2. Comprehension check.

1) Read the text again more carefully. Make a plan of the text and write down key words to each item.

2. Complete the sentences with the appropriate ending, a, b, or c.

1. Trait appraisals cannot be reliable performance measures because …

1. they are evaluated by the supervisor only.

2. they assess an employee’s personal qualities.

3. many traits are sometimes misinterpreted.

1. To develop behaviour-based appraisals, it is necessary …

4. to carry out job analysis first.

5. to measure how the employee performs job tasks.

6. to describe the items in terms of either activities or results.

3. Subjective performance measures facilitate …

1. the adoption of individual methods of correcting inadequate performance.

2. the implementation of supervisor’s decisions on the employee’s work.

3. gathering information on the interactions between co-workers.

3. The supervisor’s misjudgement of an employee’s performance can result from …

   1. his/her inclination to overestimate everyone.

   2. his/her desire to be objective.

   3. his/her tendency to evaluate each job task.

3) Translate the last two paragraphs of the text into your native language (in writing).

Discussion

Work in small groups.

Using the plan and the key words, which you have written down in ‘Comprehension check’, discuss what you have learned about subjective performance measures.

Reading and discussion

Read text 20 and then, working in small groups, answer the questions:

1. As human resource manager, what employee characteristics would you use in the selection of team members?

2. How might performance appraisal be done? Can team members be involved in the review of other members?

3. Identify training needs at Turner. Do you believe a company can spend too much money on training employees? Why?

Text 20

Turner Industries, a family-operated carpeting manufacturer, was started 49 years ago just outside Jackson, Mississippi. Today, the company is the third largest producer of carpeting in the United States. With revenue over $1 billion, Turner employs over 6,000 workers at this now-massive facility.

Five years ago, Turner developed an “Employee Initiative” program to instill commitment to customer satisfaction throughout the company. The company’s employees play a vital role in this program. A flat organizational structure gives employees, working in self-managed teams, significant authority and autonomy. Production work teams can undertake training, schedule work, and determine individual performance objectives. Any production process can be halted if an employee believes that quality is suffering or safety is jeopardized.

Teams form the core of Turner’s quality-improvement efforts. The company formed 25 “Proactive Teams” to address specific manufacturing and production challenges. In addition, select teams work on ways to enhance the relationship between Turner and its suppliers. The teams, in general, respond to customers’ comments, work on developing new products, and create activities that bring employees together in social situations (sporting activities, picnics, and fund-raising efforts for employee-supported charities). With diverse opportunities to affect the company, the teams demonstrate a fundamental commitment to customer satisfaction – even creating marketing opportunities that generate additional revenue.

Management and motivation of the work force require special care on the part of Turner’s management. Training and recognition is important. In a single year, the company invests $1,600 per employee in training. Recognition comes in the form of participation in teams, leadership opportunities, and interaction with top management.

Turner’s efforts at improving its management and human resource practices have allowed it to reduce the number of managers; lower its overall defect rate; and increase quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Revenues have increased significantly over the last four years. As a result of the focus on employees and customers’ needs, Turner has won over 20 quality awards and was voted the outstanding employer in the South in a regional competition. The company has been written about in the Top 200 Employers in the U.S., and its efforts to involve employees in determining the firm’s direction have been very successful, enhancing customer satisfaction and improving business performance.