Subjectivity in Performance Evaluations: A Review of the Literature*

Abstract

Subjectivity is an important element of employees' performance evaluations because its use can motivate employees and improve their productivity. Given this importance, it has been a prominent area of research within the management accounting literature. Using a structured approach, I review articles from 11 highly ranked accounting journals across 12 years with the objective of synthesizing and assessing the research to identify research gaps and opportunities for future research. I observe that two types of subjectivity are commonly studied: subjective performance measures and ex post discretion, across a wide range of settings. Research questions are investigated, drawing on theory from economics, psychology, and organizational behavior and using experimental, field study, survey, archival, analytical, and interview methods. My synthesis of the literature highlights many opportunities for future research to further the study of subjective performance evaluations. This study contributes to practice and accounting research by synthesizing and providing insights about the subjectivity literature as well as identifying opportunities for future research.