Perception of Line Managers Towards Performance Management Systems
Performance management (PM) refers to activities that ensure the consistent and
effective achievement of the goals of an organization. It covers the management of both
behavior and results of an organization, a department, an employee, the processes in
building a product or service and other areas as well. The process may be used to
reconcile the employees’ personal goals with that of the organization’s goals to increase
the latter’s productivity and profitability, and can be applied to a single individual or
section within an organization. A job mission statement which defines a job in terms of
purpose, customers, product and scope is drawn for each job position to determine the
latter’s continuous key objectives and performance standards. The strategic and
operational goals of an organization can be effectively realized by a performance
management system.[1]
The benefits of performance management include the concentration on results, rather
than on behaviors and activities, the alignment of all activities and processes to the
organization’s goals, the cultivation of a comprehensive, long-term view of the
organization and the generation of measurements that are useful in setting standards
for comparison with the best practices of other organizations. There are reservations on
the relevance of taking numerous measurements due to the rapidly changing structures
in today’s organizations. However, the main thrust of performance management is in
providing a consistent frame of reference during ongoing feedback on performance,
irrespective of the organization’s current structure. Many supervisors dread the filling
up of employee performance review forms because of the worry that they have not
spent sufficient time on observing an employee’s behavior and might commit a mistake,
and see the form and the various measurements that the process recalls as an end in
themselves. However, the ongoing communication around the measurements is the
crucial element in the performance management process.[2]
Traditionally, Human Resources (HR) handles performance management systems, but
in terms of performance in general, it is the line manager who is basically responsible
for a team’s performance. Line managers are focused on daily business processes
meant to produce business results, while HR devises programs to improve and
measure such processes. Performance management is only effective when line
managers recognize the value of the performance management programs chosen by
HR. In general, line managers do not exert much time and effort in managing
performance, if they can find a way to get around the system chosen by HR. Such
attitudes can be overcome if goals are given to people and they are measured as per
these goals rather than on regular competencies. The only way line managers can be
made to focus more on performance management issues is by educating them on its
benefits. A continuous process of feedback and development with line managers can
bridge the distance between them and performance management in organizations.[3]
Companies now have various processes such as goal alignment and succession
planning, apart from appraisal tools, that line managers can choose from in order to
maximize the use of technology in performance management. The alignment between
corporate and individual objectives must be made visible to reduce under-performance.
Performance management must consider the alignment of the goals of supervisors, the
line managers under them, and the employees below the line managers during goal
setting and measuring.[4]
Performance management processes are integrated with talented management
programs in well-run organizations. A talent mindset should be visibly built by senior
management for talent is essential to success, and performance management is one
tool that can be used in talent development. HR is tasked with reviewing performance
in order to raise the performance culture of the company, and must provide tools and
applications that are flexible to support different populations and their respective needs.
To be collaborative, a possible approach for HR is to allow line managers to audit
employee performance. HR must also align the achievement of individual goals with
that of key business results for the centralization of the role of line management in
performance.[5]
[1] “Performance Management”, Wikipedia, 9 June 2011, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_management> [accessed 1 July 2011]
[2] Carter McNamara, “Performance Management During Rapid Change”, Free Management Library,
<http://managementhelp.org/performancemanagement/during-change.htm> [accessed 1 July 2011]
[3] John Chaisson,“Executive Briefing.On the Line: The Manager’s Role in Performance”, Human Capital
Institute, 11 November 2005, pdf, <http://www.workinfo.com/free/Downloads/ManagersRole.pdf> [accessed 1 July 2011]
[4] ibid
[5] ibid
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