According to a recent article in Harvard Management Update , in order to fairly evaluate the performance of workers in an information economy one must first understand the corporate culture in which they work. One of the key criteria that should be used to evaluate worker performance in an information economy is an employee's ability to learn in ways that serve the organization's strategic purpose. Knowledge workers like to be on the cutting edge of their specialty. And they are often motivated more by what they learn than what they earn.
Smart companies recognize and reward that.
But that criteria is really only useful if the culture in which the employee works encourages and rewards that type of behavior. Some companies, for example, reward efficiency, but not innovation and development. Others claim they want their employees to be the top in their field, but don't give them the opportunities to get there. By taking into consideration the culture that acts as the back drop to a worker's productivity then, a manager can better understand the influences and restrictions that effect an employee's productivity and thus more effectively and fairly evaluate the employee's performance. All rights reserved .