Summary to the section 2 to the prior two parts as a reminder it is 10 pages, it is due Sunday by midnight but prefers by 10. Please don’t be late and I will inform you when the next assignment is due
StrategicManagement and Performance Appraisal System: Chapter 2 Draft
Dissertation Manuscript
Submitted to Northcentral University
School of Business
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
by
Amenia Payne
La Jolla, California
January 2021
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Table of Contents
1
Statement of the Problem 2
Purpose of the Study 3
Introduction to Theoretical or Conceptual Framework 4
5
Research Questions 6
Significance of the Study 7
Definitions of Key Terms 9
12
17
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
Subtopic
Summary
Chapter 3: Research Method
Research Methodology and Design
Population and Sample
Materials or Instrumentation
Operational Definitions of Variables
Study Procedures
Data Analysis
Assumptions
Limitations
Delimitations
Ethical Assurances
Summary
Chapter 4: Findings
XXX of the Data
Results
Evaluation of the Findings
Summary
Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions
Recommendations for Future Research
References 30
Appendix A XXX
Appendix B XXX
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Chapter 1: Introduction
This research is intended to examine the relationship between strategic performance and appraisal systems in contemporary organizations.
Strategic management
in organizations refers to setting goals, procedures, and objectives to gain a competitive advantage. The strategies aim at making businesses distinct from their competitors while attracting consumers to the market. Stakeholders in business entities use strategic management approaches to execute short- and long-term organizational projects. Some strategies include innovation, product segmentation, and corporate social responsibility. On the other hand, a performance appraisal system refers to identifying, evaluating, and developing the work performance of employees to aid in the process of achieving the organization’s goals and processes. The organization has to track the performance progress of each employee to keep them accountable for their roles at the workplace.
The definition of the appraisal system and strategic management incorporates objectives and goals. Consequently, strategic management and performance appraisal aim to deliver the existing objectives and stay ahead of competitors. The performance appraisal system denotes the type of assessment used by an organization to measure performance. There are different assessment methods. One of the evaluation techniques is the straight ranking appraisal, where employees are ranked from the best to the poor. Another assessment criterion is grading, where employees are assigned specific grades for their performance in different areas. There is also the management-by-objective method of review. The employees and managers set goals under the approach and measure them at the end of the agreed time. Organizations may also assess their employees based on their behaviors and conduct at the workplace. Lastly, organizations can adopt a 360-degree assessment method to assess employees and managers. Organizations use one or a combination of the frameworks to evaluate employees and improve performance.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between strategic management and performance appraisal systems. The study will determine whether managers consider their strategies when selecting the appraisal system or consider other factors. Also, the study will assess the implications of selecting an appraisal system based on the existing strategies in different organizations and the impacts of ignoring organizational strategies when deciding on the performance of the appraisal system. The findings will be crucial in the organizational and human resource management field, further research.
Statement of Problem
A brief literature review reveals little to no information on balancing appraisal systems and organizational strategies. Most researchers tend to focus on how appraisal systems boost organizational performance. Also, many scholars are interested in understanding how appraisal systems affect employee motivation, performance, and job satisfaction. Hence, the research study will focus on determining the roles of organizational strategies when formulating appraisal systems. Failing to conduct this study will mean that the appraisal system continuously does not contribute to strategic management. A case study for analysis is the McDonald’s performance appraisal system (Goldsmith & Carter, 2010). Before 2003, McDonald’s had an informal and less structured performance evaluation system that did not reflect its strategies (Goldsmith & Carter, 2010).
Consequently, it would not match its competitors or expand its business. The same challenge faces modern organizations. A lack of an appraisal system reflecting strategic approaches risks the success of an organization, business expansion, and employee empowerment.
I will approach the research using the goal orientation theory of performance appraisal. The theory acknowledges that people strive to achieve set goals, obtain new skills and improve their competencies (Garavaglia-McGann, 2019). The theory is vital in explaining employers’ approaches to appraisal systems. The goal orientation theory will provide employees with a clear focus on the company. They will dedicate their efforts towards enabling their organizations to achieve their strategies.
The study aims to determine the relationship between organizational strategies and appraisal systems. Each organization uses different strategic approaches to remain relevant and competitive (Subekti, 2021). The focus is on identifying whether the performance appraisal system should align with strategic management and how the stakeholders can achieve the objective (Zondo, 2018). The researcher’s goal is to aid managers in developing an appraisal system that would aid them in attaining organizational objectives while enhancing employee performance, attracting investors, and motivating labor capital.
I will use a qualitative exploratory study design method to advance the study. The aim is to understand the relationship between strategic management and performance appraisal that researchers could use in future studies. The variables in the study are strategic management and performance appraisal systems. The research will target managers and employees in American companies. The participants will give their views on the performance appraisal system and how they contribute to achieving organizational aims. In particular, the managers will state how they craft employee assessments within their organizations. The research will be conducted in California in the manufacturing industry. One hundred participants from five different companies will participate in the study. They will be selected randomly to participate in the study. Random sampling is preferable in the study because it creates an equal chance of selecting participants with different attributes (Reeger, 2019). I will collect data using questionnaires. Each participant will respond to thirty questions sent via their emails. Employees’ questions will be different from managers’. Data will be analyzed using the thematic data analysis approach. The study’s findings will help organizations create evaluation techniques that suit their organizational culture.
