The Path to Performance Rewards: Perceptions Among Federal Employees on the Promise of Performance Appraisal

Abstract

Performance rewards are designed to incentivize individuals to obtain productivity. The performance appraisal process represents the organization’s efforts to introduce a formal plan alignment directing individual efforts. Performance appraisal techniques, for example, instrument, accountability, individual goals and priorities and training and development, should be perceived by federal employees as influencing the obtainment of organizational goals through extrinsic rewards. Using data from the 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, regression analyses on perceptions of performance rewards are conducted with the performance appraisal process (appraisal fairness and accuracy, accountability for results, designated goals and priorities, feedback and training and development). The performance appraisal fairness and accuracy feedback and training demonstrate moderate effects.