Performance Management Systems: Task-Contextual Dilemma Owing to the Involvement of the Psychological Contract and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Abstract

The two dimensions of the performance management system, namely task and contextual performance have received the most attention from various scholars with regard to their contributive role in employees' goal accomplishment. It has been the case for decades that in addition to task performance; employers have started to use competency evaluations, which usually involve contextual performance dimensions as well. Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and the psychological contract (PC) have become more intertwined with performance management systems. The objective of this study is to assess whether competency frameworks in performance management systems are actually incorporating OCBs and PC dimensions. The competency definitions and behavioral indicators within the performance management handbooks of 10 organizations were considered as the data set. The findings reveal that many terms of OCB and PC dimensions are embedded in the competency frameworks. This introductory paper provides important insights helping to restructure the PMS domain in which both task and discretionary behaviors are taken into account when appraising employee success.