Introduction Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
The study aims at establishing the relationship between strategic management and performance appraisal systems. Organizations use performance systems to promote accountability, responsibility, and performance among the employees and the leaders (Subekti, 2021). Nevertheless, there is very little research to show the connection between strategic management.
Organizations use strategies to gain competitive advantage over others. The competitive advantage makes them unique and profitable in the markets. A competitive advantage is obtained through strategy and behavior, improving employee performance, proper human resource management that reduces turnover and dissatisfaction and conforming to the legal provisions in the business environment. Therefore, the research is premised on the concepts of competitive advantage, performance improvement and human resource management.
Conceptual Framework:
Setting goals
Competitive advantage
Strategic management
Improving employee performance
The illustration shows that competitive advantage is only achieved through strategies management, improvement of employee performance and setting of goals in organizations. However, very few studies have explored the relationship between strategic management and performance appraisals which are part of improving employee performance.
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design
A case study research design shall be used in the research process. The case study involves a detailed study of a particular phenomenon or organization. I will use the case study design because my focus is to undertake a thorough analysis of the selected organization. I will assess the specific strategies and appraisal system in detail to understand whether there is a connection between organizational strategies and performance criteria. The rationale for favoring a case study method is the depth of collected data. Also, case study analysis requires less money and, thus, will be a convenient way to conduct the study. Lastly, the case study design will make comparing different information easy (Yin, 2003).
The study’s goal is to help managers understand the correlation between the variables of strategic management and the performance evaluation system. The qualitative case study design method will help managers gain in-depth information on the topic (Roth, 2006). Also, the research will capture the detailed findings from the study that will assist in decision-making for managers with interest in aligning organizational management and performance appraisal systems. Also, case study analysis will allow for analysis of existing company documents to get the correct, accurate information for the research.
The study will involve 100 participants from five American companies. The participants will involve managers and employees working in the selected company. The participants in the research will be identified through a random sampling technique. The rationale for using the random sampling technique is to provide an equal chance for participants to partake in the study (Zondo, 2018). Participation shall be voluntary, and information privacy will be upheld. Data will be collected through questionnaires and interviews. The questions will be sent via emails to each selected employee participant. To gain in-depth information, I will visit the selected companies’ sites to interview the managers and their opinions on the relationship between strategic management and appraisal performance (Zondo, 2018). Therefore, the organizational management in the selected companies will provide information through interviews. The data on five companies will provide reliable and valid data on the state of the performance evaluation system and strategic management.
RQ1
How does strategic management affect the nature of performance systems in organizations?
RQ2
How do organizations align strategic management with performance appraisal systems?
RQ3
How does lack of alignment between strategic management approaches and performance appraisal systems affect organizational performance?
How can performance appraisal systems be aligned to strategic management to enhance organizational productivity?
Strategic management and performance appraisals emerged and spread during the last half of the 20th century. Strategic management is primarily based on economic theory, international theory, and industrial organization (The historical development of the Strategic Management Discipline, 2015). Currently, strategic management helps organizations work in a dynamic, complex, and uncertain business environment (The historical development of the Strategic Management Discipline, 2015). On the other hand, performance appraisal analyzes whether employees meet organizational expectations. The employers reward or punish employees based on the results of the performance appraisals. Understanding and establishing the relationship between strategic management and performance appraisal systems will solve the problem of poor goal setting, which frequently occurs in organizations that adopt strategic management (Bouvier, 2019). Also, aligning strategies to performance appraisal will enable the employees to connect to the overall organizational strategy. Additionally, linking strategic management and performance appraisal will assist managers in tracking progress, adopting robust strategies, and dropping those that do not contribute to organizational success (Bouvier, 2019).
In the field of organizational behaviors, the study will facilitate the emergence of more studies to understand whether the performance appraisal system is part of strategic management or a particular activity in management. Also, it will highlight the crucial considerations that managers should incorporate when formulating their strategies. The research will also equip managers with the knowledge to apply the concept of strategic management and performance appraisals concurrently in their management. Lastly, the study will enable managers to align strategies to organizational assessments, thereby improving overall organizational success.
Summary
Strategic management and appraisal systems are of concern to many stakeholders because; there is yet an approach that can enable them to integrate strategic management and appraisal systems. The solution to the challenge will redefine the strategic management landscape. First, appraisal systems and strategic management are at the heart of all business organizations. Therefore, integrating the two tools will help managers enhance organizational and employee performance through an appraisal system (Al Khajeh, 2018). Secondly, there are no articles to explain the relationship between strategic management and appraisal systems in organizations. The study will address the existing gaps in the literature. Lastly, the study will help stakeholders to implement a strategy-oriented appraisal system.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
The research paper focuses on integrating performance appraisal and strategic management in organizations. This section reviews various studies to understand the state of appraisals, their role on employee and manager perception, and their impacts on employee motivation, satisfaction, and performance. Further, the section evaluates strategic management articles to bolster understanding of strategic planning and sustainable development concepts. The main gaps in the review are identified and discussed. All reviewed articles are recent to ensure that the current state of appraisals in organizations is captured.
