An evaluation of a performance management system within a division of a large organisation in the public sector

Date
2007-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today’s competitive and dynamic business world, solicits ever higher levels of performance and productivity. At the core of this drive to higher performance is the enhancement and managing of employees’ performance through a Performance Management system. Performance Management however, is a very complex, multi-dimensional and integrated system with a number of interacting critical prerequisites. Even in ideal circumstances, these fundamental elements would, in all likelihood, not all be satisfied during the initial phases of implementing a Performance Management system. The concern existed, on the basis of the abovementioned probabilities, that the Performance Management system of the Children and Families Division (CAF) of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) of Tasmania, Australia, was not enjoying optimal operational effectiveness. The aim of this study was to identify those factors in the system that are underdeveloped, possibly unsuccessfully implemented or in need of attention as they impact negatively on the effective running of the CAF’s Performance Management system. A suitable tool for this diagnostic purpose already exists in the form of the Performance Management Audit Questionnaire (PMAQ), developed by Spangenberg and Theron (1997). Through administering and analysing the PMAQ results, the CAF could obtain a clear indication of the system’s current effectiveness and would be able to identify where the problem areas are in order to refine the system for greater operational effectiveness. The results successfully identified the underdeveloped or absent areas of the organisation’s current Performance Management system. The results further found a clear difference between managerial and non-managerial perceptions of the effectiveness of the Performance Management system. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of proposed remedial actions that could be implemented to address the problem areas.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Konstante strewe na steeds hoër vlakke van prestasie en produktiwiteit is aan die orde van die dag in die huidige hoogs kompeterende en dinamiese besigheidswêreld. Die verbetering en bestuur van werknemers se prestasie deur middel van ‘n Prestasiebestuurstelsel, blyk ‘n sleutel te bied tot hierdie strewe na hoër prestasie. Prestasiebestuur is egter ‘n hoogs komplekse, multidimensionele en geintegreerde stelsel met ‘n aantal interverwante kritieke vereistes. Selfs onder ideale omstandighede, sou dit onwaarskynlik wees dat al hierdie fundamentele elemente aangespreek sou kon word gedurende die anvanklike fases van die implementering van ‘n Prestasiebestuurstelsel. In die lig van die bogenoemde waarskynlikhede, het daar spesifiek twyfel geheers oor die mate waartoe die Prestasiebestuurselsel van die ‘Children and Families’ (CAF) afdeling van die ‘Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Tasmanië, Australie, optimale operasionele effektiwiteit weerspieël. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die faktore binne die stelsel te identifiseer wat onderskeidelik onderontwikkeld, onsuksesvol geimplementeer, of aandag benodig het ten einde hulle negatiewe impak op die effektiewe bedryf van die CAF se Prestasiebestuurstelsel aan te spreek. ‘n Geskikte hulpmiddel vir so ‘n diagnostiese doelwit het reeds bestaan in die vorm van die Performance Management Audit Questionnaire (PMAQ) wat deur Spangenberg en Theron (1997) ontwikkel is. Deur middel van die administrasie van die PMAQ en die analise van die resultate, sou die CAF ‘n duidelike aanduiding kon verkry van die stelsel se effektiwiteit en sou hulle die probleemareas kon identifiseer ten einde die stelsel tot groter operasionele effektiwiteit te verfyn. Die resultate het die leemtes en onder-ontwikkelde areas binne die organisasie se huidige Presasiebestuurselsel suksesvol geidentifiseer. Die resultate het verder gedui op ‘n duidelike verskil tussen die persepsies van bestuurders en nie-bestuurders oor die effektiwiteit van die Prestasiebestuurstelsel. Die implikasies van hierdie bevindings word ten slotte bespreek in terme van die voorgestelde remediëringsaksies wat geimplementeer sou kon word om die probleemareas aan te spreek.
Description
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Tasmania. Children & Families Division -- Officials and employees -- Rating of -- Evaluation, Performance -- Management -- Evaluation, Performance -- Measurement -- Evaluation, Employees -- Rating of -- Australia -- Tasmania -- Evaluation, Theses -- Industrial psychology, Dissertations -- Industrial psychology
Citation