Evaluation, assessment, and appraisal are crucial in organizational development and management processes, as they guide understanding of performance, facilitate fixing flaws, and simplify the process of making changes. The terms may also be used as synonyms that cause misconceptions. The paper explores the differences between evaluation, assessment, and appraisal and covers the sources of resistance to organizational change.
Differences between Assessment, Evaluation, and Appraisal
Assessment
Assessment is a general term to denote gathering information or assessing the public understanding of the state or position in the organization. It refers to collecting data through varied methods, including observation, surveys, interviews and tests. Evaluation is often formative, whereby the process does not stop at the end. Instead, it assists in giving feedback so that the learner can improve the mistakes they made. The example shown by Kumar et al. (2023) says that the amenities of assessment are giving feedback to individuals and pointing to the correct route for their future learning. In addition, Chanpet, Chomsuwan and Murphy (2020) say that evaluation assessment is a primary factor that aids learning.
Evaluation
Evaluation is finding a solution to the data received throughout the analysis procedure. Evaluation is all about assessment, starting with feedback for possible improvement. However, evaluation aims to accomplish the program, process, or result’s effectiveness, quality, or value. Evaluation typically happens at stages of a process, comparing student performance to those set before starting the course. For instance, Patton (2020) defines evaluation as a systematic process for judging a program or project’s design, implementation, and results. In the same way, Emarie and Shoofs (2021) say that evaluation is one of the most crucial parts when evaluating the benefit and merit of the intervention.
Appraisal
Appraisal is a term used in performance management in organizations to imply review. For an organization, it means evaluating an employee’s job performance against targeted goals, accepted standards of performance or expectations. Unlike evaluation and assessment, the aim of which is often the development of an employee in a broader context, appraisal deals with an employee’s performance in particulars, and this usually involves formal processes like performance reviews or appraisals. For example, Murphy (2020) underscores the significance of performance appraisal in providing feedback, setting goals, and recognizing training needs. Similarly, Baird, Tung and Su (2020) explicitly mention the motivational character of performance appraisal and the integration of personal endeavors into organizational goals.
Sources of Resistance to Organizational Change
Organizational change is unavoidable in the modern business environment, which is full of turbulence and is known to meet resistance from most employees. The knowledge of what causes resistance is essential for successfully managing the change initiatives. Several scholarly sources identify familiar sources of resistance.
Fear of the Unknown
The most essential reason change is hard to adapt is the fear of the unknown. Anxiety or uncertainty related to applied changes may affect their jobs and positions, causing them to suffer. The fear can take different forms depending on the situation, which includes resistance to improved processes, technologies and organizational designs. Alanoglu, Aslan and Karabatak (2022) also add that uncertainty can foster resistance to change. Nevertheless, contrary views are that workers oppose change because they perceive it as uncertain.
Lack of Communication and Participation
Communication and participation concerns are frequently mentioned as reasons for resistance. For example, if the employees feel they need to be shared or involved in making the proposed decision, they likely resist the change by feeling alienated and distrusted. Govender and Bussin (2020) argued that when employees feel they are not heard on change and lack consultation, they withdraw commitment to change. He hints that providing employees with information about coming changes, supporting them, and responding to the concerns of all employees can help reign the resistance.
Loss of Control or Autonomy
The resistance to change could arise from the employees’ fear of losing command or self-determination in their tasks. The changes moving to greater control over staff, standardization of decision-making, or centralization of the decisions can be perceived by employees as threatening their freedom or authority. Van den Heuvel et al. (2020) developed essential reasons for maintaining the workers’ control estimate in changing the organization. However, they highlight that the possibility of giving self-rule and engagement in the change process can assist in reducing resistance.
Past Experiences with Change
Employees’ experience in handling change is a crucial factor affecting their attitudes and reactions toward new projects. Adverse outcomes to past changes, dismissals, restructuring, or failures have led to resentment and cynicism towards future changes. As research by Errida and Lotfi (2021) has demonstrated, individuals who have suffered through multiple or poorly managed changes tend to be more resistant to future change initiatives. However, they advocate for most organizations to learn from past failures to improve the degree to which they build trust through transparent and successful change projects.
Conclusion
Assessments, appraisals, and appraisals are separate yet interconnected tasks of the crucial processes that ensure organizational development and performance management. The differences between these terms should be understood well, as this knowledge is the key to applying them appropriately in organizations. However, another crucial aspect associated with the issues of mysterious change is identifying the sources of resistance to change. On the contrary, organizations can show direct relevance to the change process and benefit from employees’ initiatives by offering the possibility of contributing to the change process.
References
Alanoglu, M., Aslan, S., & Karabatak, S. (2022). Do teachers’ educational philosophies affect their digital literacy? The mediating effect of resistance to change. Education and Information Technologies, 27(3), 3447-3466.
Baird, K., Tung, A., & Su, S. (2020). Employee empowerment, performance appraisal quality and performance. Journal of Management Control, 31, 451-474.
Chanpet, P., Chomsuwan, K., & Murphy, E. (2020). Online project-based learning and formative assessment. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 25, 685-705.
Emarievbe, E. A., & Schoofs, P. (2021). Evaluating Evaluation Models: A Case for the 2in1 Evaluation Model.
Errida, A., & Lotfi, B. (2021). The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13, 18479790211016273.
Govender, M., & Bussin, M. H. (2020). Performance management and employee engagement: A South African perspective. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(1), 1-19.
Kumar, D., Haque, A., Mishra, K., Islam, F., Mishra, B. K., & Ahmad, S. (2023). Exploring the transformative role of artificial intelligence and metaverse in education: A comprehensive review. Metaverse Basic and Applied Research, 2, 55-55.
Murphy, K. R. (2020). Performance evaluation will not die, but it should. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(1), 13-31.
Patton, M. Q. (2020). Evaluation use theory, practice, and future research: reflections on the Alkin and King AJE series. American Journal of Evaluation, 41(4), 581-602.
van den Heuvel, M., Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2020). How do employees adapt to organizational change? The role of meaning-making and work engagement. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 23, e56.
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