PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DECISIONS AND CAREER MOBILITY

AMONG TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL: A CASE STUDY.

Gelatina Anak Dom@ Ricky Tujoh

Master of Science

(Human Resource Development)

2014

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DECISIONS AND CAREER

MOBILITY AMONG TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL: A

CASE STUDY.

GELATINA ANAK DOM @ RICKY TUJOH

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a

Master of Science

(Human Resource Development)

Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

(2014)

Projek bertajuk ‘KEPUTUSAN PENILAIAN PRESTASI DAN KARIER

MOBILITI DALAM KALANGAN GURU DI SEKOLAH AWAM: SATU

KAJIAN KES’ telah disediakan oleh GELATINA ANAK DOM @ RICKY TUJOH dan

telah diserahkan kepada Fakulti Sains Kognitif dan Pembangunan Manusia sebagai

memenuhi syarat untuk Ijazah Sarjana Sains dengan Kepujian (PEMBANGUNAN

SUMBER MANUSIA)

Diterima untuk diperiksa oleh:

-----------------------------------

(Asc. Prof. Dr Rusli Bin Ahmad)

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-----------------------------------

Gred

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

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The project entitled "PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DECISIONS AND

CAREER MOBILITY AMONG RATERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL: A CASE

STUDY" was prepared by GELATINA ANAK DOM @ RICKY TUJOH and

submitted to the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Science with Honours (HUMAN

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT)

Received for examination by:

-----------------------------------

(Asc. Prof. Dr Rusli Bin Ahmad)

Date:

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BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS

JUDUL : _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

SESI PENGAJIAN :___________

Saya _________________________________________________________________

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mengaku membenarkan tesis * ini disimpan di Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik,

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:

1. Tesis adalah hakmilik Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

2. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan

membuat salinan untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja.

3. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan

membuat pendigitan untuk membangunkan Pangkalan Data Kandungan Tempatan.

4. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan

membuat salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.

** sila tandakan ( )

SULIT

TERHAD

TIDAK TERHAD

___________________________ _________________________________

(TANDATANGAN PENULIS) (TANDATANGAN PENYELIA)

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(Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau

kepentingan seperti termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI

1972)

(Mengandungi maklumat Terhad yang telah ditentukan oleh

organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan)

Gred:

a

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to give thousands of thank to those people who are being part in

accomplishing my Final Year Project. First of all, I would like to give thanks to God because

I am able to complete my Final Year Project on time and also I feel blessed because I have

been ensure on my health and safety in completing the Final Year Project.

Apart from it, I would like to show my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Asc. Prof.

Dr Rusli Ahmad who has supervised me and also guided me in conducting and

accomplishing this topic. Besides, his encouragement and good attitude such as able to meet

his supervisee has helped me a lot towards completing this Final Year Project. Hereby, I also

want to give thanks to other lecturers and outside lecturers who give their commitment in

giving guidance in writing a quality thesis which has enable me with the knowledge and

confidence for carrying out this project.

Thirdly, I also want to give a big thank to my family members who always encourage

me with providing the financial and spiritual support for conducting this final year project.

Their wishes to see me to complish my final task will be shown by producing my own project

paper entitled “Performance Appraisal Decisions and Career Mobility among Teachers in

Public School: A Case Study”.

I also want to wish my appreaciation to the one of the private organization ( Kuching)

Sarawak especially the informant who has become my respondents during conducting of my

pilot test. His experiences as raters and also as the manager for the company for almost five

years has creating a big impact towards my pilot test. Apart from it, I also want to give a big

appreciation to one of the public school (SMK BATU KAWA) in Kuching, Sarawak for their

cooperation in completing my project. Their cooperation also enable me to collect so much

valuable information which enable me to gain the result for my study. Hopefully, this

research is beneficial for both school and also to the Jabatan Pendidikan Sarawak to

acknowldge and take into consideration in order to improve their performances and the role

of raters in making their own decisions during appraisal processes.

Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to my friends

especially to my coursemate in MSc. HRD intake February 2013 who always guided and

showed me the direction of doing final year project. Their encouragement and motivation

also have increase my motivation and gain my stregth so I would not giving up when I

getting confuse while completing this project. Thank you so much for your full intention and

commitment in accomplishing this project. May we all be blessed by God.

b

ABSTRAK

KEPUTUSAN PENILAIAN PRESTASI DAN KARIER MOBILITI DALAM KALANGAN

GURU DI SEKOLAH AWAM: SATU KAJIAN KES.