Performance Appraisal
The human resource department or top managers can conduct performance appraisals in organizations depending on the size of individual organizations. Evaluation data is collected and stored in the form of HR analytics. HR analytics is then applied in improving employee performance in the respective organizations (Sharma & Sharma, 2017). HR analytics largely influences employees’ willingness to improve by encouraging or discouraging improvement. (Sharma & Sharma, 2017) found that subjective biases in the existing HR analytics discourages employee improvement. Their study adopted a conceptual framework that integrated academic and practitioner knowledge in HR analytics. The study’s main strength is that it highlights the importance of performance appraisal in improving employee performance. However, it lacks a statistical basis as it relies on concepts that may be hard to prove.
Organizations achieve their goals by constant and efficient evaluation of the employees. Consequently, many organizations have executed performance appraisals at their workplaces to improve employee performance (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016). Nevertheless, few organizational managers comprehend the role of appraisal results in their organizations except as a basis for reward and punishment. (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016) postulate that performance appraisal outcomes can improve internal communication in organizations. The results assist managers in understanding whether organizational goals are adequately communicated to the subordinates (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016). Also, they state that performance appraisal is critical in motivating employees in organizations through reward and punishment (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016; Dangol, 2021). The management rewards best-performing employees with monetary incentives or promotion while punishing poor performers through dismissal or demotion.
Besides motivation and improving communication, organizations may use performance appraisal to design training and career development programs. The appraisal outcomes highlight employees’ weaknesses, which the management can address through training (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016). Additionally, performance appraisals are crucial in improving overall organizational success. Involving every employee in the evaluation process creates room for creativity and trust among employees (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016). The research study succeeds in highlighting the uses of performance appraisal systems in organizations. However, the authors fail to consider the impacts of biasness on the effectiveness of performance appraisal. Partiality in performance appraisals demotivates employees and creates mistrust between the staff and managers (Sharma & Sharma, 2017). Also, the study does not discuss how organizations can integrate performance appraisal with strategic management.
Performance appraisals and appraisers can impact employee performance positively or negatively. Also, the existing challenges in the appraising method can culminate into mistrust within an organization (Dangol, 2021). Descriptive research by Dangol (2021) showed that the performance appraisal system has a significant role in the organization’s survival. The study’s setting was in a Service Industry in Nepal and comprised 120 participants who served as employees. The research design method was cross-sectional, and data was collected through questionnaires. He discovered that the factors that affect the influence of appraisals include rating accuracy, clarity in the purpose of the appraisal, and the prospect of skill development (Dangol, 2021). The appraisers should be respectful, competent, and impartial for the outcomes of appraisals to motivate employees. One challenge that faces performance appraisal is providing accurate feedback to the employees and setting performance expectations. Each employee has unique expectations, which, when unmet, may create mistrust.
The researcher’s findings resonate with the study by (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016). They both recognize the motivating role of performance appraisal in organizations. Further, both studies acknowledge that performance appraisal is crucial in training employees. However, while Dangol (2021) recognizes the challenges that emanate from the appraisals, Brefo-Manuh et al., (2016) do not. Both studies fail to provide statistical evidence and do not discuss strategic management’s role in the success of performance appraisal.
The quality of performance appraisals is measured in terms of trust, clarity, communication, and fairness. The quality of appraisals determines the employees’ perceptions of it. Evaluations that seek to empower employees are associated with increased employee trustworthiness of the performance appraisals (Baird et al., 2020). Communication is also a crucial asset in appraisals. The appraisers should discuss the progress made by employees towards attaining organizational goals (Baird et al., 2020). Moreover, the managers should help employees improve their weak areas through different approaches such as initiating development programs. In fairness, employees are fulfilled with appraisals that accurately assess them reasonably and justifiably. Appraisals may encourage employees when done fairly (Krishnan et al., 2018, Sharma & Sharma, 2017).
Furthermore, the managers should focus on clarity before undertaking performance appraisals. According to (Baird et al., 2020), the employees must understand the appraisals’ purpose and functioning. Also, the employees ought to understand performance expectations within their organizations (Baird et al., 2020). These requirements show that performance appraisal quality determines its usefulness among the employees. However, the study by (Baird et al., 2020) emphasizes quality appraisals for employee empowerment instead of improvement. Also, the researchers compare the quality of appraisals based on fairness, communication, trust, and clarity instead of how it contributes to achieving business goals.
