109. “All personnel evaluations at a company should be multi-directional — that is, people at every level of the organization should review not only those working ‘under’ them but also those working ‘over’ them.” Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. The speaker asserts that employees at all levels in an organization should review one another, including those working “over” them as well as “under” them. I agree in part. Often companies will conduct two different kinds of periodic review, one to justify decisions regarding promotion and pay, and another to increase overall efficiency by assessing employee performance. Multi-directional evaluation should never be part of the first kind of review. however, it can be valuable in the second kind and, therefore, should be used there. On the one hand, lower-level employees have too much organizational power if their evaluations are used in decisions about the pay or promotions of their superiors. Employees can intimidate superiors with the threat of bad review. Also employees can use the review process to retaliate against those at higher levels. In either case, the authority of a manager or an executive can be seriously compromised, and productivity is lost in the process. On the other hand, the most revealing criticisms of a superior’s style often come from those subject to it. In a process of review that isn’t connected to promotion or pay, employees at all levels can be more comfortable and forthright about sharing concerns. In turn, every employee is more likely to get accurate feedback, including constructive criticism, that will help each nurture strengths and improve areas of weakness. In this way (adv. 这样), multi-directional evaluation can greatly enhance organizational efficiency. Furthermore, multi-directional evaluation in this context helps prevent worker alienation and subsequent lowered productivity. Widening the performance review process will very likely foster a greater sense of personal involvement in one’s work, especially among lower-level employees. Recent studies have shown that people who feel more invested (invest: b: to furnish with power or authority. c: to grant someone control or authority over: VEST) in their jobs tend to work more cooperatively and productively. In conclusion, there is an important role for multi-directional personnel evaluation in the workplace. While it should be clearly separate from issues of promotion and pay, as part of the performance review process it can encourage better employee relations and higher productivity.