Page 20 - Psychological Management of Individual Performance

xx Preface
Part I refers to such questions as “What do we mean by performance?” and “What are the
factors contributing to good individual performance?”. Chapters in Part I focus on per-
formance concepts and theory, and discuss major predictors of performance, particularly
person predictors and workplace predictors. The academic chapter by Sabine Sonnentag
and Michael Frese offers an introduction into contemporary performance research. It
presents core performance concepts, distinguishes three major research perspectives on
performance (namely an individual differences perspective, a situational perspective,
and a performance regulation perspective) and discusses how recent developments in
organizations may affect performance concepts and performance-related research.
In their academic chapter on person predictors of performance, Ruth Kanfer and Tracy
Kantrowitz provide a review on ability and non-ability predictors of performance. The au-
thors summarize empirical evidence from research which shows that both general cogni-
tive ability and personality variables—particularly conscientiousness and extraversion—
contribute to the prediction of job performance. They evaluate progress and problems
of this research area and discuss prospects for future research. Particularly, they argue
that more theoretical work is highly needed in order to improve our understanding of
the relationship between the examined predictor variables and job performance. J¨urgen
Deller, Fred Oswald, and Ulrich Schoop discuss person predictors of performance from
a practitioner’s perspective. They adopt a broader view and describe the selection pro-
cedure for a management development program of a large information service division.
In their chapter, they illustrate the use of a personality questionnaire within a broader,
multi-method selection and development procedure.
Sharon Parker and Nick Turner present an academic view on the importance of work
design for individual performance. They summarize past research findings and propose a
model on the linkages between work design and individual performance. They describe
various mechanisms by which work design may affect performance and argue that both
individual-level and organization-level factors might have a moderating effect on the
work design–performance relationship. Oliver Strohm turns to the practical side of work
design and describes job design principles based on the sociotechnical systems approach
and action theory. He argues that the job (re-)design process is crucial for the success
of any job design intervention. In two case studies, Oliver Strohm illustrates how to
redesign jobs and how to conduct the change process.
PartII ofthisvolumeisdevotedtothequestion:“Howcanwemeasureperformance?”
Itpresentsperspectivesonhowtoassessindividualperformancewithinaperformanceap-
praisal procedure and how to assess potential in order to predict future performance. Clive
Fletcher approaches performance appraisal from an academic perspective and focuses on
the role of motivation, personality, and interpersonal relationships in appraisal—issues
that have been neglected in past performance appraisal research. Specifically, he exam-
ines how the appraiser, the appraisee, and their relationship impact the appraisal process
interaction and ultimately the appraisal outcome. Gesa Drewes and Bernd Runde offer
practical advice of how to design performance appraisal procedures within organizations.
They discuss the various goals of performance appraisal systems, describe appraisal
methods, and give suggestions on how to implement a performance appraisal system
within an organization. They pay particular attention to 360-degree feedback and high-
light specific success factors for both the 360-degree feedback approach and performance
appraisal systems in general.