Gelatina anak Dom@ Ricky Tujoh

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau keputusan penilaian prestasi dan karier mobiliti dalam

kalangan guru di sekolah awam. Terdapat empat objektif dan juga empat persoalan kajian

dalam kajian ini yang dibuat. Kajian ini merupakan satu kajian kualitatif di mana borang soal

selidik terbuka dan juga kaedah temu bual digunakan dalam pengumpulan data. Kajian ini telah

dijalankan di salah sebuah sekolah awam di Kuching, Sarawak serta satu set borang soalan

temu bual dan juga dua borang soal selidik terbuka telah berjaya dikumpulkan. Seterusnya, data

yang diperolehi telah dianalisis menggunakan ATLAS.ti iaitu data ini akan diatur dan

dikemaskinikan secara lebih teratur untuk memudahkan analisa data. Ciri-ciri demografi

responden telah diletakkan dalam satu jadual. Di samping itu, di dalam Bab 5,kajian ini juga

menyediakan beberapa cadangan dan sumbangan untuk diaplikasikan oleh Pengamal Sumber

Manusia atau organisasi supaya mereka menjadi lebih berjaya atau dalam membangunkan

bakat pekerja dan juga proses membuat keputusan dalam penilaian prestasi pekerja

terutamanya peranan pegawai penilai.

Kata Kunci: Keputusan penilaian prestasi, Karier mobility,Pegawai penilai

c

ABSTRACT

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DECISIONS AND CAREER MOBILITY AMONG

TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL: A CASE STUDY

Gelatina anak Dom@ Ricky Tujoh

This study aims to explore the performance appraisal decisions among teachers that become the

raters in the public school with their career mobility which is conducted through case study.

There were four research objectives and as well as four research questions in order to develop

and create path to the questions to be asked to the informants. Here, this study was conducted

using qualitative method whereby mix-method were used. The methods are using open-ended

questions and also through interview process. The study was conducted at one of the public

school in Kuching where one set of interview questions were distributed one week before the

actual interview session and also two sets of open-ended questions was successfully gathered

two weeks after. The data were collected and analyzed by using using ATLAS.ti where this

software is not analyze by to create a proper ways to keep the data in the proper arrangement.

Demographic characteristics of the informants were put in the Tables. The findings show that

there is positive reactions or perceptions of the informants regarding the topic that being study.

Beside, this research also provide some recommendations and contributions in Chapter 5 where

the Human Resource Practitioners or organization can apply in the future to become more

succesfull or in order to develop their talents and decision making in performance appraisal

especially the role of raters.

Keyword: Performance appraisal decision, Career mobility, Raters

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Acknowledgements a

Abstrak b

Abstract c

List of Contents i-iv

List of Tables v

List of Figures vi

Attachments

CONTENTS

Pages

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………..

1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………….

1.1 Background of the Study………………………………………………

1.2 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………

1.3 Research Objectives……………………………………………………

1.3.1 General objective…………………………………………….

1.3.2 Specific objectives…………………………………………..

1.4 Research Questions…………………………………………………….

1.5 Significant of Study…………………………………………………….

1.5.1Significance to Theories………………………………………

1.5.2 Significance to Research Methodology………………………

1.5.3 Significance to Practitioners………………………………….

1.6 Limitation of the Study…………………………………………………

1.7 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………….

1.7.1) Performance appraisal……………………………………….

1.7.2) Performance appraisal decision……………………………..

1.7.3) Career mobility……………………………………………...

1.8 Conclusion……………………………………………………………..

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ii

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………

2.2 Issues…………………………………………………………………

2.3 Theories and Model related to the study……………………………

2.3.1 Expectancy Theory…………………………………………

2.3.2 Vroom theory of valence-expectancy instrument…………

2.3.3 Model of Decision-making…………………………………

2.4 Findings from past studies……………………………………………

2.5 Summary………………………………………………………………

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………

3.1 Research Design……………………………………………………….

3.2 Research Location, Population and Sample………………………….

3.3 Instrument of the Study……………………………………………….

3.3.1 Semi structured interview……………………………………

3.3.2 Open-ended Interview questions……………………………

3.4 Reliability and Validity of Research Instrument………………………

3.4.1 Reliability and Validity………………………………………

3.4.2 Pilot Study……………………………………………………

3.4.3 Result of Pilot Study…………………………………………

3.4.3.1 Importance of performance appraisal decision

among raters………………………………………

3.4.3.2 Description of raters’ perceptions towards career

mobility opportunity which related to the

performance appraisal decision……………………

3.4.3.3 Challenges that raters encounters during

assessment processes with pertaining to the career

mobility aspect……………………………

3.4.3.4 Explanation from raters regarding the causes and

implications of effective performance appraisal

decision and career mobility……………………

3.5 Ethics of the Study…………………………………………………

3.6 Data Collection Procedure……………………………………………

3.7 Data Analysis Procedure……………………………………………

3.8 Conclusion……………………………………………………………

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iii

CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………

4.1 Profile of Informants…………………………………………………

4.2 Main Findings………………………………………………………

4.2.1Importance of performance appraisal decision among raters…

4.2.2 Description of raters’ perceptions towards career mobility

opportunity which related to the performance appraisal decision…

4.2.3 Challenges that raters encounters during assessment

processes with pertaining to the career mobility aspect……………

4.2.4 Explanation from raters regarding the cause and implications

of effective performance appraisal decision related to career

mobility….

4.3 Summary………………………………………………………………

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47

55

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67

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND

CONCLUSION

5.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………

5.1 Discussion on research findings……………………………………

5.1.1 Importance of performance appraisal decision among raters..

5.1.2 Description of raters’ perceptions towards career mobility

opportunity which related to the performance appraisal decision..

5.1.3 Challenges that raters encounters during assessment

processes with pertaining to the career mobility

aspect……………………

5.1.4 Explanation from raters regarding the causes and impacts of

effective performance appraisal decision and career mobility……

5.2 Research summary……………………………………………………

5.3 Contributions of study……………………………………………….

5.3.1 To the body of knowledge………………………………..

5.3.2 To the practitioners…………………………………………

5.3.3 To methodological……………………………………………

5.3.3 To the policy…………………………………………………

5.4 Limitations of study……………………………………………………

5.4.1 Methodological limitations…………………………………

5.4.2 Topical limitations……………………………………………

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iv

5.5 Recommendations……………………………………………………

5.5.1 For future researchers……………………………………

5.5.2 For top management………………………………………

5.6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………

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85

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………… 86-89

v

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.4.3

Informant’s Demographic Profile………………………………………………32

Table 4.1

Summary of Informant’s Demographic Profile…………………………………46

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.0: Simon’s Models of Decision Making………………………………22

Figure 3.0: Data Collection Procedure………………………………………….42

Figure 3.1: Data Analysis Procedures…………………………………………..44

Figure 4.2.1.2. Raters’ perception about the importance of performance appraisal

activity at the department……………………………………………….49

Figure 4.2.1.3 The importance of performance appraisal activity in short term and

long term goals……………………………………...…………...……...50

Figure 4.2.1.4 Benefits of performance appraisal activities…………….…..52

Figure 4.2.1.5 Raters’ view toward effectiveness of performance appraisal

decision in measuring employee’s performance…………………..…..54

Figure 4.2.2.1 Definition of career mobility…………………………………..56

Figure 4.2.2.2 How performance appraisal works……………………….……57

Figure 4.2.2.4 Rater’s view on the importance of career mobility……………59

Figure 4.2.3.1 Major challenges in performance appraisal activity………..…..60

Figure 4.2.3.2 Ways to encounter the challenges in performance appraisal

activity……………………………………………………………………62

Figure 4.2.4.1 Causes of effective performance appraisal decisions at the

workplace……......................................................................................64

Figure 4.2.4.2 Implications of effective performance appraisal decisions at the

workplace………………………………………………………………...65

Figure 5.1.1 Importance of performance appraisal decision among raters……..69

Figure 5.1.1.1 The importance of performance appraisal activity in short term and

long term goals………………………………..……………………...…..70

Figure 5.1.2 Description of raters’ perceptions towards career mobility

opportunity which related to the performance appraisal

decision………………………………………………………….…72

Figure 5.1.3Major challenges in performance appraisal activity……………….74

Figure5.1.4.1Causes of effective performance appraisal decisions at the

workplace………………………………………………………………...75

Figure 5.1.4.2 Implications of effective performance appraisal decisions at the

workplace………………………………………………………………..77

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

The research is focusing on the performance appraisal decision and career

mobility in public school. This chapter will introduce about the background of

employee’s performance appraisal decision making thus how this issue will

related with employees’ career mobility in an organization. Besides, this study

also will discuss about the issues that related to the employee’s performance

appraisals which happened in organization nowadays. The definition of terms of

this study will be discussed in detail. Last but not least, at the end of this chapter,

it will reveal the important of this study and discuss the limitations to conduct this

study. This chapter important because will gives a good overview about the

research undertaken.

2

1.1 Background of the Study

For decades, there are scholars studied on the teachers’ evaluation. Hull

(2013) thinks that the evaluation is little more than a bureaucratic exercise that

failed to recognize either excellence or mediocrity in teaching in the American

context. As such, we as the raters or even the human resource managers or

practitioners sees that if this happened, the evaluation represented a missed

opportunity for giving teachers valuable feedback that could help them improve

their practice and also affects their goals, which is their own career planning in

future.

In order to achieve nation’s mission in becoming the industrialised

countries by the year of 2020, most of the government agencies has given or

received a positive feedback toward this issue (taken from Government

Transformation Programme, 2010), thus gained support in order to make it

happen. It is not only having the support from the government agencies but also

from the private sectors in Malaysia, which we can see that there is a mutual

understanding on the importance of developing our country in competitive way.

Therefore, knowing the importance of this issue, the Ministry of Education of

Malaysia have redrawn their strategy and policy so that it will meet those

expectations in especially to meet the demand for graduates of high calibre and

professionalism which is vital for the growth of modern economy for the future.

To do so, it must be manage well especially in part of performance management

or in the decision of giving appraisal of any members of the organizations

especially for the teachers.

Performance appraisal could be defined as a formal management system

which contains the descriptions and as well as the assessment of important criteria

and different dimensions in evaluates the employees’ performance quality in any

of organization (Grote, 2002). Different organizations will have different types of

forms of evaluation which respectively to evaluate their employees performances

3

throughout the year and usually prepared by the employees immediate supervisor

(Grote, 2002).

Performance appraisal is one of the most important process or tools

nowadays with full of sophisticated hence well-managed organization (taken from

Government Transformation Programme, 2010). As we are aware in any of

organization, performance appraisal is the most powerful tools in order to achieve

the organizational objectives and as well as the individual or the workers for that

organization. Proper appraisal process and the results that the appraisers will give

could enhance motivation of work of an employee thus drives them to pursue for

their own career. Proper appraisal process such as appropriate instruments to

measure the employees’ performance based on their capability and ability to

perform for the job is vital.

However, as being practices by most of the organization, or even in the

public organization, this process only evaluate their performance as once a year or

one of the important annual event, which is mandatory process to do by the

personnel department (Grote, 2002), whereby the usage of the system is not being

implemented well. Therefore, it is important for the person who directly involve

in this process are well-appraised so that it could enhance both individuals and

organizations motivation and must be an ongoing process so that better and non

bias evaluation could be made by raters.

As in line with the organization vision and mission, we also know that the

main asset who walks the talks is the employees or in this study, the teachers. This

is because they have all the knowledge, skills, attitudes and other competencies

which could create and enhance their talents or even capabilities with the proper

decision making by their immediate supervisors or we can call this person as the

evaluator of performance. Better performance appraisal decision would increase

one’s expertise which could be developing after the appraisal decision being

known by the raters. Again, performance appraisal is a part of guiding and managing

career development. It can also be termed as an analysis of an employee’s recent

4

successes and failures, personal strengths and weaknesses and suitability for

promotion or further training.

Therefore, to increase speed in developing our economic, reformation of

public school is one of the gear tools that drives the economic and they also held a

big responsibility. Here, the public sectors especially public schools must increase

and improve their quality of working so that desired vision and missions will able

to achieve. This quality of working could be categorized as effective decision

making in performance appraisal (Grote, 2002). Therefore, in this study, the

researcher would like to understand about the raters thinking and develop their

decision making in performance appraisal in the public sector, and how does this

really have impacts on the economic development of Malaysia in term of quality

of appraisal process or decision making in appraisals which related with one’s

career mobility for teachers.

The accuracy of the rating made by raters will reflects on the employees’

actual job performance levels, which also known as “performance evaluation”. As

we aware that if the employment decisions based on inaccurate ratings were

invalid, it will become the obstacles for the organization to justify. Moreover, it

could affect one’s trust on the system which reflects inaccuracy of rating that will

lead to turnover problems and hinder their opportunity for advancement.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The main focus of this study is to explore whether on how the raters

decision making in performance appraisals do affects one’s or the ratees career

mobility in the public school. As we come across on some previous studies, there

are too many factors that studied related to one’s performance appraisals affected

their job satisfaction, which lead to conflicting consequences (Ebrahim Moradi,

Dhaifallah Obaid Almutairi, Durrishah Idrus & Farshid Moghadam, 2011) and led

5

to turnover intention. These raises questions as to the quality of staffing, the status

of staff in Malaysian universities and, most importantly, the viability of the

Government’s long-run economic and social objectives whether there are some

factors which contribute to one’s career mobility that could increase their

motivation to stay longer in the public schools.

There are several experts scholars review and has studied on the

performance appraisal issues, and as well as the areas of career mobility.

