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Abstract
Higher education in the Baltic Republic of Estonia is experiencing rapid change as the country adjusts to a market economy in the post‐Soviet era and adheres to principles established through the Bologna Process. Research in the area of performance appraisal, and the most effective approaches to motivate academic staff, is a key factor influencing change in a rapidly developing society. Using qualitative research, a survey was submitted to academic officers in 11 Estonian and four western New York (USA) colleges and universities. A total of 29 individuals completed surveys in Estonia (a response rate of 69 per cent). A convenience sample of eight academic administrators returned instruments in western New York, giving a response rate of 100 per cent. The results of the survey indicated that appraisal systems within American higher education are similar and based on a long tradition of connecting appraisal to the guidelines governing permanent appointment (tenure). Appraisal within Estonian universities is still rather basic and unified systems do not yet exist, as individual institutions employ a variety of procedures. The study was intended to accelerate the process of performance appraisal in Estonia and Eastern Europe.