Technology and Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal and management are cornerstones of industrialorganizational psychology and human resources, yet frequently are major sources of dissatisfaction among organizational employees and manage - ment (Pulakos, 2009). Performance-related information can be used in a number of ways in work organizations (Landy & Farr, 1983), including making administrative decisions (e.g., pay increases, promotions, and terminations), providing feedback to employees about strengths and developmental needs, and serving as criteria for the assessment of other HR systems (e.g., validation of selection procedures and evaluation of training programs). While the wide array of uses for performance-related information enhances its potential value, its many purposes (and stake - holder groups) can lead to conflicting goals and pressures regarding the performance data that are obtained. These many purposes and many interested stakeholders also have resulted in a voluminous literature regarding performance appraisal and management. Space limitations require us to be selective in the topics we address, even when we focus on the relation of technology and the measurement and use of job performance information, and we refer the reader to more comprehensive sources in several cases.