From annual ritual to daily routine: continuous performance management and its consequences for employment security

Glynne Williams; Vanessa Beck

doi:10.1111/ntwe.12106

journal article Mar 01, 2018

From annual ritual to daily routine: continuous performance management and its consequences for employment security

Glynne Williams

Vanessa Beck

New Technology, Work and Employment Vol. 33 No. 1 pp. 30-43 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/ntwe.12106

Abstract

Management control in the workplace ultimately rests on the power to dismiss employees who are deemed to be underperforming. This article examines a more recent trend away from annual appraisal and towards continual monitoring and review. Based on a study of specialist proprietary performance management (PM) software packages and interviews with the consultants who market them, the contention is that these developments are driven by the need to control dismissal. In the case of the UK, we argue that the adoption of PM systems needs to be understood as a means of ‘retiring’ older workers who might otherwise remain in employment. The systems studied here draw on a range of data, allowing managers considerable discretion in how this evidence is used. Specifically, by dispensing with explicit ranking methods, these systems suggest a new employer confidence in the use of subjective evidence.

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Details

Published: Mar 01, 2018
Vol/Issue: 33(1)
Pages: 30-43
License: View

Authors

Cite This Article

Glynne Williams, Vanessa Beck (2018). From annual ritual to daily routine: continuous performance management and its consequences for employment security. New Technology, Work and Employment, 33(1), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12106

From annual ritual to daily routine: continuous performance management and its consequences for employment security

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