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An evaluation of a performance management system within a division of a large organisation in the public sector

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today’s competitive and dynamic business world, solicits ever higher levels of performance and
productivity. At the core of this drive to higher performance is the enhancement and managing
of employees’ performance through a Performance Management system. Performance
Management however, is a very complex, multi-dimensional and integrated system with a
number of interacting critical prerequisites. Even in ideal circumstances, these fundamental
elements would, in all likelihood, not all be satisfied during the initial phases of implementing a
Performance Management system.
The concern existed, on the basis of the abovementioned probabilities, that the Performance
Management system of the Children and Families Division (CAF) of the Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) of Tasmania, Australia, was not enjoying optimal operational
effectiveness. The aim of this study was to identify those factors in the system that are
underdeveloped, possibly unsuccessfully implemented or in need of attention as they impact
negatively on the effective running of the CAF’s Performance Management system.
A suitable tool for this diagnostic purpose already exists in the form of the Performance
Management Audit Questionnaire (PMAQ), developed by Spangenberg and Theron (1997).
Through administering and analysing the PMAQ results, the CAF could obtain a clear indication
of the system’s current effectiveness and would be able to identify where the problem areas are
in order to refine the system for greater operational effectiveness.
The results successfully identified the underdeveloped or absent areas of the organisation’s
current Performance Management system. The results further found a clear difference between
managerial and non-managerial perceptions of the effectiveness of the Performance
Management system. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of proposed
remedial actions that could be implemented to address the problem areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Konstante strewe na steeds hoër vlakke van prestasie en produktiwiteit is aan die orde van die
dag in die huidige hoogs kompeterende en dinamiese besigheidswêreld. Die verbetering en
bestuur van werknemers se prestasie deur middel van ‘n Prestasiebestuurstelsel, blyk ‘n sleutel
te bied tot hierdie strewe na hoër prestasie. Prestasiebestuur is egter ‘n hoogs komplekse, multidimensionele
en geintegreerde stelsel met ‘n aantal interverwante kritieke vereistes. Selfs onder
ideale omstandighede, sou dit onwaarskynlik wees dat al hierdie fundamentele elemente
aangespreek sou kon word gedurende die anvanklike fases van die implementering van ‘n
Prestasiebestuurstelsel.
In die lig van die bogenoemde waarskynlikhede, het daar spesifiek twyfel geheers oor die mate
waartoe die Prestasiebestuurselsel van die ‘Children and Families’ (CAF) afdeling van die
‘Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Tasmanië, Australie, optimale
operasionele effektiwiteit weerspieël. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die faktore binne die
stelsel te identifiseer wat onderskeidelik onderontwikkeld, onsuksesvol geimplementeer, of
aandag benodig het ten einde hulle negatiewe impak op die effektiewe bedryf van die CAF se
Prestasiebestuurstelsel aan te spreek.
‘n Geskikte hulpmiddel vir so ‘n diagnostiese doelwit het reeds bestaan in die vorm van die
Performance Management Audit Questionnaire (PMAQ) wat deur Spangenberg en Theron
(1997) ontwikkel is. Deur middel van die administrasie van die PMAQ en die analise van die
resultate, sou die CAF ‘n duidelike aanduiding kon verkry van die stelsel se effektiwiteit en sou
hulle die probleemareas kon identifiseer ten einde die stelsel tot groter operasionele effektiwiteit
te verfyn.
Die resultate het die leemtes en onder-ontwikkelde areas binne die organisasie se huidige
Presasiebestuurselsel suksesvol geidentifiseer. Die resultate het verder gedui op ‘n duidelike
verskil tussen die persepsies van bestuurders en nie-bestuurders oor die effektiwiteit van die
Prestasiebestuurstelsel. Die implikasies van hierdie bevindings word ten slotte bespreek in
terme van die voorgestelde remediëringsaksies wat geimplementeer sou kon word om die
probleemareas aan te spreek.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19601
Date03 1900
CreatorsHerholdt, Memorie
ContributorsDe Villiers, W.S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxi, 171 leaves : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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