The effectiveness of appraisal varies from sector and organization. (Homauni et al., 2021) investigated the effectiveness of performance appraisals on the employees working in the health sector. The researchers investigated the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). The number of participants in the study was 504 employees at TUMS. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using ANOVA, t-test, Post hoc, and Tukey statistical tests. The analysis results showed that the performance appraisal at the organization was not practical from the employees’ standpoint (Homauni et al., 2021). The leading cause of ineffectiveness in performance appraisal is the lack of inclusivity of employees. The study reinforces other research on the use of performance appraisal systems. All researchers agree that performance appraisals are only effective when they are inclusive, fair, and well-communicated to the employees (Sharma & Sharma, 2017; Baird et al., 2020; Homauni et al., 2021). However, all these studies do not consider the role of strategic management on the quality and success of performance appraisals.
Performance Appraisal Perception
Performance appraisals are used to evaluate employee performance in many organizations. However, most managers have negative attitudes towards performance appraisal (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017). Consequently, most of them do not align their strategies with performance appraisal because of their perceptions. Also, the managers’ attitudes toward appraisals affect employees who view them as political and unnecessary (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017). Research by (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017) found that performance appraisal is an emotive issue for managers and causes discomfort making most of them distance themselves from the process. The researchers adopted a qualitative research approach that involved eight participants from the private sector in medium-size financial organizations. They selected the participants through purposeful sampling and collected data using in-depth interviews and naïve sketches. Their main finding was that managers felt uncomfortable with the appraisal system because it is politicized and distractive (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017). The study’s main weakness was using very small sample size, potentially invalidating its findings. Future studies should use a large sample size for more accurate and reliable findings.
Other studies have found differing attitudes towards performance appraisals between managers and employees. On the one hand, the managers may be optimistic about the appraisal system, while the employees may be unconvinced. (Mehraban et al., 2017) compared the perceptions of managers and the nursing staff towards performance appraisal. The study’s setting was Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. The researchers adopted a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study in their research. The participants were selected through a two-stage quota-random sampling. Seventy-five managers and 313 nursing staff participated in the study, and data were collected through a researcher questionnaire.
They analyzed data using descriptive and statistical tests. The analysis showed that the managers’ perception of performance appraisal was 56.8%, while the nursing staff stood at 51.4%. Also, they found a significant difference between the managers’ and nurses’ perceptions of the performance appraisals. The variables used to measure the employee perception included the performance appraisal method, the consequences of the appraisal, and the appraisal’s necessity. The results showed that the managers were more optimistic about the performance appraisal than the nursing staff. However, these findings differ from those by (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017), who found that managers had negative attitudes towards the performance appraisal. The study’s strength was using a relatively large sample size that makes the findings valid. However, the researchers failed to measure the perception towards performance appraisal based on organizational strategies.
Some organizations may reap from performance appraisal, while others may break. (Mehraban et al., 2017) found that managers may be more optimistic about performance appraisal than employees, creating mistrust. In other instances, the managers may also harbor an undesirable attitude towards the performance appraisal, diminishing its importance (Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, 2017). In other settings, both the managers and employees may support or reject performance appraisal (Kim & Holzer, 2014). The other issue that emerges with performance appraisals is that they are not used for performance improvement but as a means to reward or punish employees (Kim & Holzer, 2014). The motivation behind the implementation of performance appraisal impacts the employees’ reactions. The managers/supervisors have the mandate of developing and implementing performance appraisals. In that sense, they have to gain employee trust to succeed in the appraisal. However fair the rating could be, employees may still feel betrayed by the managers or supervisors (Kim & Holzer, 2014). The result is the breaking of the organizations.
The way employees perceive performance appraisal impacts their organizational commitment in the respective organizations. (Krishnan et al., 2018) researched the impacts of employee perceived fairness of the appraisals on employee commitment. They used a descriptive study design and investigated selected employees’ group traits. The study included 108 non-executive staff selected through probability sampling. All the staff worked in the Malaysian oil industry. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed by coding in the IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Their findings showed that organizational commitment was directly proportional to perceived fairness. Organizations with higher perceived fairness prompted employees to commit more to the respective organizations, unlike organizations with low appraisal perceived fairness. The researchers conjecture with Mehraban et al., (2017), Du Plessis & Van Niekerk, (2017), and Kim & Holzer, (2014) that performance appraisal may elicit emotions among the employees and managers.
The studies on employee/manager perception towards the performance appraisal system manifest weaknesses. First, it is evident that the appraisal system is created for reward and punishment and does not advance organizational strategies. Such an approach contributes to managers’ and employees’ mistrust and negative attitudes. Secondly, most employees rate the performance appraisal based on its consequences and the appraisal method and not how well it aligns with organizational strategies. Such a mindset is misinformed because the performance appraisal method should conform to strategies regardless of the consequences of the managers’ methods.
Performance Appraisal, Employee Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Performance
Appraisal hugely impacts employee performance, motivation, and job satisfaction. The level of impact depends on communication, clarity, trust, and fairness (Baird et al., 2020). Fair and transparent appraisals encourage the staff and culminate into job satisfaction. A study on the association between appraisal satisfaction, work-family conflict, and job stress revealed that justifiable appraisal reduced work-family conflict and job stress (Ismail & Gali, 2016). Employees react emotionally to appraisals, which affect their mental wellness and interpersonal relationships. Organizations that utilize satisfactory appraisals motivate their employees, unlike organizations using biased evaluations.
