Operationalizing Employee Performance: A Literature Review

Abstract

Employee Performance has evolved from being a unidimensional construct to encompass broader multidimensional aspects (like Task, Contextual, and Counterproductive performance) over the past four decades. However, a read through the performance literature is in no way less than wading through muddied waters with different authors trying to conceptualize and operationalize the various performance dimensions in myriad ways. While some of the constructs defined in the process are distinct from each other in their seminal definitions and taxonomy, others seem to be quite overlapping and confusing. While chronicling the journey of evolution of the performance construct, this paper attempts to clearly document the various dimensions of performance and compare and highlight the differences and overlaps between operationalization of these dimensions.