Sources of political distortions in performance appraisals - Appraisal purpose and rater accountability

Although performance appraisal research has been ongoing for more than 50 years, the focus has largely been on the rater and the rating instruments. This study seeks to answer a more recent call by researchers to focus on contextual variables surrounding the performance appraisal process by analyzing two such variables: appraisal purpose and rater accountability. Results indicate that holding raters accountable for the accuracy of their ratings, especially when ratings are for administrative purposes, may be an effective strategy for reducing leniency error.