360-DEGREE APPRAISAL
New IPD research on multi-source feedback published
The success of 360-dgree appraisal depends largely on having an appropriate organisational culture, according to new research by the Institute of Personnel and Development. The overriding message from the study is that when it comes to introducing effective multi-source feedback success hinges on having an open and trusting work environment — "you can’t have one without the other", the IPD says.
According to Angela Baron, employee resources adviser at the IPD, with the advent of flatter organisations, more and more companies are now turning to 360-degree feedback, whereby employees are assessed by all the people they work with — not only line managers and supervisors but also peers, customers and suppliers.
Based on the experience of six major organisations which have been using 360-degree feedback for at least four years, the IPD report investigates the significance of organisational factors such as the business environment, structure and communication, as well as the role of senior management and training.
As Baron explains, the research found that feedback goes hand in hand with an open and trusting culture. "It discovered something of a chicken and egg situation — that a cultural shift towards a more open environment depends on acceptance of feedback — specifically 360-degree feedback — but effective 360-degree feedback depends on an open environment."
A particularly noticeable finding was that 360-degree feedback is still mainly used as a development tool, and is increasingly used for strategic planning such as training and resourcing. But few organisations are taking the controversial next step — tying critical decisions about pay and reward to 360-degree feedback.
Title: 360-degree feedback and organisation culture
Authors: Wendy Chivers and Philip Darling
Price: £11.95
Availability: Plymbridge Distributors Ltd, tel: 01752 202301
To find out more, the IPD web site is one click away . . . www.ipd.co.uk