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The effect of entrepreneurial competencies on the performance of small micro and medium enterprises in or Tambo District, Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Senzeni, Phumlani
  • Date: 2023-12
  • Subjects: New business enterprises -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28960 , vital:75577
  • Description: The Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) remain the key competitor in the development of the economy growth of the country. The SMME sector is the key driver to the national economy of countries, as it creates job opportunities, reduce poverty, supports household income, and improve the people’s standard of living. However, the rate at which SMMEs fail to succeed results in non-performance and business closure, and this is alarming and require attention. The reasons for this failure can emanate from a number of reasons, such as lack of entrepreneurial competencies, managerial skills, lack of intellectual personnel, low entrepreneurial culture and obstacles that hinder access to resources and market. Therefore, in this study the researcher examined the effect of entrepreneurial competencies on the performance of SMMEs in OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape. The researcher adopted quantitative research approach. The research data was collected using Google Forms survey method. The emails containing the link to access the instrument were sent to a sample of 399 SMMEs in the OR Tambo District. The response rate of 74%, which is 294 was attained. Thus, the findings of the study discovered that entrepreneurial competencies have significant effect on the performance of SMMEs. The study further found that entrepreneurial competencies “opportunity recognition, creative-problem solving, resource leveraging, and business networking” had a low degree of association with business performance although they are statistically significant to business performance. The self-efficacy was found with a high degree of association with business performance and statistically significant with the achievement of positive beta and low p-value which indicated a strong association to performance. The study made conclusions that entrepreneurial competencies have positive effect on the performance of SMMEs. Therefore, it was concluded that performing and successful SMMEs in the regions means employment opportunities in the country because they require human resources to do operational services and render services. The government and policymakers are encouraged to work together to form and strengthen development programs to assist SMMEs to grow the production capacity, operations and become productive. The SMMEs owners/managers and practitioners on skills development are encouraged to relook and strengthen entrepreneurial competencies that contribute to productivity and performance. , Thesis (DBA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2023-12

A review of the performance management system in municipalities: a case Study of Mnquma Local Municipality

  • Authors: Yalezo, Yanga https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1663-6559
  • Date: 2022-05
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Performance standards , Job evaluation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26885 , vital:66039
  • Description: Mnquma Local Municipality is a category B municipality situated in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape with the population of 250 000. Mnquma Local Municipality has a mandate of ensuring that quality services are delivered to its counterparts. Mnquma Local Municipality has a performance management system in place used as a tool to fulfil the mandate. Performance management system is a system that is meant to ensure that the goals and objectives of organisations are achieved. PMS is used worldwide by both the private and public sectors. PMS was first used by the private sector to maximise profits and to minimise poor performance. The public sector also decided to introduce PMS in order to improve the quality-of-service delivery to the public. As such, PMS is a tool that is used to monitor, review, evaluate and assess performance of individual employees. PMS in the public sector especially in the local sphere of government is very important because municipalities are closest to the citizens and are at the core of service delivery. This study sought to investigate how PMS at Mnquma Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province was utilised. The study utilised qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. Fourteen respondents were interviewed in order to get a better understanding of PMS at Mnquma Local Municipality. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The theoretical framework used in this study is goal-setting theory and control theory of performance management system The key findings of the study were: the respondents regarded PMS as “tool” utilised to carry-out work in the municipality. Respondents believe that somehow all the employees are subjected to PMS one way or another whether knowingly or not. Municipality should offer employees performance bonuses to motivate them to achieve goals and objectives of the municipality. The recommendations are: the municipality should cascade the PMS to the lower-level employee of the municipality. The municipality should offer bonuses to the employees to elevate the performance of individual employees and to ensure that the goals and objects are achieved. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-05

A framework for enhancing compliance with Employee Performance Management and Development Systems(EPMDS) among public sector doctors in BCMM health facilities

  • Authors: Bayeni, Luvuyo Lonwabo Precious
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47520 , vital:40116
  • Description: This research explored an employee performance management and development system in the context of the public health centres in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study reviewed the literature on EPMDS in the public health sector of South Africa, noting the shortfalls, challenges, and ways in which it could be improved. The major findings from the study include the need to review the entire policy, revise the pay-scales, and co-create a new EPMDS policy creating space for the representation of the views of the employees. Without completing the development and performance evaluation, grade progression cannot be implemented despite years of service; hence the problem doctors face with their salary levels. The current EPMDS was found to be ineffective due to the wide discrepancy that exists between doctors and other health professionals in public health institutions. Among the commitment motivators highlighted by the respondents, was the need to develop an organisational culture that permits employees to recognise that they are appreciated. Future research must consider using mixed research methods, in the context of other South African Provinces and include a larger sample of research participants.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

The Effect of training and development on employee performance in the Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

