Which error describes rating employees to avoid conflict by giving unduly favorable ratings?

• A. Leniency error
• B. Severity error
• C. Central tendency
• D. Halo effect

Answer: (A)

Leniency error is a rating bias where a supervisor assigns unduly favorable ratings to avoid conflict or confrontation, often in an effort to keep peace, please the employee, or maintain harmony. This tendency means performance isn’t reflected accurately, which can inflate ratings across the board and undermine the usefulness of the evaluation for development, pay decisions, and accountability. Think of it as letting a single impression of “good enough” color the entire assessment, rather than judging each aspect by its true merit.

Why the other biases don’t fit as neatly: severity error would involve giving harsher or stricter ratings than warranted, not favorable ones. Central tendency pushes ratings toward the middle to avoid extremes, not specifically to avoid conflict with employees. The halo effect occurs when a general positive impression in one area sways ratings across multiple dimensions, but the scenario described—rating to avoid conflict by being unduly favorable—points to leniency bias as the root cause.