The level of employee motivation and job satisfaction affects employee performance. Subekti (2021) found that performance appraisal impacts employee motivation and satisfaction. Using an explanatory research process and a sample size of 140 employees, Subekti (2021), discovered that the nature of the appraisal system had impacted job satisfaction and motivation. However, the appraisal system had no impact on employee performance. On the other hand, job satisfaction and motivation impacted employee performance. Therefore, organizations’ type of appraisal method affects job fulfillment and enthusiasm.
Studies using large sample sizes also show a relationship between employee performance appraisal and job satisfaction. (Bakotić, 2016) researched the relationship between performance appraisal and job satisfaction among 5806 employees drawn from 40 large and medium-sized organizations in Croatia. His findings revealed that performance on either side affected job satisfaction. High-performing organizations led to increased job satisfaction while poor performances decreased job satisfaction. (Dangol, 2021) also found a relationship between appraisal and employee motivation. (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016), in their article on the uses of performance appraisals, they mention employee motivation.
Strategic Management
Most organizations currently use strategic management to gain a competitive advantage over rivals. Strategic management refers to the processes of strategizing adopted by different businesses and which integrates strategy formulation and implementation (Bryson & George, 2020). It mixes processes, procedures, tools, and techniques carefully selected and executed after thorough evaluations. Organizations use the approach to create and achieve goals (Bryson & George, 2020). Strategies connect an organization’s abilities and aspirations and incorporate individuals, teams, and groups. Further, managers use strategic management to identify and solve challenges that occur within organizations.
Strategic management is also a crucial tool in corporate sustainability. Organizations must develop long-term strategies that will maintain their uniqueness in the markets (Engert et al., 2016). Internal and external drives influence the strategies. Organizations achieve sustainability when they make determined efforts to maintain their superiority or gain an advantage over their competitors (Barbosa et al., 2020). Strategic management is a challenge in small organizations due to the energy required to develop and execute various strategies (Barbosa et al., 2020).
Strategic planning is a crucial part of strategic management and is influenced by organizational structures. The development of strategies is taken through various stages influenced by organizational goals, culture, and leadership, among other factors (Neis et al., 2017). Some factors may support the development and execution of respective strategies, while others may turn out to be a hindrance (Neis et al., 2017). Communication of various strategies determines the failure or success of strategic planning and management. Strategic management enhances the understanding of public and private organizations (Ongaro & Ferlie, 2020). Strategic management constitutes strategic planning and performance measurement. Strategies are improved continuously by learning the successes and failures after implementation (Kools & George, 2020). Also, changes in the immediate environment prompt alterations to existing strategies to harmonize them with the new needs (Kools & George, 2020). Management of strategies involves its implementation while planning outlines actions required for the success of the strategies.
Summary of Literature Review and Gaps
The first use of performance appraisal in organizations is for motivation through reward and punishment. Top performers receive monetary or promotion rewards while poor performers are demoted or dismissed from work. Secondly, organizations use appraisals for employee training and career development. Through evaluation, managers identify the staff’s weaknesses and address them through training programs. Also, from the review, some managers and employees have negative attitudes towards performance appraisals. Some managers oppose appraisals because the appraising system is highly politicized, creating battles with the staff. On the other hand, the employees have negative feelings towards appraisals because of perceived fairness, lack of moral purpose for evaluation, lack of training and development programs, and poor communication. Stakeholders measure the quality of performance appraisals based on clarity, trust, communication, and fairness.
The central gap in the literature is that while different researchers acknowledge that performance appraisal faces organizational challenges, none of the studies seem to provide a solution. Most authors opine that perceived fairness, clarity, trust, and proper communication are key ingredients for implementing acceptable appraisals. None of the studies highlight how strategic management can address the challenges associated with performance appraisals. Also, none of the organizations evaluated shows how to integrate strategic management with performance appraisal. Since fairness and clarity may be achieved by integrating appraisal and strategic management tools, this study will focus on the relationship between the two tools.
Organizations use strategies to gain a competitive advantage over others. The competitive advantage makes them unique and profitable in the markets. A competitive advantage is obtained through strategy and behavior, improving employee performance, proper human resource management that reduces turnover and dissatisfaction, and conforming to the legal provisions in the business environment. The research will be premised on the system theory of management. The system theory of management is premised on the concepts of coordination between multiple components within an organization that works harmoniously to function properly (Management theories, 2019).
Based on the theory, employees are crucial components of any organization. Therefore, they must work together with other organizational entities to ensure that the organization succeeds. Employees work best when their work environment is motivating (Brefo-Manuh et al., 2016; Dangol, 2021). One employee motivating factor that this research paper tackles is fair performance appraisal. However, many organizations fail to develop just employee evaluation mechanisms, and that demotivate the employees, creating system imbalances within the organization. Another core component in business organizations is management.
