Interpersonal Communication and Performance Appraisal

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Keywords
Literature Review
Basic Information Sources
Research Strategy and Methodology
Structure of the project
Research Plan
Expected Results and Limitations
References

Abstract

Interpersonal communication is critical to any organization. It helps to strengthen the relations between subordinates and their supervisors. Communication also helps supervisors communicate the performance of the employees concerning the expectations of the company and also in comparison to their peers. This study will sample both supervisors and subordinates of XYZ Company. It will evaluate the effects of interpersonal communication skills on performance appraisals.

Keywords

Performance appraisals, interpersonal communication skills

Description of the Project

The broad objective of this study will be to determine the effect of interpersonal communication skills on performance appraisals. This study will view interpersonal communication from the perspective of supervisors and subordinates.

Statement of the Problem

Developing valuable ways of performance management of major employees has become the basis of organizational development in the past few years. There are several studies which have been conducted relating to managerial performance. These studies often concentrate on the technical elements, and hence there is limited work on understanding behavioural aspects. This research attempts to study the effects of interpersonal communication, which is a behavioural aspect of performance appraisals.

Basic Objectives

The study intends:

To find out the extent of supervisor and subordinate interpersonal communication at XYZ Company.
To assess the various communication patterns and how they impact the performance appraisals.

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the research:

What is the extent of supervisor and subordinate interpersonal communication at XYZ Company?
What are the various communication patterns within the organization, and how do they impact the performance appraisals?

Literature Review

Earlier researches on performance appraisals focused on technical measurement elements. This was followed by studies on the cognitive aspects of performance appraisals. Recent studies focus on understanding behavioural aspects such as interpersonal communication. According to Liden and Mitchell (1988), good interpersonal communication has a direct impact on performance. Further, good interpersonal communication skills lead to better performance and high productivity within the organization. Studies have shown that positive interpersonal communication skills by subordinates positively impact the ratings by the supervisor. The studies that support this finding have been cross-sectional and conclude that interpersonal communication has a lasting effect that will influence the performance ratings in the long run (Denisi et al., 1997).

Basic Information Sources

The researcher will use both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data will be obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Secondary data will be gathered from books, journals, web-based documents and any other published materials. The researcher will mainly focus on documents published by the company to form a strong case for the study.

Research Strategy and Methodology

The methodology will discuss how the research will be conducted. It will also include the research design, sample size, sources of data and the methods of data collection and analysis. The methodology of this research is designed to find out the effects of interpersonal communication on performance appraisal. This study will use the survey method, which is an appropriate way of gathering data to address real-life problems. Survey design is the most suitable method of gathering data from respondents who will be representative of the entire group. It is a great method in research for collecting original data from a group too large to be observed directly. Survey research design can be generalized to the entire group so that deductions can be made about some characteristics, attitudes or behaviour of a population (Babbie, 2005). The population for this study will comprise supervisors and subordinates of XYZ Company. Simple random sampling will be used to choose the sample for the study, as it ensures that each item has an equal chance of being selected for the study. To obtain a sample size, the researcher will use a list of all the staff of the company. The employees will be assigned numbers in such a way that any of them can be included in the sample. Numbers will then be chosen until the preferred sample is reached. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software will be used to analyze the data obtained from the field. The findings will then be presented in frequencies, tables and charts. A survey will be prepared based on the objectives of the study (Babbie, 2005).

Structure of the project

The research paper will have five chapters. Chapter one will discuss the background of the study, the problem statement, the objectives, the research questions, the rationale, the significance and the scope of the study. Chapter two will be a review of the literature and develop a conceptual framework for the study. Chapter three will discuss the methodology of the research by describing how the research will be carried out. Chapter four will discuss the finding and interpretations of the study. Lastly, chapter five will give a summary, recommendations and conclusions about the findings.

Research Plan

The research will be conducted for seven months, starting December 2013 to June of the coming year. The timelines of the study are as shown in the table below.

Expected Results and Limitations

Expected results are that their interpersonal skills influence supervisor rating of their juniors in the performance appraisals to a large extent. The instrument used for data collection does not collect data relating to non-verbal communication. Therefore, the respondents may fall in general categories that reflect the opinion and biases of the researcher.

References

Babbie, E. (2005). The Basics of Social Research (3rd ed.). Canada: Thomson Wadsworth.

DeNisi, A. S., Robbins, T. L., and Summers, T. P. (1997). Organization, processing, and Use of Performance Information: a Cognitive Role for Appraisal Instruments. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(21): 1884-1905.

Liden, R. C., & Mitchell, T. R. (1988). Ingratiatory Behaviors in Organizational Settings: Academic of Management Review. The Academy of Management Review 13(4): 572-587.

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