| Course | MAN-3310 Human Resources Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | Discussion forum: initial post and two replies |
| Length | About 441 words |
| Format | Discussion post with APA 7 citations |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.B.A. in Human Resources/Organizational Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MAN 3310 Module 7
Discussion: Rethinking the Annual Review
One Checklist a Year or Ten Minutes a Month? Performance Management for Supermarket Clerks
Every January, department managers at Tuckahoe Markets, the grocery chain I have followed through this course, complete a one-page checklist rating each clerk from one to five on attendance, speed, customer service and teamwork. Raises of 2% to 4% are tied to the average score. Managers dislike the process, clerks see it as arbitrary, and nearly everyone receives a three or a four. Our textbook distinguishes performance appraisal, the periodic rating, from performance management, the ongoing system of setting expectations, giving feedback and developing people (Jackson et al., 2017). The chain has the first and almost none of the second.
DeNisi and Murphy (2017) reviewed a century of research on appraisal and concluded that decades of work on rating formats and rater errors did less to improve performance than attention to the broader management context, such as whether employees trust the process and whether feedback leads to development. Feedback itself is not automatically helpful. Kluger and DeNisi (1996) pooled hundreds of studies and reported that feedback helped on average, yet roughly one intervention in three left performance worse than before, most often when the feedback turned attention toward the recipient's self rather than the work.
My proposal is to keep a short annual rating for pay but add a ten-minute monthly check-in focused on specific tasks: what went well at the counter, one thing to work on and what the clerk needs from the manager. That fits Kluger and DeNisi's warning, since it keeps feedback about the work, not the person. My question for classmates: would monthly check-ins be realistic for a manager with fifteen part-time clerks?
Reply to Jasmine
Jasmine, you argue that ratings should be dropped entirely, as some companies have done. I see the appeal, but DeNisi and Murphy (2017) note that organizations still need some basis for pay and promotion decisions, and removing ratings can make those decisions less transparent rather than more fair. In your hospital unit, how are raises decided now that the formal ratings are gone? If the answer is manager discretion, I would worry about consistency.
Reply to Tyler
Tyler, your point about time is exactly my concern with my own proposal. Ten minutes a month for fifteen clerks is two and a half hours, which a department manager running short-staffed may not have. One answer from our textbook's emphasis on performance management as a system (Jackson et al., 2017) is to share the work: senior clerks could hold check-ins with newer clerks they train. Do you think employees would accept feedback from a peer rather than a manager?
References
DeNisi, A. S., & Murphy, K. R. (2017). Performance appraisal and performance management: 100 years of progress? Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 421-433. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000085
Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., & Werner, S. (2017). Managing human resources (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254-284. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.254
Reading the MAN 3310 Module 7 assignment instructions
MAN-3310's five graded forums each call for your own answer to the posted question plus at least two replies to classmates that add value, as the syllabus describes, and grades reflect both how much and how well you participate. A performance management forum typically asks how organizations should evaluate and develop employees, whether annual reviews work, or how feedback should be given. Draw on a real practice you know, connect it to the Jackson, Schuler and Werner chapters and add research. Keep each response proofread and professional, and get your opening answer up early in the week. Describe the current practice briefly before proposing a change. Respond to classmates whose posts take a different view from yours; disagreement makes better discussion.
How this MAN 3310 Module 7 example is built
The opening post describes a concrete, flawed practice in a few sentences and then uses the textbook to name what is missing. Two research sources move the discussion beyond opinion: a review that shifts attention from rating formats to the context of appraisal, and a meta-analysis showing feedback can backfire. The post makes a specific proposal shaped by that evidence and ends with a practical question. The first reply challenges a classmate's more radical suggestion with evidence; the second concedes a valid concern about time and offers a solution, and both end by inviting the classmate to say how this plays out where they work. The post's proposal follows directly from the research it cites.
Where the marks sit in the MAN 3310 Module 7 rubric
Mentors weigh forum participation on quality and quantity, as the syllabus explains: a substantive initial post, two or more replies that argue a view with backing, engagement with classmates' ideas and professional writing. For performance management topics, strong posts distinguish appraisal from management, use research rather than anecdote and make proposals suited to a real setting. A reply that brings new evidence or a different angle counts; a pat on the back does not. Citing sources correctly and posting on time matter as well, since the forums together form a meaningful share of the course grade. Accurate summaries of research, including its limits, strengthen a post. Clear, concise posts are read more carefully than long ones.
MAN 3310 Module 7 help: mistakes that cost marks
Students often answer performance management questions with complaints about annual reviews and no alternative. Propose something specific and explain why it would work better. Another common mistake is assuming more feedback is always better; research shows poorly delivered feedback can lower performance. Avoid replies that only praise a classmate; respond to their argument. Keep examples respectful and avoid identifying real coworkers. Use at least one source in each response. Our writers can prepare a MAN 3310 discussion post and replies on the performance management question your mentor posted. Keep replies focused on one point each so they are easy to answer.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MAN 3310 Module 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MAN 3310 Module 7 sample paper?
The Module 7 discussion is reproduced above in full: an opening post on annual reviews versus monthly check-ins and two replies, each supported with research, plus notes on grading.
What is the difference between performance appraisal and performance management?
Appraisal is the formal rating done once or twice a year; management is the everyday cycle of goals, feedback and development around it.
Does feedback always improve performance?
No. Not always. Pooled research shows average gains but also many cases, about a third, where feedback backfired, often because it focused on the person instead of the work.
Should companies eliminate performance ratings?
Some have, but organizations still need a basis for pay and promotion decisions, so removing ratings can reduce transparency unless something replaces them.
How often should employees receive feedback?
Research and practice favor frequent, task-focused feedback over a single annual review, as long as managers have time to give it well.