Performance appraisal--in the search for the Holy Grail

Despite the enormous body of literature concerning Performance Appraisal, when all is said and done, more seems to have been said than done--at least done effectively. This article analyses the conceptual and methodological basis of performance appraisal, to disclose the complexity of this common management evaluation instrument. There is a concentration on methodology. This has been a purposeful approach since organisations have been, and are most concerned with the search for a sound methodology, akin to a search for the Holy Grail. Several common measurement tools are examined and it is finally concluded that there is no one best way to measure performance. A scheme that is methodologically sound and conceptually pure does not exist.