Content of review 1, reviewed on September 25, 2023

The research article titled "The Relationship between Performance Appraisal Interval and Employees' Proactive Working Behavior - Analysis Based on Time-gain and Time-loss Effect" explores the connection between performance appraisal intervals and employees' proactive behavior. The study aims to shed light on how the timing of performance appraisals influences employee engagement and productivity, considering the effects of both time gain and time loss. This topic is of great importance as it addresses the potential impact of appraisal frequency on employee performance. One strength of the research article lies in its innovative approach to studying the relationship between performance appraisal intervals and employee behavior. By incorporating the concepts of time-gain and time-loss effects, the study provides a nuanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms at play. Although the article is good, an article needs further improvement on some of the points mentioned below. 1. It would be helpful to provide a brief overview and significance of the theoretical foundations of Performance Appraisal (PA) and Psychological Momentum (PM) theory. While you have discussed the theoretical aspects of PAI and PM theory, including a summary of relevant empirical studies that support or contradict the proposed hypotheses would be beneficial. This will demonstrate the existing knowledge and provide a foundation for your study's hypotheses. 2. The sample part briefly mentions selecting 21 companies from a list of 120 high-tech enterprises. However, providing more information about the criteria or considerations used to select these specific companies would be helpful. Explaining the rationale behind the selection and how it aligns with the research objectives or target population would enhance the transparency and validity of the study. 3. The implications mention that PAI has a mixed effect on employees' proactive work behavior, including a time-gain effect and a time-loss effect. While the implications briefly describe these effects, providing a more detailed explanation of how PAI influences employees' delayed gratification tendencies and perceived uncertainty would enhance the understanding of the findings. 4. The management implications suggest that organizations should develop an appropriate performance appraisal interval considering individuals' risk aversion, loss avoidance, and psychological momentum. However, providing more concrete guidelines or recommendations for organizations on determining the optimal performance appraisal cycle and achieving the desired incentive utility would be helpful. Offering specific strategies or approaches organizations can use to balance positive and negative psychological momentum would strengthen the practical implications. While the implications highlight the theoretical and practical contributions of the study, it could be beneficial to connect the findings and implications to existing literature explicitly. By referencing and integrating previous research on performance appraisal, psychological momentum, and leadership feedback, the implications can demonstrate how the current study extends and complements the existing knowledge in these areas. 5. The discussion states that the relationship between Performance Appraisal Interval (PAI) and Proactive Work Behavior (PWB) follows an inverted U-shape pattern. However, it needs to elaborate on this pattern's underlying mechanisms or reasons. Providing an explanation or theoretical reasoning for why PAI has an inverted U-shape effect on PWB would strengthen the findings and contribute to the theoretical framework. The discussion mentions that Supervisor Developmental Feedback (SDF) moderates the relationship between PAI and PWB. Still, it does not provide an in-depth analysis or explanation of this moderation effect. Elaborating on how SDF influences the relationship between PAI and PWB, and discussing potential underlying mechanisms or explanations, would enhance the understanding of the findings and contribute to the practical implications. 6. The paper mainly relied on PM theory and the temporal framing effect to examine the relationship between PAI and employees' behaviors. However, there may be other valuable theories or frames that could shed light on this relationship. Future research could explore alternative theories or frames to enrich the understanding of how PAI influences employee behavior. 7. The authors should provide a clear conceptualization of variables such as psychological well-being (PWB), performance appraisal interval (PAI), delayed gratification (DG), and perceived uncertainty (PU). It is important to provide explicit definitions and operationalizations to enhance the clarity and understanding of the constructs under investigation. 8. The authors should justify the choice of statistical methods used, such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multilevel analysis. Explain why these methods were appropriate for testing the proposed hypotheses and whether any assumptions or limitations were considered. 9. The authors should provide more detailed statistical analysis results. Present the model fit indices for each alternative model tested in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to support the selection of the hypothesized five-factor model. Additionally, provide the estimates, standard errors, and significance levels for all variables included in the regression models. 10. Address potential limitations related to the data collection process and sample characteristics. Provide information on the response rate, data collection procedures, and any potential biases that might impact the generalizability of the findings. Also, acknowledge any limitations in the sample size or diversity and discuss the implications for the study's conclusions. 11. Evaluate the limitations of the research design employed in this study. Consider discussing potential issues such as common method bias, causality, and the cross-sectional nature of the data. Suggest future research designs to overcome these limitations and provide stronger evidence for the proposed relationships. 12. Highlight the strengths and contributions of the study. Identify the unique aspects of the research, such as the focus on performance appraisal interval and the examination of the temporal framing effect. Discuss how the study advances the existing literature and contributes to theoretical understanding in the field. 13. Strengthen the discussion section by thoroughly interpreting the results and relating them to the research questions and hypotheses. Discuss the practical implications of the findings for organizations and leaders and potential avenues for future research. Address the limitations identified earlier and discuss their potential impact on the validity and generalizability of the study. 14. References cited should be thoroughly checked with in-text citations; somewhere references cited are missing in in text, cite some of the latest relevant references of this Journal. All the best..

Source

    © 2023 the Reviewer (CC BY 4.0).

References

    Jun, Y., Jun, M., Liping, L. 2023. The relationship between performance appraisal interval and employees' proactive working behavior - analysis based on time-gain effect and time-loss effect. Frontiers in Psychology.