Investigate and compare the efficacy of traditional and modern performance management appraisal methods, analyzing their impact on employee performance, satisfaction, and organizational success.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Performance management appraisals have evolved significantly, moving from traditional, often annual, reviews to more modern, continuous feedback systems. Here’s a comparison of their efficacy and impact:
Traditional Performance Management Appraisal Methods:
- Characteristics:
- Annual or semi-annual reviews.
- Top-down feedback from managers.
- Focus on past performance.
- Often tied to salary increases and promotions
- Annual or semi-annual reviews.
Performance management appraisals have evolved significantly, moving from traditional, often annual, reviews to more modern, continuous feedback systems. Here’s a comparison of their efficacy and impact:
Traditional Performance Management Appraisal Methods:
- Characteristics:
- Annual or semi-annual reviews.
- Top-down feedback from managers.
- Focus on past performance.
- Often tied to salary increases and promotions
- Annual or semi-annual reviews.
-
- Use of standardized rating scales.
- Use of standardized rating scales.
- Efficacy:
- Limited Impact on Performance:
Often perceived as bureaucratic and stressful, leading to minimal behavioral change.
- Low Employee Satisfaction: Can create anxiety and resentment due to a lack of ongoing feedback and perceived fairness.
- Mixed Organizational Success: May provide some documentation for HR purposes, but often fails to drive meaningful performance improvement.
- Limited Impact on Performance:
- Impact:
- Negative: Can foster a culture of fear and competition, hindering collaboration.
- Limited Development: Provides little opportunity for real-time coaching and development.
- Bias: Highly susceptible to manager bias and subjectivity.
- Negative: Can foster a culture of fear and competition, hindering collaboration.
Modern Performance Management Appraisal Methods:
- Characteristics:
- Continuous feedback and check-ins.
- Two-way dialogue between managers and employees.
- Focus on development and future performance.
- Emphasis on goal setting and progress tracking.
- Use of technology for feedback and data analysis.
- Efficacy:
- Improved Employee Performance: Regular feedback and coaching lead to ongoing improvement and skill development.
- Increased Employee Satisfaction: Fosters a culture of open communication and support, leading to higher morale and engagement.
- Enhanced Organizational Success: Aligns individual goals with organizational objectives, driving overall performance.
- Improved Employee Performance: Regular feedback and coaching lead to ongoing improvement and skill development.
- Impact:
- Positive: Creates a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
- Enhanced Development: Provides opportunities for real-time coaching, mentoring, and skill development.
- Reduced Bias: Continuous feedback and data analysis can help mitigate manager bias.
- Agility: Allows for rapid response to changing business needs.
- Focus on growth: Encourages a growth mindset.
Comparison Analysis:
| Feature | Traditional Appraisal | Modern Appraisal |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Annual/Semi-annual | Continuous |
| Feedback Direction | Top-down | Two-way |
| Focus | Past performance | Future performance and development |
| Goal Alignment | Limited | Strong |
| Employee Engagement | Low | High |
| Development | Limited | Extensive |
| Bias | High | Lower |
| Impact on Performance | Low to moderate | High |
| Impact on Satisfaction | Low | High |
| Organizational Success | Mixed | Positive |
Key Considerations:
- Technology: Modern performance management relies heavily on technology to facilitate continuous feedback and data analysis.
- Manager Training: Managers need to be trained on how to provide effective feedback and coaching.
- Culture Shift: Implementing modern performance management requires a shift in organizational culture towards open communication and continuous learning.
- Individualization: Modern methods have to be flexible enough to allow for individual employee differences.
Conclusion:
Modern performance management methods are significantly more effective than traditional appraisals in driving employee performance, satisfaction, and organizational success. The shift towards continuous feedback, development, and two-way communication creates a more engaging and supportive work environment. Organizations that embrace modern performance management practices are better positioned to adapt to changing business needs and achieve their strategic objectives
