The New Deal for 18-24 year olds (New labour deal) Essay

The New Deal for 18-24 year olds (New labour deal) - Essay Example It offers help for 18-24 year olds who have been unemployed for about six months. Its ultimate aim is to reduce employment by helping young people to get jobs and assist them in many other possible ways. Everyone on New Deal gets a personal adviser who is his or her point of contact throughout the programme. The personal adviser is appointed to understand you, let you share your experiences, interests and goals. The idea is to get you into a suitable job. Its aim is to meet your needs of finding and keeping a job, or becoming self-employed. New Deal for Young People gives you a chance to take the skills and experience you may have already and polish them to create better opportunities for work. New Deal help people with job search, skills acquisition, work experience, and so on. The main aim for the deal was to reduce the unemployment outflow rates, and how far it has succeeded in this aim will remain dependent on the facts and figure to decide. According to the research by (Anderton bob, Riley Rebecca and Young Garry, 1999) 1. While unemployment was lower in the first half of 1998 than it had been in the first half of 1996 for all age and duration categories, it had fallen by more in the pathfinder than the comparison areas. The largest relative decline was for 18-24year olds who had been unemployed for more than 6 months (the target group). ... 2. Outflows from unemployment in the pathfinder areas relative to the comparison areas clearly rose for the target group. There is also evidence of a rise in relative outflows of older long term unemployed. 3. Outflow rates from unemployment were generally higher in the first half of 1998 compared to the first half of 1996. The outflow rates of the target group rose substantially in the pathfinder areas. 4. While outflow rates were generally higher in the first half of 1998 than two years earlier, the increase was more marked in the pathfinder areas for virtually all age and duration categories. 5. Inflows to unemployment were generally lower in the first half of 1998 compared to the first half of 1996. This pattern was common to both the pathfinder and comparison areas. Another briefing (Briefing document, May 2004) argues that the New Deal has, overall, been successful. It discuss that however there have been some successes but that was in some part of the country. It mainly focuses on some major groups, more particularly the black ethnic groups has gain less from the new deal than any one else. It states that Britain has the problem of racial inequality in employment. "Black and minority ethnic people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white British people. There is a gap of nearly 17 percentage points in employment rates." Says the report. According to (tutor2u) Data on New Deal, participants published in the autumn of 2000 showed that up to the end of July 2000, over 518,000 people had passed through the New Deal scheme, 402,000 have left leaving 116,000 currently on the programme. 237,040 young people had entered employment. Of which 180,600 were in sustained jobs, and 56,440 in jobs lasting less than 13 weeks. 79,000

Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Play - Essay Example Both Jay and Billy are surprised to find no one else for attending the funeral. Wondering about the shape and color of the funeral urn, Billy finds from Jay that he wanted to have a proper death Jar as this urn, for his father, instead of going for depressing grey ones. This shows the feeling of Jay for the deceased, as he wanted the funeral to be bright. Perhaps this is the reason for him being disappointed to find a dark empty room, as he entered the hall. The father of these siblings has died and the urn is for his funeral, although he had been an atheist. However, the setting has little relevance to the urn and the church, as sister and brother virtually fight over the kind of life their father lived. While their parents had divorced, mother was suspected to have cheated upon their father, when he was away from home, to Russia. She married another man, Peter and betrayed their father. The reason for their failure to see each other, for a long time, has its root in the breaking of family, many years back. While their mother did not attend the funeral, other relatives avoided it, fearing that she would be there. The play highlights the grudge these siblings have against each other, as they feel that each-one has taken the side of father or mother. While they feel justified for taking such action, the oral fight resulted in the violence, as Jay cobra strikes his sister and she hits back, during the funeral setting, as both tried to defend their deeds. However, the theme of the play is strikingly conveyed to the audience in its last dialogue, when both miss having a family where brother and sister could live together. They are together, emotionally, for that moment, at-least. (Screenplays) This play by Ryan Isenhart has two characters, Jackie Keller and Wesley O’Connor, both around the age of 60 years. While both have been fighters, Jackie has won prize, in such contests. The theme of the play lies in the fighting spirit, which both have,

Strategic Management Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management - Research Proposal Example The signing of new contracts and venturing into new partnerships is a way in which this can be achieved. However, there is the question of the transaction cost. That is to say, the cost incurred during the process of an exchange. Williamson’s transaction cost approach assumes that the transaction is the fundamental unit of analysis and through understanding its economization one is able to evaluate how their governing structures serve in their economization. In short, to understand a transaction, one must scrutinize the terms under which the transaction is taking place and ensure it is in the interest of the business. Asset specificity refers to the features of an asset that make it useful for single or multiple specific purposes and is the most important dimension (The economics of organization: The transaction cost approach – AcaWiki 4). Based on this, the more the specificity of an asset, the lower its chances for resale or redeployment. An example is workers trained to perform only a single task. Uncertainty basically is the state of an asset being unreliable to the goal. Uncertainty differs from risk in that risk can be measured through prior or situational probability while uncertainty is not measurable at all. Being a multidimensional aspect, it holds an important role in the decision making process of the stakeholders, thus must be taken into consideration before contracts are signed. Lastly the frequency is the repeated times in which a transaction will occur between specific or multiple parties. Also, one has to consider the frequency of disturbance in the market. This is to say, the adaptation of the market to the change that is brought about with the transaction. This has to be accounted for, such that it must be known if the transaction is a one time deal or will it will be repeated. Having considered all the above in the for the transaction

Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Play - Essay Example Both Jay and Billy are surprised to find no one else for attending the funeral. Wondering about the shape and color of the funeral urn, Billy finds from Jay that he wanted to have a proper death Jar as this urn, for his father, instead of going for depressing grey ones. This shows the feeling of Jay for the deceased, as he wanted the funeral to be bright. Perhaps this is the reason for him being disappointed to find a dark empty room, as he entered the hall. The father of these siblings has died and the urn is for his funeral, although he had been an atheist. However, the setting has little relevance to the urn and the church, as sister and brother virtually fight over the kind of life their father lived. While their parents had divorced, mother was suspected to have cheated upon their father, when he was away from home, to Russia. She married another man, Peter and betrayed their father. The reason for their failure to see each other, for a long time, has its root in the breaking of family, many years back. While their mother did not attend the funeral, other relatives avoided it, fearing that she would be there. The play highlights the grudge these siblings have against each other, as they feel that each-one has taken the side of father or mother. While they feel justified for taking such action, the oral fight resulted in the violence, as Jay cobra strikes his sister and she hits back, during the funeral setting, as both tried to defend their deeds. However, the theme of the play is strikingly conveyed to the audience in its last dialogue, when both miss having a family where brother and sister could live together. They are together, emotionally, for that moment, at-least. (Screenplays) This play by Ryan Isenhart has two characters, Jackie Keller and Wesley O’Connor, both around the age of 60 years. While both have been fighters, Jackie has won prize, in such contests. The theme of the play lies in the fighting spirit, which both have,

Case study - knowledge management strategy Essay - 1

Case study - knowledge management strategy - Essay Example MOTO is a large car manufacturer and has underscored to streamline its operations to be environmentally user friendly. Thus, the objective of this proposal is to put forward the strategies pertaining to the knowledge management at MOTO. The strategies proposed would help the company and its employees to have a participatory approach in ensuring proper generation, processing, storage and disposal of knowledge. The strategy has been carefully formulated in relation to the objectives and the vision of the company. The key role of the proposed plan is to utilize and integrate the raw information from different spheres of the organization to aid its vision and key emphasis is on sustainable environmental management by MOTO. The raw information on environmental strategies from the staff comprising of different nationalities would be collected and scientifically analyzed using the proposed knowledge management system. The proposal also covers the peculiar measures to be taken so that the knowledge is stored and retrieved as per the requirements of the policy to be formulated. The market performance of the company, staff participation, their consensus, cost factor, time factor and the conceptual adherence with the key policies of the company are other key factors which have to be taken into consideration during the implementation process. The company’s responsibility towards the environment and the society is well documented and its mission would help shape the formulation process of the environmental policy. The technologies recommended for knowledge management within the environment of MOTO is thus environmental friendly and community oriented. Latest innovations in the knowledge management systems which uphold these values have been carefully selected. To formulate the strategy for the change process, it is important

Principles of Safeguarding and Protection in Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Principles of Safeguarding and Protection in Health and Social Care Essay Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social. Ai; Physical Abuse is when somebody causes feelings of physical pain, injury other suffering or bodily harm, such as hitting, kicking, scratching, pinching, shaking. Sexual Abuse is where you are forced to do, say and watch sexual things. Eg; being undressed or having sexual contact when you do not want to or even touching another person, being made to say sexual things and being made to watch porn is also sexual abuse. Emotional Abuse is a form of power that someone has over you to cause depression, anxiety, stress. It is bullying someone by calling them names that hurts their feeling or to scare them and even threaten them. Financial Abuse is when another person steals or takes something that belongs to you. Eg; stealing your money, making you buy things you are not willing to, refusing to allow individuals to manage their finances and tricking individuals to hand over their property. Institutional Abuse is not only confined to large scale physical or sexual abuse, individuals can also be abused in many other ways in settngs where they could exoect to be cared for and protected. Eg; Individuals not given choice over decisions (meals, outings, clothing.) Mistreated to their medication. Privacy and dignity also not respected. Self-neglect is when an individual neglects to attend to