Directorate of distance education master of business administration

Graphic Scale Method 
Graphic scale is also known as linear rating scale.  This is most 
commonly used method of performance appraisal.  In this method, a 
printed appraisal form is used for each appraisee.  The form contains 
various employee characteristics and his job performance.  The 
various characteristics are leadership, dependability, cooperativeness, 
enthusiasm, creativity, analytical ability, decisiveness, emotional maturity 
etc., depending on the level of the employee.  Job performance includes 
quantity and quality of work performance, specific targets achieved, 
regularity of attendance etc.  The degree of quality may be measured on 
three point or five point scale.  On five point scale, ‘excellent, very good, 
average, poor or very poor’ may be used for measurements. 

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Essay Method  
Instead of using structured forms for performance appraisal, some 
companies use free essay method.  In essay method  appraiser  assesses 
the employees on certain parameters in his own word.  Such parameters 
may be
 
1. 
Work performance in terms of quality, quantity and costs.
2. 
Knowledge about the job
3. 
Knowledge about organizational policies, procedures and 
rules, 
4. 
Employee’s characteristics and behaviour 
5. 
Employee’s strength and weakness 
6. 
Overall suitability of the employee;
7. 
Employee’s potentiality 
8. 
Training and development needs of the employee
The essay method is useful in providing fruitful information 
about an employee on the basis of which he can be appraised.  The 
difficulty in free essay method is each appraiser may use his own style 
and perception, which may give rise to difficulty in analysis.