Improving job description and performance appraisal form in light of role ambiguity

• Main Author: Pacis, Camille Rose
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Human Resources Management
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5008
• Institution: De La Salle University

Role ambiguity exists in an organization if there is lack of clear understanding about scope of role responsibilities, behaviors to carry out these roles, how role performance will be evaluated and the consequences of a failure to discharge role responsibilities. Clarifying the individual roles of the employees impacts the performance outcomes considerably. At Singapore Airlines, a reorganization took place and this affected the employees deeply because of the changes in their roles. I found out there was lack of proper job description and lack of appropriate performance-measurement system to evaluate their performance. The existing performance appraisal form does not contain the key performance indicators and other important performance metrics, thus, the existence of role ambiguity in the Marketing and PR department. It greatly affected the quality of performance of the employees. Through collaboration with the general manager, HR head and two employees in my department, we identified the main issue of role ambiguity. This action research paper aims to address the issue of role ambiguity in light of the reorganization by improving the job description of the employees in my department and refining the performance appraisal form. In the process of conducting an action research project in our company, I was able to improve the job description of the employees in my department and enhance the performance appraisal form. To guide me in designing the interventions, I applied the concept of performance management system framework (Turning Point, 2012) as well as the use of the three major strategies for dealing with resistance to change (Cummings & Worley, 2001). This action research was carried out in collaboration with the general manager, head of HR and two marketing and PR employees. The result of this action research on improving the job description and enhancing the performance appraisal form translated to role clarity and high performance of the employees in Marketing and PR department.