Effectiveness of Employees’ Performance Appraisal in the Nigerian Public Sector: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The study identified types of Performance Appraisal (PA) systems in use in Nigerian public sector, investigated effectiveness of PA systems in the sector and examined factors affecting effectiveness of PA systems in the public sector. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting top, middle and lower levels staff from the various administrative departments within the selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The result identified annual review, general performance appraisal, evaluation studies, inventory turnover, performance reviews, 4-block metric reviews, performance improvement plans, employee self-appraisal and 360-degree performance appraisal systems as being used in the Nigerian public sector. However, only annual review, inventory turnover, performance reviews, employee self-appraisal and 360-degree appraisal are fairly effective on paper but not in practice. The finding also identified lack of objectivity, halo error, leniency, central tendency error, recent behavior bias, personal bias (stereotyping), manipulating the evaluation, employee anxiety, shifting standards, overall ratings, horn error, strictness and politicisation of rating as factors hindering effectiveness of the appraisal system in Nigerian Public sector. The study concluded that there are employee appraisal systems in place in the Nigerian Public Sector but they are not effectively implemented.