Fairness Perceptions of Performance Appraisal System: An Empirical Study of Civil Servants in District Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

This study was undertaken to explore appraisees’/ratees’ fairness perceptions of performance appraisal system (PAS) in the civil service of Pakistan. Previously, this aspect of PAS in the civil service has never been investigated. We determined appraisees’ fairness perceptions of PAS by applying four factor of organizational justice namely; procedural, distributive, interpersonal and informational. Data was collected from the civil servants working in two departments in far flung district Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results show that appraisees’ perceive the system fair as diagnosed by four factors of justice. Moreover, high interpersonal justice and distributive justice also revealed issues with the system. However, on few aspects of the system, appraisees’ have mentioned their neutral responses. In the article we discuss literature on PAS and organizational justice along with methods. Subsequently, we proffer some recommendations. Finally, we give directions for future research in the PAS of civil service.