An organizational phenomenon Essays

An organizational phenomenon Essays An organizational phenomenon Essay An organizational phenomenon Essay Performance appraisal in American organizations remains a widespread and common practice despite documented criticism of the process by practitioners and researchers alike. Exhaustive research has been conducted on a range of related topics with limited advances in the understanding and practice of performance appraisal. Lack of efficient ways to evaluate performance appraisal systems within organizations has discouraged advances in theory related to performance appraisal as an organizational phenomenon. However, studying individual variables has proved so inadequate at explaining the intricacies of performance appraisal that researchers are attempting more comprehensive evaluation techniques. Attitudes and perceptions of performance appraisal by participants within the context of the organization in which the process operates are now being conducted. The literature suggests relative agreement regarding the structural and procedural components of a well-designed performance appraisal system. Many organizations have implemented systems which are based on accepted practices and procedures only to have them rejected by the users. Clearly there is more to an effective performance appraisal system than a technically sound rating format and well defined policies and procedures. There is however, no commonly accepted method or efficient approach to evaluating the effectiveness or success of a performance appraisal system based on a set of well-defined variables. Identifying and organizing the most important variables in performance appraisal has proved to be a challenging task to researchers and practitioners. Fairness however, is one variable that has been indicated to be a key component in the ultimate success of performance appraisal systems. Evaluating appraisal systems using a theoretical foundation drawn from organizational justice offers researchers the opportunity to examine how the fairness of different aspects of performance appraisal may affect the ultimate success of such organizational systems. Purpose The purpose of this study was to measure perceptions of fairness of and satisfaction with performance appraisal using Greenbergs hypothesized four-factor of organizational justice as a theoretical framework. Better understanding of the perceptions of the fairness based on the concepts of systemic, configural, informational, and interpersonal justice of performance appraisal and related employee reactions to such systems should provide decision makers with more specific information needed to improve the effectiveness of the system in achieving organizational goals. Multi-item scales based on the research of performance appraisal effectiveness and fairness were utilized to measure individuals perceptions of the extent to which fair processes and interactions are manifested in an organizations performance appraisal system. The second goal of the study was to test the theoretical structure of Greenbergs four- factor model of justice using the scales designed to measure perceptions of fair appraisal practices. The scales were allocated across Greenbergs (1993) taxonomy of justice perceptions that has been proposed to be a theoretical model that best integrates the various justice factors into a single model (Thurston, 2001). The study was conducted in a large state government employment system located in the southern United States in the spring of 2003. Two separate agencies were selected for the study. Both agencies have used the same performance appraisal process since it was introduced as a mandatory requirement by the state civil service management division in 1997. The agencies have significantly different missions and work processes and employ different classifications of employees; one is predominantly technical and scientific with many professional and clerical positions while the other is a health care provider. The oversight for the statewide performance appraisal system is maintained by the central civil service management department but each individual organization is responsible for implementing the system. The only measurement of the performance appraisal system to this point has been the determination of the rate of usage of the system.

