The author of this chapter examines the concept of performance appraisal among police officers. It is depicted as an essential exercise in any organization since it is a way of gauging the performance of the workforce. Besides, it is a motivation tool. The author defines performance appraisal as the process of measuring, developing, identifying, and observing human performance at the workplace. A well-designed system is used to execute the process.
According to the author, the designed methods of contacting performance appraisal have specific interacting factors. Some of these factors include organization characteristics, the rate of the process, the aim of the rating, performance data, judgment for the performance, performance description, and personnel action. While most scholars such as Landy Frank and Farr James have similar ideas, others such as Kenneth N. Wexley has slightly different ideas concerning the interacting factors since he incorporates legal requirements as a component. The author provides that performance appraisal as an ancient concept that came into existence in the 3 rd century. In the United States, it started being used in the 1880s to gauge the performance of civil servants. Its usage started expanding to various sectors of the economy. However, its application in the police department started in the 1960s. Notably, the exercise was meant to gauge performance and offer appropriate recommendations that would help improve productivity.
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In the police department, it has been essential for promotions, career planning, and the formulation of training programs. Although studies on this concept are scarce, both the 1978 and 1979 survey indicate that performance appraisal was a relevant and critical exercise for development in the police department. Methods of performance appraisal include performance characteristics based, behavioral-based, and goal-based. Performance and feedback provided are based on attributes of officers, their relations to the goals of the police department, and their individual goals.
The author also points out that appraisal can be contacted by subordinates, peers, self, supervisors, or a combination of several parties. All these are essential in enhancing performance and productivity in the police department sector. Besides, the author explores the aspect of frequency in the exercise, where he indicates that it is time taken between two respective performance appraisal exercises. In this case, the time span of the decretion concept can be applied in the frequency of the practice. According to the author, the concept refers to the time between when a task is given to an employee to a point where their general performance goes below expectations. The time span of discretion determines the frequency of appraisal exercise. However, some of the challenges that undermine the effectiveness of the exercise include halo effect, primacy and recency, and central tendency.
