Final answer:
Making promotion decisions is not a developmental use of performance appraisals, which are designed to enhance employee growth and identify training needs and strengths. Promotions are more about administrative decisions than development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The developmental use of performance appraisals is meant to enhance an employee's growth and development within an organization. These appraisals can serve various functions, including identifying training opportunities, discussing a career path, and identifying strengths. However, making promotion decisions is not typically considered a developmental use because it's more of an administrative decision rather than a tool for employee development.
Performance appraisals are used to motivate employees to improve their performance and expand their competencies. A popular method is the 360-degree feedback appraisal, which involves collecting performance information from an employee's supervisor, co-workers, and themselves. On the developmental side, performance appraisals can help in creating a career development plan by assessing where an employee currently stands and what future positions they might be suited for, hence discussing a career path.
Identifying an individual's strengths during an appraisal is crucial for both the employee and the organization because it determines where the employee can most effectively contribute to the company. Donald Clifton's strengths-based management approach is centered on this principle. Moreover, recognizing where an employee may require additional training ensures that they have the necessary skills to perform their job effectively and to meet future challenges, which speaks to the importance of identifying training opportunities.