By identifying the insufficiency of traditional psychometric and the cognitive approach of performance evaluation, and building upon the goal-based approach of performance evaluation, I proposed an interactionist model of performance evaluation in organizations in my thesis, argued that performance evaluation is a function of both the rater and the context. Performance ratings are shaped by the rater’s goals. More important, the goal effect is moderated by the rater’s characteristics such as implicit theories and specific rating strategies. In addition, the goal effect is also moderated by contextual factors such as ratees’ various performance levels. Thus, performance evaluation is not a simple responding process to measurement instrument, neither a passive cognitive information proces...[ Read more ]

By identifying the insufficiency of traditional psychometric and the cognitive approach of performance evaluation, and building upon the goal-based approach of performance evaluation, I proposed an interactionist model of performance evaluation in organizations in my thesis, argued that performance evaluation is a function of both the rater and the context. Performance ratings are shaped by the rater’s goals. More important, the goal effect is moderated by the rater’s characteristics such as implicit theories and specific rating strategies. In addition, the goal effect is also moderated by contextual factors such as ratees’ various performance levels. Thus, performance evaluation is not a simple responding process to measurement instrument, neither a passive cognitive information processing process. Raters actively adjust their ratings according to their goals, and are influenced by their own characteristics and contextual factors.

Five studies reported in Chapter 2, 3 and 4 examined the rater-context interactional effects on performance evaluation, and provided evidence supporting the rater-context interactionist model of performance evaluation. Specifically, the two studies in Chapter 2 illustrated that rater goal effects (including identification goal, harmony goal, fairness goal and motivating goal) are dependent on one contextual factor, i.e., ratees’ performance level. Raters inflated their peer ratings under the harmony, fairness and motivating goal conditions in a peer evaluation context (Study 1). More important, raters inflated their ratings more for low performers than for high and medium performers. In a non-peer rating context, raters deflated ratings for high performers to achieve the fairness goal, and they inflated ratings for low performers to motivate them (Study 2).

Then, Study 3 in Chapter 3 provides supporting evidence for the moderating effect of the rater’s characteristic on relationship between rater goals and performance ratings. The two-way interaction effect between rater goals and ratee performance levels on performance ratings found in Chapter 2 was further moderated by rater’s implicit person theory. Specifically, in an instructor evaluation context, raters with incremental theory tended to deflate ratings for high performers to motivate them, whereas raters with entity theory showed no such distortion compared with control group.

Last, two studies in Chapter 4 examined another rater-related variable’s moderating effect on relationship between rater goals and performance ratings. Specifically, Study 4 examined the effect of rating strategies (i.e., equity or equality) under fairness goal condition and identification goal condition. In an instructor evaluation context, raters primed with equity or equality strategy both showed the tendency to use equality strategy to accomplish the fairness goal. Study 5 examined the effect of rating strategies condition (i.e., providing positive feedback or negative feedback) under motivating goal and identification goal condition. In an instructor evaluation context, raters primed with providing positive feedback or negative feedback strategy both showed the tendency to use providing negative feedback strategy under the identification goal condition.

Key words: Rater-context interactionist, Rater goals, Performance evaluation, implicit person theory, strategy selection in performance evaluation