ABSTRACT
One of the most challenging aspects of human resources management is the switch in emphasis from managing positions to managing performance. Performance management and the performance appraisal process are supposed to play a key role in the development of employees and their productivity. The chapter focuses on civil service systems and analyses the purposes and methods of assessing employees as well as the legal framework affecting the appraisal process. It describes the role of appraisal in different personnel systems. The chapter discusses the human dynamics of the appraisal process, including the supervisor's motivation to assess the performance of subordinates. It explains the relationship of performance appraisal to the sanction function and particularly its role in creating a sense of fairness in an organization. Performance-based rating systems measure each employee's behaviors against previously established behaviors and standards. In the person-based rating system, the rater compares employees against other employees or against some absolute standard.