The management’s actions can lead to the success or failure of organizations. One of their roles includes developing performance appraisals within organizations. Some appraisals cause disagreements within organizations and could lead to high employee turnovers. Consequently, the managers must develop justifiable performance appraisals, which most have failed.
Other components within the organizational system include departments and business units. Each of these units has varying roles that the management must continuously evaluate. The appraisal system should capture the respective business objectives and that explains why strategic management and performance appraisal need to be integrated into business organizations.
Theoretical Model Diagram
System/Organization
Managers
Business Units/Departments
Employees:
Makes or breaks organization
Performance Appraisals:
Can motivate or demotivate employees
The diagram shows that the entire organization is a system that depends on managers, employees, and departments. The managers create appraisals for all employees or individual departments. These appraisals can motivate or demotivate the employees, affecting the entire system. Therefore, the study will propose the integration of strategic management and performance appraisals to ensure that the organization remains intact since appraisals based on business strategies will be perceived as fair by employees.
Unit Department as Sub system
Within the system theory of management, there are different subsystems. A sub-system is a single predefined operating environment through which an organization coordinates workflow and resource use. In the organizational context, individual departments act as a sub-system to their organization. The organization acts as a sub-system to the existing industry.
The head manager or divisional manager can lead departments. They may be defined based on their functions or seniority. Departments have a crucial role in ensuring that organizations meet their overall objectives. They may set their goals that could facilitate the attainment of the organization’s overall vision. Departments within the same organization could use different approaches to help the organization meet its visions. Examples of departments include accounting and HRM. The accounting department’s role is providing information for setting financial goals and budgets. The HRM department recruits and hires employees. However, these two organizations could exist within the same organization that aims to promote community health. Therefore, the performance appraisal should be based on strategic management so that the unique roles of the organizations are based on how they facilitated the achievement of the overall organizational goals (Poister, 2010).
Owing to the critical role of departments, managers in organizations should transform strategic planning in organizations to strategic management. Strategic management can help departments and organizations manage issues effectively and efficiently (Poister, 2010). Also, the performance appraisal should be more holistic to capture the different roles of individual departments to ensure that they contribute to the attainment of the overall goals of the organization (Poister, 2010). Contemporarily, departments’ roles are changing and becoming more advanced. New technologies catalyze these changes that can help organizations achieve their goals. Consequently, the nature of appraisals should also shift to reflect the new changes in technology.
Departments are effective in communicating the organization’s goals to the employees. Information from top management flows to departmental heads before the employees. Therefore, departments communicate the goals and visions of the organizations (Zerfass & Volk, 2018). Communication helps organizations to reflect on organizational goals and adjust organizational strategies. Also, communication is crucial in enhancing innovation within the organization. Organizations adopting strategic management must ensure constant information exchange between them and their departments (Zerfass & Volk, 2018). Different subsystems or departments must work as strategic partners to ensure that the overall goals of the whole system are achieved. Consequently, the performance appraisals can go beyond employee performance and evaluate how various organizations function together to achieve overall goals (Jacobson et al., 2013). The stakeholders in different departments need to undergo training to understand how they can collaboratively work as strategic partners within organizations instead of independent levels (Jacobson et al., 2013).
Departments can contribute to process improvements, customer satisfaction, and process improvements. The quality improvement department can enhance the quality of products, leading to improved customer satisfaction (Gremyr et al., 2019). On the other hand, they can facilitate improvements in the existing processes to ensure that the organization moves closer to its objectives (Gremyr et al., 2019). Different factors influence strategic alliances among departments and organizations. Some factors that influence departmental or organizational alliances include the manageability of the alliances and likely outcomes (Shah & Swaminathan, 2008). Within the context of organizations, departments should be manageable and contribute to the achievement of the overall goals within the organization.
In summary, various researchers have researched the formation of departments, their roles, and how they contribute to the achievement of the organization’s overall goals. Departments are created based on the needs of the individual organization. For instance, not all organizations may have IT departments. Also, some researchers suggest that departments must work as strategic partners to achieve the organization’s goals (Jacobson et al., 2013). The collaboration should be based on their manageability and the predicted outcomes (Shah & Swaminathan, 2008). The impacts of collaboration must favor the overall vision of the organization. Roles of departments based on the research include process improvement, customer satisfaction, communication, and quality improvement. Communication is core to overall organizational success (Zerfass & Volk, 2018). Consequently, the departments must be strategic in sharing information with other departments and employees.
In the context of the focus of this research on integrating strategic management and performance appraisals, it is clear that departments, which act as a sub-system within the organization, play critical roles. Therefore, to combine strategic management and performance appraisal, individual departments should be evaluated to determine their validity and relevance. For instance, when evaluating the performance of employees in delivering their mandate, organizations should also appraise the communication strategies of individual departments to employees. Departments should also be evaluated based on how they coordinate amongst themselves to ensure that the overall objectives of organizations are achieved. Departmental evaluation will contribute to integrating strategic management and performance appraisal because they work on organizational strategies. The results can be used for continuous improvements of the organization.
