Employee performance: the challenge for managers in the Free State public service
| dc.contributor.advisor | Minnaar, Francois | |
| dc.contributor.author | Thomas, Rachel | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-02-18T09:02:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-02-18T09:02:44Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | Jul-15 | |
| dc.date.issued | Jul-15 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2016/02/05 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (D.Admin. (Public Administration and Management))--University of the Free State, 2015 | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Daar word van die Suid Afrikaanse Openbare Sektor (SAOS) as die implementerings masjien en die regterhand van die Suid Afrikaanse Regering verwag om ‘n effektiewe en doeltreffende werksverrigting daar te stel ten einde die wense van die regering van “’n beter lewe vir almal” te vervul. Effektiewe en doeltreffende werkverrigting in die openbare diens is afhanklik van die motivering, vaardighede, bevoegdheid, toegewydheid en integriteit van amptenare en die kwaliteit van bestuur en leierskap. Die kritieke rol van amptenare in die SAOS word erken deur leiers soos Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki en die President, Jacob Zuma in hulle onderskeie Staatsredes. Die belangrikheid van mense (Menslike kapitaal) in enige organisasie word ook beklemtoon deur bestuurs teoriste, en is ‘n onderwerp vir voortgesette belangstelling en navorsing. Die rol van menslike kapitaal word gesien as die belangrikste status omdat mense die basiese boublokke van organisasies is en skaars, uniek en kompleks is. Mense is die enigste bron wat dinamies is en beheer kan word, wat ander bronne aktiveer en verander na goedere en dienste. Hierdie karaktereienskappe is uniek aan mense, dit maak hulle as ware die kosbaarste en duurste van alle ander bronne in enige organisasie insluitende die SAOS. In die lig van die prestasie verwagting van die amptenare, was daar studies en verslae wat die prestasie realiteit van die SAOS getoets het. Hierdie studies wys op die feit dat daar uitdagings is vir menslike hulpbronne soos die tekort aan kapasiteit en vaardighede in die Openbare Sektor wat sy vermoë om effektiewe werkverrigting te lewer belemmer. Die Nasionale Ontwikkelings Plan (NOP) en die Afrika Gelyke Hersienings Meganisme (AGHM) het ook die negatiewe impak van die vaardigheidstekort op die werkverrigting van die Suid Afrikaanse Regering bevestig. Die tekort in ontwikkeling van vanpaste menslike ontwikkeling en menslike hulpbron kapasiteit om effektiewe en doeltreffende regering daar te stel is geïdentifeer as die uitdagendste areas in die werksverrigting van die Suid Afrikaanse Regering. Die Bestuurs Werksverriging Assessering Instrument (BWAI) wat die kwaliteit van bestuurspraktyke in die SAOS meet ondersteun die bogenoemde argument. Die BWAI het waargeneem dat menslike hulpbron bestuur swak was regdeur die SAOS. As resultaat het die BWAI verslag die versterking van die bestuur en ontwikkeling van sy menslike hulpbronne beklemtoon. Die verslag het daarop aangedring dat die bestuur van menslike hulpbronne die grootste bekommernis van leiers en bestuurders in die Openbare Sektor moet wees. Eweneens het dokumenste soos die Witskrif op Transformasie van die Openbare Sektor (WTOP), 1997 en die Witskrif op Menslike Hulpbron Bestuur (WMHB) , 1995 die belangrikheid van uitvoerende verantwoordelikheid vir werkverrigting in die SAOS beklemtoon. Die WTOP, 1997 vereis van bestuurders op alle vlakke om leiers, visionêre, inisieerders, effektiewe kommunikeerders en besluitnemers te wees wat ten doel het om werknemers te ondersteun sodat die werknemers effektiewe en doeltreffende werkverrigting kan verseker. Die WTOP, 1995 beskou bestuur van mense as een van die belangrikste take van bestuurders. ‘n Ander oplossing in die rigting van effektiewe en doeltreffende werknemer werkverrigting is openbare amptenare wat bemagtig, gemotiveerd en toegewyd is en wat gereed is om te presteer. ‘n Verdere antwoord in die aanspreek van die uitdagings van menslike hulpbron kapsiteit en werkverrigting is oefening of werkverrigtingbestuur omdat werkverrigtingbestuur een van die middele is waardeur bestuurders hulle bestuursverantwoordelikhede kan onderneem en werknemers kan motiveer. Werkverrigtingbestuur is ‘n instrument wat bestuurders wys dat hulle verantwoordelik is vir die werkverrigting van die personeel wat saam met hulle werk. Daarom konsentreer hierdie studie op die werkverrigting van openbare amptenare en die uiters belangrike rol wat bestuurders speel in die Vrystaatse Openbare Sektor (VSOS) in die versekering dat die openbare amptenare effektiewe en doeltreffende werksverrigting sal lewer. Dit kan afgelei word van die verduidelikings wat in die tesis gegee word dat bestuursondersteuning saam met objektiewe werkverrigting-bestuur kan lei tot ‘n gunstige werksomgewing, wat weer tot gevolg sal hê dat effektiewe en doeltreffende werknemer werkverrigting daar gestel word, daarom die redenasie agter die studie en die navorsings probleem. Daarom bevraagteken hierdie navorsing dit dat die gesoekte antwoorde daarop fokus of bestuurders in die VSOS departement bestuursondersteuning aan werknemers verskaf, daarin slaag om werknemers se werkverrigting objektief te bestuur, en ‘n gunstige werksomgewing te skep wat werknemers motiveer en aanmoedig om effektief by te dra en doeltreffend te presteer. Daarom dui die hipotese daarop dat die VSOS se werknemers (openbare amptenare) effektiewe en doeltreffende presteerder sal wees indien hulle bestuurders daartoe in staat is om ‘n positiewe werksomgewing te skep deur die verskaffing van bestuursondersteuning, en deur die objektiewe implementering van die huidinge werkverrigtingsbestuurs sisteem. Die doel en doelwit van die studie, en die hipotese, is betroubaar deur kwalitaitewe sowel as kwalitaitewe navorsing en analisering. Die tesis het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom deur die navorsingsbevindings en gevolgtrekkings voor te lê en deur aanbevelings te maak oor hoe werknemers se werkverrigting verder verbeter kan word in die VSOS. | af |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The