Nonmanagerial Performance Appraisal Practices in Large American Cities

This article summarizes findings of a survey of nonmanagerial performance appraisal practices in large U. S. cities. It replicates and extends earlier research by Ammons and Rodriguez (1986) reported in this journal that examined upper management performance appraisal practices. Topics discussed include prevalence of formal evaluation systems, types of appraisal techniques used, objectives of evaluation efforts, and appraisal frequency, satisfaction, and time allocation. The impact of city size (i. e., number of municipal employees) and form of government on appraisal practices are also analyzed. Findings suggest that major differences exist between nonmanagerial and managerial performance appraisal practices.