discussion should also outline the strengths and weakness of the various performance management methods.

When developing the performance management system managers must take into consideration many festures such as:

1. The PMS must be an innovative one and encourage empowerment among the work force.
2. The PMS must motive the workforce towards self management.
3. The PMS need to allow feedback that is adotp two-way communication(managers to employees and vis versa)
4. The PMS must constantly be evaluated and outcome on the behaviour must be look upon so that if needed immediate action can be implemented.
5. The PMS must go in the same direction of the organisation goals and objectives,there must be an alignment so as to prevent choas in the organisation.
6. The PMS must introduce training and development to increase performances and skills of workers.
7. The PMS must ensure that there is continous feedback so as to provide counselling when required.

One performance management method that managers adopt is the 360-degree appraisals;this involve evaluating the performances and it is collected by supervisors,collegues,peers or employees themselves.the advantage of using this method is that it do not allow any form of gender or ethnicity biases but it lacks of accuracy as there can be leniency:which involve rating highly when performce is low, and also strictness which is rating high performance as being high.There is also the risk of stereotyping.

Another method is Management By Objective(MBO),it involve setting performance smart goals where the individual and the manager try to achieve in the minimum time.This method provide the benefit of ensuring that the worker very motivated and willing to attain the target set.The MBO method can be a disadvantage if the goal is not properly communicated between the individual and the worker this may create confusion,which can have a direct negative impact on the performance of the worker.

Another method of PMS is enhancing employee grievances this can be defined as a method which employee used when they have the feeling that they are being treated unfairly by the managemen,this can be upon disagreement over wages,inadequate working hours,discrimination or any form of harasement and inappropriate use of disciplinary process.It provide the organisation with a well motivated workforce performing in an harmonious working atmosphere and it provide a fair and effective methods to resolve problem in the workplace.

Managers can also use performance appraisal which involve evaluating whether the employees are perfoming effectively there job in accordance with the set of goals atributed to the specific job.As it is an informal appraisal it provide the advantage of having day-to-day contact with the workers and without any documentation see to it whether they are well performing their task or not.However the disadvantage is that the workers might feel frustrated if managers monitor too much their work which will lead to demotivation and unwillingness to well perform.

Part 2:13 Outline the importance of giving feedback.

Feedback is very important in an organisation.An employee's feedback will tell and keep the managers updated about the company's strength and weakness.Thus, they can work upon them and try to ameliorate these weaknesses.This should be encouraged by the managers as it tells them how to motivate the employees.It also helps the manager to get a point of view whether training must be conducted.

Feedback is also important as :

• Employees want feedback, inorder to know if they are doing well and what has to be improved.
• It also provides information about performance that can help learners to correct misconceptions and improve performance in future task.
• It helps to make workers more efficient and effective in their work and also set goals and objectives in their work.
• It makes the employee more productive.
• Without feedback, mistakes cannot be corrected and good performance is not reinforced.
• It can also help to indentify learning needs for future performance.
• It encourages employees to take responsibility of their own.

Part1:9 Why is it necessary for organisations to have a grievance proceduce?

It is necessary for organisations to have a grievance procedure because it is used to promote cooperative, high-trust workplace culture by focusing on conciliation while providing solutions to resolve grievances, it also provides a safety net for staff against difference management actions.

Part 1: 7. What is the basic purpose of staff counselling?

The basic purpose of staff counselling is to provide assistance to employees who are struggling with work related or personal problems that may interfere with the quality of their job performance.

Part 1:8 Explain the disciplinary action process.

A disciplinary process is a step by step procedure which help to dealt with performance problems of workers.It consists of usually 4 steps:

• The first step is Verbal warning,whereby the manager or supervisor have a talk with the employee on his or her poor conduct such as being frequently absent or late or not respecting the dressing code. 

• The second step is Written warning,it is a written form of communication which is done more frequently in a letter form.it is often use for cases such fighting in the workplace or damage of the company`s property.