  • Authors: Adom, Richard Kwame
  • Date: 2019-09
  • Subjects: Employees -- Training of , Performance -- Management , Employees -- Rating of
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20153 , vital:45377
  • Description: Training and development are regarded as significant tools for any organisation to achieve the target goals and objectives. These goals and objectives are heavily and highly dependent on its workforce. In the literature, it is well documented that many organisations invest in employees’ training and development to enhance their performance and the growth of the organisation. Many organisations, however, including the Buffalo City Municipality, regard training and staff development as needless expenditure, and always do little, or make no effort to improve employees’ technical know-how. Such actions incapacitate staff to adapt to the ever-changing working environment and rapid technological innovation. This study employed purposive sampling technique to draw a sample of 70 employees from a total of 150, through structured interviews and a self-administered questionnaire, to examine the effect of training and development on employees’ performance in the Buffalo City Municipality, situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The findings of the study generally revealed that training and development does not only increase employees’ performance, but assists in developing the overall personality of employees by making them more productive through building their senses of teamwork, boosting the attitude of staff which is the most critical component in attaining profit, and developing a cordial relationship and connectivity between management and the workforce. The study, therefore, recommended that the municipality, as a matter of urgency, earmarks a certain percentage of its resources for employees training and development, based on identified skills gaps to sharpen employees’ skills, competencies, capabilities and technical know-how, to capacitate them to cope with the ever-changing working environment and innovations, and to enhance their motivation, satisfaction and performance. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2019
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  • Date Issued: 2019-09

A change framework for introducing performance management in higher education: a case study

  • Authors: Ndung’u, Agnes
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Education, Higher -- Evaluation Organizational change Organizational effectiveness
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/41796 , vital:36590
  • Description: The South African Higher Education Act 101 of 1997 provides a legal framework for the management of higher education institutions based on quality assurance and accountability. As such, the Act mandates the introduction of performance management. Performance management is one of the most challenging areas of responsibility in the field of human resources management. The literature, as discussed in this study, reveals that performance management is a complex phenomenon and that the implementation of a performance management system is, for a variety of reasons, not always successful. Failure is mostly attributed to not taking a planned, scientific and collaborative approach to implementation, resulting to lack of buy-in from significant stakeholders. Specifically, the introduction of performance management in the higher education sector presents a unique challenge, as the process requires that stakeholders and especially academics, to shift from a traditional culture of collegiality to one in which accountability is measured by formal criteria. While existing literature does address the management of change in organisations, there is a paucity of literature on managing change with regards to performance management and specifically in the context of higher education. The purpose of this study was to develop and present a comprehensive change framework for introducing performance management in higher education. In order to provide a theoretical basis for the research, existing literature on performance management, change management as well as the higher education context was reviewed, to identify potential barriers to the implementation of performance management. A case study analysis was conducted on the implementation of performance management at a comprehensive university, which included presenting a historical timeline of implementation based on documented evidence, and reporting on open-ended interviews and focus groups conducted with significant stakeholders. The stakeholders included management, Human Resources (HR), academic staff, administrative and support staff, as well as trade union representatives. Key lessons were drawn and fused to develop a change framework for the introduction of performance management in higher education. The framework encapsulates key themes extracted from the literature and empirical study, with regard to readiness for change, planning, implementing and sustaining change, with cognisance of the unique context. The research revealed critical aspects for the successful implementation of performance management communication with and the involvement of stakeholders, the commitment of senior management, training, embedding the change in the organisational culture, and constantly evaluating the progress as a feedback loop for making improvements. The study demonstrates that planning the change process helps to improve the effectiveness of implementing performance management. A process framework for developing and introducing performance management in the context of higher education is created with a focus on how to create ownership through communication and involvement. The proposed framework serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, especially those involved in higher education.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

An assessment of performance management and development system at Department of Labour East London

  • Authors: Getyeza, Ntomboxolo Alicia
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- East London Local officials and employees -- South Africa -- East London South Africa -- Department of Labour
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39741 , vital:35353
  • Description: The performance management system was introduced in the South African public service with the intention to continuously manage performance by setting performance objectives, reviewing past performance, assessing current performance, improving poor performance, determining recognition and reward for good performance, and assisting with career planning. This study was undertaken as an attempt to investigate the assessment of the existing implementation processes of performance management systems to determine level of policy compliance and staff satisfaction in the department of Labour East London. This research adopted a descriptive research design where the 75 selected staff of the DOL participated in the research from the total staff component of 744 employees. To achieve this, self administered questionnaires were distributed to employees at different levels as well as union representatives who form part of employees and are members of Local Performance management Review Board to ensure fairness and non discriminatory practices in the process. Research has revealed that although the performance management system has been implemented in the department of Labour, it has not achieved all its expected results. The research findings indicate that although there is an understanding of performance management in the Department, implementation remains a challenge. The analysis of the responses indicated a great dissatisfaction with the current system. It has failed to link performance outcomes to rewards in a meaningful manner; there is not much emphasis placed on personal and career development; and there are no measures put in place by supervisors to address employees who do not achieve the set performance targets. The findings of the study and the conclusions by the researcher is that although certain elements of the PMS within the DOL can be perceived as being effective, however there are issues which still need to be addressed such as to communicate performance outcomes with employees and clearly defining the purpose of the PMS, commitment by supervisors and managers and addressing the staff attitudes and perceptions, as staff attitude and negative perception by employees can have detrimental consequences to the organization and positive perception can improve the organization and commitment of employees towards organizational performance. The findings from this study are consistent with the general proposition that effective performance management systems should be supported by practices and organizational contexts with certain characteristics. Indeed, as reported in this study, the institution needs to provide more performance management training, engage employees and emphasize employee recognition. In this way the performance management system will be effective, deliver more value and meet the desired outcomes. The conclusions by the researcher is that although certain elements of the PMS within the DOL can be perceived as being effective, however there are issues which still need to be addressed such as to communicate with employees on a continuous bases and clearly defining the purpose of the PMS, commitment of managers, supervisors and addressing the staff attitudes and perceptions, as staff attitude and negative perception by employees can have detrimental consequences to the department and positive perception can improve the organization and commitment of employees towards organizational performance. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for DOL to address the challenges experienced with the system, as at the moment, it is not meeting the objectives it was intended to meet.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

