Does the Form Really Matter?: Leadership, Trust, and Acceptance of the Performance Appraisal Process

This article reports the findings of a study on the attitudes of county government employees toward an existing performance appraisal system. Specifically, this study explores the role of trust in shaping supervisor and employee acceptance of the appraisal process. In addition, other, more traditional variables are explored, such as the perceived relevance of the appraisal form, length and complexity of the form, amount of training received on the appraisal system, and general level of understanding of the appraisal system. Findings indicate that the level of trust between the employee and supervisor is the most important predictor of acceptance of the appraisal system.