The present research is concerned with the cognitive dimensions of procedures for estimating the standard deviation of job performance (SDy) in utility analysis. The overall goal was to integrate SDy estimation with advances in the area of decision making, and with advances in the social psychological study of person perception. Three variables were considered: problem frame, that is, whether the estimation task is posed in terms of the gain or loss of employees, stimulus salience, that is, the level of detail regarding the employee whose worth is being evaluated, and anchor values from previous estimates provided to judges as the starting point in forming their judgments. In previous research by Shetzer & Bobko (1987), estimates of overall worth obtained under negative frames were significantly greater than estimates obtained under positive frames. Experiment 1 tested whether the effect of frame would be as evident with high salience stimuli as with the traditional low salience scenario. A significant effect due to salience was found and the study concluded that salience is a primary variable. Experiment 2 examined the relation between the effect of framing and anchor values provided to subjects as the starting point in estimation. Experiment 2 found a significant effect for anchoring but no effect due to frame, suggesting that subjects' estimates are anchored on initial values. Anchoring was also found to reduce the variability of estimation. The reduction in the variability of negatively framed estimates appears to be relatively greater when anchors are provided than is the reduction in the variability of positively framed estimates. These findings confirm earlier research concerning the efficacy of the sequential feedback procedure for reducing within-cell variance. The results of the two experiments suggest that the effect of the problem frame is not as important a variable in SDy estimation as are salience and anchoring. This conclusion should be welcomed by utility analysts, since it suggests that the estimation procedure can be made more precise by providing judges with the maximum amount of relevant information thus mitigating the impact of more peripheral variables, such as how the problem is framed. / Ph. D.

This research addresses the dual aims of selection research: the understanding and prediction of job performance. Two areas of research regarding criterion construct validity are examined and a research model is developed in an attempt to integrate this literature. This research model formalizes suggestions made by James (1973) and sets forth different levels, referents, and methods for criterion validation. A series of hypotheses regarding the interrelationships among alternative job performance measures and the relationships between criteria and predictors are presented. A longitudinal study was conducted to test this Job Performance Model in a field setting. Five measures of job performance and six ability tests for performance prediction were examined for sewing machine operators in a garment manufacturing plant. Data analyses indicated: High convergent validity among multiple methods of job performance measurement when the level of specificity was matched; Low to insignificant predictability of the alternative job performance criteria; and Differential prediction of job performance, depending on the method and referent for performance evaluation. lt was concluded that measurement characteristics of job performance criteria represent boundary conditions for subsequent prediction. The model presented here has merit for addressing the interrelationships among multiple performance criteria as well as the relationships between criteria and performance predictors. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

This thesis proposed to improve an existing performance measurement methodology called the "General Measurement Methodology (GMM)." The GMM as well as its variations have been used in organizations to design a measurement effort to support performance improvement. It has evolved over a number of years and is currently being researched at the International Productivity Center (IPC). In order to attain its objective, this research adopted a case study approach supported by data from the literature as well as an expert panel. Three cases were considered to collect data on performance measurement system design and implementation. Two of these organizations (IPC and Acme Manufacturing Company) have used the GMM to set up performance measurement systems. The third case study (Golden State Power and Light {GSP&L}) was selected to lend another perspective to measurement system design since it used another approach or methodology. Site visits were made to each case study and data was collected primarily using the unstructured interview. The literature contributed more perspectives on how organizations measure performance. Responses from an expert panel of fourteen people enhanced the data base even further. Data from each of the above sources have been collected and processed. As explained in Chapter 6, the research design adopted had to be altered toward the end since the development and validation of the improved GMM was difficult. The strength and advantages of the improved version could not be completely verified. However, the conclusions of this thesis include a comprehensive description of the knowledge, wisdom and insight gained about measurement. A roadmap (based on the information acquired) toward effective measurement system design, development and implementation has also been presented. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to determine the criteria used when choosing small package transportation companies. The results suggested that small package transportation industry marketers should focus their marketing efforts towards on-time delivery.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Human Resources Management, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The research investigation focused on performance appraisal policy and its impact on employee performance in Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria. The aim of the study was to ascertain the extent to which the performance appraisal policy at Guaranty Bank contributed to employee performance. Arising out of the performance appraisal reviews, an important finding revealed that the training which employees received resulted in improved job performance. The performance appraisal reviews also showed that when feedback reports were effectively used they consequently improved employee performance. The research design was quantitative in nature and a closed ended structured questionnaire was used to gather the primary data. The survey method was used for all the employees of Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria. The questionnaire was administered to all 150 target respondents using the personal method and a high response rate of 100% was obtained. The data gathered were analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the statistical tests. The initial analysis involved the use of descriptive statistical tools. The main findings revealed that employee participation in the performance appraisal was generally high and this increased job satisfaction and enhanced employee performance. The results also revealed that manager-subordinate interaction was very cordial and this boosted employee performance. Moreover, the majority of respondents preferred performance appraisal to be used regularly for career pathing in the organization. The study recommends a set of guidelines which could be used in improving the current performance appraisal policy and further boost employee performance. The study concludes with directions for future research.

