ABOUT REAL PAL PROJECT
New trends in organizations seem to advocate for a dismissal of formal performance appraisals in favor of more informal performance management systems.
Our project REAL PAL (Relationships, Exchanges And Leadership: implications for Performance Appraisal and Learning) , funded by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), intends to contribute to this scientific, as well as practical, debate. In so doing we aim to:
advance knowledge on Performance Management;
bridge the gap between research and practice on Performance Management;
offer evidence-based recommendations for organizational practice.
Informal performance management systems correspond to feedback provision on a timely and informal way; this is often, but not necessarily or exclusively, delivered by the immediate manager.
Therefore, we intend to offer insights to managers, employees and their organizations on how to provide and receive better quality feedback. In this way, we believe that interpersonal relationships at work will grow and improve, leading to the creation of important bonds and turning the people involved into “real pals”. The social fabric within an organization is essential for individual thriving, both at and outside work, and a relevant source of competitive advantage for companies.
The project comprises multiple empirical phases, conducted using diverse methodologies for data collection and analysis. This website serves as a platform for disseminating the findings emerging from the empirical studies, as well as the researchers’ expert views on feedback, performance management and related topics.