ENTREVISTA A HERVÉ MAIGRET

According to Robert and Vijay (2004:496) the balanced score card is an example of performance measurement system. According to the proponents of this approach, business units should be assigned goals and then measured. Melaku (2010:68) stated that, “the balanced score card (Bsc) is comprehensive management control system that balances traditional financial measures with operational measures relating to an organizations critical success factors.” In this regard, the balanced score card is a newly introduced approach to performance measurements in Ethiopia.

2.9.1 Components and functions of balanced score card

According to Robert and Vijay (2004:497) the balanced score car has the following four perspectives. (i) Financial (e.g. Profit margins, return on assets, cash flow) (ii) Customer (e.g. Market share, customer satisfaction index) (iii) Internal Business (e.g., employee retention, cycle time reduction) and (iv) Innovation and learning (e.g. percentage of sales from new products). The balanced score card fosters a balance among different strategic measures in an effort to achieve goal, congruence, thus encouraging employees to act in the organizations best interested, It is a tool that helps the organizations focus, improves communication, set organizational objectives, and provided feedback on strategy. According to Melaku (2010:68) discussed that “A balanced score card contains four major perspectives: financial performance, customer service, internal business process and an organizations capacity for learning and growth. Within these four areas, measurement is expected to identify key performance indicators the organization will track.” The financial perspective concerns about improving

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short and long term organizational performance. Customer service indicators measure how customers view the organization in relation to customer satisfaction. The business process indicators focus up on production and operating business data’s such as order fulfillment and cost preorder. The final element concerns about the organizations potential for learning and growth, focusing on how well human and other resources are being managed for organizations future. They are also other measurements include such things as employee retention, business process improvement and introduction of new out puts. The components of the balanced score car designed in an integrative way so that they support one another and link short term action with long term goals. Regular information system facilitate the importance of balanced score card by employing managers to easily control measurement in many areas, quickly analytic data and changing much amount of data in to clear and benefits the managements to focus of crucial strategy measures that define the success of particular organization over time and create communication that clearly works throughout the organization.

2.9.2. Principles of staff performance appraisal

According to Gary (1985:273) mentioned two important principles of performance appraisal they are to understand the appraisal problems and avoid them, overall appraisal process should be clear, formalized standardized and made as objective as possible, performance appraisal system should be a job related as possible. For example the criteria to be evaluated such as “Quantity of effort” and “Punctuality” should be made sense in terms of the nature of the job, appraiser should be adequately trained in the use of appraisal techniques, appraiser should have substantial daily contact with the employee being evaluated, if the appraisal involves several measures of performance (like attendance, quality and quantity), the weight of each measure in relation to the overall assessment should be fixed ahead of time. whenever possible, the appraisal should be conducted by more than an appraiser and all such appraisals should be conducted independently and employees should get feedback on how they are doing as frequently as possible. According to Edwin (1984:78) appraising performance of individual, groups and organizations is a common practice of all societies while in some instance, those appraisal processes are structured and for many sanctioned. In other instance they are informed and integral part of daily activities. In social interactions, performance evaluation is done in haphazard and often in systematic way. But in organizations formal programs of evaluating employees and managerial performance conducted in a systematic and planned manner.

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According to Wikipedia, the free- encyclopedia, performance appraisal as a principles requires the job performance of an employee to be evaluated in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time typically by the corresponding manner or supervisor. It is a process of obtaining, analyzing and recording to the organization. Another principal feature of performance appraisal is an analysis of employees’ recent successes and failures, personal strength and weaknesses and suitability for promotion or further training. It is also the judgment of an employee’s performance in job basedon considerations other than productivity alone. (http:llen.Wikipeda org/Wiki/) performance appraisal. According to French (1990:394) there are guiding principles which are so important for staff performance appraisal. Knowing and understanding the key concepts and principles can be helpful to learn how a successful staff performance appraisal can be designed and operated in the interest of enhancing the development of the individual employee/teacher and the organization at large. There are series of principles of performance appraisal mentioned and explained as follows.

2.9.3 Principles of effective communication

Effective communication in the education system is very important between the evaluatee and the evaluator of performance appraisal. For example, in the school system, the school principal or vice principals, department heads, unit leaders are essential for successful operation of staff performance appraisal. Mutual understanding, support and commitment of evaluatees and evaluators about the purpose, criteria and process of performance appraisal should be taken into consideration while implementation. Improper communication about the purpose, criteria and process of the appraisal program can result in distortion and uncertainty among evaluatees and evaluators.

2.9.4 Principle of evaluators training

The sensitivity and complexity nature of staff performance requires evaluator’s adequate competence in human, technical and conceptual skills. Poor training, knowledge and skills of performance appraisal, may lead to reluctance with sense of insecurity, because, they know nothing or little about it better than their evaluatees. In addition to this, when evaluators are with no relevant training commit appraisal errors which results subjectivity and bias of performance results. Hence, it is necessary that evaluators should be provided adequate knowledge and skill of performance appraisal through pre and in service training programs.

29 2.9.5 Principle of staff participation

Those who are directly affected by the appraisal program have to take part in the design and operation of the appraisal system. Evaluatees awareness and acceptance about the real purpose of performance appraisal creates positive and smooth job behavior that maximizes performance of staff members.

2.9.6 Principles of contextual factors

Factors which are beyond the control of staff members can influence their performance effectiveness in the organization. The organizational factors which cannot be controlled by the staff members can be the availability of instructional materials relevance of curriculum, physical condition of the working place, appropriateness of working hours and so on.