South African Public Service (SAPS) as the implementation machinery and the right arm of the South African Government is expected to put forward effective and efficient performance in order to uphold the wishes of the government of a better life to all. It is known that effective and efficient public service performance is reliant on the motivation, skills, competency, dedication and integrity of public servants and the quality of management and leadership. The critical role of public servants in the SAPS is acknowledged by leaders like Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and the President Jacob Zuma in their several ‘State of the Nation’ addresses. The importance of people (human capital) in any organization is emphasized by management theorists as well, and is a topic for continuous interest and research. The role of human capital is afforded the crucial status because people are the basic building blocks of organizations and are scarce, inimitable and complex. People are the only resource that is dynamic and can control, activate and convert other resources into goods and services. These characteristics unique to people in fact make them the most valuable and expensive of all other resources in any organization including the SAPS. In light of the performance expectations from the public servants, there were studies and reports that examined the performance reality of the SAPS. These studies pointed to the fact that there are human resource challenges such as shortage of capacity and skills in the Public Service that hinder its ability to provide effective and efficient performance. The National Development Plan (NDP) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) also reinforced the negative impact of the skills shortage on the performance of the South African government. The dearth in development of appropriate human resources and human resource capacity to support effective and efficient governance, were identified as the most challenging areas in the performance of the South African government. The Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) that measured the quality of management practices in the SAPS support the above argument. The MPAT observed that human resource management was poor across the SAPS. As a result, the MPAT report emphasized the strengthening of the management and development of its human resources. The report further urged that the management of human resources must be the major concern of leaders and managers in the Public Service. Likewise, documents such as the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Service (WPTPS), 1997 and the White Paper on Human Resource Management (WPHRM), 1995 also uphold the importance of managerial responsibility for performance in the SAPS. The WPTPS, 1997 urges managers at all levels to be leaders, visionaries, initiators, effective communicators and decision-makers towards supporting employees so that the employees can provide effective and efficient performance. The WPHRM, 1995 however regards management of people as one of the very significant tasks of managers. Another solution towards effective and efficient employee performance is public servants who are empowered, motivated and committed and who are ready to perform. A further answer in addressing the challenges of human resource capacity and performance is the practice of performance management because performance management is one vehicle through which managers can undertake their managerial responsibilities of empowering and motivating employees. Performance management is a tool that tells managers that they are responsible for the performance of the staff who works with them. Therefore, this study concentrated on the performance of public servants and the crucial role played by managers in the Free State Public Service (FSPS) in ensuring that the public servants give effective and efficient performance. It can be deduced from the explanations given in the thesis that management support together with objective performance management can lead to favourable work environment, which in turn can result in effective and efficient employee performance, hence the reasoning behind the study and the research problem. Therefore, the research questions that sought answers focused on whether managers in the FSPS departments provide management support to employees, manage employee performance objectively, and create a favourable work environment that nurtures and motivates employees to contribute effective and efficient performance. The hypothesis therefore, indicated that the FSPS employees (public servants) will be effective and efficient performers if their managers are able to create and manage a positive work environment by providing management support, and by implementing the current performance management system objectively. The aim and objectives of the study, and the hypothesis, were validated through qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. The thesis then concluded by presenting the research findings and conclusions and by making recommendations on how employee performance can be further improved in the FSPS. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2323 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Employees | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Performance | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Effectiveness and efficiency | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Challenge | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Management support | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Free State Public Service/ Free State Provincial Administration | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Positive work environment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Civil service -- Employees -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Positive work environment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Managers | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Government productivity | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Employee performance: the challenge for managers in the Free State public service | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |