The aim of this study was to assess challenges in Public Appointments and Recruitment Processes in Chris Hani District Municipality: A case study of Human Resource Department in Lukhanji Local Municipality (2008-2010) of the Eastern Cape Province. There has never been a detailed research study conducted in the Chris Hani Human Resource Department, regarding the subject in question. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in Section 195(i) directs that Public Administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity, fairness and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation. The literature review explored extensively the models used in implementing recruitment and appointment processes globally. From those tested models elsewhere, it was evident that South Africa has a great Constitution and good policies regarding Local Government Human Resource Department recruitment and appointment processes not withstanding some challenges cited in the study. This assessment of challenges in the public appointments and recruitment processes in Chris Hani District Municipality assisted in the establishment of the real facts about effective and fair recruitment and appointment processes in the Local Government Human Resource Management Department to deserving communities. It became clear from the study that providing efficient and fair recruitment and appointments processes to the Local Government Human Resource Department in South Africa requires a broader advocacy agenda encompassing the development of Human Resource systems and the generation of numerous skills and expertise to deliver services to the poor people of our country.

The research problem of this study was to assess the extent to which the appraisal system for junior and middle level managers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) met the requirements and guidelines for performance appraisal as stipulated in the literature. To achieve this objective, the following procedure was followed: · A survey of existing literature, related to performance appraisal, was conducted. The literature study focused on the requirements for an effective performance appraisal system, appraisal methods and appraisal errors. Attention was also focused on who should take responsibility for performance appraisal and the importance of regularly evaluating the performance appraisal system to meet the demands of a changing environment. The second part of the literature study dealt with the guidelines for establishing an effective appraisal system as well as performance management processes and cycles that are critical for the effectiveness of an appraisal system. The theoretical study formed the basis for the development of a survey questionnaire to establish the extent to which junior and middle level managers in the SANDF agreed with the theoretical guidelines. The survey was administered to a randomly selected group of junior and middle level managers who were representative of the South African Army, Airforce and Medical Services. The empirical results indicated that there was concurrence with many of the guidelines in the literature, but that there were areas that could be improved. It became evident that many respondents felt that the current system was not entirely fair and was not adapted to meet the needs of the integrated SANDF. Specifically, results indicated that the system should be re-evaluated to eliminate bias and to enhance the development of clear standards, both on a quantitative and qualitative level. It became clear that training and communication were important to the successful development and utilisation of a performance appraisal system. An effective performance appraisal system that is integrated with the overall performance management system of an organisation will enhance productivity, satisfaction and the attainment of goals.

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

M.Comm.

M.A. / The South African Police Service (SAPS) has an immense responsibility in terms of providing a safe and secure environment for every individual residing in South Africa. Members of this organisation conduct their duties under difficult and often dangerous conditions. These taxing working conditions add tremendous stress to the lives of police officials (Violanti, 1997). The stressors faced by police officials may vary with regard to frequency and intensity. Stressors associated with the working environment may spill over into their personal lives and may also lead to negativity at work which can also affect the quality of service that should be provided by police officials in South Africa. Various factors can be implicated in the stress process (Sulsky & Smith, 2005). Specific ways of coping have been identified in previous and current literature (Suls & Fletcher, 1985; Swanepoel & Pienaar, 2004). The present study focused on identifying a relationship between personality and coping. The coping styles that South African police officials employ also received some attention. Personality was defined as characteristics of the person that account for consistent patterns of feelings, thinking and behaviour. This study focused on the Five Factor Model in the conceptualisation and understanding of personality. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality and coping amongst members of the SAPS. Each participant (N = 125) completed a consent form, a biographical questionnaire, the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced questionnaire (COPE; Carver et al., 1989) and the Basic Traits Inventory (Taylor & De Bruin, 2006). The first research question related to coping strategies South African police officials employ. The second research question focused on what the relationship between the individual Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) and the coping styles (Problem-focused Coping, Emotion-focused Coping and Dysfunctional Coping) of police officials in South Africa.A non-experimental survey design was implemented in this study. Differential and inferential statistics were used to identify the most commonly used coping strategies and the relationship that exists between coping and personality. Examination of the individual personality traits in relation to coping was done through the use of Pearson’s product-moment correlations. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 15). The results indicated that Extroversion (r = 0.27; p < 0.01), Conscientiousness (r = 0.31; p < 0.01), Agreeableness (r = 0.40; p < 0.01) and Openness to Experience (r = 0.45; p < 0.01) had statistically significant positive relationships with Problem-focused Coping. Neuroticism (r = 0.39; p < 0.01) showed a statistically significant positive correlation with Dysfunctional Coping. Openness to Experience (r = 0.23; p < 0.05) and Agreeableness (r = 0.35; p < 0.01) displayed a statistically significant positive correlation with Emotion-focused Coping. Results in this study indicate that members of the SAPS lean towards using Problemfocused and Emotion-focused strategies rather than Dysfunctional Coping strategies. This study has implications for organisations such as the SAPS as it shed light on the different ways in which individuals are predisposed to cope with stress. It also highlights the influence of personality in the stress process and offers insight into possible ways in which individuals generally cope with stress.

