Performance Management: Expectations, Factors, and Poor Performance

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of performance management specifically focusing on the role of IT experts within an organization, with a particular focus on the International Labor Organization (ILO). The report begins by outlining the performance expectations of an IT expert, emphasizing their critical role in driving business innovation, enhancing work effectiveness, and ensuring the availability of consistent and accessible information. It then delves into the environmental factors that influence IT department performance, including environmental hostility and complexity, market and economic shifts, customer focus, and the need for speed and agility. The report further examines how the ILO's strategic goals are supported by effective IT management. The report also identifies characteristics of poor IT expert performance, such as pressure, attitude, and lack of performance appraisal. It concludes with recommendations for improving IT expert performance, including motivation through rewards, training, and performance appraisals. The report uses various academic sources to support its analysis.

Running head: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 1
Performance Management
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Introduction
It is crucial for every organization to perform performance management and appraisal for
their employees. Effective performance appraisal ensures growth and success of employees and
the organization. However, appraisal systems have been misunderstood and mismanaged by
various organizations which affect the operations of the organization (DeNisi & Smith, 2014).
The International labor organization is concerned with different activities globally and hence has
several departments. Technology Department is one critical department for the organization
which deals with the technical matters. As such, it is vital for the department to perform well as it
impacts directly or indirectly to the success of the whole organization. This paper, therefore,
discusses performance expectations of an Information Technology (IT) expert, environmental
factors contributing to the performance, and aspects that would be considered as poor
performance.
IT expert good performance
IT department forms the backbone of various organizations. We are in the 21st century
where the world is evolving so fast regarding technology. Therefore, an employee working as an
IT expert in an organization much is required from him/her. These expectations could be
attributed to various factors.
Technology determines business innovation
Technology has revolutionized the world making it become a global language. Innovation
and invention are very vital for growth and success of the business. If an IT expert cannot come
up with new ideas concerning business performance, there are high chances of the business
collapsing and becoming extinct. A sluggish IT department, therefore, slows the growth of a

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company by limiting its ability to adapt swiftly to ever-shifting market demands. It as well
affects innovation and invention process (Padilla-Pérez & Gaudin, 2014) and thereby, the release
of new products or services may never occur or take a long time. Customer satisfaction and the
organization-customer relationship is also destroyed that makes the organization lose market to
its competitors. Therefore, organizations need to reorganize their IT department and reap the best
of it.
Information Technology results in enhanced work effectiveness
IT expert has a huge role to play in ensuring the operations of the organization run
effectively and efficiently. A well experienced IT expert can provide high-quality job which
positively affects the final result of a company. Efficient IT performance, in turn, enhances the
performance of other employees and their productivity (Wu et al., 2015). It’s through IT
department that employees can connect and interact comfortability with each other and the
customers. As such, an IT expert is expected to work smart, effectively, and align all the
operations of the company in order.
Information Technology provides consistent, relevant, and easily accessible information
An IT expert is expected to make information available for all other staff of the
organization. The information should be relevant, consistent, and of high quality. In turn, this
will translate to quality service and product delivery, user satisfaction, and benefit both the
organization and individual employee (Peppard & Ward, 2016). The smooth flow of information
is vital to smooth business operation. By coordinating with the Human Resource management
team, an IT expert is expected to ensure all activities of an organization runs smoothly.

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Environmental factors contributing to the performance requirements
IT department focuses mostly on the most important and crucial matters of business.
They deal with data analysis, disruptive technologies in business operations, cloud computing,
and ever-changing consumer preference. Despite the fact that IT has been shown to enhance the
performance of an organization, several environmental factors are involved as well.
Environmental hostility and complexity
The environment determines the performance of the IT department. Hostility, for
instance, leads to poor performance by weakening the business process agility while
environment complexity strengthens (Chen et al., 2014) it hence good performance.
Market and economic shifts
Due to the rapidly changing business environment, an IT expert is required to possess
excellent skills to adapt to the changing environment. Unseen or unanticipated environmental
changes may have an adverse impact on the overall performance of an organization (Rezaee,
2017). Therefore, IT experts are expected to be ready to handle any disaster or economic shift
that may occur.
Customer focus
Customers expect good quality products and services. No one wants to spend money on
products that do not match their value. Therefore, expectations by consumers make the
expectations of IT experts to be high. Due to such factors, they are required to produce high-
quality products; otherwise, they risk losing the market.