Submitted in fulfillment of part of the requirement for the degree of Master of Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / This research examines the Performance Appraisal of administrative personnel in the Department of Education: iLembe District Office. The main aim of this study was to improve the understanding and the implementation of Performance Appraisal of all employees in the KZN Department of Education. This is a case study research utilising purposive sampling and thereafter census to identify the most appropriate participants based on the research objectives. This approach helped to reconcile findings through triangulation and complementing qualitative and quantitative data (both primary and secondary). This study relied on primary data as well as secondary data obtained from questionnaires administered to all administrative personnel in the Department of Education, iLembe District Office. The study revealed that management and administrative employees in the Department are aware that a Performance Appraisal policy exists but lack an understanding of its meaning and intent. Furthermore, Performance Appraisal was introduced without the appropriate training and follow-up by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Instead it was assumed that every worker in the Department understood the purpose and aim of the policy. However, management and particularly employees are still unclear about the main purpose of Performance Appraisal and employees in particular feel very dissatisfied and demotivated with the way in which it is implemented. / M

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major challenge facing the South African government is the acceleration of service delivery improvement to ensure a better life for all South Africans. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service (South Africa, 1995) has as its objective “empowering, challenging and motivating managers at all levels to be leaders, visionaries, initiators and effective communicators and decision-makers, capable of responding pro-actively to the challenges of the change process, rather than acting as the administrators of fixed rules and procedures.” The White Paper also proposes that new and more participative organisational structures, new organisational cultures, learning organisations, and techniques for managing change and diversity be developed. A new Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) for the Senior Management Service (SMS) has been created, which has as its basis performance management and development as an approach. It consists of a standardised set of competencies, to be used as basis for performance appraisal. As it is expected of SMS members to manage and lead their respective institutions to meet the stated objectives, the Core Management Criteria (CMCs) will have to assist the development of competencies in SMS members to capacitate them to meet the stated objectives and to lead their organisations to change that will assist service delivery. The question, therefore, arises whether the CMCs will develop SMS members to lead their organisations to change. The aim of this research will be to determine whether the competencies used in the PMDS are also focused on leadership and organisational development issues needed in a developmental situation to enable SMS members to lead their organisations, rather than merely acting as the administrators of fixed rules and procedures. The research is divided into distinct phases. The first entails exploring the meaning of competence and the conceptual structure of competencies to be able to analyse the CMCs. This is followed by an analysis of managerial versus leadership competencies in general to provide a theoretical context for an analysis of the CMCs in terms of management or leadership focus. In the next phase the CMCs as competencies used in the PMDS are also analysed and discussed, after which a comparative analysis is undertaken, with competencies used in notable international examples to provide context. In the final phase the CMCs as competencies are analysed in terms of management or leadership focus and focus on organisation development. The research showed that the appraisal system used for the SMS members in terms of the PMDS could lead to a manipulation of the appraisal system whereby SMS members could “influence” the system to their own benefit. The research also showed that there are definite personally oriented competencies absent from the PMDS, whereas they are present in the international examples. The research also showed that certain competencies supporting leadership roles are strengthened by the international systems, whereas these are absent from the PMDS and therefore not strengthened. The research further showed that these leadership roles that are not strengthened by the PMDS, but are included in the international systems, also coincide with the leadership roles that are not strengthened from a theoretical perspective. The research concludes that the CMCs used in the PMDS would probably not support SMS members to develop competencies that are oriented towards leadership and organisation development to enable them to really change their organisation to adapt. