Deming's Observations on Performance Management - BUSM4589

This essay critically analyzes W. Edwards Deming's observations on performance management, focusing on his critique of traditional performance appraisal systems and their impact on employee morale, teamwork, and long-term planning. The essay explores Deming's assertion that the system in which people work has a greater influence on performance than individual employee factors, emphasizing the importance of leadership, tools, and techniques. It examines the implications of Deming's principles for contemporary organizations, including the role of leadership quality, the efficiency of tools and techniques, and the significance of HRM skills such as multitasking, recruitment, communication, problem-solving, and training. The essay highlights the importance of employee evaluation and the impact of training modules on organizational performance, concluding with a discussion of how HRM practices can be employed to mitigate the challenges identified by Deming and enhance overall organizational effectiveness.

Running head: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Name of the student:
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Author Note:

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Performance management is said to be a continuous process regarding the
communication, which is carried out with the employees of the organization from their
supervisor (Arnaboldi, Lapsley & Steccolini 2015). This procedure of communication is
carried out throughout the year that are necessary for the accomplishment of the set strategic
goals of the organization. The procedure of communication thus includes the clarification of
the expectations, structuring the objectives, identification of the goals, providing feedback as
well as review of results. The performance management is generally carried out by following
a specific life cycle that is known as the performance management lifecycle (Van Dooren,
Bouckaert & Halligan 2015). This lifecycle continues to possess three steps that are likely to
be planning, review and checking-in. The planning phase deals with the overall review of the
employee’s expectations. Moreover, this incorporates the objectives that leads to the
performance development. In accordance to these factors the plans is further directed for the
achievement of the goals as stated by the organization thus adhering the success of an
employee. The next phase that is the check-in phase deals with the goals as well as the
objectives that are planned as well as discussed all throughout the year (Buckingham &
Goodall 2015). The last phase deals with the review of performance regarding the employees
that are expected to cope with the objectives regarding the performance management of that
period.
This process of performance management follows some performance management
lifecycle processes that enhances the implementation regarding the management of the
performance within an organization (Mone & London 2018). In context to this a lifecycle
process is significantly identified that will be discussed in this following sections. The
lifecycle process of performance management that will be adhered in this report is stated as
the Deming’s lifecycle of Performance Management.

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In the middle of 1950 Dr W. Edwards Deming developed a process cycle, which
adheres the performance management of employees within an organization. The process steps
as mentioned by Dr Deming for the improvement of the performance management within an
organization comprises of four steps. The steps are likely depicted as Plan, Do, Check and
Act. These four steps are to be adhered by any organization for the enhancement for the
performance management within their environment (Morlock & Meier 2015). Thus, it is
depicted that the Deming cycle for performance management is an effective procedure
regarding the analysis of the processes that develops the opportunity for enhanced as well as
continuous improvement.
(Image: Deming Performance Management Lifecycle)
(Source: Liu & Qian 2019)
The phases associated with this cycle is said to be iterative in accordance to the
methodology of management that could control the business as well as constant improvement
regarding processes as well as products (Witt 2016).

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It is depicted that Dr Deming had understood the overall aspect of the performance
evaluation standards. He observed the overall things that are happening in the world and
reviewed that the planning of an organization fails to cope with the achievement of the
strategic goals of an organization. In this regards Dr Deming is identified as one of the most
significant detractors regarding the reviews of performance (Buzatu, Costache & Iordache
2019). In accordance to Dr Deming, the appraisal of performance nourishes the short-term
management of performance, decreases teamwork, and nourishes politics as well as rivalry
within the employees of an organization. These points tends to give a growth of depression,
crushed as well as inferior feelings among the employees associated with an organization.
This in future results to the diminished performance by the employees, which further tends to
the non-achievement of the goals by the overall organization.
There are numerous significant observations that are made by Deming regarding the
review process of performance. The famous quote of Deming states that performance is much
more influenced via the system where people work rather than factors in relation to individual
employees (Bialaszewski 2018). For providing a clarification in regards to the performance
reviews, it can be stated that the employees themselves does not possess any control in
respect to their own levels of performance. According to Deming, the performance of an
organization does not only depends on the employee’s ability but also depends on the tools
that are provided to the employee for carrying out a specific task. Similarly, the performance
is also dependant on the quality of leadership that persists within a specified organization.
The leadership quality of an organization may hamper the performance, as there should
always be an enhanced leader that can amplify the growth as well as success regarding the
associated organization.
From the above stated research, it can be depicted that the Deming’s observation in
regards to the performance management is true in various contexts (Prikshat & Kumar 2018).