their basic needs. Eg; personal hygiene, appearance, feeding not bothering to obtain medical help or an unwillingness to see people or go out. Neglect by others is when the victim is being looked after by somebody else but fails to provide adequate care. For example failure to provide sufficient supervision, food or medical care, or the failure to fulfil other needs that the victim is unable to provide for herself or himself. see more:explain the importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse. Signs and symptoms of abuse. Physical abuse Aii; Bruising Fractures Burns Fear Depression Weight loss Assault Cowering Flinching Welch marks Malnutrition Untreated medical problems Bed sores Confusion Over sedation Emotional abuse:. Fear Depression Confusion Loss of sleep Change in behaviour Onset of phobias No communication Sexual Abuse: Loss of sleep Diseases Repeated urinary infections Bruising Soreness around the genitals Torn, stained bloody underwear or bed sheets Preoccupation with anything sexual Excessive washing Reluctance to be alone with an unknown individual Financial Abuse: Unexplained loss of fundsor withdrawels from bank accounts Inability to pay bills Change in lifestyle/standard of living Basic needs not being met Loss of property Unnecessary building work or repairs to property Not trusting anyone around them Self-neglect: Poor hygiene (smell of urine faeces) Dehydration Weight loss Abnormal body temp Inappropriate clothing Not taking medication Infections Illnesses Institutional abuse: No flexibility at bed time Waking up to a routine Dirty beds and clothing Missing clothing, possessions, documents and letters Excessive or lack of medication Lack of consideration of dietary requirement’s Aiii; If you was to suspect an individual was being abused you should report your concerns to the manager. Also ask to write a private account for your records, making sure it doesnt go in the care plan in case the abuser comes across it. Aiv; If a client was to tell you they are being abused, you should stop what youre doing and listen carefully to them. All conversations should be treated with confidence and information only passed on to those who need to know. Even if the person speaks in the strictest of confidence, line managers must still be informed and the discussion must be written down. Never agree with the client that you wont tell anyone else. Say that youll only tell someone who can do something about it. Av; Make a written record of messages (e.g answer phones) to ensure they are not lost. Include the date and time and sign them. Ensure written records  (notes, letters, bank statements,medication records etc) are kept in a safe place. Do not tidy up, wash clothes, bedding or any other items. Do not try to clear or tidy things up Try not to touch anything un;ess you have to for the immediate wellbeing of the victim- if you have to try make a record of what you have done. If any sexual offence is suspected try to discourage the vicim from washing, drinking, cleaning their teeth or going to the toulet until the police are present. Preserve anything used to warm or comfort the victim (E.g: a blanket). If you can try to ensure that the alleged perpetrator does not have any contact with the victim. Record any physical signs or injuries using a body map or hand drawing write a description of any physical signs or injuries including size, shape colour etc. Always remember to sign and date your notes and any other records you have made. Avi, Avii: No secrets- set out a code of practice of how commissioners and providers of care services should protect vulnerable adults. Criminal records bureau- DBS will filter certain old and minor cautions and convictions, reprimands and warnings from criminal records certificates. DBS- Disclosure and barring service. In safe hands(wales only)- sets out roles and responsibilities of CCIW in relation to other statutory bodies including local authorities who have the lead role in coordinating the development of local policies and procedures in adult protection. Office of the public guardian -agency with responsibilities then extend across England and wales. If supports the public quardian in the registration of enduring powers of attorney and lasting powers of attorney and the supervision of debuties appointed by the court of protection. The code of practice- sets out the criteria against which a registered providers compliance with the requirements relating to cleanliness and infection control will be assessed by the care quality commission. It also provides guidance on how the provider can interpret and meet the registration requirement and comply with the law. Local Partnership boards- committed to preventing the abuse of adults and responding promptly when abuse is suspected. Safeguarding adults means that local authorities, police and NHS agencies involved with adults who might be at risk of abuse have a duty of care to ensure that procedures  are in place, that encourage reporting of suspected abuse, and take action to stop the abuse. Care Quality Organisations (CQC)- registered over 18,000 care homes and publish all inspection reports, which check on the essential standards of quality and safety. Aviii: Social worker- Protect and support vulnerable people, and place them in a safe environment away from risk of danger. A risk assessment is used to decide what help is needed and the correct actions to take. They also investigate any reports. Police- Protect the community, investigate allegations of abuse, prepare court cases and make case reports. Informal agencies or third sector agencies- Research and raise awareness, campains, charities. Offer support (counselling services) Health care practitioners- Perform examinations and report finding relevant authorities . Serious case review chair person- Review serious investigations and/or failures that have previously been investigated and look at what changed need to be made. Aix: Many local Authorities run free, multi-agency, safeguarding courses for anyone who works with vulnerable children and adults, and so should any decent employer in this field. Ask your workplace training department about this. You can also find more information through their local safeguarding team in the Social Services Department or the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Direct.gov Cqc.org.uk Lancashire county council.

