Question：A manager is assessing the performance of her team members. In accordance with the appraisal system of the organisation, she has been given a list of characteristics and performance elements, with notes on how to interpret and apply the terms: 'integrity', 'punctuality' and so on. She is required to comment on how each appraisee measures up in terms of each factor.

　　Which appraisal technique is this organisation using?

　　A. Overall assessment

　　B. Grading

　　C. Behavioural incident

　　D. Guided assessment

　　The correct answer is: D

　　Rationale: Overall assessment is narrative comment without the guidance on how the terms should be applied. Grading uses rating scales (definitions of performance on each characteristic from 1-5, say). Behavioural incident methods compare specific behaviours against typical behaviour in each job.

　　Question：The effectiveness of a training scheme may be measured at different levels.

　　Which of the following levels would be most appropriate for a team leader seeking to evaluate a training programme designed to improve the productivity of her section?

　　A. Level 1: trainee reactions

　　B. Level 2: trainee learning

　　C. Level 3: job behaviour

　　D. Level 5: ultimate value

　　The correct answer is: C

　　Rationale: Level 1 measures how employees rated the training. Level 2 measures how much they learned: what they know or can do that they didn't do before. However, for a manager concerned with departmental productivity, the important thing is whether the trainees applied what they learned effectively to the job: Level 3. Level 5 is the impact of training on the wider 'good' of the organisation and its stakeholders: this kind of information is usually only available (and worth the cost of gathering and analysing it) at senior management level.