Managerial competencies for warrant officers in the South African Navy

Date
1999-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Selected Chief Petty Officers undergo advanced training in preparation for their appointment as Warrant Officer at the School for Military Training Part 3, at SAS SALDANHA. The aim of this course is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and abilities to understand and apply the content of the Warrant of Appointment in staff and management positions in the South African Navy. The current management training curriculum can be viewed· as a model for managerial behaviour based on assumptions made in 1988 regarding the internal and external environment of the South African Navy. However, since the acceptance of the current management curriculum, the environment in which Warrant Officers act as managerial leaders has changed. The lack in complementary change in training output leads to the question: Which managerial competencies are required of Warrant Officers under the new circumstances? The aim of this research is to determine the expected management competencies which Warrant Officers in the South African Navy must possess. An exploratory and descriptive research design is divided in three phases: the first, Forecasting entails the compilation of a predicted management task inventory. This inventory, consisting of six managerial functions with forty-two associated tasks, is compiled on the basis of contemporary models of management as well as the requirements for models of management set by the Department of Defence. The second phase, Testing, is concerned with the evaluation and reevaluation of the inventory against the input from subject matter experts. A sample group of subject matter experts had to evaluate the tasks statements on hand of two criteria: the relative importance of the task and also the relative frequency in performing the task. The subject matter experts also had the opportunity to include any task they deemed necessary to the inventory. The Analysis phase is the conclusive phase in the research design which. entails the analysis of the data received from the previous phase and to compile a final task inventory from which the competency profile is generated. The data from the criteria evaluations were used to determine critical factors of each task by means of an integrated standard analysis. The information obtained from the analysis allowed for the compilation of an inventory of twenty-four tasks that are relatively more critical to the work performance of a Warrant Officer. This twenty-four element inventory was used to compile a competency profile that consists of six core competencies, range statements associated with the competencies, performance indicators as well as inferred knowledge, skills and ability linkages to the core competencies. The researcher concluded with the recommendation that the core competencies (communication, decision making, facilitation, analytical, performance management and change management) should rather be considered as core functional areas in which a Warrant Officer should be competent. Other recommendations are that related profiles, for next higher and lower ranks, will provide a greater functional context to the profile for Warrant Officers. Extended information provided by the related profiles would also make it possible to determine meta-competencies for Non-Commissioned Officers. Lastly, the researcher recommend that research in generic competency profiles should be complimented with research to determine. variances in required competency between different musterings within specified post levels.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geselekteerde Eerste-bootsmanne ontvang gevorderde opleiding by die Skool vir Militere Opleiding Deel 3, te SAS SALDANHA, in voorbereiding vir hul aanstelling as Adjudant Offisier in die Suid Afrikaanse Vloot. Die doel van die kursus is om leerders met die nodige kennis, vaardighede en bekwaamhede te voorsien sodat hul, hul Akte van Aanstelling kan verstaan en ook prakties toe te pas in staf of bestuurs posisies in die Suid Afrikaanse Vloot. Die huidige kurrikulum vir bestuursopleiding kan beskou word as ‘n model vir bestuursgedrag wat gebasseer is op aannames wat in 1988 omtrent die interne asook eksterne omgewing van die Suid Afrikaanse Vloot gemaak is. Hierdie omgewing het, sedert die kurrikulum aanvaar is, egter verander. Die verandering in omgewing, sonder ‘n gepaartgaande verandering in bestuursopleiding uitsette, bring mee dat die volgende vraag gevra word: Gegewe die nuwe omstandighede, wat is die bestuurs bevoegdhede waaroor Adjudant Offisiere moet beskik? Dit is dan die doel van hierdie navorsing om die verwagte bestuurs bevoegdhede waaroor Adjudant Offisiere in die Suid Afrikaanse Vloot moet beskik te bepaal. Die navorser maak gebruik van ‘n verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp wat opgedeel is in drie fases. Die eerste fase is Vooruitskatting (Forecasting) wat die samestelling van ‘n voorspelde bestuurstaak indeks (predicted managerial task inventory) behels. Hierdie indeks bestaan uit ses bestuurs funksies met twee en veertig gepaartgaande betuurs take. Die samestelling van die indeks is gegrond op hedendaagse bestuurs teorie asook vereistes in bestuur wat voorgeskryf is deur die Departement van Verdediging. Die tweede fase, Toetsing (Testing), behels die evaluasie asook 'n reevaluasie van die indeks met behulp van bydraes deur kundiges aangaande die navorsings onderwerp (subject matter experts). Die groep kundiges moes elke taak vevat in die indeks evalueer aan hand van twee kriteria: die relatiewe belangrikheid van elke taak asook die frekwensie waarteen elke taak uitgevoer word. Die geleentheid was ook aan die kundiges gebied om, indien hul dit nodig sou vind, take by te voeg by die reeds bestaande indeks. Die laaste fase in die navorsingsontwerp is die Analisering (Analysis) fase. Hierdie fase behels die analisering van die data wat opgelewer is in die vorige fase en om sodoende ‘n finale taak indeks saam te stel. Hierdie finale indeks is heelaas gebruik om die bestuursbevoegdhede af te lei. Die data is gebruik om 'n kritieke waarde (critical factor) te bepaal vir elke taakstelling. Hierdie inligting, kritieke waardes, het die navorser in staat gestel om ‘n indeks saam te stel wat betaan uit vier en twintig take wat relatief meer krities is ten opsigte van werk prestasie van Adjudant Offisiere. Die finale indeks is gebruik om ‘n bevoegdheid profiel saam te stel wat bestaan uit ses kern behoegdhede, stellings van omvang wat geassosieer word met die bevoegdhede, prestasie aanduiers asook stellings van kennis, vaardighede en bekwaamhede wat afgelei is van die kern bevoegdhede. Die navorser sluit af deur te noem dat die kern bevoegdhede (kommunikasie, besluitneming, analities, prestasie bestuur en veranderings bestuur) eerder as kern funksionele areas beskou moet word waarin ‘n Adjudant Offisier bevoegd moet wees. Ander aanbevelings wat gemaak is, is dat soortgelyke bevoegdheid profiele vir die volgende hoar en laer range tot Adjudant Offisier die funksionele. waarde van die bestaande profiel sal verhoog. Sulke informasie sal dit moontlik maak om meta-bevoegdhede vir Onder-Offisiere te bepaal. Die navorser beveel ook aan dat navorsing in generiese bevoegdheid profiele aangevul word met navorsing ten doele om verskille in verlangde bevoegheid te bepaal tussen verskillende funksionele areas' binne spesifieke pos vlakke.
Description
Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.
Keywords
Psychology, Industrial, management competencies, Dissertations -- Political science, Warrant officers, training of, Petty officers, training of, Management competencies
Citation