The Roles of Managers
Managers have four crucial functions in organizations. These roles include planning, organizing, leading, and control. Planning includes setting goals to help organizations achieve their goals. The control function involves supervision to ensure that employees work within the set standards within the organization. In terms of leadership, managers use various leadership techniques to influence their followers towards particular goals. As leaders, they should have a good mastery of communication, team-building, problem-solving, and dispute resolution skills.
Different studies on the role of managers and management exist. An organization could have the head manager and unit managers or head managers alone. The manager’s title could depend on their functions. For example, an IT manager controls information and manages data within the organization (Tohidi, 2011). The managers ensure that the data is used constructively to help the organization improve its operations or products. With increasing technology, many organizations employ IT managers to control data use. Some organizations have middle-level managers. Middle Managers (MM) play a crucial role in an organization’s success. A study survey using interpretive synthesis that analyzed both qualitative and quantitative studies revealed that MMs were at the heart of most organizations (Boutcher et al., 2022). Some of their roles include innovation and influencing others. The MMs undertake innovation action through research and contribute to improving the company’s performance. They also convince employees in the organization to adapt to strategies set by the head managers and different departments (Boutcher et al., 2022). Their activities are influenced by several factors, both internally and externally. Some of these factors include leadership commitment, availability of resources, and equality within their organizations.
Besides spearheading innovations, the managers also implement them. They participate in activities such as disseminating the innovation information through meetings and training (Birken et al., 2015). Their implementation roles make the managers crucial in the strategic management process and, consequently, performance appraisal. They also have the task of setting goals and ensuring the equal participation of employees. Goal-setting and participation need fairness, and thus, managers are expected to be just in all their activities (Sholihin et al., 2011). Also, the managers have pivotal roles in the strategy-making process. They analyze the usefulness of various strategies and their impact on their organizations.
Further, they coordinate all the activities during strategy formulation. The managers also act as communicators (O’Shannassy, 2014). The middle managers pass information from the head managers to the employees. They are consulted both by the top managers and employees on how to shape various strategies. The MMs also compare performance among peers and offer insight to the head management of what strategies to undertake (Tarakci et al., 2018). They also identify with their organizations and work attentively to ensure that organizations achieve their goals. The MMs offer suggestions to the head managers on improving corporate services (Tarakci et al., 2018).
On the other hand, the head managers compare yearly performance to evaluate whether their organizations are on track (Belasen & Belasen, 2016). Their executive span and hierarchical depth can impact their managerial performance. A greater executive span and reduced hierarchical depth devalue middle management and reduce their autonomy. In turn, reduced autonomy lowers employee morale and increases their susceptibility to stress (Belasen & Belasen, 2016). Consequently, organizations must balance executive span and hierarchical depth to ensure that the manager sustains a sense of autonomy.
Most managers believe in similar competencies that are requisite for the effective running of their organizations. Managers’ key competencies include resourcefulness, change management, and building and mending relationships (Gentry & Sparks, 2011). Resources help managers to exhaust all the available options to make organizations successful. Also, building relationships with the staff and solving initial conflicts bolster collaboration between the management and the employees and grants an opportunity to focus on the organization’s objectives.
From the published articles, it is evident that managers are the engine of their organizations. They perform different tasks such as goal-setting, communication, coordination, strategy analysis, and problem-solving (O’Shannassy, 2014). The managers have the mandate of ensuring equal employee participation when undertaking various organizational processes. The other managerial role is innovation and encouraging innovativeness among the employees. The competencies required to excel in managerial tasks include resourcefulness, change management, building relationships, and solving disputes (Gentry & Sparks, 2011). They participate in the performance appraisal of employees.
Based on the system theory of management, managers form part of the organization’s system. Therefore, the research on performance appraisals and strategic management identifies managers as critical players. Like employees, the managers’ roles should be appraised in organizations. Organizations can appraise managers based on their roles, core competencies, and how they implement the strategic management of organizations. By doing so, organizations can successfully integrate strategic management and performance appraisals. When managers are not appraised, they may fail to perform their managerial tasks effectively. Their failure affects both performance appraisal processes and strategic management.
Appraising Appraisals
Performance appraisals were initially used as a basis of reward and punishment by organizations. However, currently, the functions of appraisals in management have evolved. Appraisals are used to enhance performance, encourage collaboration, promote job satisfaction, and improve employee retention (Dangol, 2021, Zondo, 2018). Consequently, many organizations are quickly adopting performance appraisals, however. They evaluate employee performance based on their respective tasks and other vital aspects.
Nevertheless, most organizations are yet to realize the aspect of evaluating appraisals. Based on the system theory of management, an appraisal or appraising process is considered part of the system activity. It can hurt or improve organizations (Kim & Holzer, 2018). The literature review of various articles has shown that appraisals have created rifts between the managers and employees in some instances. Also, various researchers have detailed how appraisals can create unfairness in organizations when employees perceive them as biased.
