Purposes of Performance Appraisal System: A Perceptual Study of Civil Servants in District Dera Ismail Khan Pakistan

Performance Appraisal System (PAS) in the civil service of Pakistan has been established to fulfill various purposes. Previously, this aspect of PAS in the civil service has not been investigated. In this study we examine perceptions of the civil servants regarding various purposes of the PAS. Data was collected from the civil servants working in the two departments of far flung district Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results show that appraisees have mixed responses regarding purposes of PAS. It implies that appraisees are not fully aware to all the purposes of PAS, with exception of a sole purpose i.e. support to promotion decisions. In the article we discuss the factors affecting appraisees’ perceptions about purposes of the appraisal system. Subsequently, we proffer few recommendations for making the appraisal system purposeful in minds of appraisees. Finally, we give directions for future research in the PAS of civil service.