FORCED RANKING: BOON OR BANE?

This case flyer enables a discussion on the topic of ‘Forced Ranking System’ as propounded by

the legendary Jack Welch at GE during late 1980s. Considered as a mixed measure of Performance

Management Systems (PMS), the case flyer suggests that a great deal of precaution is essential

before implementing any such system. The case flyer revolves around the introduction of forced

ranking system as a performance management system at Yahoo! by Marissa Mayer, its new

CEO. In coherence with the accompanying article1, the case flyer discusses the repercussions of

forced ranking system in an organization and debates if forced ranking system even truly evaluates

human resources as it is believed that employee performance does not follow a bell curve. The

case flyer finds application in teaching the concept of ‘performance evaluation’ in Organizational

Behavior Course.

Pedagogical Objectives

• To understand the concept of performance evaluation and to analyze various Performance

Management Systems (PMSs)

• To debate on the fallout of forced ranking on human resources in an organization

ABSTRACT

© www.etcases.com

1 Joshua Brustein, “Yahoo’s Latest HR Disaster: Ranking Workers on A Curve”, The Economic Times, November 15th 2013