An evaluation of performance and management development systems: a case study of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

  • Authors: Bokwana, Bulelani
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36498 , vital:33953
  • Description: The primary aim of this study was to establish whether the Performance Management and Development Systems (PMDS) in public institutions, has an effect on service delivery, with specific reference to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM). This is pertinent because municipalities have become the focal points of service delivery and they tend to focus mainly on complying with the legislative frameworks of having an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Performance Management and Development Systems (PMDS) rather than implementing the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the Performance Management and Development Systems (PMDS) to enhance service delivery to communities. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGta), introduces the Performance Management framework to municipalities with the aim of empowering the communities to demand better services and to hold municipalities accountable. This study provides an in-depth theoretical review on PMDS and service delivery. It is evident that one of the biggest challenges that are being faced by most municipalities in South Africa, is the lack of universal access to services such as water and electricity, sanitation, refuse removal systems and local economic development. This study employed the qualitative research approach to validate the research questions as well as to address the research objectives and data was collected through documentary sources of annual reports, Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP), articles, journals text books and legislation. Further findings in this study indicate that Performance Management and Development Systems (PDMS) in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), has not led to positive changes in service delivery and this is identified by violent service delivery protests. This study also identified that the system is currently flawed because, amongst other things, there is minimal employee involvement in the planning of performance management, including a lack of training opportunities to address identified weaknesses and the non-payment of performance bonuses to good performing employees, similarly majority of employees do not know their performance targets as reflected in the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP). Recommendations emanating from the literature review are presented to enhance service delivery for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) through Performance Management and Development Systems (PMDS) and they include cascading PMDS to all employees, furthering issues of alignment and integration of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) processes, budget, PMDS, monitoring, evaluation and training on the formulation of Key Performance Areas (KPAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). If these recommendations are adopted, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) will be able to deal with the current developmental obstacles that are being faced, in a more effective and efficient manner.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

An evaluation of the management performance assessment tool in the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Braweni, Asanda
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Performance -- Evaluation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/37233 , vital:34139
  • Description: Management Performance Assessment Tool for improving audit outcomes in the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs steamed out of the need to possibly have a preliminary understanding of the MPAT and how its application has fared towards performance improvement and service delivery mandate of the department in review. In 2010, South African Cabinet requested the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency in collaboration with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) to lead the development of a comprehensive assessment tool through the nine provincial departments and offices of the Premiers as the Provincial coordinating agencies. The aim of this empirical study was to assess how Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) can be well utilised to improve audit outcomes of the Department of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs (DCoGTA). Performance Management which is the basis for the research aims at assisting the DCoGTA in the Eastern Cape to better apply the MPAT tools to achieving better performance improvement through well informed Management decision-making which will ultimately guarantee smarter public service delivery and improved audit outcomes. The research methodology is socially driven in outlook with designed structure and plan which investigates the research aims through an introductory platform on the research questions demanding answers towards solving the research problems emanating from the main title of the research. Data analysis which informs the research findings provides some policy lessons on the application of MPAT as a tool for performance improvement when it is appropriately applied, and adopted within the decision-making structures of the Department of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs of the Eastern Cape Provincial government.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Job performance and the relationship between employee engagement, goal setting, training, job fit and trust

  • Authors: Brood, Ayoob
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Job satisfaction -- South Africa Employee motivation -- South Africa Labor productivity -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/37846 , vital:34253
  • Description: Every business has a goal of being profitable which relies on employee job performance. To determine the relationship employee engagement, trust, goal setting, job fit and training had on job performance surveys was sent to 8 MTN Branded retail stores within the Eastern Cape to gather data. Each survey once completed would then be dropped off and the MTN head office in Cape Road. Previous work has looked at these independent variables and how they affect job performance separately and not as a whole. Contrary to the literature, goal settings were the only variable that had a significant influence according to the findings of this study. The statistical results of this study revealed that goal settings influenced job performance with a p-value of 0.010 (p<0.05) and had a positive relationship, indicating that the respondent’s goal settings had an influence on their job performance. The mean values indicated that the respondents agreed that the independent variables would affect the performance. Thus, it is highly recommended that management investigates the requirements of implementing strategies of these variables to improve job performance.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