Evaluating appraisal can deal with challenges emanating from their applications in the respective organizations. Managers can evaluate the robustness of their appraisals annually to ensure that they are aligned with the organization’s strategies. The appraising process can be done by seeking employees’ reactions towards the appraisals. Data could be collected through surveys or questionnaires, or any means deemed appropriate by the organization. The evaluation results should be used to improve subsequent appraisals. Performance appraisal could be evaluated based on how it is streamlined to strategic management or contributes to employee improvement. Therefore, organizations must constantly appraise their performance appraisals to successfully integrate them with strategic management in organizations.
Summary of theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework analyzes the system theory of management and how it applies to organizations. According to the theory, organizations are composed of various sub-systems which make a whole. Some of the sub-systems include departments, employees, and managers. The organization’s success depends on the level of collaboration between these sub-units.
Researchers have identified the roles of various subsystems within the organization. Most studies have focused on a single sub-system such as department, managers, employees, or performance appraisal. The theoretical framework section has provided a summary of some of the organization’s sub-system’s roles, such as departments, managers, and performance appraisals. Departments play a significant role in linking the management to the lower-level employees. The departmental heads can also initiate micro-strategies that complement the primary organizational strategy. They control employees and supervise tasks assigned by the top management to the department. On the other hand, the managers communicate information within the organization. They act as the only source of information within the organization. They develop, plan and execute strategies within their organizations. The managers spearhead innovation within the organization and work with other managers in the industry on various issues. They also create a conducive workplace environment for employees by dealing with workplace issues. The performance appraisals evaluate employees to their tasks. They can demotivate or motivate employees. The appraisals can also indicate whether the organization is moving closer to its objectives or not. Therefore, to integrate performance appraisal with strategic management in organizations, the research paper has to place employees, managers, and various departments at the center of the process. That is why the system theory of management will work best in the research. All the previous studies did not approach the sub-systems together but independently.
One advantage the system theory of management can have in organizations is increasing their adaptability to different environmental conditions. Research studies have explored the role of managers and departments in organizations. From the studies, departments and managers play communication, coordination, problem-solving and analytical roles in organizations. The collaboration between the sub-systems of departments and managers can help organizations pursue their strategies. Furthermore, the collaboration between the two entities can promote resilience to different situations within the organization. The theory has also magnified the relevance of interdependence in organizations. The managers, employees, and different units depend on each to ensure that the organization functions. For example, a manager will develop a strategy and communicate to the department; the department will share the information with the employees who will work on it.
The only challenge weakness of the system theory of management is its failure to offer a unified approach to management. From the lens of the theory, the success of the management is dependent on various sub-units and not the entire organization. Nevertheless, the weakness does not underscore the theory’s ability to apply in this research paper focused on integrating strategic management and performance appraisal.
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Recommendations for Practice
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Definitions of Key Terms
Term 1
Appraisal System- helps employers with the decision-making process involved in employees’ promotion and compensation. Or perhaps, in an unfortunate situation, termination (Reinbolt, 2021).
Term 2
Term 3
Clustered Sampling- is a method of probability sampling that is often used to study large
Term 4
Competitive Advantage
– a condition or circumstance that puts a company in a favorable or superior business position. It refers to factors that allow a company to produce goods or services better or more cheaply than its rivals (Twin & Anderson, 2021).
Term 5
Economic Theory
– ideas and principles aiming to describe how economies work ( if wages are too high, economic growth will suffer). (Cambridge University Press, 2021)
Term 6
Evaluation
– the process of determining the worth of a program (Carpenter, 2019).
Term 7
Evaluation Techniques (Carpenter, 2019):
Formative- occurs during the process.
Summative- occurs at the end of a program.
Process- focuses on how a program was implemented and how it operates.
Impact- measures the program’s effects and the overall effectiveness of realizing the program’s goals.
Outcome- measures the short-term impact of implementing a program, giving information on how well it reaches its target audience.
Strategic Performance- is the methodology used to improve measurement, monitoring, and overall organizational objectives (Basumallick, 2021).
Term 8
Industrial Organization is concerned with the workings of markets and industries, particularly the way firms compete with each other (Chen & Walters, 2020).
Term 9
International Theory- seeks both to explain past state behavior and to predict future state behavior (Cristo, 2019).
Term 10
Management-by-objective method- is a strategic approach to enhance the performance of an organization (CFI, 2015).
Term 11
Organizational Strategies- a plan that specifies how your business will allocate resources at: The corporate, business, and functional level (Sling, 2014).
Term 12
Performance Appraisal System- will evaluate an employee’s performance against a list of set objectives and will identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees (Reinbolt, 2021).
Term 13
Random Sampling- is a part of the sampling technique in which each sample has an equal probability of being chosen (Bennett, 2021).
Term 14
Smart Partial Least Square (Smart PLS)- a second-generation structural equation modeling software that analyzes data (Surienty et al., 2013).
Term 15
Straight Ranking Appraisal Method- compares employees to each other, ranking them from best to worst (Griffin, 2019).
Term 16
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