Causality Rules: Performance Feedback on Hierarchically Related Goals and Capital Investment Variability

We extend March and Simon’s (1958) analysis of strategic decisions by distinguishing between two rules for allocating attention – priority versus causality. We develop theory concerning causality rules which have been largely overlooked in prior literature. Specifically, we examine how performance feedback on the intermediate productivity goal and the higher‐order profitability goal independently and jointly influence the variability of firm capital investments. Panel analysis of 2,477 Spanish manufacturing firms reveals that these goals jointly affect the variability of capital investments through both priority and causality attention rules. Our study provides new insights on how firms handle multiple goals, deconstruct performance feedback, and cope with the attentional constraints of bounded rationality.     

The Credibility of Performance Feedback in Tournaments

This paper studies the effect of performance feedback on tournament outcomes, when a possibly dishonest principal may manipulate the agents' expectations to stimulate their effort. Under plausible circumstances, an increase in the principal's propensity to tell the truth (i.e., integrity) induces a mean preserving spread in the distribution of effort and leads to a decrease in expected profits and welfare. More generally, I identify conditions under which a lower integrity can improve the effectiveness of financial incentives in inducing the agents' effort, thus leading to higher expected profits for the principal.     

模糊综合评判在供应商绩效评价中的应用

随着供应链理念的出现及其发展趋势的不断加强．供应商作为供应链的前端．其绩效评价日益受到企业的重视。企业对其供应商的评价已由过去以价格为重点转向了综合评价，对供应商的产品质量、交货能力、生产柔性、研发能力、信息化水平等各方面进行综合评价，以便有效管理供应链，实现企业间的双赢：文章主要构建了在供应链背景下评价供应商绩效的指标体系．介绍了模糊综合评判在供应商绩效评价中的应用．并以具体实例加以说明。     

The Provision of Relative Performance Feedback: An Analysis of Performance and Satisfaction

This paper studies the effect of providing relative performance feedback on individuals’ performance, under two incentive schemes. In a laboratory setup, agents perform a real‐effort task. We show that relative performance feedback increases performance when performance is related to pay (piece‐rate) but has no effect on performance when pay is independent of performance (flat‐rate). These effects are independent of the agent's relative position. Subjects are also asked to rate their satisfaction during the experiment. We find that under flat‐rate, feedback has no effect on agents’ satisfaction, while under piece‐rate, feedback about relative position affects satisfaction.     

Incentivizing resilience in financial networks

When banks extend loans to each other, they generate a negative externality in the form of systemic risk. They create a network of interbank exposures by which they expose other banks to potential insolvency cascades. In this paper, we show how a regulator can use information about the financial network to devise a transaction-specific tax based on a network centrality measure that captures systemic importance. Since different transactions have different impact on creating systemic risk, they are taxed differently. We call this tax a systemic risk tax (SRT). We use an equilibrium concept inspired by the matching markets literature to show analytically that this SRT induces a unique equilibrium matching of lenders and borrowers that is systemic-risk efficient, i.e. it minimizes systemic risk given a certain transaction volume. On the other hand, we show that without this SRT multiple equilibrium matchings exist, which are generally inefficient. This allows the regulator to effectively stimulate a ‘rewiring’ of the equilibrium interbank network so as to make it more resilient to insolvency cascades, without sacrificing transaction volume. Moreover, we show that a standard financial transaction tax (e.g. a Tobin-like tax) has no impact on reshaping the equilibrium financial network because it taxes all transactions indiscriminately. A Tobin-like tax is indeed shown to have a limited effect on reducing systemic risk while it decreases transaction volume.     

Goals,Strategic Planning,and Performance in Government Agencies

Abstract

The setting of clear goals and strategic planning are characterized as critical roles of public managers that are closely related to the measurement and enhancement of organizational performance. This study investigates the effects of goal properties and strategic planning capacity and their interacting effects on government agency performance, an aspect which has rarely been explored in the public administration field. For this analysis, we use the hierarchical linear modelling method with data from the 2005 Merit Principle Survey and the 2005 Program Assessment Rating Tool. The dependent variable is perceived organizational performance at the individual level. The main independent variables are three types of goal properties – job-goal commitment, job-goal specificity, and mission specificity, measured at the individual level – and strategic planning capacity, measured at the agency level. The results suggest that in the data these goal-related attitudes and activities can make crucial contributions to the enhancement of organizational performance with no interacting effect.     

The Role of Perceived Organizational Performance in Organizational Identification,Adjustment and Job Performance*

abstract Favourable organizational status and prestige has a substantial role in shaping constituents' attitudes and actions. The status and prestige of an organization is often a reflection of its achievements or performance. In the present study, we investigate the role of organizational performance or achievement (as assessed by organizational members) in evoking employees' identification, adjustment, and job performance. The results of this study indicate that two forms of organizational performance (labelled as perceived social responsibility and development and perceived market and financial performance) are associated with organizational identification. However, when compared to perceived market and financial performance, perceived social responsibility and development had a larger effect on organizational identification, which in turn resulted in enhanced employees' work outcomes – adjustment and job performance.     

When Feedback Interventions Backfire: Why Higher Performance Feedback May Result in Lower Self‐Perceived Competence and Satisfaction with Performance

In relative performance evaluation systems, appraisers may choose to adopt stricter or laxer evaluation criteria. When laxer (vs. stricter) criteria are used, higher absolute performance evaluations become easier (vs. harder) to achieve. Thus, each appraisee's absolute performance feedback and the mean of the distribution of absolute performance feedback are shifted upward (vs. downward). Yet, relative performance remains constant. When evaluation outcomes depend solely on relative performance, can the adoption of laxer (vs. stricter) criteria—leading to higher absolute performance feedback but no change in relative performance—influence appraisees’ satisfaction with performance? Despite the ubiquity of such systems in organizations, research has not addressed this question. This article points to an important gap between practitioners’ beliefs and research findings. We show that while most appraisers believe that higher absolute performance feedback will automatically result in more satisfaction with performance, the opposite may also happen. Specifically, we find that appraisees with a stronger (vs. weaker) chronic or contextual need to engage in social comparison are more satisfied with lower (vs. higher) absolute performance feedback. Overall, we demonstrate why and how feedback interventions in relative performance evaluation systems may backfire, and suggest a set of practical guidelines for maximizing appraisees’ satisfaction with performance in such systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Performance Management: Perceiving Goals as Invariable and Implications for Perceived Job Autonomy and Work Performance

In this study, we investigated whether perceiving goals as invariable is negatively related to work performance and whether this relationship is mediated by perceived job autonomy. Perceiving goals as invariable refers to the extent to which employees believe that the goals in a performance management system represent absolute standards that they must meet without exception, even if they think other factors are more important (e.g., situational factors or factors that are not associated with goals). In support of our hypotheses, we found a negative relationship between perceiving goals as invariable and work performance and that perceived job autonomy mediated this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

高绩效工作系统与企业绩效:员工齐心协力的中介作用和行业竞争的调节作用

本研究通过对中国67家企业的运营高管、人力资源经理和916名下属员工的调研,形成了配对数据,并通过回归分析发现(1)高绩效工作系统与企业绩效有显著的正向关系;(2)企业层面的员工齐心协力程度中介高绩效工作系统与企业绩效的正向影响;(3)行业竞争程度调节高绩效工作系统与企业绩效的正向影响,即与低程度的行业竞争环境相比,在高程度的行业竞争环境下,高绩效工作系统与企业绩效的正向作用更强.本研究最后探讨了这些研究结果的理论意义以及实践启示.     

大板项目部绩效管理之反馈

绩效反馈在绩效管理工作中占有举足轻重的地位,对提升员工职业素质和改善项目建设管理有非常重大的意义,也是绩效管理能否成功的核心环节。针对性的绩效反馈,可以使员工的工作积极性和工作热情提升很多,同时也能升华项目的员工管理。然而,绩效反馈在绩效管理的实施中极不重视,使得电厂投产目标与员工职业生涯很难有效地衔接起来,导致绩效管理效果不明显。本文通过分析大板项目部绩效管理中的绩效反馈,提出相应的策略,希望能给今后绩效管理工作提供一定的参考价值。     

Leader‐Member Exchange Relationships and Follower Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Perceiving Goals as Invariable

In the present study, we investigated whether perceiving goals as invariable mediated the link between leader‐member exchange (LMX) relationships and role overload, turnover intention, and work performance. Perceiving goals as invariable refers to the extent to which followers believe that the goals in a performance management system represent the absolute standards that they must meet without exception, even if they think other factors are more important (e.g., situational factors or factors that are not associated with goals). In Study 1, perceiving goals as invariable mediated the relationships between LMX and role overload and turnover intention, such that a high‐quality LMX relationship was negatively associated with perceiving goals as invariable, which in turn was positively related to both role overload and turnover intention. In Study 2, social LMX was negatively associated and economic LMX was positively associated with perceiving goals as invariable, which in turn was negatively related to work performance. Furthermore, perceiving goals as invariable mediated the relationship between social LMX relationships and work performance. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Stretch Goals,Factual/Counterfactual Reflection Strategies,and Firm Performance

Popular business press and academic publications have advocated for stretch goals, particularly to enhance firm performance. The general assumption is that stretch goals can create a more challenging task environment that upsets complacency, inspires motivation, encourages outside-the-box thinking, stimulates search and innovation, and guides efforts and persistence. Surprisingly few systematic empirical studies have been conducted to support stretch goal deployment, such as when and how to use them. This study introduces two reflection strategies – counterfactual reflection (managers confront performance feedback and create possible alternatives) and factual reflection (managers analyse their own decisions and explain performance feedback) – and uses two experimental laboratory studies to test how different reflection strategies contribute to the stretch goal-performance relationship. The results indicated that using stretch goals does not affect firm performance, although theoretically, using stretch goals can create a more challenging task environment and enhance performance. Rather, it is the combination of the type of goal and reflection strategy that affects performance. I suspect that under stretch goals, managers may be unable to implement new ideas as expected, leading to growing performance gaps and perceived continuous failures over time. Consequently, their motivation to search for alternative solutions declines, and they may fall into a spiral of self-constrained thinking. The results demonstrate that under stretch goals, managers use factual reflection strategies to deliberately reflect on performance feedback to achieve higher performance. In contrast, managers who are assigned moderate goals perform better if they use a counterfactual reflection strategy. I suggest that by using a different reflection strategy, managers can further improve performance by encouraging directed search behaviour and avoiding self-constrained thinking spirals. My study provides a richer theoretical and empirical appreciation of the effect of reflection strategy depending on the task environment and goal-setting.     

Self‐Determined Feedback Seeking: The Role of Perceived Supervisor Autonomy Support

We use self‐determination theory (SDT) as a framework for investigating how perceived autonomy‐supportive supervision positively influences conditions that motivate newcomer subordinates to engage in feedback seeking. Based on data collected from MBA interns at two time periods, perceived autonomy support predicted task autonomy, informal supervisor feedback, and subordinate relationship building, and the latter two mediated the relationship between autonomy support and feedback seeking. Our study provides an SDT perspective on newcomer socialization by highlighting the important role supervisor support for autonomy can play in motivating feedback seeking as a proactive socialization tactic. Organizations and human resources management professionals should consider including training around autonomy support in supervisory training programs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

包含供应商绩效反馈的采购订单优化模型研究

基于供应商选择与评价的三阶段模型,在已有合格供应商的年度绩效评价结果基础上,以采购总成本最小和质量最优为目标,建立了具有绩效评价反馈的订单分配多目标规划模型,引入绩效因子改进传统目标规划中的变量非负约束,在已有的合格供应商群体中求解最优年度订单分配方案,以大型钢铁企业煤炭采购为例对有绩效反馈和无绩效反馈的供应商订单分配方案进行比较,结果是有绩效评价反馈的方案优于无绩效反馈的订单分配方案,具有绩效评价反馈的订单分配更符合企业供应商关系管理的实际需要.     

员工多样性对组织绩效的积极作用

员工是组织发展的关键,随着经济全球化的发展,组织招聘的员工愈加多样化,员工多样性成为了组织管理中的一大重点。国内外越来越多的学者探究员工多样性对团队绩效的作用,但尚未得到一致的结论。论文分析了员工多样性的含义、对组织的积极意义、当前组织管理中存在的挑战以及发挥员工多样性优势的创新性措施。     

包含供应商绩效反馈的采购订单优化模型研究

基于供应商选择与评价的三阶段模型,在已有合格供应商的年度绩效评价结果基础上,以采购总成本最小和质量最优为目标,建立了具有绩效评价反馈的订单分配多目标规划模型,引人绩效因子改进传统目标规划中的变量非负约束,在已有的合格供应商群体中求解最优年度订单分配方案,以大型钢铁企业煤炭采购为例对有绩效反馈和无绩效反馈的供应商订单分配方案进行比较,结果是有绩效评价反馈的方案优于无绩效反馈的订单分配方案,具有绩效评价反馈的订单分配更符合企业供应商关系管理的实际需要。     

Corporate Carbon and Financial Performance: The Role of Emission Reductions

This article uses econometric techniques to examine the effect of corporate carbon performance on corporate financial performance. I extend the existing literature in this research field by differentiating between two measurement perspectives: carbon performance expressed as annually reported carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission equivalents and improvements in carbon performance over time. Thereby, the article re‐addresses the research question ‘when and how does it pay to be green?’ in the context of carbon emissions and climate change mitigation. Using a nonlinear modeling technique, the findings indicate that it pays to be green for companies with superior carbon performance but not for companies with inferior carbon performance. The results also show that carbon emission mitigation is linearly and significantly positive related to return on sales (ROS) but negatively related to Tobin's q . These contradictory findings help us to understand why – in spite of growing regulatory pressure – companies have been slow to respond with effective action to tackle climate change beyond marginal efficiency improvements that correspond to ‘low‐hanging fruits’. The empirical analysis is based on an unbalanced sample of 7625 firm‐year observations covering carbon emission data (Scope 1 and Scope 2) for 1640 international firms from 2003 to 2015. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Organizational Goals,Outcomes, and the Assessment of Performance: Reconceptualizing Success in Management Studies

We revisit the study of organizational goals, outcomes, and assessment of performance that together define the process leading to ‘success’. We begin by conducting a systematic review of existing research which allows us to develop an integrative framework discussing this large body of work. We then describe contemporary research examples in light of our proposed framework. We close by proposing four new areas to continue to advance the field: reconceptualizing performance (and success) as achievement of goals; diversity of goal systems in research designs, and their relationship with the purpose of an organization; multilevel and temporal dynamics; and governance of goal setting. Overall, our efforts inform future research on organizational success in the context of our new societal challenges and accomplish the intriguing task of re-defining success in management studies.