Page 182 - Psychological Management of Individual Performance

objectives of potential analysis 165
of whether the reason for the potential analysis was the placement of an employee
(see Shore, 1992) or the systematic development of knowledge and skills in order to pre-
pare someone for a specific position, the results of this analysis should be communicated
to the individual in an appropriate way, i.e., in a consultative process. The consultation
deals with the question of which career development paths are available, which are suit-
able for this specific individual, and what measures (if any) are to be taken to achieve
the personal goals.
A third objective of potential analysis is to justify expenses for training. A potential
analysis is necessary to identify developmental objectives and derive personal training
needs appropriately. That means that, on the basis of the profile of the individual’s
strengths and weaknesses, one can determine which positions at what levels in the or-
ganization, a specific employee might reach given that she or he is willing to develop the
required qualifications. This delta analysis of actual qualifications and those required for
an aimed-at position form the basis for the selection of a systematic training program.
Training courses scheduled in this way aim at improving the performance of individuals
in accordance with the setting of their individual developmental objectives. They are
therefore much better recognized by the management than training requirements that are
based solely on the employees’ feelings of a lack in competence.
Fourth, an institutionalized potential analysis procedure also enables the HRM to
justify personnel decisions with regard to rejected candidates (Kliem, 1987; Lattmann,
1994). Employees have the feeling that they could influence their fate and that decisions
concerning their career are not arbitrary but founded on their actual performance in
that assessment procedure which, anyway, involved multiple judges. That means that
personnel decisions, regardless of whether they concern placements or training measures,
are objectified. This creates a higher acceptance and might help to omit frustrations on
the side of employees whose aspiration for a certain position was turned down.
Fifth, several authors stress the fact that potential analysis systems (and the partic-
ipation in them) are a motivational or cultural asset of the organization (e.g., Becker,
1992; Deller & Kendelbacher, 1996). Although it is not the task of the human resources
department to create the will in individuals to perform or develop (in the sense of achieve-
ment motivation, for example), it is their responsibility to create motivating conditions
(see Figure 8.1) that further the development of an individual’s abilities. These con-
ditions include several aspects such as the existence of opportunities for promotion in
general and various alternative routes to achieve higher positions. Employees who are
motivated and performed well in the past, and who therefore are invited to participate in
such a potential analysis, realize that commitment and efforts to perform effectively are
perceived by the management and appreciated appropriately. They learn that high per-
formance (rather than knowing the right people in the hierarchy) opens up opportunities
to get on in one’s job. Although surely genuinely designed as a tool to support the human
resources planning, potential analysis in this way also serves individual purposes, be-
cause organizations are expected to provide opportunities for growth and further learning
(Schein, 1988). A potential analysis system applied in this manner can also be an asset
in supporting personnel marketing activities (see Figure 8.1).
Especially for these last two aspects to hold, it is absolutely essential that the potential
analysis measure is transparent for everyone and conducted in a fair way. Seen from the
level of the organization as a whole, potential analysis as a systematic approach serves to