Conversing About Performance: Discursive Resources for the Appraisal Interview

Despite its acknowledged importance, performance appraisal (PA) continues to be one of the most persistent problems in organizations, especially the appraisal interview (AI) component of PA, for which many techniques have been attempted with only mixed success. The authors conceptualize the AI as a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Management communication quarterly 2009-02, Vol.22 (3), p.473-501
Main Authors: Gordon, Michael E., Stewart, Lea P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Organizational behavior
Performance appraisal
Studies
Verbal communication
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Despite its acknowledged importance, performance appraisal (PA) continues to be one of the most persistent problems in organizations, especially the appraisal interview (AI) component of PA, for which many techniques have been attempted with only mixed success. The authors conceptualize the AI as a “conversation about performance” and draw on an extensive review of the communication literature to identify the discursive resources available to the organization, the appraiser, and the appraisee for improving the preparation for and conduct of a conversation about performance. The authors' conceptualization extends research on PAs by identifying methodologies and conceptual underpinnings with connections to interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication scholarship.
ISSN:0893-3189
1552-6798
DOI:10.1177/0893318908327159