PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to construct an instrument to assess employee‐perceived performance appraisal congruency and then to use the scale to predict employee attitudes about their performance appraisal systems.Design/methodology/approachThe scale was developed using 28 subject‐matter experts and researcher knowledge of the extant literature. The scale was then completed by a sample of 135 individuals using internet administration.FindingsRegression analyses showed that performance appraisal congruency predicted overall system satisfaction, perceived usefulness and fairness. Supplementary analyses of the performance appraisal congruency items were conducted so as to refine the original instrument for future research.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study include: the interviews conducted to develop the instrument were conducted in a single organization; the study used an internet sample that was made up of university alumni; all measures were self‐report; and single item measures were used as the criterion variables. The findings support the utility of the use of the P‐E fit model in performance management systems. Future research should assess outcomes that would be of interest to organizations, such as the relationships with performance system satisfaction and employee commitment and turnover.Practical implicationsIf employees perceive that the performance appraisal system is congruent with their expectations, then positive outcomes should be expected.Originality/valueWhile congruency has been linked to important outcomes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and actual turnover, it has not been used within a performance appraisal framework.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of the congruence of employees' current versus ideal performance appraisal system on performance appraisal attitudes. This in turn was assessed as to its predictive relationships with affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Continuance organizational commitment and job performance were also assessed in the model. A total of 149 surveys were completed by employees of post-secondary institutions and were employed in academic, clerical, professional, and managerial positions. Performance appraisal congruence positively predicted performance appraisal attitude, which then predicted affective organizational commitment and turnover intentions, supporting the importance of person-performance appraisal fit in the organizational behavior literature. The results are discussed in terms of the relevance of these findings in theory, research, and practice.

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This study examined the equivalency of computer and conventional versions of the Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES), a test of adult literacy skills in Reading Text, Document Use and Numeracy. Seventy-three college students completed the computer version, and their scores were compared with those who had taken the test in the conventional paper-and-pencil mode. Scores for the two groups for all three subscales were equivalent based on their means and variances. Rank order equivalency was demonstrated for two of the three TOWES subscales (Reading Text and Document Use). Additionally, participants rated the computer version of the test as easy to use.Demonstration of test equivalence is a prevalent issue as paper-and-pencil tests are now frequently adapted for computer administration. Test equivalence means that a person taking the test would get the same score regardless of the test format. Changing formats from paper-and-pencil (conventional) to computer-based tests has been accomplished numerous times with varying degrees of success. The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of equivalence in traditional versus computer administration of the Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES). TOWES assesses literacy skills in the Canadian workplace in three primary areas. Reading Text items assess skill in understanding and using information found in general textual formats includ-