Performance Appraisal System

Performance Appraisal System Procedural justice and Interactional justice: Assessing employees perception of fairness of performance appraisal; an empirical study of a small manufacturing company. ABSTRACT This research identifies procedural justice and interactional justice influences on perceived fairness of performance appraisal at a small private manufacturing company located in Newcastle, UK. Distributive justice refers to the perceived fairness of procedures used to determine the appraisal ratings. Interactional justice refers to the perceived fairness of the raters interpersonal treatment of the ratee during the appraisal process. A qualitative and quantitative case study method was used to obtain an understanding of employee perceptions of the fairness of their performance appraisal. Data from both interviews with nine employees was collected along with questionnaires completed by these participants. Two hypotheses were developed. Both hypotheses were supported by research data. 1.1 Aim of the researcher The researcher will assess the relationship between perceived fairness of justice among employees of the performance appraisal system. The aim of this research is to prove through this study that level of employees satisfaction with the appraisal system is influenced by the employees perceived fairness of procedural and interactional justice of the performance appraisal session. 1.2 Introduction Performance appraisal is a process designed to evaluate, manage and ultimately improve employee performance. It should allow the employer and employee to openly discuss the expectations of the organisation and the achievements of the employee. That is, the primary emphasis is on future development of the employee within the objectives of the organisation. There is no universally accepted model of performance appraisal. However, more often than not this process is designed around the following elements: setting performance goals and objectives; measurement of performance against those goals and objectives; feedback of results; amendments to goals and objectives. Performance appraisal systems can provide organisations with valuable information to assist in the developments of organisational strategies and planning. The information gained from this process can assist: in identifying and developing future management potential; in increasing performance and overall productivity; it works towards identifying strengths and managing weaknesses; in providing clarity to employees about an organisations expectations regarding performance levels; in providing an opportunity to audit and evaluate current human resources and identify areas for future development. Managers may conduct appraisals primarily to affect employee input through the feedback process, or justify some sort of human resource action (termination, transfer, promotion etc). Jawroski and Kohli (1991) identify other benefits that can be obtained from performance appraisals. Among these benefits are increase in role clarity, performance, and job satisfaction. Given the positive returns obtained from performance appraisals, one could reasonably expect that organisations would devote considerable resource to the appraisal process. Correspondingly, it may be anticipated that managers try to make certain that the dimensions of the appraisal process are known, understood, and supported by the participants. Theres probably no management process that has been the subject of more research than the performance appraisal. At the best managed companies, the performance appraisal is no joke it is a serious business that powers the success of the organization. (Montague, 2007) It has been suggested that to enhance satisfaction, managers should consider expanding the evaluation criteria to include those criteria which are important to the employee, perhaps creating a participatory performance appraisal system. (Thomas and Bertz 1994) In fact, employee input into the process has been described as having an impact on the perceived fairness of the evaluation (Latham at el. 1993). It has been stated that the opinions of employees, as they pertain to the appraisal system, may be greater determinant of the systems effectiveness than the validity or reliability of the system itself (Wanguri 1995). As stated by Thomas and Bretz (1994) without a sense of ownership, both managers and employees may view the process with fear and loathing. Thus, they contend that a major concern in the evaluation process is an acceptance of the system by those employees being evaluated. To this end, if employees believe they are evaluated based upon inappropriate criteria, it would fol low that their commitment to and satisfaction with the organisation supporting this particular evaluation system would be correspondingly reduced. Academic background 2.1 The social context of performance appraisal Levy Williams (2002) argue that identifying, measuring, and defining the organizational context in which appraisal takes place is integral to truly understanding and developing effective performance appraisals. Further, it is believed that this has been the framework driving the performance appraisal research since about the 1990 and into the beginning of the 21st century. Whether it is discussed as the social-psychological process of performance appraisal (Murphy Cleveland, 1991), the social context of performance appraisal (Ferris, Judge, Rowland, Fitzgibbons, 1994) the social milieu of performance appraisal (Ilgen at al. 1993), performance appraisal from the organisational side (Levy Steelman, 1997) the games that rates and rates play (Kozlowski, Chao Morrison, 1998), or the dues process approach to performance appraisal (Folger, Konovsky Cropanzao, 1998) it is argued along with other scholars that performance appraisal takes place in a social contact and the context plays a major role in the effectiveness of the appraisal process and how participants react to the process (Farr Levy, 2004). It has been suggested elsewhere that research over the last 10 years has moved noticeable away from a limited psychometric scope and toward an emphasis on variables that compose the social context (Fletcher, 2001). Distal factors Levy Williams (2002) definition of distal variables is generally consistent with Murphy and Cleveland (1995). Specifically, distal variables are broadly construed as contextual factors that affect many human resource systems, including performance appraisal. In other words, distal variables are not necessarily related to performance appraisal, but they may have unique effects on the performance appraisal process that are useful to understand and consider. Distal factors include but are not limited to organisational climate and culture, organisational goals, human resource strategies, external factors, technological advances, and workforce composition. Levy Williams (2002) believe these factors have an effect on rater and rate behaviour, although not directly. For instance, an organisation that espouses a continuous learning culture may structure and implement a very different type of performance appraisal system than an organisation without such a culture. A review of the performance appraisal literature over the last 7-10 years reveals little systematic empirical work on the distal variables other than some studies on culture, climate and technology issues (see, e.g. Hebert Vorauer, 2003). While this is at some levels disappointing, it is rather understandable. First, there is little theory specific to performance appraisal to methodically guide this level of research. Second, the breadth of the constructs Levy Williams (2002) construe as distal make it difficult to measure and implement within the research setting. Third, given the distal nature of these factors, their direct effects on performance appraisal behaviour may be small. Perhaps closer examination of the relationships between distal and proximal relationships would prove more fruitful. Even with the difficulties regarding this type of research, however, it is believed it will be important to continue examining these factors to fully understand the social context in which performance appraisal operates. (Levy Williams, 2002) Process proximal variables The next two section of the paper will underscore those proximal variables (both process and structural) receiving attention in the recent appraisal literature. Some researchers chose to categorize the proximal variables as either process (i.e. having a direct impact on how the appraisal process is conducted including things such as accountability or supervisor subordinate relationships), or structural (i.e. dealing with the configuration or makeup of the appraisal itself and including areas such as appraisal dimensions or frequency of appraisal). Rater issue Rater affect is one of the most studied rater variables. Although the literature has not been consistent regarding a formal definition of affect in performance appraisal (Lefkowitz, 2000), a good general definition linked to most of this research involves liking or positive regard for ones subordinate. The Affect Infusion Model (Forgas Georges, 2001) suggests that affective states impact on judgements and behaviours and, in particular, affect or mood plays a large role when tasks require a degree of constructive processing. For instance, in performance appraisal, raters in good moods tend to recall more positive information from memory and appraise performance positively. Consistent with the Affect Infusion Model, a few recent studies have examined the role of mood or affect in performance appraisal. Lefkowitz (2000) reported that affective regard is related frequently to higher appraisal ratings, less inclination to punish subordinates, better supervisor subordinate relationships, greater halo effect, and less accuracy. A couple of recent studies have looked at the role of similarity in personality and similarity in affects levels between raters and rates, finding similarity is related to appraisal ratings. Antonioni and Park (2001) found that affect was more strongly related to rating leniency in upward and peer ratings than it was in traditional top-down ratings and the this effect was stronger when raters had observational time with their subordinates. They concluded from this that raters pay so much attention to their positive regard for subordinates that increased observations result in noticing more specific behaviours that fit their affect-driven schema. It was also found that although affect is positively related to appraisal ratings; it is more strongly related to more subjective trait-like ratings, then to ostensibly more objective task-based ratings. Further, keeping performance diaries tended to increase the strength of that relationship between affect and performance ratings leading the authors to conclude that perhaps affect follows from subordinate performance level rather than the other way around. A second broad area related to raters that has received considerable research attention has to do with the motivation of the raters. Traditionally, research seemed to assume that raters were motivated to rate accurately. More recently, however, researchers have begun to question whether all or even most raters are truly motivated to rate accurately. One line of research related to raters motivation has focused on the role of individual differences and rating purpose on rating leniency. Most practitioners report overwhelming leniency on the part of their raters and this rating elevation has been found in empirical papers as well as surveys of organisations (Murphy Cleveland, 1995). The role of attributions in the performance appraisal process has also attracted some recent research attention. In some of these studies investigators have examined how the attributions that raters make for ratees behaviours affect their motivation to rate or their actual rating. For instance, using a traditional social psychological framework, researchers found that whether individuals opted for consoling, reprimanding, transferring, demoting, or firing a hypothetical employee depended in large part on the extent to which rater believed that the exhibited behaviour was due to ability or effort. It was found that both liking and attributions mediated relationships between reputation and reward decisions. More specifically, raters consider ratees behaviour and their reputations when drawing attributional inferences and deciding on appropriate rewards. The implications of this line of research are clear: attributional processing is an important element of the rating process and these attributions, in part, determine raters reactions and ratings. (Murphy Cleveland, 1995) A second line of research related to rater motivation has to do with rater accountability, which is the perceived potential to be evaluated by someone and being held responsible for ones decisions or behaviours (Frink Ferris, 1998) With respect to performance appraisal, accountability is typically thought of as the extent to which a rater is held answerable to someone else for his or her ratings of another employee. They concluded that accountability can result in distortions of performance ratings. It is demonstrated that raters told that ratees had been rated too low in the past responded by inflating ratings while others told that they would have to defend their ratings in writing provided more accurate ratings. In a follow up to this study it was hypothesized that the accountability pressure on raters to justify ratings may operate through an increased motivation to better prepare themselves for their rating task. This was manifested in raters paying more attention to performanc e and recording better performance-related notes. A related study looking at accountability forces in performance appraisal found that raters inflated ratings when they were motivated to avoid a negative confrontation with poor performers, but did not adjust ratings downward when good performers rated themselves unfavourably (Levy Williams 1998). Ratee issues A second major of focus of performance appraisal research consist of research centred on the performance appraisal ratee. Two areas were covered, in particular, the links between performance ratings and rewards; those elements of the performance appraisal process which increases ratees motivation such as participation. Related article argues the while pay is an important motivator along with recognition, work enjoyment , and self-motivation, very few organisations actually link the performance appraisal system to pay or compensation in a clear, tangible way (Mani, 2002). Both traditional academic research (Roberts Reed, 1996) and more practitioner-focused research (Shah Murphy, 1995) have identified the significance of participation in the appraisal process as an antecedent of ratees work motivation. It suggests that participation is simply essential to any fair and ethical appraisal system. It was identified that participation and perception of fairness as integral to employees pe rceptions of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Roberts Reed (1996) take somewhat similar track in proposing that participation, goals, and feedback impact on appraisal acceptance which affects appraisal satisfaction and finally employee motivation and productivity. Performance appraisals are no longer just about accuracy, but are about much more including development, ownership, input, perceptions of being valued, and being a part of an organisational team. Focus on reactions to the appraisal process Cardy and Dobbins (1994) arguing that perhaps the best criterion to use in evaluating performance appraisal systems was the reactions of ratees. The claim was that even the most-psychometrically-sound appraisal system would be ineffective if ratees (and raters) did not see it as fair, useful, valid, accurate, etc. Good psychometrics cannot make up for negative perceptions on the part of those involved in the system. Folger et al. (1992) define three elements that must be present to achieve higher perceptions of fairness: adequate notice, fair hearing, and judgement based on evidence. Although they identified specific interventions that should be implemented to increase due process, they cautioned that â€Å"due process mechanisms must be implemented in terms of guiding principles (i.e. designed with process goals in mind) rather than in a legalistic, mechanical, rote fashion. In general studies have found that both ratees and raters respond more favourably to fair performance appraisal systems (e.g. less emotional exhaustion, more acceptances of the feedback, more favourable reactions toward the supervisor, more favourable reactions toward the organisation, and more satisfaction with the appraisal system and the job on the part of both rater and rate) (Taylor et al. 1995, 1998). Trust issue Researchers have posited that trust is the key element in managing the supervisor employee relationship. According to Mayer and Davis (1999) trust is made up of three components: ability, benevolence, and integrity. In other words, if an employee believes a supervisor has the skills to properly appraise, has the interests of the employee at the heart, and believes the supervisor upholds standards and values, the employee is likely to trust that supervisor. Interest in understanding the processes related to trust are the result of research that support both direct and indirect effects of trust on important organisational and individual outcomes. For instance it is supported by research the relationship between trust and outcomes such as employee attitudes, cooperation, communication, and organizational citizenship behaviours. As with appraisal perceptions and reactions it is also believed that trust issues can limit the effectiveness of performance appraisal. If ratees have low level s of trust for their supervisor, they may be less satisfied with the appraisal and may not as readily accept feedback from the source. More to come 2.2 Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) performance appraisal Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are a relatively new approach to performance evaluation. They are in effect a combination of the graphic rating scales and the critical incident method. An actual description of important job behaviour is developed and â€Å"anchored† alongside the scale. The evaluator is then asked to select the description of behaviour which best matches actual employee behaviour for the rating period. In a controlled field study, Silverman and Wexley (1984) used BARS to test the effect of rate participation on the appraisal process. BARS were developed for each of the following job classifications: clerical, non-clerical staff, technical and professional, nursing, management/supervisory. Those employees who participated in creating, and were evaluated by, the behaviourally-based scales, had a more positive reaction to the entire performance appraisal process. Specifically, they felt that the performance appraisal interviews were more useful, that their supervisors were more supportive, and that the process produced more motivation to improve