SAT and ACT Test Date Choice Is the Next Date Best

SAT and ACT Test Date Choice Is the Next Date Best SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Not sure whether it’s a good idea to register for the next SAT or ACT test date? You should consider how many times you've taken the test before, how busy your schedule is right now, and how much you've prepared for the test before making a decision. We'll explain why. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before signing up for the next date. Have You Taken the SAT or ACT Before? Whether it's your first or fourth time taking the test, you should think critically about when you sign up so that you're making the most of your time and registration fees.It's important to maximize the utility of every test session and give yourself enough chances to improve before you send in college applications. First Time Test Takers We recommend taking the SAT or ACT for the first time during your junior fall.If it's your junior year and the next test date is the September ACT or October SAT (the first fall testing dates), it’s a good idea to sign up for that date. As a general rule, if you’re a rising junior or older and haven’t taken either test yet, you should aim for the next test date. If you’re still a sophomore, it’s fine to wait until the beginning of your junior year to start taking the tests. You'll have more than enough chances to improve on your scores later on if you start there. But make sure you prep before your first test date! Often, ordering the Question-and-Answer Service for the SAT is a good idea if it’s your first time taking the test. TheQuestion-and-Answer Service provides you with a copy of your test booklet as well as a breakdown of the types of questions, their difficulty levels, and your answers versus the correct answers. The ACT also offers a similar service called the Test Information Release. These materials can be very useful for studying if you are planning on taking the SAT or ACT again. I mention this because the Question-and-Answer Service is only available with October, January, and May SAT testing dates; and the Test Information Release is only available with December, April, and June ACT testing dates. This is another factor you might consider in deciding whether the next test date is best for you. As this point of view shot demonstrates, you can also pick your first test date by slamming your face into a calendar at random and seeing which test date is closest to your eye. Repeat Test Takers If you’ve already taken one or both of the tests, it's sometimes difficult to decide when to sign up for them again.The next date won’t necessarily be the best one.It's important to consider how many times you have already taken the test and how much time you have left before application deadlines for colleges and scholarships. Junior Year It can be a good idea to take the SAT or ACT again after winter break your junior year if you just took a test in the fall. However, if you feel you haven’t made significant studying gains between the fall test and winter test, it might be better to wait until spring. Shoot for both if you feel confident your abilities have improved each time, but don’t waste money and time on a redundant test session. Senior Year This is when college application and scholarship deadlines really come into play.If you’re still planning to take the SAT or ACT again after your junior year, it’s safest to take the test as early as possible in senior fall.This leaves you more time to work on college applications later. It also means you'll be able to submit your scores with Early Decision applications, which usually accept November test scores (at the latest - check with your schools!). As we'll see in the next section, the only reason the next test date might not be best during your senior year is if you’re especially busy and stressed at that time.Otherwise, go for it! Do You Have a Lot of Other Commitments Right Now? If the thought of taking the test at this point overwhelms you, you should consider waiting until you feel less stressed. Junior year can be very academically demanding, and it’s not easy to fit in standardized testing alongside those expectations.Junior year is also not as critical of a time to take the test because you aren’t worried about application deadlines yet, so you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. Not everyone can or should take three standardized tests during their junior year.Decide what's comfortable and practical for you. That being said, if you can't manage the next test date, try to go for the one after that. You'll thank yourself later if you end up not having to take the test again as a senior. Senior year is usually pretty stressful in terms of navigating college applications and last chances on standardized tests.This is why it’s better to take standardized tests as early as possible in senior fall - this is when there is going to be the least pressure from your other responsibilities related to college. Be aware of your deadlines and avoid test dates that might coincide with other high pressure scenarios.The last thing you want is to be distracted by anxious thoughts about other things while you’re trying to take a test. Is this you? Don't take the test again until you have all your tennis racquets under control. Are You Prepared? This might seem obvious, but it’s often tempting to sign up for the next test date just to get it out of the way (especially if you’re an anxious person like me!).Make sure every test you take is worthwhile and that you have a good shot at improving your scores each time. The only time you shouldn’t worry too much about preparation as a factor is if you're taking the test for the first time or hoping for a very slight improvement on your previous scores (0-50 SAT points, 0-1 ACT points). If you're applying to school that superscores the SAT or ACT (meaning they take your best score ever for each section and compile them into one glorious SUPERSCORE), you might also take the test again without much preparation because you just need to improve one of your section scores a little bit. But if you still have a ways to go before your scores are up to muster, you should make sure you are studying before each test date. You want to be in a position where you are improving consistently every time you take the SAT or ACT. Otherwise you’re stressing yourself out, spending too much money on registration, and sacrificing your Saturdays to the Testing Gods. If you haven’t studied between the last time you took the test and the next upcoming date, you should either reconsider registering or make a quick study plan that you’ll execute in the few weeks you have left before the test. Even just a few hours of focused studying can make a difference! What's Next? Still not sure whether you should take the test again? Use this three step process to find out. Also check out these articles detailinghow many times you should take the SATand the ACT. If you need more resources to help you choose a date, here are a couple more in-depth guides for senior year and just choosing test dates in general. For more advice on how to structure your studying, take a look at our complete study plans for the SAT and ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: