Exploring Factors Affecting Managerial Skills Transfer in Performance Management and Appraisal Systems

The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological study was that most managers are challenged to acquire, learn, and use their training to accomplish the activities required for effective performance management systems. Despite the prevalence of performance management and appraisal training in most organizations, managers are challenged to apply the training in different workplace situations. The transfer of managers' skills from training to the workplace presents both financial and strategic challenges for businesses seeking to capitalize on their training investments while operating in a competitive global environment. Understanding the factors that influence how managers use training in the workplace is an economic necessity for businesses that want to improve the effectiveness of their performance management and appraisal systems. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the impact of appraisal training in preparing managers to conduct appraisals by exploring managers' descriptions of their experiences in applying the training in the appraisal process within the social contexts of the workplace. A purposeful snowball sample of 15 participants was drawn from the population of a small southern town near a large military base in the United States. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted to explore managers' experiences and perceptions. Findings from the study included eight themes relating to managers' experiences with appraisal training in different organizational settings. The inadequacy of appraisal training to develop practical skills, the use of mentoring and observation to develop practical skills, and the development of practical skills by doing appraisals were significant themes among participants' responses to interview questions. Management encouragement followed by communication between managers and employees were found to be common themes related to factors supporting the use of training skills. Organizational and environmental barriers, lack of opportunities to apply training, and time and job pressures were the most common themes related to factors that managers perceived to impede use of training in the workplace. Future HRM research should study the quality of informal appraisal training on management development, investigate differences between formal and informal appraisal training on subordinates' appraisal experiences, and explore how informal training affects managers' effectiveness in communicating with employees.