An evaluation of participative management in police organisations at station level.
Date
2006-03
Authors
Stassen, Carl Christiaan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
In any organisation it is of the utmost importance that employees form part of the
decisions made by management that influence them personally as well as those decisions
that have an influence on their daily responsibilities. A sound principle that could be
practised by managers to address this aspect is that of participative management.
Although it will depend on the type of manager there is legislation in South Africa that
forces managers to ensure that their personnel are managed in a participative manner.
There are formal and informal methods to practice participative management in an
organisation and certain factors that will have an influence on the successful
implementation of this type of management style.
In this research the focus will be on participative management at the police stations in the
Eastern Metropole, Western Cape as well as a benchmarking with the police departments
in Wyoming, United States of America.
The methods that will be used to gather information to evaluate participative management
will entail a questionnaire that has to be completed by the employees at the identified
police stations and personal interviews with the individual Station Commissioners and
Chiefs at the police departments in Wyoming.
The analysis in relation to the questionnaires, interviews and literature review has been
used by the researcher to formulate the findings and recommendations.
The employees who work at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole are satisfied
with the amount of responsibility and accountability that is delegated to them by the
management. The employees are therefore adequately empowered to render a
professional service to their respective clients. There is a need for the management at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole to
improve on the following:
to make use of the ideas, talents and suggestions of employees;
to obtain commitment from employees before embarking on a course of action;
to utilize the ideas on how to solve problems and improve service delivery by
employees;
the identifying of critical outputs and goals by the employees for their work, although
the Performance Enhancement Process has ensured the opportunity it seems that the
negotiation of the outputs in the individual performance plans of employees still need
improvement;
to create a working environment where employees are treated as stakeholders and
democracy is enhanced by means of participative management; and the
dispute settlement between management and unions.
That the management at station level:
do not always consult with employees in relation to decisions that affect them; and
there are not always opportunities created for employees to participate in decisionmaking.
The legislation and collective agreements that relate to participative management in the
SAPS are not always adhered to by the management at the police stations in the Eastern
Metropole, Western Cape. Shop stewards should get more involved at station level in the
representation of their respective employees. Participative management is being practised
at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole, but there is a need for the improvement
thereof.
The police departments in Wyoming do not have legislative prescriptions to formal
participative management as the Police Service of South Africa. The organisational The informal methods used in Wyoming to practice participative management are very
similar to that of South Africa, despite the fact that there is no legislation or prescriptions
to the adherence thereof.
The researcher is of the humble opinion that a clear policy in relation to the practice of
participative management in police organisations at station level should be compiled that
will incorporate existing legislation and collective agreements in the SAPS as well as the
methods to practice participative management. The shop stewards that represent their
employees at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole, Western Cape should be
sensitised on their role and responsibilities. Managers at the police stations in the Eastern
Metropole, Western Cape should again be sensitised on the legislation and collective
agreements that relate to participative management and that a suggestion box, quality
circles and a participative management forum be implemented at station level.
Description
Thesis (MA (Public and Development Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
Keywords
Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa -- Case studies, Dissertations -- Public management and planning, Theses -- Public management and planning