Dyadic Relationships and Exchanges in Performance Appraisals

Background: Previous research indicates that quality of dyad exchanges related to performance appraisal (PA) vary across organizations and across occupational groups. Leader-member exchange theory (LMX) is often used to explain such dyad relationships. The aim: This article focuses on manager-employees dyad relationships related to performance appraisals, and explores the different effects of high and low quality on dyadic exchange through PA in municipal health service. Method: Questionnaires were distributed to a representative sample of 600 health personnel, both from nursing homes and home care, with a response rate of 62 %.The LMX-7 scale was used to measure dyad quality. Findings: Employees in nursing homes are more participating and report higher exchange quality with the manager in PA than employees in home care.All subordinates report more constructive discussion with higher exchanges in PA than managers do.Auxiliary nurses are more satisfied with feedback and exchange in PA than nurses. Managers experience more thorough feedback with higher quality exchanges in PA than nurses. Conclusion: Health personnel in municipal health services experience LMX in PA differently.That is, employees in home care and nursing homes are experiencing different LMX in PA.They experience therefore different effects of PA.