After Several Years of Sound but Unimpressive Performance,Foothill Federal Was

question 243

Multiple Choice

After several years of sound but unimpressive performance,Foothill Federal was bought out by Cashcorp,a much larger financial organization.Hoping to turn the new network into a stronger asset to the corporation,Cashcorp's managers begin by examining Foothill's existing performance appraisal process.Cashcorp managers quickly determine that employee evaluations have been handled very superficially in the past,typically by division managers at the central location.As a result,seniority,rather than productivity,has been the primary rationale for promotions and rewards.The HR manager assigned to integrating Foothill into the Cashcorp family immediately sees that changes will need to be made in the performance appraisal process.However,he does not want to move too quickly,as the merger has already made the Foothill workforce worried that major terminations and layoffs are coming soon Which of the following,if true,would most strongly support changing who is responsible for performance appraisals at Foothill?

• A)The supervisors carrying out appraisals were all assigned to Foothill's central location,even though most of the employees they evaluated were at branches.
• B)The web-based performance appraisal software already used by Cashcorp allows employees to do self-evaluations.
• C)Cashcorp has a more detailed and clearer set of corporate objectives than Foothill used in appraisals.
• D)Industry-wide research shows that peer appraisal has a more direct impact on employees than supervisor appraisal.
• E)A regional news report claimed that Cashcorp was prepared to trim the Foothill workforce by up to 30 percent.

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Definitions:

Coercive Power

The ability of a person to influence others' behavior by means of threats, punishment, or sanctions.

Legitimate Power

Power that is recognized as rightful or lawful, often derived from a position of authority or social structure.

Expert Power

The influence and authority a person has as a result of their expertise, skills, or knowledge.

Referent Power

A form of power that stems from being admired or respected, often due to charismatic qualities or identification with the person who has the power.