A performance management model for organisational performance excellence in the South African railway industry

  • Authors: Mtati, Tabisa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Success in business -- South Africa Railroads -- South Africa -- Track
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33043 , vital:32501
  • Description: The South African railway industry has seven times more of labour productivity than its counterparts within Sub-Saharan Africa. Though, when compared to countries in Europe, the United States of America, and China, the South African railway industry is non-competitive. The National Railway Safety Regulator of South Africa (NRSR) has been gradually considering novel ways of measuring organisational performance which encompass a broad approach that goes beyond infrastructure. To that end, a business excellence model adoption is proposed for an integrated agile performance management system. Performance management is viewed as a method that involves measuring goals against a set of standards within an organisation so as to evaluate whether or not the intended objectives have been (successfully) accomplished. Management quality systems (MQS) is one seamless system which integrates the Individual Performance Assessments, ISO-Systems, and Total Quality Management (TQM) in order to achieve the operational distinction in pursuit of the organisational performance excellence. Similarly, organisational excellence is continuous efforts made to build an internal framework of standards and processes intended to involve and motivate employees to deliver products and services within organisational expectations. Various business excellence models, such as the European Framework of Quality Management (EFQM), Common Assessment Framework (CAF), Malcolm Bridge National Quality Awards (MBNQA), International Standard Organisation (ISO) 9000/1/4 and South African Excellence Models (SAEM) have been proposed as continuous improvement (CI) tools. Embedded within these frameworks are areas such as leadership, strategic planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture, process management and organisational results. Even though attention has been paid to quality performance management in literature, limited empirical research has been conducted on the impact of these models to organisational performance in the railway industry. Moreover, few studies have been conducted to investigate this within the South African context. In this study, the difference in perceptions regarding the envisioned model will be measured to determine the level of employee awareness on quality management. Secondly, the impact of the implementation of MQS factors on organisational performance is investigated to determine critical success factors. Lastly, the barriers to effective MQS implementation are explored and discussed. The study focuses on enablers (i.e. leadership, strategy planning, total quality human resources management, CI, communications, culture and process management) and their impact on organisational performance. An empirical survey has been conducted in this study to examine the influence of the identified factors on business performance. In order to measure the impact of the above factors on improving of organisational performance, the MQS model has been used. The data collected has been statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, correlational relationships and regression analysis. The results of the study indicate that the MQS is useful and effective for the improvement of organisational performance in pursuit of organisational excellence. Furthermore, the critical success factors that, when prioritised, will directly influence organisational performance have been identified. Also, all the measured factors are correlated with organisational performance. It has been proven that though there are signs of implementation of MQS, the employees have not yet owned the process and do not implement quality practises in their daily operations. It is recommended that for future studies a more representative sample be sought in order to validate the relationship between strategy planning; communication and organisational performance, and the overall impact of implementing of MQS in the rail industry.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The impact of performance and reward on employee engagement

  • Authors: Dwane, Ithembekil’Inkosi Den-Boy
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Employee motivation Employees -- Attitudes Management -- Employee participation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/29940 , vital:30797
  • Description: In today’s increasing competitive environment employees look for organisations that best meet their expectations. Few barriers prevent mobility of employees between companies, therefore employees may easily change from one organisation to another should they feel that they are not fully challenged and engaged. In a global environment where maintaining competitive advantage is of paramount importance, it is essential to develop effective retention strategies. In order to retain employees companies must try to offer an engaging environment to employees in order to satisfy these expectations in a different way from their competitors with a compelling value and attempts to increase performance and engagement amongst their employees. Nonetheless, employers are more aware now of the importance of an engaged workforce as a way of gaining competitive advantage in these challenging times, where employee attrition is high. Therefore retaining skilled and talented employees has become one of the major challenges faced by all sectors in South Africa, especially the financial sector as a whole. In order to alleviate this challenge companies have developed a robust performance management system and reward initiatives that enhance engagement. This study aimed to explore the impact of performance and reward on employee engagement, and to contribute to the human resource management science literature. The study also aimed to make recommendations on the management factors that determine these variables. The literature review explored traditional and emerging concepts, importance of employee engagement, types and characteristics of engaged II employees. The researcher further elaborated on the literature by including engagement factors, barriers and models. The second chapter of the literature then covered the concept of performance (individual and team) in detail and the concept of reward (extrinsic and intrinsic). From the literature review a performance, reward and engagement questionnaire was designed to find empirical responses to these challenges. The study adopted a quantitative approach (N = 275) testing the relationship of performance and reward (extrinsic and intrinsic) on the dependent variable, employee engagement. The study also entailed a cross sectional design approach. Minitab version 18 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. The findings support a strong correlation between the performance and employee engagement. The findings also indicate that there is a strong correlation between reward (extrinsic and intrinsic) and employee engagement across all employees. From the research findings there is also a strong correlation between the performance and employee engagement. The findings also indicate that there is a strong correlation between reward (extrinsic and intrinsic) and employee engagement across all employees that formed part of this research. The main findings also include some insights for organisations to consider and recommendations for future research.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The implementation of a performance management and development system at the Department of Local Government & Traditional Affairs (Eastern Cape)

