Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study explores the impact of organisational culture with specific reference to the
South African Police Service (SAPS) culture on service delivery. The two interrelated concepts
"organisational culture and service delivery are discussed broadly in terms of their challenges for
the contemporary policing function which put emphasis on the provision of police service and
accounatbility to the broader community. The premise of the study is based on literature research
evidence that organisational culture is an important factor to influence employee behaviour
towards organisational effectiveness and also determine how they respond to its external
environment. At the same time a strong organisational culture can be rigid and become a
hindrance to change.
Service delivery is a critical challenge to the government's ongoing efforts to ensure that its
delivery process is efficient and responsive, particularly to the needs of the previously
disadvantaged communities. In recent years, this challenge reinforced the government to embark
on broad transformation mechanisms in order to position public institutions in an environment
where service delivery meets the public needs and expectations. Some of these mechanisms
include the promulgation of legislation, regulations and a series of policy frameworks notably,
The White Paper on Reconstruction and Development (ROP), 1994, The White Paper on the
Transformation of the Public Service of 1995, Public Service Regulation of 1999 etc. However,
the provision of efficient service delivery in public institutions is usually constrained by various
factors such as lack of capacity and shortage of competency skills, financial and technological
resources as opposed to the private sector which normally have these resources in abundance.
Since lack of sufficient financial resources will always be a challenge for public service delivery
enhancement, this study suggests that public institutions can incorporate some private sector
strategies in order to be innovative and improve efficiency.
Apart from a lack of the above mentioned resources as contributing factor to inefficient service
delivery, available theory on organisational culture state that it is an all encompassing factor that
influences employee behaviour in public institutions. Chapter 3 provides a theoretical framework
on the concept of organisational culture, its formation, and its sources, how it is sustained in the
organisation. Various models and examples of organisational culture as found in small and big
organisations such as those associated with government agencies are analysed and distinguish in terms of why the size of the organisation can determine its prevailing culture. Small
organisations with flat structures are considered to be flexible, autonomous, innovative and
responsive to customer needs.
On the other hand the traditional bureaucratic organisations such as government agencies like
police organisations tend to be characterised by highly formal hierarchical structure with too
many layers, operational rules and regulations which are intended to enforce control measures.
However, type of structures are criticised for rigid systems, autocratic, and slow. Models for
changing organisational culture in order to increase its effectiveness are suggested.
After a theoretical discussion on both the concepts organisational culture and service delivery,
the SAPS was used as a case study to establish the applicability and the extent to which
organisational culture impact on service delivery. The first stage consist of analytical perspective
of the SAPS historical military culture since its inception in 1913 and giving critical accounts of its
operational phases that it had undergone until the new dispensation. Since the early 1990s until
after April 1994 elections, marked a new era in the SAPS which embarked on broad
transformation initiatives in order to change policing function from that of a narrow law and order
maintenance to a fully integrated community policing which makes police officers to be
accountable to the broader community by rendering police service and problem solving within a
human rights culture. However, police culture has been widely criticised as a source of
resistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood.
The prevailing police culture which was inherited from the previous paramilitary legacy such as
the autocratic leadership style, traditional bureaucratic structure, corruption, secrecy, mistrust are
some of the dominant indicators which are identifiable and commonalities among the different
police agencies. These dominant features cause any resistance to any change initiative and are
perceived with negative image. After contextualising the description of the SAPS, the study
describes the methods and procedures used to conduct an empirical research project in the form
of a pilot study conducted in two police stations in Cape Town. Data collection methods include
the following: 1) literature review, 2) open-ended one-an-one interviews with the station
commissioners from the selected stations, 3) distributing survey questionnaires which consist of
close ended questionnaires to junior officers at police stations to determine their attitudes
towards the organisations they work in, and 4) by means of observation. Theoretical evidence proves that police culture which is characterised by paramilitary,
bureaucracy, rigid systems and procedures, inflexible structure still prevail in the SAPS and
contributes significantly to lack of coordination, slow response and results inefficient service
delivery. It is concluded that police stations are the primary centres where the public gets first
hand experience when reporting their cases or need the help of police officers to solve problems
in the community. In order to provide efficient police service, units which provide interrelated
functions need to be fully integrated under one unit commander in order to improve coordination
and prompt response. Policing crime is still the primary function of the police and police officers
need to be fully equipped with competency skills and other capacity building programs that are
consistent with the contemporary policing function. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie stelondersoek in na die impak van organisasiekultuur met spesifieke
verwysing na die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) se kultuur op dienslewering. Die twee
verwante konsepte "organisasiekultuur"en "dienslewering"word breedvoerig bespreek teen die
agtergrond van die agtergrond van die uitdagings wat dit stel vir die hedendaagse
polisieringsfunsie wat dit beklemtoon dat die polisie 'n diens moet lewer en aanspeeklik moet
wees teenoor die breer gemeenskap. Die studie se aanname is gebasseer op literatuurnavorsing
wat toon dat organisasiekultuur 'n faktor is wat werknemersgedrag beinvloed ten opsigte van
organisasie-effektiwiteit asook hoe werknemers reageer teenoor die eksterne omgewing. 'n
Sterk organisasiekultuur word beskou as 'n bindende faktor tussen werkers en die organisasie
en dit skep kosekwentheid en rigting. 'n Sterk organisisasiekultuur kan terselfdetyd rigied wees
en 'n struikelblok word in die weg van voorgestelde verandering aangesien verandering beskou
kan word as inmenging in die normale gang van die organisasie. Hierteenoor het 'n meer
buigsame kultuur die voordeel van aanpasbaarheid ten opsigte van verandering.
