Can pay-for-performance increase the motivation of public employees? By providing a basis for personnel decisions, particularly linking rewards to performance, performance appraisals aim to increase employees' work motivation and ultimately to improve their work performance and organizational productivity. With the emphasis on results-oriented management, performance appraisals have become a key managerial tool in the public sector. Critics charge, however, that pay-for-performance is ineffective in the public sector, largely because the link between performance and rewards is weak. However, no one has empirically measured the strength of the linkage. If performance ratings do have an impact on career success in the federal service, they might contribute to race and gender inequality. Although many studies have examined factors affecting gender and racial differences in career success, studies that try to connect gender and racial inequalities to managerial tools are scarce. Using a one percent sample of federal personnel records, the first essay examines the impact of performance ratings on salary increases and promotion probabilities, and the second essay explores whether women and minorities receive lower ratings than comparable white males, and women and minorities receive lower returns on the same level of performance ratings than comparable white males. The first essay finds that performance ratings have only limited impact on salary increases, but that they significantly affect promotion probability. Thus, the argument that performance-rewards link is weak could be partially correct, if it considers only pay-performance relationships. The second essay finds that women receive equal or higher performance ratings than comparable white men, but some minority male groups, particularly black men, tend to receive lower ratings than comparable white men. On the other hand, the returns on outstanding ratings do not differ between women and minority male groups and white men, though women groups seem to have disadvantages in promotion with the same higher ratings as comparable men in highly male-dominant occupations.

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The primary aim of the research has been to determine whether there is a relationship between personality variables as measured by the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32i) and the work performance of credit controllers in a bank. Work performance was measured by means of internal company data sources. A literature review was used to verify whether there is a theoretical relationship between personality and work performance and strong evidence was found. The sample consisted of 89 credit controllers. The relationship between personality variables and work performance was determined by means of correlation studies and multiple regression analyses. Results are reported both in terms of statistical significance and effect sizes. Key terms: personality, work performance, credit control, personality trait theory, Sixteen Personality Factors questionnaire (16PF), Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ). / Industrial and Organizational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)

The general aim of the research is to determine the relationship between personality traits as measured by the Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ 7.2) and work performance as measured by means of internal company data sources, of call centre agents. Recent literature indicates a significant relationship between personality traits and work performance. The emphasis in this research is on the factor analytical or trait approach of personality. The sample consisted of 300 call centre agents. The relationship between personality traits and work performance is discussed in terms of descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate a relationship between the personality traits of analytical thinking, detail consciousness, conscientiousness, structuredness and work performance as measured by the level of financial incentives for call centre agents. This finding could be implemented in the selection and performance management of call centre agents. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

In South Africa, legislation dictates that employees must be developed resulting in the need to identify candidate's development capability. As such, it is essential to be able to measure the learning potential of candidates. In practice, cognitive ability has been linked to the complex process of job performance. This study aimed to determine whether learning potential can be used as a predictor of job performance. The Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) was utilised to measure learning potential and job performance was measured through a promotion ratio (taking job knowledge and tenure into account). The moderator variables were investigated. A sample of 135 technical employees was drawn. The data was statistical manipulated reporting various significant relationships confirming the internal reliability of the LPCAT and indicating a strong significant relationship between learning potential and job performance. Variables such as learning potential, job grade and tenure are significant when predicting job performance. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MA (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The challenge of satisfying the demand for basic services in the current dispensation has intensified. It is anticipated that once this initial challenge has been overcome, the tide will turn and secondary services such as transfer of ownership of forestry plantations will become the new challenge. The quest for efficient and effective service delivery is paramount, regardless of whether services delivered are basic or not. This research investigation puts performance management (which focuses on individual and organisational performance), as a necessity for service delivery. The focus was on service delivery within the Chief Directorate: Forestry in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The findings demonstrated that the presence of performance management and other supporting systems does not guarantee automatic improvement in service delivery. The distinction is how effective an organisation can apply performance management in conjunction with a complete set of functional policies, systems and instruments to improve its impact on service delivery. / Public Administation / M.Tech. (Public Management)

This study investigated the leadership challenges encountered by nurse unit managers and factors enhancing leadership in their units. Currently in South Africa’s private hospitals, nurse unit managers face challenges such as financial management, cultural diversity, new roles and technology. The aim of the study was to develop a support strategy for unit managers to achieve success in their leadership role. This study was conducted at a private hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was followed. Data were gathered using semi structured individual interviews with a purposive sample of six operational unit managers with one and more years working experience as unit managers. Qualitative open coding for data analysis methods and presentation were employed. Three themes emerged from the findings namely, factors influencing the leadership role of the unit manager, the challenges encountered by unit managers in their leadership role and the needs of unit managers. The factors influencing the leadership and management roles were related to the challenges encountered by nurse unit managers in running their units. The findings indicate that a key need required of the unit manager is support and direction from executive management. From the needs expressed by the nurse unit managers, ideas were formulated by the researcher to support the development of a strategy to support the unit managers in their leadership role. The strategy includes eight key elements and is presented in the section that follows. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

