I think that the topic is absolutely germane to this thread:
I worked in telecommunications/IT for 27 years and in a wide variety of organisations. From local govt to American merchant bank in the City of London, also I have worked freelance and in other countries.
In short, I watched the introduction of appraisals with mixed feelings and that has not changed in the 22 or so years since I first encountered them. I have been the subject of them and had to conduct them for my own staff. Whilst they were introduced with the (I trust) intention of fairness and openness, they are just like any other human process - open to movement in either direction. The 'bigging' and the 'dinging', as so eloquently named.
I have seen both of those pressures exerted, and both for and against myself. The biggest problem is that: Everybody presumed/presumes that more 'bigging' takes place than 'dinging'. So, any appraisal is automatically 'downgraded' in the mind of the senior line mgr and HR. Thus, if an appraisal contains a fair amount of 'dinging' it is perceived to be MORE than it is. What might be intended as a small 'ding' to the person to encourage them forward, can turn into an almighty 'dang' when viewed higher up the scale!
It is in the interests of many to big up, so that the reviewing mgr appears to be bringing their staff onward and upward and so they get rewarded. By the time it is found not to be the case, the mgr in question has probably left to join another company and repeat the process.
It's a bit like signing off the tech sheet of an a/c. All the process' are designed to be done with due diligence and not to be scrimped or changed in any way. If one engineer tries to bypass the system with shoddy work - it will usually be spotted quickly. But if there is a groundswell of movement to shoddy work [false appraisals] then it may be difficult to spot for quite some time. It will rely on someone with old fashioned skills and sense of fair play to bring it into the open. They may even have to blow the whistle.
When I joined one company, I was given glowing reports about one of my new staff by the mgmt. She fooled me for about two years. Only then did I see the cracks in the system and her work. She was doing just enough but had managed to fool others into promoting her. Yet she was laughing behind our backs and not carrying out the instructions I had given. She worked at a remote location, which made it more difficult to monitor closely. Those that did know what was happening, could not speak as they were dependent on her for their appraisals. Once I realised what had happened, I tightened the screws and found that she was lacking. Eventually, she left the company but she should not have got that far.
Bigging and Dinging happens every day in every company. So - no appraisal system, or one that can be subverted? Bear in mind that, whatever system of promotion is used, it WILL be subverted!