job performance. BARS address many of the problems often found in traditional evaluation approaches such as the halo effect, leniency, and the central tendency error. In addition, research suggests that many employees prefer this evaluation method (Rarick Baxter, 1986) BARS are however not a panacea for management and do possess both advantages and disadvantages. According to Rarick and Baxter (1986) advantages of BARS are: clearer standards both subordinate and superior have a clearer idea of what constitutes good job performance. Ambiguity concerning expectations is reduced; more accurate measurement because individuals involved with the particular job develop the BARS instrument they have a good understanding of the requirements for good performance; better performance feedback since the BARS is based on specific behaviour it provides a guideline for improving future work performance; better consistency BARS have been shown to be more consistent in terms of reliability than more traditional e valuation methods. In other words, when more than one supervisor rates the same employee, the results are more similar when BARS is the evaluation method. Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales are, however, not without drawbacks. Disadvantages of BARS are: more costly more time and effort, and eventually more expense is involved in the construction and implementation of BARS; possible activity trap since BARS are more activity oriented, they may cause both supervisor and subordinate to become more concerned with activity performance rather than accomplishing actual results; not exhaustive behaviour scale even if the rator posses lengthy listing of behaviour examples he/she may not be able to match the observed behaviour with the stipulated anchor. As Rarick and Baxter (1986) note Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales have the potential to increase both the accuracy of employee appraisal and ultimately the effectiveness of the organization. BARS are equally useful as a judgemental instrument and as an employee developmental device. They are designed to make performance appraisal more accurate by minimising ambiguity and focusing on specific behaviour. BARS move employee performance appraisal away from the subjective opinions of the evaluator and closer towards on objective measure of true performance. 2.3 Limitations in performance appraisal The advantages and disadvantages of using performance assessment in making employment decisions are well documented (e.g. Murphy Cleveland, 1995). The limitations of performance assessment, such as inflated ratings, lack of consistency, and the politics of assessment (Tziner, Latham, Price Haccoun, 1996), often lead to their abandonment. Managers responsible for delivering performance reviews who are uncomfortable with the performance rating system may give uniformly high ratings that do not discriminate between rates. Poor ratings detract from organisational uses and increase employee mistrust in the performance appraisal system (Tziner Murphy, 1999). Employees on the receiving end of the appraisal often express dissatisfaction with both the decisions made as a result of performance assessment and the process of performance assessment (Milliman, Nason, Zhu De Cieri, 2002), which may have longitudinal effects on overall job satisfaction (Blau, 1999) and commitment (Cawley, Keepin g Levy, 1998). The extensive research on performance appraisal (Arvey Murphy, 1998: Fletcher, 2001: Fletcher Perry, 2001, Murphy Cleveland 1995) has not addressed the fundamental problems of the performance appraisal process the performance appraisal is influenced by a variety of relevant, non-performance factors such as cultural context (Latham Mann, 2006), that it does not provide either valid performance data or useful feedback to individuals (Fletcher, 2001) , or that performance appraisal instruments often measure the â€Å"wrong things† (Latham Mann, 2006). Murphy and Cleveland (1995) state that â€Å"a system that did nothing more than allow the making of correct promotion decisions would be a good system, even if the indices used to measure performance were inaccurate or measure the wrong set of constructs.† No assessment system, however, would meet with success if it did not have the support of those it assessed. In developing a new performance appraisal system it is important to use past research on performance appraisals that identified a number of factors that lead to greater acceptance of appraisals by employees. Firstly, legally sound performance appraisals should be objective and based on a job analysis, they should also be based on behaviours that relate to specific functions that are controllable by the rate, and the results of the appraisal should be communicated to the employee (Malos, 1998). Secondly, the appraisals must be perceived as fair. Procedural fairness is improved when employees participate in all aspects of the process, when there is consistency in all processes, when the assessments are free of supervisor bias, and when there is a formal channel for the employees to challenge or rebut their evaluations (Gilliland Langdon, 1998). In addition to perceptions of fairness, participation by employees in the appraisal process is related to motivation to improve job performance, satisfaction with the appraisal process, increased organisational commitment and the utility or value that the employees place on that appraisal (Cawley et al. 1998). 2.4 Blended approach Competencies To overcome the problem of job-specific performance dimensions, the performance assessment system was based on behaviourally defined core competencies (Dubois 1993; Klein 1996). The core competencies had been previously identified through an extensive process as being common to all positions; these competencies were to become the basis for training new recruits and for the continuous development of existing members (Himelfarb, 1996). Fletcher Perry (2001) stated the â€Å"the elements constituting what we normally think of as performance appraisal will increasingly be properly integrated into the human resources policies of the organisation using the same competency framework for all HR processes, linking individual objectives with team and business unit objectives framing the input of appraisal to promotion assessment in an appropriate manner, and so on† making it â€Å"more effective mechanism and less of annual ritual that appears to exist in a vacuum.