Thesis (MEcon)--Stellenboschniversity, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The application of discipline is crucial for the South African Police Service. The new
political dispensation in South Africa resulted in the amalgamation of different police
departments and the use of the Discipline Regulations of 1995 as the new standard of
discipline. The magnitude of the police service makes the application of discipline
difficult and results in lengthy disciplinary procedures that cause high levels of frustration
and stress amongst police officials.
The high suicide rate amongst police officials raises questions regarding the factors that
cause undue pressure. This led to the interest for this study and the following research
questions: Firstly, how do police officials perceive the fairness of the disciplinary
procedures of the SAPS. Secondly, what guidelines can be developed to enhance the
police official's perception regarding the fairness of the disciplinary procedure. The
theoretical perspective focused on discipline in organisations and procedural justice to
describe fairness perceptions.
The present study was divided into two phases. Firstly, to identify and describe the
police official's experience of the disciplinary procedures of the SAPS and secondly, to
develop guidelines that would enhance the fairness experience of the disciplinary
procedures by police officials. The study was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and
contextual in design, The data was obtained by means of phenomenological interviews
with respondents of two different populations, namely police officials that were exposed
to a departmental tribunal, and experts of the disciplinary procedures of the SAPS.
Once saturation level of the data was obtained, interviews were transcribed verbatim.
Data was analyzed by utilizing the steps described by Tesch (Cresswell, 1994). The
services of an independent decoder were also called in during the data analysis. Various
themes were identified, as having an influence on the police official's experience of the
disciplinary procedures of the SAPS. These are as follows: Police officials experience
discrimination amongst members; that the process is emotionally exhausting; that the process becomes needlessly complex due to many petty or unnecessary charges; that
there is a lack of consistent actions between the different role players in the process.
The expert respondent group identified the following themes: There is a lack of
consistent actions in the application of the process; cases are unique in nature and are
assessed on merit; cases are often delayed; police officials experience the process as
traumatic; station commissioners do not investigate cases properly; there is either a lack
of emotional support or it is been wrongly applied.
Throughout the process, steps were maintained to ensure trustworthiness. A literature
control was also conducted to verify themes. Themes of the expert group were also used
to verify themes of the police officials' group.
Guidelines intended for use by supervisors and commanders were drawn up. These were
based on the data obtained. The guidelines are supported by the existing Discipline
Regulations (RSA, 1996), as well as the Discipline Guidelines (SAPS, 1996). It should
therefore be of great value and use to supervisors and commanders.
Recommendations for the application of the results in discipline practices, discipline
education and further research concerning the discipline paradigm are discussed.
In conclusion, findings indicated that police officials experience the disciplinary
procedures of the SAPS as stressful and frustrating, and often as traumatic and
emotionally exhausting. Supervisors and commanders should therefore endeavor towards
the effective application of discipline in order to allow for a more fair perception of the
process by their subordinates. It could also be advantageous towards the change of
undesirable behaviour and to enhance moral and organisational climate at the station or
unit. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toepassing van dissipline is onontbeerlik vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens. Die
nuwe politieke bestel in Suid-Afrika het die amalgamering van onderskeie
polisiedepartemente tot gevolg gehad, en Dissipline-Regulasies wat gedurende 1995
uitgevaardig is dien nou as maatstaf vir dissipline-toepassing. Die omvang van die
polisiediens maak die toepassing van dissipline moeilik en veroorsaak dat die dissiplinêre
prosedure dikwels uitgerek word en dat dit baie spanning en frustrasie onder polisielede
veroorsaak.
Die hoë selfmoordsyfer onder polisiebeamptes veroorsaak baie vrae ten opsigte van die
faktore wat onnodige druk op hulle mag plaas. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot hierdie studie
en die stel van die volgende navorsingsvrae: Eerstens, hoe billik polisiebeamptes die
SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure beleef. Tweedens, watter riglyne ontwikkel kan word
sodat werknemers die SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure as meer regverdig en billik beleef.
Vanuit 'n teoretiese perspektief is gekonsentreer op die toepassing van dissipline in
organisasies, asook prosessuele geregtigheid wat poog om die billikheidservaring van
werknemers te beskryf
Die studie was in twee fases ingedeeL Eerstens, om die polisiebeampte se belewenis van
die SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure te identifiseer en te beskryf en tweedens, om riglyne
op te stel sodat die toepassing van dissipline as meer billik en regverdig beleef kan word.
Die studie was kwalitatief, verkennend, beskrywend en kontekstueel van aard. Die data
was ingesamel deur fenomenologiese onderhoudvoering met deelnemers van twee
populasies, naamlik polisiebeamptes wat self 'n departementele tribunaal beleef het,
asook kenners van die SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure.
Nadat alle data versadig was, is die onderhoude verbatim getranskribeer. Data-analise
wat gebaseer is op die stappe soos beskryf deur Tesch (Cresswell, 1994), het hierna
gevolg. Tydens die proses van data-analise is daar vir kontroledoeleindes, ook gebruik
gemaak van die dienste van 'n onafhanklike kodeerder. Op hierdie wyse is verskillende temas, kategorieë en sub-kategorieë geïdentifiseer ten opsigte van die polisiebeampte se
belewenis van die SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure. Dit kan soos volg beskryf word:
Polisielede is van mening dat daar tussen polisiebeamptes gediskrimineer word; dat die
proses emosioneel uitputtend is; dat die proses onnodig ingewikkeld gemaak word met
baie geringe of onnodige aanklagte; en dat daar nie konsekwente optrede tussen die
verskillende rolspelers in die proses bestaan nie.
Die temas, kategorieë en sub-kategorieë van die kennergroep kan soos volg vermeld
word: Daar bestaan 'n gebrek aan konsekwentheid in die toepassing van die proses; sake
bly uniek en word op eie meriete beoordeel; sake sloer dikwels te lank; polisiebeamptes
ervaar die proses as traumaties; stasiekommissarisse ondersoek nie altyd sake behoorlik
nie; en dat emosionele ondersteuning dikwels ontbreek ofverkeerd toegepas word.
Daar is deurgaans aandag geskenk aan aspekte om geloofwaardigheid te verseker. 'n
Literatuurkontrole is uitgevoer om die temas te bevestig. Die kennergroep se temas is
ook gebruik om die polisiebeamptegroep se temas te verifieër. Riglyne vir dissiplinetoepassing,
is vir bevelvoerders en toesighouers opgestel. Die riglyne is gebaseer op die
data wat verkry is. Die riglyne word ondersteun deur die bestaande Dissipline-
Regulasies (RSA, 1996), sowel as die Dissipline-Riglyne (SAPS, 1996) en behoort
daarom met groot vrug gebruik te kan word. Aanbevelings vir die toepassing van die
resultate in dissiplinepraktyke en dissipline-opleiding, asook die bevordering van
navorsing gemoeid met die dissiplineparadigma is ook bespreek.
Dit gevolgtrekking is gemaak dat polisiebeamptes baie spanning en frustrasie met die
toepassing van die SAPD se dissiplinêre prosedure beleef, en dat dit meestalook as
traumaties en emosioneel uitputtend ervaar word. Toesighouers en bevelvoerders
behoort daarop ingestel te wees om dissipline meer effektief toe te pas, sodat hul
werknemers die proses as meer billik en regverdig ervaar. Verder mag dit moontlik die
voordeel inhou dat groter suksesse behaal word in die verandering van ongewensde
gedrag en kan dit ook die moraal en organisasieklimaat van die stasie of eenheid verbeter.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53003 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Van der Bank, L. (Louis) |
| Contributors | Engelbrecht, A. S., Strumpher, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 v. (various pagings) |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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