However, less scholars has review on how the appraisal decision will leads or

affects one’s career mobility in the same organization or in the concept of

university as we call as “inter-faculty” which change one’s position in the

department. According to Coutts and Schneider (2003), they mentioned that

“performance appraisal should be an important for both organization’s succession

planning program and also one’s career self management.” Therefore, it is the

researcher’s intention to come across this study in order to give full overview of

current management practice on the raters’ decision making while assessing the

ratees thus give better quality of position in the department as in return.

Another problem arise toward this study is about the previous studies on

where these studies have been done. The area of studies most establish in Western

literature regarding the relationship of performance appraisals and job satisfaction

and other independent variables, but less study has focus on the impacts towards

the career mobility itself as the person achieve after the decisions or the feedbacks

in the Malaysian cultural context. As we getting become more competitive in

accomplishing our tasks and also our responsibilities in towards our job, we still

feeling curious on how this study were develop in the Malaysian context, either

there is a need for the staffs to stay at the certain position level or need increment

such as recognition and able to have career mobility especially those staff who

being transferred into Sarawak. In referring to this issue, the researcher also

wanted to know on how the raters perception and also decision making of the

overall performance appraisal that attract those staff to stay in the organization.

6

Therefore, in order to understand this problem, we need to clearly explore;

how does the decision making results in employees career mobility in the

workplace and what are the criteria in constructs of fairness (justice) of

performance appraisal process. This paper argue that by addressing raters decision

making and make use of the information from performance appraisals (Rusli

Ahmad, Azman Ismail and Zaimuariffudin Shukri Nordin, n.d) in a meaningful

way would benefit organizations in term of increasing employee morale,

employee satisfaction and productivity.

Besides, there is also different context of methodology used for this case

study. As we come across previous studies conducted by scholars, mostly the

studies used quantitative data analysis, whereby more than 100 employees in

various organizations and as well as various types of disciplines have been

discovered. Only a few studies conducted through qualitative analysis regarding

performance appraisal decisions and the career mobility. Therefore, as we come

across some literature or previous studies, less scholars review on the performance

appraisal towards staffs in the public school using qualitative method, as we have

known that the staffs’ career is more stable and secure rather than the private

schools. In addition, in this study, the researcher has focus on the several focus

groups which less conducted by previous study on how those focus group could

impacts on their career mobility.

1.3 Research Objectives

Research objectives basically are about what does researcher wanted to

achieve in the study. Research objectives should be set clearly so that researcher

know what is he or she really wanted to prove and achieve and as well as to be the

guideline and could save the time and efforts for them in accomplishing their

study. As usual, there are two main research objectives in conducting this study

that are general objective and specific objectives.

7

1.3.1 General objective

For this study, the general objective is to identify the performance

appraisal decision making which leads to career mobility of the teachers in

selected public school in Sarawak.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

To be more specifically, the objectives were divided into further details or

explanations which are:

RO1: To explore the importance of performance appraisal decisions

among the raters in public school.

RO2: To identify the perception of workers towards career mobility

opportunity related to performance appraisal decisions.

RO3: To identify challenges arise in performance appraisal decisions with

pertaining to the career mobility aspects of the raters.

RO4: To understand the causes and implications explanation of

effectiveness of performance appraisal decision related tocareer mobility

among the raters at public school.

1.4 Research Questions

A research question refers to a normal statement of the goal of a study

(Rusli Ahmad & HasbeeUsop, 2011). By indicated the research question that

clearly and the most important that is it must be understood, researcher will

attempt to prove what he or she believes for his or her research. Therefore, below

are some of the research questions that could be identify in this issue:

8

RQ1: What is the importance of performance appraisal decision among

the raters?

RQ2: What is the perception of raters towards career mobility opportunity

related to performance appraisal decision in the public school?

RQ3: What are the challenges that always being face during appraisal

decision making processes?

RQ4: What are the causes and implication towards the effectiveness of

appraisal decision making of raters in public school?

1.5 Significant of Study

1.5.1 Significance to Theories

From the theoretical aspect, this study will reveal few different outcomes

that are very important. It is important to identify as well as integrate the most

relevant concepts, theory and research to develop a new model of employees’

behaviour in the organization. This study might lead to greater understanding of

the theories which has done by past researchers. As we aware in new competitive

era of managing the people, some past theories more or less have emphasized on

this issue, but might not comes into full view as what researcher’s intention or

understanding.

Therefore, the finding from this study could enrich the current existing

theories, which more or less accepted in the Malaysian context, thus related to the

employee’s performance appraisal decision making since that the existing theories

not really highlighted the effects between on how those decisions will contribute

to one’s career mobility in an organization, since most of the study and theories

are related with employees’ job motivation and other factors especially in the area

of public university’s staffs.