† Along the s ame lines, Smither (1998) went on to note that the same competency model should guide â€Å"numerous human resource initiatives†. The competency development process used for this study followed the suggestions of Fletcher Perry (2001) and Smither (1998) and included a review of functional job analysis data for general police constables that covered a majority of the different job positions. In this sense, the competencies were blended by incorporating the values and specific attributes (Schippmann et al., 2000). A blended approach is one that couples and organisations strategy in the derivation of the broad competencies with the methodological rigor of task analysis. As Lievens, Sanchez, and De Corte (2004) note, blended approach is likely to improve the accuracy and quality of inferences made from the resulting competency model because a blended approach capitalizes on the strength of each method. Strategy is used as a frame of reference to guide subject matter experts to identify those worker attributes or competencies that are aligned with the organisations strategy and the to use the task statements to pro vide more concrete referents for the associated job behaviours (Lievens et al., 2004) 2.5 Justice of fairness The study of justice of fairness has been a topic of philosophical interest that extends back at least as far as Plato and Socrates (Ryan, 1993). In research in the organizational sciences, justice is considered to be socially constructed. That is, an act is defined as just if most individuals perceive it to be on the basis of empirical research (Cropanzao Greenberg 1997). Each approach propose a different way of conceptualizing justice, from the provision of process control (Thibaut Walker, 1975) to a focus on consistency control (Leventhal et al. 1980) and an examination of interpersonal treatment (Bies Moag, 1986). Performance appraisal systems are among the most important human resource systems in organizations insofar as the yield decisions integral to various human resource actions and outcomes (Murphy and Cleveland 1995). Reactions to appraisal and the appraisal process are believed to significantly influence the effectiveness and the overall viability of appraisal systems (Bernardin and Beatty 1984; Cardy and Dobbins 1994; Carroll and Schneier 1982, Lewer 1994), For instance. Murphy and Cleveland (1995:314) contended that â€Å"reaction criteria are almost always relevant and an unfavourable reaction may doom the most carefully constructed appraisal system†. Perceptions of fairness are important to all human resource processes, e.g., selection, performance appraisal, and compensation, and particularly so, to the performance appraisal process. Indeed, a decade ago, Cardy and Dobbins (1994:54) asserted that â€Å"with dissatisfaction and feelings of unfairness in process and inequity in evaluations, any appraisal system will be doomed to failure.† Other researchers have also acknowledged the importance of fairness to the success or failure of appraisal system (Taylor et al. 1995). 2.6 Procedural justice Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the procedures used to determine appraisal outcomes (Greenberg 1986a), independent of favourability or fairness of the performance rating or its administrative consequences (Skarlicki, Ellard and Kelln 1998). Folger et. al (1992) have developed a procedural justice model for performance appraisal, rooted in the due process of law, and possessing three basic factors: adequate notice, a fair hearing and judgment based on evidence. Adequate notice involves giving employees knowledge of appraisal system and how it affects them well ahead of any formal appraisal. More specifically, it entails developing performance standards and objectives before the appraisal period commences. These standards and objectives must be well documented, clearly explained, fully understood and preferable set by mutual agreement, with employees only held accountable for standards and objectives properly communicated to them. Adequate notice also involves hi gh appraisal frequency and giving employees constant feedback on timely basis throughout the performance evaluation period, so that employees can rectify any performance deficiencies before the appraisal is conducted (Folger et al. 1992). Studies show that adequate notice is important to employee perceptions of procedural fairness. Williams and Levys (2000) study of 128 employees from three US banks revealed that system knowledge significantly predicts appraisal satisfaction and procedural fairness, controlling for the much smaller effect on organizational level. The second factor that affects employee perceptions of procedural fairness is a fair hearing. A fair hearing means several things in a performance appraisal context. These include: an opportunity to influence the evaluation decision through evidence and argument, access to the evaluation decision, and an opportunity to challenge the evaluation decision (Folger et al. 1992). Fundamentally, a fair hearing entails two-way comm unication, with employee input or voice in all aspects of the appraisal decision-making process. Several researchers have consistently found the ‘voice effects procedural justice in a variety of work contexts (Greenberg, 1986; Korsgaard and Robertson, 1995). In a study of 128 food service employees and their 23 supervisor at a large, US university, Dulebohn and Ferris (1991) found that the informal voice provided by influence tactics affected employee perceptions of fairness in the appraisal process. Two types of influence tactics were differentiated: the first on the supervisor and the second on the job. Influence of the supervisor focused on, for example, efforts at ingratiation. Influence on the job focused on, for example, manipulating performance data. Uses of supervisor-focused, influence tactics were positively associated with employees perceptions of procedural justice, but uses of job-focused influence tactics were negatively associated. The authors argue that this negative association may result from reverse causation: perception of unjust appraisal procedures ma y encourage employees to adopt job-focused influence tactics. The third procedural justice factor is the judgment based on evidence. This means convincing employees that ratings do accurately reflect per