  • Authors: Magqogqo, Ntomboxolo
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance standards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8446 , vital:26359
  • Description: Performance management and development is the continuous process of reflecting on, negotiating, developing, reviewing and making decisions about an individual’s performance in achieving organizational goals. The Public Service Regulations, 2001, requires departments to develop a performance management system in order to manage performance in a consultative, supportive and non- discriminatory manner. This should result in enhanced organizational efficiency and effectiveness, accountability for the use of resources and the achievement of results. The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs is also expected to implement the employees Performance Management and Development System. Furthermore, the study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the performance management and development system in the Department of Local Government & Traditional affairs. To achieve this Likert questionnaire were distributed to employees of Local Government & Traditional Affairs. After previous steps were completed, the finding and recommendations of the study were made. The recommendations were made to assist management as to what need to be done for effective implementation of PMDS. The findings indicate that managers and supervisors lacked the continuous feedback as no regular meeting during the course of the month or year. The employee and his or her supervisor would meet during the annual assessment period at the end of financial year to decide on the final performance. The main recommendation of the research was that there should be regular workshops or awareness of departmental staff about PMDS and how it influences on productivity.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Evaluation of the performance assessment system for senior administrative managers in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

  • Authors: Qupe, Zandisile
  • Date: 2015-06
  • Subjects: Employees -- Rating of , Performance -- Management , Municipal government
  • Language: English
  • Type: text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25655 , vital:64351
  • Description: In 2011 the South African Presidency developed Management Performance Assessment and Municipal Assessment as tools to monitor and evaluate the performance of government employees in government departments and municipalities. The Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) is leading performance assessments of national departments using the tool, Offices of the Premier are undertaking performance assessments of provincial departments, Offices of the Premier and provincial Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG) will assess municipalities. Management performance assessments contribute to improving service delivery through providing a holistic picture of the quality of management practices within a department or municipality, against common standards. This study evaluated the performance assessment system used in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality for senior administrative managers. The main objectives of the study were to investigate the Performance Assessment System used in NMBM for the Section 57 employees (i.e. all Senior Managers working on a five-year contract and directly reporting to the Municipal Manager) of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, to determine the extent, if any, the NMBM adheres to its policy objectives pertaining to the application and implementation of its performance management system and to provide recommendations on the possible recourse that can be taken by the NMBM in improving the application of its performance assessment system and performance management system at senior management level. The research methods employed for this study were both qualitative and quantitative. For the qualitative method, data was gathered through interviews, questionnaire and documents from the municipality, for the quantitative method a questionnaire was used and appropriate statistical techniques were used to analyse the gathered data. Emanating from the data analysed, the study found that there is still a lack of understanding of performance assessment in the municipality; the municipality is still faced with a number of challenges when implementing the performance assessment system as well as the performance management system in the municipality and these have affected service delivery in a very negative way. One of the recommendations made by the researcher was that there should be more training and workshops on performance assessment system as well as performance management in the municipality. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
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  • Date Issued: 2015-06

Developing a performance measurement tool to monitor the performance of a public sector agency : a balanced scorecard approach

  • Authors: Lisani, Ncedo
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: South Africa. Economic Development Department , South Africa. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism , Performance -- Measurement , Performance -- Management , Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:848 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017515
  • Description: The world has seen unparalleled pressure put on the public sector to improve the speed and quality of service delivery, whilst simultaneously employing measures to cut the costs. South Africa and the Eastern Cape have not been immune to this as there have been complaints and demonstrations from various national and provincial stakeholders demanding more and improved services. The Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) in particular has employed the services of public entities in its quest to realise government’s socio-economic developmental objectives and ease some of the service delivery pressures. These agencies are unfortunately struggling to deliver and the Department is unable to play the oversight role it is legislatively mandated to carry out. The main reason for this seem to be the lack of the capacity to objectively track and measure the performance of these agencies. As they say “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”. This is despite the fact that there is a shareholders’ compact and many other measures in place to enable performance monitoring. Also, the public sector is known to have inherent and unique performance management challenges like broad and vague objectives which lead to too many measurements, a propensity to focus on the “easy to measure” but often irrelevant indicators at the expense of critical outcomes and a short-term orientation that is usually fuelled by political expediency. Against this background, this study sought to make use of a comprehensive and dynamic performance monitoring framework, namely the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), to explore its potential use in assisting government to monitor the performance of public agencies, in particular the Development Finance Institutions (DFI) in South Africa. The proposed framework helps government to focus on the performance drivers of future value, and what decisions and actions are necessary to achieve critical outcomes. The aim of the study therefore is to develop an adjusted BSC framework to monitor the activities of a public sector agency and thus demonstrate how a BSC framework could be used to monitor a public agency by the government department. The study is evaluative in nature and is divided into three sections. Section one is presented as an Evaluation Report. It sets the scene, discusses briefly the key theoretical concepts, outlines the research methods used and presents the findings followed by a discussion and recommendations. Section two delves into the literature in more detail, providing a more extensive review of the literature that informed the investigation, whilst section three provides a more extensive description of the research methodology employed in the study. To achieve the aims of the study, the research drew from the work of various authors in the field including that of Bigliardi, Dormio and Galati, 2011; Bititci, Garengo, Dörfler, and Nudurupati, 2012; Julyan, 2011; Kaplan and Norton, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2004 and 2006; Niven, 2003 and 2008 and Northcott and Taulapapa, 2012. Also, five BSC perspectives - including the programme specific “equity” perspective - were used to develop an interview schedule. These were used to formulate the key performance objectives and indicators, based on the stakeholder’s responses. These respondents have experience within the programme as administrators, beneficiaries and funders. The research employed purposive sampling with semi-structured in-depth interviews and document analysis as primary and secondary instruments for data collection. In essence, five officials from the agency, one from DEDEAT and two co-operatives participated in the research. The results indicate a general appreciation of and gravitation towards outcome based measures, even though the government culture of focusing on outputs is still prevalent. The results of the study indicated that, generally, a government - public agency BSC based performance monitoring framework would have the following features:  Customer objectives and programme mission as the main goal and this will provides clarity at all levels on who the customers are and what are their primary requirements.  Clear, visible and stringent financial controls as the agency is administering public resources.  Few carefully selected processes and systems that have a direct and positive impact on the customer objectives. Deliberate and consistent efforts to promote the participation of designated groups in the economy of the country.  Comprehensive indicators on capacity building as “mission based-organisations rely heavily on skills, dedication and alignment of staff”. Overall, the study concludes that the make-up of the BSC is beneficial to the public sector and in monitoring the public sector agencies for the following reasons:  It helps the agency to focus on customers and their needs.  It forces the agency to engage and communicate strategic intention with both internal and external stakeholders and thus synchronize competing stakeholder needs.  It forces the agency to limit the number of indicators and therefore select the few value adding measures that are aligned to customer outcomes.  Through its cause and effect relationship, the agency is compelled to align all the resources, activities and processes to the main goal of the entity. All these help to minimize the principal agent problem, as the use of the BSC can bring clarity on strategy and expectations, provided it is supported with regular communication.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Improving the performance management system in a selected firm

  • Authors: Sonti, Phindile Clinton
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Employees -- Rating of
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8928 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021172
  • Description: The performance management system has become a vital process of retaining skilled employees, helping to improve communication between the employees and management, providing feedback to employees and clear understanding of job expectation. A performance management system assists the firm to identify the ways to improve individual and firm performance and provides the opportunity for discussion about individual career direction and growth within the firm. It provides the opportunity to set employee targets linked to the departmental targets. The performance management system is the catalyst for firms to become globally competitive and be able to meet targets. Over the years the firm has introduced a performance management system to help employees to achieve their targets, which will result in the company meeting its own objectives. The study focused on the factors that affect the performance management system. The objective of the research was to improve the performance management system of the firm. The study was conducted to assess the effect of the following independent variables on the improvement of the performance management system: leadership style, training, organisational culture, reward system and organisational communication. The sample consisted of only the employees of the firm selected for the study. One hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires were distributed, but only seventy-six (76) respondents (response rate = 50.7 percent) participated in the final study. The empirical results revealed that the three independent variables play a very important role in improving a performance management system. These three variables are organisational culture, training, and reward system. Implementing the recommendations that came from these results will go a long way to making sure that the firm will improve its performance management system.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The consideration and improvement of the sustainability performance monitoring framework for South African water boards