• The third step is a Suspension,it occurs in case of severe misconduct whereby the worker is ordered not to attend work for a period of time,this happen in cases where for example working under the influence of alcohol or any drug,it may be for example for 2 weeks,and during this period no pay will be allocated to the individual.

• And the last step is a Termination of contract or work,which is also know as dismissal whereby the worker is fired,this occur when there is a gross misconduct such as fraud and stealing.

Part 1:6 Why is accurate and complete documentation so important in performance management, particularly when dealing with employee underperformance?

Accurate and complete documentation is very essential in performance management when dealing with underperformance because decision making will depend mainly on the documentation which has been made in case the employee should be dismiss.Moreover the documentation will be use in case there is a problem, as strong and concrete proof is needed inorder to show the employee or the court.

part1:5 What is a code of conduct?

     A document which acts like a guideline for a company,this document contains the conduct to be adopted by every individual in the organisation and it is communicated when joining the company.A code of conduct clearly stipulate the accepted and not accepted behaviours in the workplace,workers are expected to act fairly, effectively, efficiently, integrity, honestly, respect and impartiality.Non-compliance of the code of conduct may result in severe actions such as: written warnings or dismissal.

Part1:4 Identify examples of financial and non-financial rewards

Financial rewards are also know as Monetary rewards,examples are:

•  Commission:  It often paid to sales staff,commission is paying more money as an extra according to more goods sell,it acts like a motivator to encourage the workers to work with their full potential therefore increasing there performences.

• Profit sharing: It is addition to a basic salary,worker are provided with a percentage share of the profit made at the end of the financial year of the organisation.This help to motive the employees to worker effectively according to the organsation`s objectives.

• Bonus: It is an extra money gievn to well perfomed employees.

• Performence Related Pay(PRP): It is the pay awarded to the worker is related with it`s performance at work.Performances are assess in the organisation by the manager by the use of perfoemance appraisal.

Non-Financial Rewards are:

• Discounts on firm product
• Health care paid by the organisation
• Free accomodation
• Free trips for holidays
• Pension
• Company vehicles
• Workers children`s education freely paid

Part1:3 List and briefly explain the objectives of appraisal interviews.

Planned performance -Are objectives and a plan to support employees, so that we can increases the achievements of objectives.

Improved performance - This process determines the difficulty faced by the employee and the potential that the employee has.This also show if the employee is improving.

Planned development - Is to improve performance by creating for the development of the job holder.

Problem solving -Appraisal interview help to solve problem, that prevent the employee to perform well.

Career planning -Is a process of creating accurate profile for employees and can also be used as a career guidance by the manager.

Part1: 2 Is it possible to conduct meaningful performance appraisals without accurate and uo-to-date position descriptions and performance indicators?

Basically it is not possible to conduct meaningful performance appraisals without accurate and up-to-date position descriptions and performance indicators. The reason is that performance indicators contribute in reaching the key performance indicators of an organization. This in turn are indicators of performance which are extremely important for the success or survival competitiveness of the organization on the market share.
If a job description is not precise, then the information about the detailed list of duties and responsibilities might be problematic and create confusion when conducting performance appraisals on a specific job.

Part 1: 1. What is performance management? What is the difference between performance management and performance appraisal?

Performance management is the process to ensure that the efforts and activities of employees are on the same path or direction of the organizational goals; to provide constructive feedback to staff; to provide the administrative department with useful information for making decision about staff.

Differences between performance management and performance appraisal are : 

1. Performance appraisal can be considered one step that focuses on the employee's past performance while performance management is an on going process that evaluates day to day performance.

2. Performance appraisal sets a high performance measurement to show employees what is expected and encourage them to meet these expectations whereas the methods used in performance management are more flexible than those used in performance appraisal, since performance management bases itself on daily performance. 

3. Performance management concentrates on immediate and most relevant concerns whereas performance appraisal forces looking into the past, which in many causes would remain irrelevant .