Abstract:
Any efficient performance appraisal system should ensure fairness and aim at
giving opportunity for employees to air their views. The objective of the study
was to determine the performance appraisal methods used in the public and
private universities, its effects and challenges so as to suggest ways of
improving it. Instruments used were questionnaire, stratified and purposive
sampling methods were used, and the data was processed and analyzed using
comparative analysis framework and descriptive and statistical analysis. The
determined sample size was 933, this was selected from four universities in
Ghana. The four universities comprised of the first two public universities and
first two private universities in Ghana . The random method was used to select
934 staff who were then given questionnaires, 734 questionnaires were
retrieved representing 78.6%. It was revealed from the study that both public
and private universities in Ghana use the six modern performance appraisal
methods (management by objective, 360-degree feedback, Assessment
centred method, Behaviorally anchored ratingc scale, Psychological appraisal
and Human-Resource (Cost) Accounting Method) to assess their staff. In
addition, the performance appraisal has positive effect on the performance of
the staff in these univeersities. The main challenge to the universities was the
lack of operational resources to conduct the appraisal. The study concluded
that with the modern methods of performance appraisal, both the qualitative
and quantitative aspects of an employee are evaluated. It compares an
employee’s performance with specific behavioral examples that are assigned.
It was therefore recommended that the managements should use the 360-
Degree method often since it involves all other stakeholders.