  • Authors: Thompson, Craig Howard
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: South Africa -- Department of Water Affairs -- Management , Water-supply -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Performance -- Management , Environmental auditing -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018916
  • Description: The South African Constitution ensures the right to adequate water, health services and a healthy environment (Government Gazette, 1996: 1251, 1255). Associated legislation and national strategies require that water resources and water services are rendered in a sustainable manner to ensure the rights enshrined in the Constitution are realised (Trialogue, 2010: 34; Government Gazette, 1998(c):11; Department of Water Affairs (DWA), 2003:9). South Africa is the 30th driest country in the world (DWA, 2013: iii), has impounded most of its surface water resources and has utilised 40 percent of the groundwater resource with remaining groundwater water quality uncertain (DWA, 2013:6-7). Despite achieving the basic water and sanitation Millennium Development Goals approximately 2.2 million and 4.5 million households still require access to basic services respectively (DWA, 2013:28-29). South Africa’s ten water boards play a key role in bulk water service provision. They supply 57 percent of the countries domestic water supply (DWA, 2013:19) and are required to provide sustainable water services (Government Gazette, 1997:35). The Department of Water Affairs (Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) as of June 2014) is mandated to monitor the performance of water boards and monitors of water boards through a Share Holders Compact (SHC) (Government Gazette, 1997: 50). The aim of the research is to achieve the following objectives: 1. Describe best practice for sustainability monitoring frameworks for water services. 2. Outline South Africa’s water services mandatory and voluntary requirements with regards to sustainability monitoring. 3. Evaluate South Africa’s current water services performance monitoring framework for water boards against findings from goals one and two. 4. Develop an improved framework for assessing South African water board’s performance in their compliance and sustainability journey. 5. Demonstrate the improved framework functionality with a sample of water boards audited performance data from the 2012/13 financial year. A qualitative normative theory evaluation research method was utilised to achieve first three objectives of the research. The objectives to first understand current best practice for sustainability monitoring frameworks and the mandatory requirements for water services sustainability monitoring frameworks in South Africa was achieved via an extensive literature review. The evaluation research method was used where South Africa’s current water services monitoring framework for water boards was evaluated for its adequacy to monitor sustainability compared with legislated requirements, national and international best practices (Hall et al, 2004: 55). Data collection for the evaluation research was sourced via documentation analysis. The 2012/13 water board audited annual reports, relevant national water services legislation, national and global water service sustainability monitoring best practices were critically reviewed. The review yielded a “thick description” of sustainability performance monitoring framework requirements that was used to evaluate the SHC (Holliday, 2002: 79). Despite the mandatory participation requirement for successful sustainability performance monitoring being met, the SHC was found to have inadequate aspects. It lacks an outcomes based approach, does not include environmental indicators, does not allow water board sustainability performance comparison and cannot indicate where individual water boards are on their sustainability journey. An improved sustainability performance monitoring framework for South African water boards is therefore proposed. This was developed with the assistance of an expert focus group drawn from multiple disciplines and organizations relevant to water board sustainability (Litosseliti, 2003: 8 and Hall et al, 2004: 51). The functionality of the framework is then demonstrated using 2012/13 audited performance data sourced from the annual reports of Overberg, Amatola, Rand and Umgeni Water boards. The proposed Water Services Sustainability Monitoring Framework (WSSMF) quantifies performance in terms of 10 water utility outcomes that are measured with 88 performance indicators that encompass the financial, social, environmental and governance dimensions of sustainability. The WSSMF demonstrated that the legislated intentions and best practice recommendations can be incorporated into an improved version of the SHC. Further refinement of the WSSMF is required. In depth engagement with DWS and all the water boards would promote the refinement of the indicator set, performance thresholds for indicators and indicator weighting. Further testing through a pilot project initiative would allow the WSSMF to be developed into a robust and adequate sustainability performance monitoring framework for South African water boards (Rametsteiner et al, 2011: 64; Muga and Mihelcic, 2008: 438; McAlphine and Birnie, 2005: 247 and van Leeuwen et al, 2012: 2192).
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The influence of organisational culture on a high commitment work system and organisational commitment : the case of a Chinese multinational corporation in South Africa