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This quotations or the observation made by Deming is still true as this are significant
observations, which are needed for any organization to achieve their strategic set goals by
managing or amplifying the performance within the organization.
In the context of contemporary organizations the issues addressed by Deming for the
management of performance. Firstly, the incompetency in the leadership quality present in
the organization that are thriving towards success can hamper the performance of the
organization. It is very necessary within an organization that the leadership quality of a leader
is to be significantly influential for the progress of the organization (Bamber, Bartram &
Stanton 2017). This is important, as the leader is the sole position within an organization that
drives it towards the success adhering the strategic goals as set in the planning phase of the
organization. Moreover, a capable leader is said to enhance the skills of the employees
present within the organization that tends to perform for gaining the overall advantage of the
organization.
However, the second important issue that is depicted according to the Deming
principles is that the tools as well as techniques that are used in the organization for carrying
out a particular task. It is identified by the theories of Dr Deming that if an organization
possess an efficient set of employees but the tools as well as the techniques that are required
to achieve the set goals of the organization (Hassan 2016). If the tools and techniques that are
used in the organization is not so efficient then the performance of the organization to cope
with the goals or objectives of the organization is hampered. Thus, it can be said that the
efficiency of the employees in an organization is significantly identified or the performance is
amplified if the current tools as well as techniques are up to date and the management should
seek forward to maintain the quality of the tools for the enhancement of the performance of
the organization in respect to the other organization present in the global market scenario.

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In addition to this context, it is also true that the organization, which has implemented
enhanced tools, can also not achieve the set goals as the performance can also be hampered
due to the presence of the inefficient employees within the organization. To deal with this the
human resource management department must be aware to recruit efficient as well as skilful
employees at the time of new employees within the organization. Moreover, there is also an
important segment in respect to the enhancement of the performance of the employees that is
likely identified as the training of skills (Ho & Kuvaas 2017). The organizations that are
thriving for the enhanced performance regarding the results of the organization is said to
provide the effective levels of skills that tends to amplify the performance of the organization
as well as of the employees. The HRM skills that are to be employed by an organization for
the mitigation of these type of situations within this organization are critically assessed and
provided in the following paragraphs.
The first skill that is depicted to amplify the organizational performance is stated as
the multi-tasking ability of the human resource management. This states that an HR manager
must have the ability to deal with movement of the business and simultaneously cope with
the priorities of the workplace regarding the employees as well as the other departments
present in the organization (Ružić 2015). Henceforth, the multitasking ability of the HRM
department is said to be the most significant capability regarding an organization’s
performance management. This ability is said to enhance the performance of an organization
thus depicting the multitasking ability as adhered by the human resource management
department.
The second most important point in respect to the HRM skills of the incorporated
department is said to be the factor of recruitment as well as hiring. This is an effective step as
well as a significant step that an organization should adhere for the improvement of the
performance of the organization (Kaplan & Atkinson 2015). The recruiter of an organization

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should have the capability of communicating in an effective manner, which can enhance the
understanding of a new employee. Thus, the HR manager must be capable of recruiting
standard candidates in respect to the organizational goals so that it will be easy for the
organization so meet up their requirements. Moreover, an effective manager must also
provide suggestions to other managers for the enhanced recruitment of efficient and skilful
employees within the organization.
The third skill that are to be adhered by the HRM department is said to be the
significant communication skills. The communication skills are said to be the significantly
identified in the fields of verbal communication as well as writing skills. There is a necessity
regarding the good communication skill for HRM as it can depict as well as evaluate the
theories that are present for the employees. With the help of these effective communication
skills it is identified that the organization could be immensely positively impacted regarding
the performance of the employees as well as of the overall overview of the infrastructure
regarding the organization.
The fourth essential skill that is to be adhered by the HRM department of an
organization is said to be skill of problem solving as well as conflict management within the
organization. This point adheres to the fact that an organization’s performance can be greatly
hampered if the problem as well as conflict continues within the employees of the
organization. Thus, it is important for the HRM department of an organization to effectively
deal with the problem as well as conflicts within the organization. The managing ability of an
HR manager in respect to the problems within the organization is to be adhered critically to
cope with the performance of the organization.
The most significant factor that is to be addressed by the organization regarding the
performance of an organization is said to be the evaluation of the performance of the

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employees associated with the organization (Reiche et al. 2016). This is a critical factor
regarding the assessment of the organization to cope with the meeting of the strategic goals of
the organization. The evaluation must be done on the basis of the employees potential that is
depicted in the initial stages of the recruitment of the employees that is adhered by the HRM
department. This evaluation puts a critical impact on the production as well as services that
are provided by the organization thus enhancing the performance of the organization.
The last factor that is depicted regarding the HRM skills is said to be the modules of
training as well as development that is important to be present within the employees that
adheres the performance of an organization. The HRM department must provide essential
skills as well as training modules to the employees present in the organization. This will
enhance the capabilities of the employees to be enhanced as well as the effective training
modules can amplify the organization’s performance to an enhanced standard. This is
depicted as the most important capability of an organization regarding the performance
enhancement. This helps the employees to be much more efficient as well as proactive, which
in turn will help the organization to achieve their performance standards.

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