CULTURAL RELATIVITY IN ACTION: A COMPARISON OF SELF-RATINGS MADE BY CHINESE AND U.S. WORKERS

Using a sample of 982 leader-subordinate dyads drawn from nine different organizations in the Republic of China (i.e., Taiwan), self-ratings of performance were compared with supervisory ratings of subordinate performance. Results indicated that Chinese employees rated their job performance less favorably than did their supervisors (i.e., they exhibited a modesty bias). This modesty bias occurred relatively uniformly across gender, various educational levels, and age groups. These results are contrary to the typically reported U.S. finding that self-ratings of performance are more lenient than are supervisory ratings. A further comparison of the means of supervisory and self-ratings between this study and previous U.S. research revealed that the modesty bias appeared to be produced by the lower self-ratings made by Chinese workers as compared to their U.S. counterparts. The findings suggest that culture plays a critical role in shaping workers' perceptions of their own work performance. Results of this study are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and practice in international human resource management.     

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF SELF-APPRAISAL-BASED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

This study investigated the effectiveness of a self-appraisal-based performance evaluation system (SABPE) that incorporates self-assessment into traditional supervisory evaluation procedures. Its subject sample consisted of 88 faculty members and their chairpersons at a land-grant state university. Results indicated that (1) there was high congruency between self- and chairperson ratings, (2) both ratings had moderate to high levels of criterion-related validity, and (3) both faculty members and chairpersons reported high SABPE acceptance. The implications of these results for future self-appraisal research are discussed.     

EFFECTS OF SELF-ESTEEM ON LENIENCY BIAS IN SELF-REPORTS OF PERFORMANCE: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL ANALYSIS

This study used structural equation model analysis to examine the relationship between self-esteem and leniency bias in self-reports of performance. The results showed that consistent with the prediction of consistency theory (e.g., Korman, 1970), leniency bias was positively correlated with self-esteem. The results also suggest that the relationship between self-esteem and leniency bias was more positive when self-ratings were made on ambiguous performance dimensions rather than on less ambiguous dimensions. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.