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Speed to market and market agility
The market in the world today is changing drastically. One of the reasons is the growing
use of technology in business operations. Numerous organizations have embraced technology,
and therefore, it is essential for an organization to remain at per with new technologies. New and
modern technologies can help an organization keep with speed of the growing market and hence
remain effective and at play (Chen et al., 2014). This can only be achieved by proficient IT
experts who are conversant with all aspects of information technology.
Organization strategic goals
International Labor Organization (ILO), is a global organization that aims in ensuring
that human and labor rights are protected throughout the world. Therefore, it has numerous
offices worldwide, and data emission (from the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland) and
information sharing is crucial amongst the stations. Information technology, therefore, is critical
for smooth organization operations. As such, it calls for well-equipped IT experts who can
coordinate ad virtualize the systems in the entire organization. Technology plays a significant
role in the realization of its strategic objectives. The goals of the ILO are; promoting better
standards at places of work, creating employment opportunities for men and women, social
protection for all people, and tripartism strengthening (Helfer, 2006). All these are possible
through proper IT coordination. IT experts have a huge role in ensuring all organization projects
are coordinated in all the centers globally and ensure data integrity while liaising with other
managerial teams.
What makes an IT expert a bad performer

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IT department controls all aspects of work in an organization virtually. Every eye,
therefore, is directed towards IT experts and in case the productivity of a company goes down,
the blame is put on the IT department. Various factors contribute to poor performance of an IT
expert. First and foremost, these people are under a lot of pressure as every other department
looks up to them. Due to the high expectations from their colleagues, employers, and the society,
an individual may fail to handle the pressure and hence underperform (Tuten & Neidermeyer,
2004). Altitude also plays a chief role in enhancing performance. The wrong attitude towards
technology can make an IT expert a bad performer.
Performance appraisal is also very vital in ensuring the workers are motivated and hence
become more productive (DeNisi & Smith, 2014). It is clear that motivated employees perform
better as compared to unmotivated workers. As such, performing performance appraisal in the
organization will ensure employees give their best and remain committed to the operations of the
company.
Recommendations
Motivating of the IT experts and other staff through rewards and incentives. It is
important to undertake performance appraisal for the employees as it increases their
commitment. Giving rewards and incentives motivates employees and thereby enhancing their
performance and hence the success of the entire organization.
Training of IT experts is also important in ensuring they are at per with the ever-changing
technology. Qualified employees are in a position of experiencing less pressure since they are
equipped to handle their job perfectly. It’s through such training forums and seminars that an IT
expert can be taught on the importance of their jobs and thereby have a positive attitude.

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Conclusion
Employees working in the IT department determine either the success or failure of an
organization. Well trained and experienced IT experts, who can handle ever-changing
technological advancement, will lead to the productivity of the organization. It is crucial,
however, to motivate the employees through rewards and incentives to enhance their
performance.

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References
Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Nevo, S., Jin, J., Wang, L., & Chow, W. S. (2014). IT capability and
organizational performance: the roles of business process agility and environmental
factors. European Journal of Information Systems, 23(3), 326-342.
DeNisi, A., & Smith, C. E. (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and firm-
level performance: a review, a proposed model, and new directions for future research.
Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 127-179.
DeNisi, A., & Smith, C. E. (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and firm-
level performance: a review, a proposed model, and new directions for future research.
Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 127-179.
Helfer, L. R. (2006). Understanding change in international organizations: Globalization and
innovation in the ILO. Vand. L. Rev., 59, 649.
Murali, S., Pugazhendhi, S., & Muralidharan, C. (2016). Modelling and Investigating the
relationship of after sales service quality with customer satisfaction, retention, and

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loyalty–a case study of home appliances business. Journal of Retailing and Consumer
Services, 30, 67-83.
Padilla-Pérez, R., & Gaudin, Y. (2014). Science, technology and innovation policies in small and
developing economies: The case of Central America. Research Policy, 43(4), 749-759.
Peppard, J., & Ward, J. (2016). The strategic management of information systems: Building a
digital strategy. John Wiley & Sons.
Rezaee, Z. (2017). Business sustainability: Performance, compliance, accountability and
integrated reporting. Routledge.
Tuten, T. L., & Neidermeyer, P. E. (2004). Performance, satisfaction, and turnover in call
centers: The effects of stress and optimism. Journal of Business Research, 57(1), 26-34.
Wu, S. P. J., Straub, D. W., & Liang, T. P. (2015). How information technology governance
mechanisms and strategic alignment influence organizational performance: Insights from
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