People effectiveness has become a key differentiator of competitive advantage in the knowledge economy and the need for a valid and reliable measure of people effectiveneness has become paramount for success. The research positions the psychological work immersion scale (PWIS) as a relevant measure of people effectiveness and explores the relationship between the PWIS variables (psychological attachment and people effectiveness enablers) and perceptions of business performance. Furthermore the research explores whether higher levels of psychological work immersion leads to increased business performance over time in an attempt to position the value of organisational development interventions aimed at increasing psychological work immersion levels in the work place. The setting for this research was a not-for-profit organisation in South Africa. The sample for the study was measured at two defined points in time over a 14-month period and consisted of n = 414 (T1) and n = 551 (T2). The study showed that the PWIS factor structure is a valid measure of the psychological work immersion construct across time (T1 and T2). The results provided evidence of convergent, intra-discriminant and external discriminant validity (construct validity) of the PWIS within (T1 and T2) and over time (T1 vs T2). The results showed that the PWIS has acceptable internal consistency reliability within and across time (T1 and T2) as well as demonstrating test-retest reliability across time. The results provided evidence that the people effectiveness enablers and psychological attachment variables significantly predict perception of business performance indicators (profit/loss, costs, and cash flow related to operating activities), and that strong perceptions of people effectiveness enablers relate to strong individual perceptions of business performance through a high sense of psychological attachment. The mediation results confirmed the test-retest reliability and validity of the PWIS in predicting perceptions of business performance within and over time. This finding shows that psychological attachment is an important factor in terms of iv influencing the individual perceptions of business performance which is related to improvements in actual business performance. The study also showed evidence of a positive relationship between psychological work immersion and business performance and demonstrated improvements in psychological work immersion coincided with year on year improvements in business performance. The study contributes towards the current literature on organisational development and specifically on the measurement of people effectiveness within knowledge economy organisations. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Com.

Based on literature, a theoretical model was developed for viable performance consisting of eight constructs whilst the trust model of Martins (2000) was used to measure four organisational trust constructs. Exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the constructs, and structural equation modelling was employed to validate the models against the data. An empirical model for viable performance resulted in a solution with seven constructs and organisational trust with five constructs. The two empirical models were unified into a model of viable performance and trust resulting in a measurement model where all 12 constructs were shown. Significant levels of internal consistency were measured. The resulting measurement model was tested for group differences, and no significant differences were found, indicating that the assessment can be used across different groups. It was concluded that the aim to construct and test an integrated and comprehensive theoretical framework of viable performance and trust was achieved and the resulting Viable Performances and Trust Indicator (VPTI) was validated as an assessment to be used across groups. Organisations can thus use the framework and VPTI assessment tool with confidence to assess performance and trust across different biographical groups. Future researchers can build on this exploratory study to refine the scales and apply the measurement model within the wider context of South Africa or as a globally accepted model. / IndustriaI and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (IndustriaI and Organisational Psychology)

Text in English, summary in English and Afrikaans / The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of a performance management training programme on the attitudes of managers towards performance management. The research question was whether a performance management training intervention would change managers' attitude towards performance management. The respondent group consisted of 101 managers who responded to an advertisement and willingly participated in a performance management training programme. A quasi-experimental research design was used in which a pre-test and post-test was applied to the respondent group. The managers in the respondent group completed the same assessment instrument (or questionnaire) before and six months after the performance management training. The results of the empirical analysis indicated that female managers felt less positive about performance management than their male counterparts. No statistically significant change in the attitude and competency of managers towards performance management was found after they had attended the performance management training programme. / Die doel van die studie was om die impak van 'n prestasiebestuuropleidingsprogram op die houdings van bestuurders ten opsigte van prestasiebestuur te ondersoek. Die navorsingsvraag was of 'n opleidingsintervensie in prestasiebestuur, bestuurders se houdings ten opsigte van prestasiebestuur sou verander. Die respondentegroep het uit 101 bestuurders bestaan wat op 'n advertensie gereageer het en vrywillig deelgeneem het aan 'n prestasiebestuuropleidingsprogram. 'n Kwasie-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp is gebruik waartydens 'n voor- en na-toets op die respondente toegepas is. Die bestuurders in die respondentegroep het dieselfde evalueringsinstrument voor en ses maande na die prestasiebestuuropleiding ingevul. Die resultate van die empiriese ontleding het getoon dat vroulike bestuurders minder positief oor prestasiebestuur gevoel het as hul manlike kollegas. Geen betekenisvolle statistiese verandering in die houdings en vaardighede van bestuurders ten opsigte van prestasiebestuur is gevind nadat hulle die prestasiebestuurprogram bygewoon het nie. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)