Performance Appraisals Can Stop Counterproductive Work Behaviors
Posted on July 14, 2011 by Gail Danneman
When counterproductive behaviors occur in the workplace, organizations typically want to stop them as soon as possible. Counterproductive work behaviors are behaviors that do not reflect organizational goals such as aggression, sabotage, stealing, and interpersonal conflict. The best way to minimize counterproductive behaviors in the workplace is by using performance appraisals. The appraisals must be taken seriously by managers and delivered in a timely manner.
If a manager notices that an employee has been absent for a large number of days, it is the manager’s responsibility to deal with the situation. This might mean that the manager pulls the employee into their office to talk about the number of absences. Hopefully, the manager will find out the reason behind the absences and can either assist the employee or refer them to other resources. For example, if a manager confronts an employee about absences and finds out that the employee has been taking care of their sick parent, the manager may be able to guide the employee to resources the organization provides. The hope is that the counterproductive behavior will end.
If the manager ignores the absences and pushes it aside, he or she may be ignoring a larger problem for the organization. Providing employees with performance appraisals allows both the manager and the employee to recognize behaviors that are not conducive to the work environment and allows the opportunity for creating solutions to problems. It is important for the manager to deliver the appraisals in a professional and personable way. If the employee feels attacked because of their recent behavior, they may be less likely to stop the behavior.
When performing appraisals, the hope is that the manager or supervisor can stop counterproductive behaviors before they start. By communicating noticed behaviors, the appraisals seek to stop the counterproductive behaviors. For example, if an employee has been showing up late to work for an entire week, the manager may ask the employee the reason for tardiness. By targeting this behavior quickly, the manager may stop absenteeism before it begins.
Performance appraisals often determine the level of salary increase that an employee will receive. Employees, therefore, should strive to obtain high scores on performance appraisals. This would hopefully mean that the employee is also cutting back on counterproductive behaviors.
About Gail Danneman
Gail received a B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University and an M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Her research interests include: recruitment & selection, employee engagement, turnover, training, and succession planning.