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die groot uitdaging wat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering tans in die gesig staar, is versnelde verbetering van dienslewering om ‘n beter lewe vir alle Suid Afrikaners te verseker. Een van die doelwitte van die Witskrif op die Transformasie van die Staatsdiens (1995), is die bemagtiging, uitdaging en motivering van bestuurders op alle vlakke om versiende leiers, inisieerders en effektiewe kommunikeerders en besluitnemers te wees, instaat om pro-aktief te reageer op die uitdagings van die proses van verandering, eerder as om bloot die administrators van reëls en voorskrifte te wees. Die Witskrif stel ook voor dat nuwe en meer deelnemende organisatoriese strukture ontwikkel word, ‘n nuwe organisasie-kultuur geskep word en dat organisasies voortdurend by verandering en diversiteit sal aanpas. ‘n Nuwe prestasiebestuur en –onwikkelingstelsel is gevolglik vir die Senior Bestuurskader ontwikkel. Die stelsel bestaan uit ‘n gestandaardiseerde stel Kern Besuurskriteria wat as basis vir prestasie-evaluering gebruik word. Aangesien dit van Bestuurders verwag word om hul onderskeie komponente te bestuur en die leiding te neem om gestelde doelwitte te bereik, moet die stelsel vaardighede in die Bestuurders ontwikkel wat hulle instaat sal stel om wel die doelwitte te bereik en om leiding te neem om hul organisasies te transformeer om verbeterde dienslewering te bewerkstellig. Die vraag ontstaan egter of die gestelde Kern Bestuurskriteria wel leierskapsvaardighede sal ontwikkel, wat Bestuurders sal benodig om die leiding te neem ten opsigte van verandering. Die doel van die navorsing is om vas te stel of die Bestuurskriteria wat in die prestasiebestuur en – onwikkelingstelsel gebruik word, ook gefokus is op leierskap- en organisasie-ontwikkelingsvaardighede, wat bestuurders sal benodig om leiding te neem, teenoor bestuurders wat slegs optree as administrateurs van reëls en voorskrifte. Die eerste gedeelte van die navorsing analiseer die betekenis van vaardigheid en die konsepsuele struktuur van vaardighede, ten einde die Kern Bestuurskriteria te ontleed. Hierna volg ‘n ontleding van bestuurs- en leierskapsvaardighede in die algemeen, om die teoretiese konteks vir die ontleding van die Kern Bestuurskriteria in terme van fokus op bestuur en leierskap te verleen. In die volgende fase, word die Kern Bestuurskriteria wat as vaardighede in die Suid-Afrikaanse bestuurstelsel gebruik word, ontleed en bespreek. Hierna word ‘n vergelykende analise gedoen met vaardighede wat in geseleketeerde internasionale stelsels gebruik word, om verdere konteks te verleen. Die Kern Bestuurskriteria word daarna ontleed in terme van fokus op bestuur of leierskap, en ook organisasie-ontwikkeling. Die navorsing het bevind dat die evalueringstelsel vir die bestuurskader moontlik deur bestuurders gemanipuleer kan word om hulself te bevoordeel. Die navorsing het verder getoon dat definitiewe vaardighede wat op die persoon self gemik is, ontbreek, terwyl dit wel in die internasionale voorbeelde teenwoordig is. Die navorsing het verder bevind dat die internasionale voorbeelde wel sekere vaardighede leierskapsrolle ontwikkel en versterk, terwyl dit afwesig is in die Suid Afrikaanse stelsel. Die navorsing het verder bevind dat die leierskapsrolle wat nie deur die Suid Afrikaanse stelsel versterk word nie, maar wel deel vorm van die internasionale voorbeelde, ooreenstem met die leierskapsrolle uit ‘n teroretiese oogpunt, wat nie deur die Suid Afrikaanse stelsel versterk word nie. Die navorsing bevind finaal dat die Kern Bestuurskriteria waarskynlik nie die nodige leierskaps- en organisasie-ontwikkelingsvaardighede in bestuurders sal ontwikkel nie, wat wel nodig sal wees om organisasies te verander.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recent developments in legislation pertaining to local government in South Africa depict performance management as a means to enable local government managers to actively plan, manage and measure the performance of the organisation. In order to ensure the implementation of performance management, local governments are required to develop and adopt an integrated performance managements system, which should consist of seven elements, namely performance planning; a framework for performance management; key performance indicators and targets; shared responsibility for performance; performance monitoring and measurement; performance review and reports; and performance improvement. However, the successful implementation of the performance management system is dependent on the availability of competent managers that possess the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to implement and manage the performance management system. Performance management training is seen as a fast and effective way to ensure the obtainment of competent managers to implement the performance management. However, to ensure that training programmes