Ans: In order to evaluate individual performance organization may need to measure individual work outcomes. However, focus in too narrowly on outcome measures may not always be appropriate and organizations may need to include behavioral measures as well, to get a better picture of an individuals’ performance. In addition, organizations might consider including financial and other outcome measures.

Ans: Outcome measures are narrowly focused on what an individual is able to produce through his/her efforts, without emphasis on how the results are achieved. On the other hand behavior measures are designed to look at how an individual goes about performing his/her job. For example, an organization may be interested in the quantity and/or quality of an individual’s; work. More specifically an organization may want to measure the way in which an individual goes about his/her task. Finally, trait measures evaluate an individuals’ personality and emphasis his/her qualities, such as integrity, reliability, consciousness. However, it should be noted that trait measures are not a good proxy for behavior.

Ans: An effective performance measurement system would include the following. First the tasks would be defined clearly with clear standards and expectations laid out. The individual performing the task would know beforehand what is expected of him/her and how he/she will be evaluated. Next, only objective data related to the task would be collected and analyzed in order to evaluate the performance. Finally, the conditions and context of the task would also be taken into account, and the individual given an opportunity to provide input.