Factors Influencing The Attitude Of Managers Towards Performance Appraisal At Kenya Electricity Generating Company Ltd

Abstract

Performance appraisal is a discrete, formal, organizationally sanctioned event with clearly stated performance dimensions and criteria used in the evaluation process. It can be an evaluative or developmental. The evaluative function is the use of performance appraisal for salary administration, promotion decisions, retention-termination decisions, and recognition of individual performance, layoffs, and the identification of poor performance, while the developmental is the identification of employee training needs, performance feedback, determining transfers and assignments, and the identification of individual strengths and weaknesses. The study set out to find out the attitude of managers towards performance appraisal at Kenya Electricity Generating Company and also to determine the factors that influence the attitude of the managers towards performance appraisal. The study focused on both Equity and Expectancy theories. The study utilized cross-sectional research design, targeted all the 132 managers at Kenya Electricity Generating Company at all levels. Primary data was collected using questionnaires with mainly closed-ended questions which were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Frequency tables and percentages are used to present the data. From the data, majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the tools used technical expertise and the attitude of the manager, the -qualifications, training and experience as well as timing of the appraisal and the -nature of work influenced appraisals of employees at Kenya Electricity Generating Company. On the factors affecting attitudes of managers, lack of appropriate training, organizational culture, lack of feedback, poor implementation of results, perceived unfairness in the appraisal process as well as the lack of top management support as the main factors influencing appraisal attitude of managers at Kenya Electricity Generating Company. The study recommends that the management should provide proper training to the appraisers, provide the feedback, implement the outcome which will employees should be training to own the process and view it positively. The company should also seek to utilize qualified and experienced managers who are unbiased and objective.