M.Com. / Various ethical challenges occur in the performance appraisal process. It was postulated that the lack of transparency that often characterises performance appraisal could be a major contributing factor to the occurrence of ethical challenges in appraisal. Transparency in performance appraisal is described as an attempt to optimally reveal all relevant information regarding the performance appraisal process to key stakeholders concerned, without putting anyone at risk. A dearth of research on the role of transparency in performance appraisal prompted an attempt to isolate and describe transparency in relation to the performance appraisal process. An exploratory phenomenological approach was selected as research strategy, and within this strategy, semi-structured in-depth interviews (n=7) were utilised to explore the nature of transparency in the performance appraisal process. The participants were in a managerial role with experience in conducting performance appraisal, and have been subject to performance appraisal themselves. Systematic content analysis of data produced results that indicated that transparency does not operate in isolation but in conjunction with other ethical dimensions (trust, fairness, integrity, maturity, respect, responsibility, and honesty). Effective and sufficient communication of information before, during, and after the performance appraisal process was identified as a crucial element in creating a perception of transparency with key stakeholders involved. An adherence to principles of transparency in performance appraisal could potentially build trust between parties involved, increase fairness in the appraisal process, validate the organisation's integrity, and create mutual respect amongst stakeholders. Although applying transparency in appraisal has many benefits, it should be handled with caution as sensitive information has the potential to cause harm or put stakeholders at risk.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:13120 |
| Date | 25 November 2014 |
| Creators | Van der Wal, Camilla |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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