The Effects of Performance Appraisal System on Employees’ Performance in the Public Service of Jamaica – A Case Study of the Jamaica Constabulary Force

BUSINESS SCHOOL
___________________
MBA HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MBA PROJECT
PROJECT TITLE: The Effects of Performance Appraisal
System on Employees’ Performance in the Public Service of
Jamaica – A Case Study of the Jamaica Constabulary Force
AUTHOR: NADEISHA PATTERSON (40294613)
DATE OF SUBMISSION: DECEMBER 14, 2018
Supervisor: MAMMED BAGHER

MBA Project Declaration
I declare that the work contained in this project has not been submitted for any other
award and that it is all my own work. To the best of my knowledge, the work contains no
material previously published or written by another person except where due reference
is made in the text of the project.
Title of project: The Effects of Performance Appraisal System on Employees’
Performance in the Public Service of Jamaica – A Case Study of the Jamaica
Constabulary Force
Name (Print): Nadeisha S. Patterson
Signature: N. Patterson
Date: 14th December, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MBA Project Declaration................................................................................................................2
LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................................i
LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................................ii
ABRREVIATION..........................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................v
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................................1
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the problem.......................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem...........................................................................................................2
1.3 Purpose of the Study..................................................................................................................3
1.4 Research Questions....................................................................................................................3
1.5 Significance of the Study...........................................................................................................3
1.5.1 The Jamaica Constabulary Force............................................................................................3
1.5.2 Practitioners of Human Resource...........................................................................................3
1.5.3 Higher Learning Institutions...................................................................................................3
1.6 Scope of the Study.....................................................................................................................4
1.7 Definition of terms.....................................................................................................................4
1.7.1 Performance management......................................................................................................4
1.7.2 Performance appraisal/evaluation...........................................................................................4
1.7.3 Performance measurement......................................................................................................4
1.8 Chapter Summary......................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................6
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................6
2.2 How employees see and interpret experiences with the performance management system.....6
2.2.1 Employee Perceptions of Performance Management.............................................................6
2.2.2 Clarity in Tasks and Duties.....................................................................................................7
2.2.3 Lack of Proper Performance Management Systems...............................................................7
2.2.4 Evaluation of Previous Performance Management and Organisation Objectives..................7
2.2.5 Integration between Organisation Objectives and Individual objectives...............................9
2.2.6 Performance Management for Career Growth.......................................................................9
2.2.7 Employee Engagement.........................................................................................................10
2.2.8 Evaluation on Pre-determined Parameters............................................................................10
2.3 Challenges of performance management system....................................................................10
2.3.1 Feedback System..................................................................................................................11
2.3.2 Leadership Commitment......................................................................................................11
2.3.3 Bias in Performance Appraisal.............................................................................................12
2.3.4 Objective and Fair Standard of Evaluation...........................................................................13
2.3.5 User Friendliness of Performance Appraisal Form..............................................................13

2.3.6 Regular Review of Performance Management.....................................................................14
2.3.7 Top Management Commitment............................................................................................14
2.3.8 Training and Awareness.......................................................................................................14
2.3.9 Cultural Change Aspect........................................................................................................14
2.4 Types of Performance Management System...........................................................................16
2.4.1 360 Degree Feedback...........................................................................................................16
2.4.2 Balance Score Card...............................................................................................................16
2.4.3 Management by Objectives..................................................................................................16
2.4.4 Self-Appraisal.......................................................................................................................17
2.4.5 The Critical Incidents Method..............................................................................................17
2.4.6 Peers......................................................................................................................................18
2.5 Summary..................................................................................................................................18
CHAPTER THREE.....................................................................................................................19
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................................19
3.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................19
3.2 Research Design......................................................................................................................19
3.3 Population and Sampling Design.............................................................................................20
3.3.1 Population.............................................................................................................................20
3.3.2 Sampling Design...................................................................................................................20
3.3.2.1 Sampling Frame.................................................................................................................20
3.3.2.2 Sampling Technique..........................................................................................................20
3.3.2.3 Sample Size.......................................................................................................................21
3.4 Data Collection Methods.........................................................................................................21
3.5 Research Procedures................................................................................................................22
3.6 Data Analysis...........................................................................................................................22
3.7 Chapter Summary....................................................................................................................22
CHAPTER FOUR.......................................................................................................................23
4.0 RESULTS AND FINDINGS...................................................................................................23
4.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................23
4.2 General Information.................................................................................................................24
4.3 Employee experiences with performance management system Figure...................................26
4.3.1: Satisfaction with current PMS Figure.................................................................................26
4.4 Challenges of Performance Management System...................................................................31
4.5 Type of performance management system suitable for JCF...................................................34
CHAPTER FIVE.........................................................................................................................37
5.0 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.............................................37
5.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................37
5.2 Summary..................................................................................................................................37
5.3.1 Does performance appraisal improve the productivity of the employees?...........................38
5.3.2 What is the relationship in between employees’ productivity and the appraisal of
performance?.................................................................................................................................39

5.4.1 What is the important information that the employees need to understand related to their
work?.............................................................................................................................................40
5.3.3 What are the types of Performance Management System?..................................................42
5.5.1 Does performance appraisal improve the productivity of the employees?...........................43
5.5.2 What is the relationship in between employees’ productivity and the appraisal of
performance?.................................................................................................................................44
5.5.3 What are the types of Performance Management System?..................................................45
5.6 Suggestions for Further Research............................................................................................45
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................46
APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE..............................................................................................54
APPENDIX 2: Participants information sheet and Consent statement.........................................58

i
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Unit of work.................................................................................................................25
Table 4.2: Competencies...............................................................................................................27
Table 4.3: Training Programs........................................................................................................27
Table 4.4: Recognizes employee efforts........................................................................................29
Table 4.5: Challenges of PMS.......................................................................................................31
Table 4.6: Suggestions for improvement.......................................................................................32
Table 4.5: Period before carrying out a review process................................................................35
Table 4.6: Effectiveness of the current Performance Management System..................................35

ii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.2.1: Respondent Gender..................................................................................................24
Figure 4.2.2: Satisfaction with current PMS.................................................................................26
Figure 4.3.2 Cooperation and teamwork.......................................................................................27
Figure 4.2.5: Intermittent Performance evaluations......................................................................28
Figure 4.2.6: Strengths and weaknesses........................................................................................29
Figure 4.2.7: Utilisation of results.................................................................................................30
Figure 4.2.8: Rate faculty following Figure..................................................................................31
Figure 4.2.10: Performance Review Process reasonable for JCF Figure......................................34

iii
ABRREVIATION
PMAS Performance Management Appraisal System
PMS Performance Management System
MBO Management by Objectives
BSC Balance Score Card
PEMS Performance Management System
GRMS Global Resource Management System
JCF Jamaica Constabulary Force
QAR Quality Assessment Report