Dienslewering is 'n volgehoue uitdaging vir die regering se se volgehoue pogings om te verseker
dat sy leweringsproses effektief is en die behoeftes van spesifiek die voorheen benadeelde
groepe aanspreek. Hierdie uitdaging het die regering genoop om transformasie-meganismes
daar te stel ten einde openbare instellings in staat te stelom leweringsagente te word wat die
behoeftes en uitkomste-verwagtinge van almal aanspreek. Van die meganismes sluit in die
promulgering van wetgewing en beleid soos die Heropbou-en Ontwikkelingsprogram (HOP)
Witskrif, 1994, die Transformasie van Openbare Dienste Witskrif, 1995, die Openbare Diens
Reguleringswet van 1999 ensomeer. Die lewering van effektiewe dienste word gewoonlik beperk
deur deur veskeie faktore soos 'n gebrek aan kapasiteit en vaardighede, asook finasiele en
tegnologiese hulpbronne wat normaalweg tot die beskiking van die private sektor is. Gegewe dat
'n tekort aan finansiele hulpbronne altyd 'n uitdaging vir effektiewe openbare sektor
dienslewering sal wees, stel hierdie studie voor dat openbare instellings sekere privaatsektor
strategiee kan inkorporeer ten einde innovasie en effektiwiteit te verbeter.
Behalwe bogenoemde beperkende faktore, stel beskikbare organisasiekultuur-teorie dit dat dit
ook organisasiekultuur is wat openbare sektor amptenare se gedrag is wat die kwaliteit en vlak
van dienslewering beinvloed. Hoofstuk drie bied 'n teoretiese raamwerk vir die konsep organisasiekultuur ten opsigte van hoe dit geskep en in stand gehou word binne organisasies.
Verskeie modelle en voorbeelde van organisasiekultuur binne klein sowel as groor organissaies
word ontleed en daar word gekyk na hoe die grootte van 'n organisasie organisasiekultuur
beinvloed. Klein organisasies met 'n plat struktuur word beskou as buigsaam, outonoom,
innoverend en daartoe in staat om die vebruiker se behoeftes aan te spreek.
Daarteenoor word tradisionele burokratiese organisasies soos polisie-organisasies gekenmerk
deur formele strukture met te veel vlakke, operasionele reels en regulasies ten einde volle
beheer te he oor prosedures. Die rigiede stelsels, outokrasie, en stadiege leweringsproses van
sulke strukture word dikwels gekritiseer. Modelle om organisasiekultuur te verander ten einde
effektiwiteit te verbeter word voorgestel.
Die teoretiese bespeking van die konsepte organisasiekultuur en dienslewering word gevolg deur
'n gevallestudie van die SAPD ten einde te bepaal die mate waartoe organisasiekultuur
impakteer op dienslewering. Die eerste fase behels 'n analitiese perspektief van die SAPD se
historiese militere kultuur sedert 1913 asook' n kritiese blik op operasionele fases waardeur die
SAPD gegaan het tot en met die nuwe dispensasie. Die vroee 1990s tot net na die April 1994
verkiesing verteenwoordig' n nuwe era in die SAPD ten opsigte van transformasie inisiatiewe wat
daarop gerig was om die polisieringsfunksie te verander van 'n agent wat eng gefokus was op
die handhawing van wet en orde na 'n geintegreerde polisiediens wat aanspeeklik is teenoor die
bree gemeenskap. Dit behels die lewering van 'n polisiediens sowel as probleem-oplossing
binne die konteks van 'n menseregte-kultuur. Polisiekultuur word, as gevolg van misverstande,
dikwels beskou as 'n bron weerstand teen verandering.
Die heersende organisasiekultuur - wat 'n nalatenskap is van die vorige paramilitere styl
byvoorbeeld outokratiese leierskapstyl, tradisionele burokratiese strukture, korrupsie,
geheimhouding, wantroue - is van die dominante indikatore wat gemeenskaplike eienskappe is
van die verskeie polisie-agentskappe. Hierdie dominante kenmerke veroorsaak weerstand teen
enige veranderingsinisiatief en word as negatief beskou. Die beskrywing van die SAPD word
gevolg deur' n uiteensetting van metodes en prosedures wat gebruik was tydens die empiriese
navorsing wat gedoen was by twee polisiestasies in Kaapstad. Data insamelingsmetodes sluit
in: 1) lieratuurnavorsing, 2) ope een-tot-een onderhoude met die stasiekomisarisse van die twee
stasies, 3) die verspreiding van geslote vraelyste aan junior offisiere by polisiestasies ten einde
hul houding te bepaal teenoor die organisaies waar hulle werk, en 4) observasies. Teoretiese bewyse toon dat die polisiekultuur wat normaalweg gekenmerk word deur
paramilitere, buroktariese, rigiede stelsels en prosedures steeds bestaan binne die SAPD en dat
dit bydra tot swak koordinasie, swak response en oneffektiewe dienslewering. Ten slotte word
gemeld dat polisiedienssentra plekke is waar die publiek eerstehands kennis maak met
dienslewering. Ten einde 'n effektiewe diens te lewer, behoort eenhede wat verwante diense
lewer geintegreer te word onder die bevel van een bevelvoerder. Misdaadvoorkoming is steeds
die primere funksie van die SAPD en beamptes moet toegerus word met die nodige
bevoegdhede, vaardighede asook kapasiteitsbouprogramme wat in lyn is met die kontemporere
polisieringsfunksie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50190 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Gqada, Dumisani |
| Contributors | Van Wyk, Belinda, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Sustain. develop plan & management (school of pub lead). |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 123 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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