Impact of the perception of performance appraisal practices on individual innovative behavior

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of employees’ perception of performance appraisal (PA) practices on innovative behavior (IB). The authors also propose to analyze consistency, a dimension of Human Resource Management (HRM) system strength, as a moderating variable in the aforementioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach - A quantitative study was conducted, using a sample of 166 employees carrying out highly qualified, intensive knowledge jobs in four industrial companies in the Valencian region of Spain. The hypotheses were tested by applying the Smart-PLS 3.2 software. Findings - The findings confirmed that in a context of professional and qualified work, PA practices have a direct and positive effect on IB. However, the results obtained did not enable us to affirm that employee perceptions of the consistency of the HR system moderated the relationship between PA and IB. Originality/value - The paper’s originality lies in including the role of consistency, a dimension of HRM system strength, in the analyzed relationship. When employees believe that PA achieves the goals for which this practice was designed, and that this appraisal follows a clear strategic direction over time, they perceive that the assessment system is not arbitrary, i.e., that this HR practice is being applied consistently. Consequently, the present work shows the relevant role of the perception of consistent PA when the firm wants to encourage IB. This fact opens up the field to study how to define and implement control mechanisms that tell managers whether there is a fit between employees’ perceptions and the intentionality of the HRP these managers have defined. 目的 - 本研究旨在分析僱員對工作表現評核實務的看法，如何影響其創新行為。作者們亦建議去分析人力資源管理系統的其中一個優點特質： 一致性，並且以一致性作為上述關係的一個調節變量來進行分析。 研究設計/方法/理念 - 此為一項定量研究。樣本為166名在西班牙巴倫西亞地區四間工業公司內從事高質素及知識密度高的工作的僱員。各項假設已應用了Smart-PLS 3.2 軟件進行了測試。 研究結果 - 研究結果確認了在專業及合資格工作的環境下，工作表現評核實務對創新行為會起直接及積極的影響。唯取得的研究結果不能讓我們確認僱員對人力資源系統一致性的看法、調節了表現評核與創新行為之間的關係。 研究的原創性／價值 - 本研究的原創性、在於就該關係的分析研究內，納入了人力資源管理系統強度的一個層面 -一致性 - 的角色。若僱員相信表現評核達到其設立的預期目的，並相信該評核長期跟隨著一個清晰的戰略方向，他們會覺得有關的評核制度不是隨機的；即是說，他們會覺得該人力資源實務是一貫地應用的。因此，本研究明確顯示了如公司欲鼓勵創新行為，僱員覺得表現評核有一致性這個觀感是有其相關角色的。這項事實、開啟了研究如何界定及執行機制，讓主管知悉員工的看法與他們所釐定的人力資源實務的目的是否吻合。﹞