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Magister Commercii - MCom / Perceptions of performance management in the South African Public Sector was characterised by high levels of unfairness owing to a bias in favour of those individuals that can write essays well. The essays would provide the evaluation team with an indication of the achievement of the individual as its relates to job performance, knowledge, insight, interpersonal relations and leadership qualities. Although the Performance Management system has changed from what was called the Performance Appraisal System to the Personnel Performance Management System that involves both supervisor and employee inputs, fairness perceptions remain unchanged. This study aimed to ascertain perceptions of fairness toward performance appraisals amongst public service raters and ratees on Level 1 to 12 who are subject to use the Personnel Performance Management System in the office of a public service organisation: National Department of Land Affairs Chief Directorate : Surveys and Mapping. / South Africa

The impetus that informs the drive for developmental state that promotes growth and development centres on the local capacity of the local sphere of the government to effectively discharge its responsibilities. The essence of this study is to evaluate the training of officials in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and assess the extent to which service delivery has impacted on the lives of the community within this area.

SARS has issued a draft interpretation note dealing with the deductibility of expenditure and losses arising from embezzlement and theft by employees noting that it is not prepared to accept, as a general proposition, that embezzlement and theft by senior managers have become a risk which is inseparable from business. There is however another view that is in direct contradiction with SARS. An analysis of global fraud surveys reveal that senior employee fraud is on the increase. In South Africa, criminal cases against senior employees in the private and public sector indicate that their behaviour can lead to an expectation of theft, fraud or embezzlement at that level of employees. The tests developed by the courts for the deduction of expenditure or losses in terms of the general deduction formula require that such expenditure or loss be attached to the performance of a business operation bona fide performed for the purpose of earning income and will be deductible whether such expenditure or losses are necessary for its performance or attached to it by chance. It is submitted that the increase in fraud and behaviour of senior employees noted in the criminal courts have resulted in a change in the economic environment supporting the contention that theft, fraud or embezzlement are an inherent risk to business in South Africa. In addition, global precedence supports the view that senior employee defalcations are deductible but only to the extent that the perpetrator is not in a proprietor or shareholder role. SARS therefore appears to be turning a blind eye to the risk of theft, fraud or embezzlement by senior employees but there is sufficient evidence to support a taxpayer wishing to claim a deduction for such loss. In light of international precedence, National Treasury should enact legislation allowing a deduction or alternatively, SARS should align its view with such precedence.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the empowerment needs of councillors in a municipality. The main focus was to assess the successes or inadequacies of the empowerment programmes previously offered to councillors by the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality. In order to achieve the research objectives an in-depth literature study was undertaken. A survey was also conducted to examine the level of empowerment being offered by the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality to its councillors and the data was collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. The literature study proved the hypothesis to be correct, which stated that empowered councillors could enhance effective public participation, effective communication which could result in effective service delivery. The empirical study revealed that certain councillors require adequate training in areas such as communication skills, council’s rules of procedures and new developmental mandate assigned to local government. The empirical survey also revealed that there is limited mutual trust between councillors and the senior officials, immediate intervention is required to restore trust between councillors and officials. It has been recommended that King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality should not only provide regular “in house” training, but also training conducted by outside agencies is required. In certain instances, one may find that municipalities may not have fully capacitated persons for “in house” training. Thus, outside agencies which possess the relevant expertise such as universities and SALGA should be encouraged to also facilitate capacity training for councillors.