Need help with my Writing question – I’m studying for my class.
Introduction
Most managers probably would agree that they want to encourage “high performance levels” among their employees. However, many of these same managers might balk if asked to define specifically what “high performance” is, much less how to measure it. And yet, being able to answer these questions is essential to effective performance management. If managers want “high performance” from their employees, they must be able to articulate what high performance looks like and set clear performance expectations for employees. Indeed, performance management is a very broad domain of managerial responsibility which includes goal-setting, communicating performance standards, measuring and appraising performance, communicating feedback, and determining and delivering outcomes based on performance.
Purpose
In this activity, you will examine and evaluate three different performance appraisal strategies for evaluating entry level correctional officers working in a state prison. You will consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different strategies and write an executive summary report in which you summarize your assessment of the different strategies and offer a recommendation for whether to adopt one of these existing approaches, modifying one or more of them, or creating an entirely new strategy. Regardless of what strategy you ultimately recommend, your executive summary should clearly present the rationale and research support behind your recommendation.
Skills
This group activity will allow you to develop and enrich your skills in the following areas:
• Written communication: writing a succinct, professional, and well-supported executive summary reflecting the group’s recommendations.
• Critical thinking: evaluating and identifying advantages and disadvantages of different performance appraisal methods and sources.
• Knowledge: understand available performance appraisal methods including practical and legal issues associated with various methods.
Instructions
In this activity, you are playing the role of a senior advisor to the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections (DOC) in your state.Until recently, each of the state prisons operated rather independently with regard to daily operations and management of correctional officers. For example, correctional officers at different prisons have been evaluated and compensated based on different standards with some locations utilizing objective performance metrics and individual commission-based incentives with other locations utilizing subjective or team-based performance metrics and merit-based pay, tenure-based pay, or a flat pay rate for all employees within the position.
These types of inconsistencies across prisons have resulted in numerous challenges for DOC; thus, DOC is moving towards greater standardization and oversight for all prison employees. As part of this effort, you have been charged with evaluating three different performance appraisal strategies currently being used at various prisons for evaluating entry level correctional officers. These strategies include: Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS), Management by Objectives (MBO), and Graphic Rating Scale. You will examine each of these strategies and reflect upon their merits, advantages, and disadvantages. Then you will write an executive summary report in which you offer a recommendation about what approach DOC should adopt for managing and appraising the performance of entry level correctional officers. You can recommend the adoption of one of the existing three strategies, or that one or more of these strategies be modified/combined, or you might recommend an entirely new approach. Regardless of what strategy youultimately recommends, your executive summary must clearly articulate how the performance appraisal system will work, explain the rationale behind your recommendation, and discuss pros and cons of your plan and other possible plans. Also provide an example of a performance evaluation form, including the areas in which the employees will be evaluated based on the strategy your team recommends. As part of your justification for your recommendation, you should cite supportive evidence from your textbook and other reputable sources.
Assignment
Deliverable: 2-3 page executive summary report (typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman Font, 1-inch margins, plus typed references not counting towards 2-3 page limit).
