Coens, T., & Jenkins M.
(2000).
Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why They Backfire and What to Do Instead.
"Like every other social intervention, individual goal setting brings unintended consequences. When individual performance goals are imposed on people through appraisal, invariably there are prescribed targets, measurements, deadlines, surveillance, and evaluation. These features undermine intrinsic motivation because they cause people to feel pressured and controlled. Individual performance goals often impede cooperation and the natural sense of teamwork. They precipitate bureaucratic behavior where goals become an end in themselves. When people fail to meet established goals, their confidence and self-esteem are eroded—they become discouraged, disheartened, and cynical, especially when the achievement of goals is tied to compensation or continued employment." (p. 95)