Making the Team: A Guide for Managers

Sources of Rater Bias

Peers are often best qualified to evaluate a team member's performance. Lots of empirical research indicates that peer assessment is a valid and reliable evaluation procedure (Huber, Neale, & Northcraft, 1987). In addition, the team's supervisor and the team's customers or clients (either internal or external, if available) are also valuable sources of input. These information sources are valuable, but can also be biased. Raters are not perfect; below we discuss several serious sources of bias that can threaten the quality of peer evaluation.

Extrinsic Incentives Bias

Most managers believe that employees are primarily motivated by extrinsic incentives (e.g., job security and pay) and less motivated by intrinsic incentives ...