address the most critical needs in a cost-effective manner, training should be preceded by a comprehensive training needs assessment. This research aims to development a normative framework developed in this research, describing several knowledge elements, skills and abilities necessary for effective performance management, upon which a formal training needs assessment for local government managers may be based. Recommendations are also made pertaining to the development of performance management training activities to ensure the development of performance management capacity under local government managers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onlangse beleidsontwikkelinge rondom die bestuur van plaaslike owerhede in Suid-Afrika beskryf prestasiebestuur as 'n wyse waardeur plaaslike owerheid bestuurders die prestasie van die organisasie aktief kan beplan, bestuur en meet. Om die implementering van prestasiebestuur te verseker word plaaslike owerhede deur die wet verplig om 'n geïntegreerde prestasiebestuurstelsel te ontwikkel en formeel aan te neem. So 'n stelsel sal uit sewe elemente bestaan, naamlik prestasie beplanning; 'n raamwerk vir prestasiebestuur; kern prestasie indikatore en mikpunte; gedeelde verantwoordelikheid vir prestasie; prestasie monitering en meting; prestasie hersiening en rapportering; en prestasie verbetering. Die suksesvolle implementering van 'n munisipale prestasiebestuurstelsel is egter onderhewig aan die beskikbaarheid van kundige personeel wat oor die nodige kennis, vaardighede en vermoëns beskik om die stelsel te implementeer en bestuur. Prestasiebestuur opleiding word beskou as 'n vinnige en effektiewe manier om bevoegde personeel te bekom waardeur die implementering van prestasiebestuur verseker kan word. Gegee die hoë koste verbonde aan opleiding programme, is dit wenslik dat sulke intervensies vooraf gegaan word deur 'n omvattende opleiding behoefte bepaling. Hierdie navorsing mik op die ontwikkeling van 'n normatiewe raamwerk, saamgestel uit verskeie kennis elemente, vaardighede en vermoëns noodsaaklik vir die implementering van 'n prestasiebestuurstelsel, waarop 'n formele opleiding behoefte bepaling vir plaaslike owerhede gebaseer kan word. Aanbevelings word ook gemaak vir die ontwikkeling van prestasiebestuur opleiding intervensies waardeur prestasiebestuur kapasiteit onder plaaslike owerheidsbestuurders bevorder kan word.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The fundamental purpose of this research was to establish whether there was a link between the work performance of individual employees within a technical division and their own levels of job satisfaction. The degree of work performance was ascertained from individual scores achieved in the biannual performance appraisal. The levels of job satisfaction were ascertained by means of completed job satisfaction questionnaires. All the respondents to the job satisfaction questionnaire did so on a voluntary basis and with the condition of anonymity. The outcomes of these questionnaires were analysed and one of the conclusions that could be drawn was that although the performance scores were positively skewed, there was a tendency that those individuals did not experience similar levels of job satisfaction. The results also indicated that despite higher levels of work performance, the respondents experienced high levels of dissatisfaction in relation to their jobs. This outcome should be further researched and appropriate interventions made.

The study examines the level of quantity and quality of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reporting for a sample of FTSE 350 UK listed companies over the period (2006-2010). Furthermore, it identifies the determinants of KPIs reporting and investigates its impact upon firm value. Based upon the guidance of the best practice recommended by the Accounting Standard Board (2006), the study develops a measure of disclosure quality by considering the main qualitative attributes of information which, arguably, makes KPIs information more useful to stakeholders. The distinction between disclosure quantity and quality in the study enables the researcher to get greater insights into the drivers and implications of KPIs reporting quantity and quality. The study finds a variation between UK firms in the number of KPIs disclosed with a notable low level of reporting quality, especially for non-financial KPIs. It also finds that corporate governance mechanisms play an important role in improving KPIs reporting. In particular, it shows that directors’ compensations affect the quantity and quality of KPIs disclosure. Furthermore, the study provides evidence that quantity and quality of KPIs disclosure are not derived by the same factors, and both have different impacts on firm value. Whereas, the study finds a negative association between the numbers of KPIs disclosed and firm value, a non-significant relationship is reported between KPIs reporting quality and firm valuation. Overall, this study provides evidence that disclosure quantity is not a good proxy for disclosure quality.