Perceived Stress and Performance Appraisal Discomfort: The Moderating Effects of Core Self-Evaluations and Gender

Abstract

The study examines the relationships between perceived stress and performance appraisal discomfort with core self-evaluations and gender as moderating variables. It also asks the question to what extent do these variables predict perceived stress. The study is a cross-sectional survey that used structured questionnaires to obtain data from a sample of 300 managers in Gaborone, Botswana. Usable data was obtained from 167 managers. A negative and insignificant association was found between performance appraisal discomfort and perceived stress. Neither core self-evaluations nor gender significantly moderated the relationship between performance appraisal discomfort and perceived stress. Women earned less income and their perceived stress was significantly higher than men's. Also gender, core self-evaluations and then performance appraisal discomfort (in that order of strength) were significant predictors of perceived stress accounting for 12 percent of its variance. The findings also suggest that HR practitioners need to consider individual characteristics more than organizational policy in effective implementation of performance appraisals and stress reduction strategies and as a consequence worker-related interventions may be particularly pertinent. Finally, it presents data for a relatively under-explored area of behavioral research focusing on appraisers' (as opposed to appraisee) discomfort and core self-evaluations as a moderator variable of perceived stress.