Performance Management: Concepts, Skills, and Exercises, Second Edition

Designed as a primary text for courses on Performance Appraisal or Performance Management, this comprehensive book provides an engaging examination of the entire process of performance management. It balances concepts with practical skill-based exercises, and gives readers both an understanding of performance management and the ability to manage performance.

The book is organized around a straightforward model of performance management that includes defining performance, diagnosis, evaluation, feedback, and improving performance. For this edition each chapter now begins with an opening real-life vignette that demonstrates the relevance of that chapter's content. More than 80 new Skill-Builder exercises are included, and Skill-Builders are now identified as either basic or advanced to help instructors assign material. A new chapter considers the organizational context in which performance management takes place, and the coverage of factors for improving performance has been expanded.

About the Authors

Robert Cardy, PhD, is a professor of management and chair of the Department of Management in the College of Business at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research and teaching interests have been in human resource management, particularly in the areas of performance appraisal and the design of effective management systems. Initially focused on narrow issues regarding the accuracy of performance evaluations, his work has broadened to the effective management of people in the contemporary organizational environment.

He has published research studies in numerous journals, including Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Management, and HR Magazine. He cofounded and edited the Journal of Quality Management, and he has cowritten and edited such books as Performance Appraisal: Alternative Perspectives and Managing Human Resources.

His recent focus has been on retention. The retention of employees, for example, can make a critical difference to organizations and to individuals. A cohesive retention framework can help managers to effectively address retention issues. Further, application of retention concepts to school settings can help to improve student retention. He hopes to continue to work on the development and application of retention concepts.

Robert Cardy currently lives in the San Antonio area. His hobbies include working with stained glass and woodworking, as time permits. He occasionally does consulting for organizations regarding performance management.

Brian Leonard is an established corporate strategist, trainer, coach, facilitator, and implementation specialist, with more than a decade of experience creating organizational structure and business process improvements in companies of every size in various industries. He performs comprehensive industry-specific benchmarking analyses for businesses and then designs and implements customized programs for improvement that allow each company to reach its ultimate mission and goals.

As the founder of Triumph Business Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona, he leads corporate retreats, and designs and implements company restructuring programs that facilitate companies in maximizing both the people and the systems within their businesses. His passion emanates from using proven best practices and working with company presidents, senior managers, and ground-level employees to implement project initiatives that create lasting change within companies.

He is actively involved in Junior Achievement of Arizona where he regularly teaches graduating high school seniors the basics of entrepreneurialism and helps prepare them for the real world. He is an avid toastmaster and is actively involved with the W.P. Carey School of Business Alumni Council.