Job performance
Job performance refers to how effectively an employee fulfills their assigned duties and responsibilities within an organization. Originating from theories of scientific management by figures such as Max Weber and Frederick Winslow Taylor, job performance is typically evaluated through standardized metrics linked to specific tasks. These metrics allow organizations to assess employee efficiency and effectiveness over time, which is particularly significant in the context of changing market demands and organizational needs.
Job descriptions play a crucial role in defining the expectations and responsibilities of each position, serving as a foundation for performance evaluation, compensation, and benefits. When job descriptions are inaccurate or not aligned with actual tasks, they can lead to suboptimal performance and reduced organizational efficiency. In the modern workplace, performance measurement methods such as 360-degree feedback and management by objectives are employed to clarify roles and assess success. High levels of job performance are often associated with employee satisfaction, self-efficacy, and mastery of skills, indicating a positive work environment. Ultimately, effective evaluation of job performance is vital not only for organizational strategic planning but also for legal protection against potential disputes related to employment practices.
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Subject Terms
Job performance
All workers have assigned duties associated with their jobs. These tasks are generally specific in nature; in some cases, particularly with industrial jobs, their origins can be traced back to the work of social theorist Max Weber and the scientific management theories of Frederick Winslow Taylor that were developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this period, specialized tasks were viewed as essential in the evolution of management science, allowing managers to rate employee job performance through a standardized system of measurements. Under this system, which was later expanded to include many white-collar jobs, job performance was judged by how well an employee was able to complete a set of predetermined tasks.
Overview
The Industrial Revolution required organizations to increase the efficiency of employee outputs by designing specific tasks attributable to individual employees. In a systems framework, each assigned task works in concert with a larger group of assigned tasks, all of which are required to complete one element of the system. With the introduction of labor unions and later human resources administration, employers sought to identify methods of assessing employee job performance as a way of providing compensation and benefits. If an employee failed to perform at a satisfactory level according to predetermined objectives, then employers had the tools to withhold compensation or remove the employee from the workplace. These behavioral facets (process) in defining job performance, as well as outcome (production) aspects relating to an individual’s behavior, reframed employee evaluation systems in the twentieth century. Therefore, the performance of an employee is closely associated with a system of metrics used to evaluate how well the job is performed during a given time period.
In order for an organization to employ effective measurements of job performance, it must establish job descriptions. Job descriptions not only provide the foundation for employee expectations, but they also provide the foundation to establish compensation, benefits, and task specialization. If an organization fails to adequately establish accurate criteria for job descriptions, performance expectations, and specialization, the result will be suboptimal job performance, thus reducing the efficiency of both the employee and the organization.
As external needs and market objectives change, employers assess whether tasks listed in a job description continue to accurately describe the essential functions of the position. The process of job evaluation determines if adjustments to tasks are required based on employee job performance, whether more employees should be added to the workforce, or whether certain classes of jobs should be eliminated from the organization. The evaluation of job performance is part of organizational strategic planning and traditionally drives the human resources function in most organizations.
Improvements in employee job performance are perceived to be based on an organization’s appreciation of its human capital and the recognition that job performance is a multidimensional concept. The foundations of job performance reside in social science theory with applications and research focusing on process and outcome.
As a measure of employee satisfaction in an organization’s work environment, high performance usually correlates with self-efficacy, mastery, and satisfaction. In twenty-first-century organizations, performance is often measured using standardized methods, such as 360-degree feedback and management by objectives. These methods ensure employers and employees understand their roles in the organizational structure. They also outline key performance indicators used to measure employee success and remove ambiguity from job performance measurement. Measuring and documenting employee performance is critical in protecting organizations from wrongful termination litigation and hiring discrimination lawsuits.
Bibliography
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