  • Authors: Mabuza, Linda Tengetile
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa , Corporate culture -- Cross-cultural studies , International business enterprises -- South Africa , Investments, Chinese -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Performance -- Management , Host countries (Business) , Personnel management -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- China
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: vital:1205 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017768
  • Description: Chinese presence in Africa has been rapidly increasing in the past few years and has been speculated to be mainly due to China seeking Africa’s political alliance and access to Africa’s natural resources and growing consumer markets. The growing presence of Chinese organisations in Africa, however, has not been without its challenges. In particular, Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs) in search of consumer markets in Africa have been cited as facing human resource (HR) challenges which may affect their organisational performance. In this regard, literature on human resource management has already established the important role of organisational culture, HR practices and organisational commitment in enabling organisations to achieve superior organisational performance. Given the fact that there is currently little research knowledge of Chinese presence in Africa at the organisational level, this research aimed to contribute empirical knowledge to the growing body of research in this area. Specifically, the main purpose of this research was to examine how the organisational culture of a Chinese MNC’s South African subsidiary has shaped the nature of its high commitment work system (HCWS) and to assess the consequences thereof on organisational commitment. In alignment with the phenomenological paradigm, the research applied a descriptive and explanatory case study methodology in order to generate rich, qualitative data which was required for in-depth descriptions and to uncover the underlying interactions of the researched phenomena at the subsidiary. The selected case for the research was, therefore, a Chinese MNC operating in the personal computer (PC) industry, which had expanded its operations to South Africa in order to reach Africa’s growing consumer markets. In particular, the South African subsidiary served as a PC sales and distribution organisation for the Chinese MNC. There were about 40 employees at the subsidiary who were all South African employees. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve employees from different job functions and across different job levels. Data collection was guided by the theoretical frameworks by Cameron and Freeman (1991) for organisational culture and Xiao and Bjorkman (2006) for the HCWS and organisational commitment. The data collected from interviews was then analysed through a qualitative, content analysis process. The findings of the research thus pointed to the market culture as the dominant organisational culture type at the South African subsidiary of the Chinese MNC; characteristics of the adhocracy and clan cultures were also discovered. The externally oriented market culture was found to be the most relevant for the high performance and market leadership aspirations of the subsidiary. The market culture also appears to be the most appropriate organisational culture that would enable the subsidiary to deal with the competitive nature of the PC industry. Furthermore, it was found that certain cultural values emphasised by the Confucian and Ubuntu value systems could have had a part to play in the formation of the subsidiary’s organisational culture. The market culture was also found to have had the greatest influence in shaping the primarily performance oriented HCWS practices. Of the investigated HR practices at the subsidiary, all were found to be consistent with HCWS practices, with the exception of ownership practices and the performance appraisal system. Finally, although there were generally high levels of organisational commitment reported at the subsidiary, other job and organisational context factors besides the HCWS practices were found to be the major contributors to those feelings of organisational commitment. By investigating the organisational culture, HCWS and organisational commitment of a Chinese MNC in South Africa, this research has added to the body of knowledge concerning the growing presence of Chinese organisations in Africa. Based on the empirical findings of this study, several recommendations have been made in an attempt to assist the Chinese MNC manage the organisational commitment of its South African employees towards superior organisational performance.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

An analysis of the perceptions of non-bargaining unit employees of the performance management system at Transnet Engineering

  • Authors: Nel, Nico
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Performance standards -- South Africa , Collective bargaining unit -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5531 , vital:20874
  • Description: Transnet is facing challenging market realities and a competitive operating environment. Performance management has been emphasised as a critical tool to guide Transnet in maintaining a competitive advantage. Performance management cannot be viewed in isolation from the organisational context and is inextricably linked to the Human Resources strategy, which in turn is aligned with the overall business strategy. Performance management may be defined as a systematic process by which an organisation involves its employees, as individuals and members of groups, in improving organisational effectiveness in the accomplishment of organisational mission and goals. For the purposes of this study, performance management was explored in terms of purpose, key role players, processes, criteria and challenges. The main research problem of this study was to determine the perceptions of non-bargaining unit employees of the performance management system at Transnet Engineering. The main research problem had three sub-problems which were addressed through the following actions: A literature study was conducted highlighting the importance of an effective performance management system which establishes a foundation for rewarding excellence by aligning individual objectives with organisational mission and objectives. In this way, performance management establishes clear expectations in terms of results, actions and behaviours. Through regular feedback and coaching, performance management provides a mechanism for detecting problems at an early stage and identifies ways in which to take corrective action. Perceptions of performance management are largely centred around fairness, and dependent on a number of issues, including openness, transparency, communication, and equitability, and the establishment of clear parameters of measurement such as whether both skill and effort will be evaluated. This is why it is important to link performance appraisals to employee goals. If mutually negotiated goals, which involve the participation of all stakeholders, are established at the beginning of the performance period and there is on-going feedback to employees about their performance, then performance appraisals may be perceived as objective, fair and reliable. The insights gained from the literature survey were incorporated into a survey questionnaire which was used in the empirical study to investigate the perceptions of non-bargaining unit employees of the performance management system at Transnet Engineering. This study revealed that most of the respondents were not satisfied with the performance management system within Transnet Engineering, that performance management could be enhanced by using multiple measures more frequently and that greater involvement of subordinates at each step in the performance management process would lead to a greater level of acceptance thereof.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

Analysis of the performance management system in the detective service of the Motherwell cluster in Port Elizabeth

  • Authors: Saki, Nomachule Theodor
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8876 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020582
  • Description: Performance management was implemented in the public service, including the South African Police Service, in 2001. The aim of implementing performance management in the public service was to improve the performance of all public servants. It was envisaged that the initiative for implementing performance management in the public service would entrench a culture of accountability, leading to improved service delivery. The effective utilisation of performance agreements, as a tool to align individual and organisational performance in the Motherwell Cluster Detective Service, was considered in this research. The contents of the individual detectives’ performance agreements and job descriptions in the Motherwell Cluster were analysed and compared with the contents of the SAPS Detective Service strategic objectives and performance indicators, as reflected in the SAPS Annual Performance Plan for 2012/2013. Interviews were conducted with Detective Service employees in the Motherwell Cluster, to determine whether the employees received training on the implementation of the Performance Enhancement Process, as the SAPS Performance Management and Development System. Research findings revealed that the contents of the respective individual detectives’ performance agreements and job descriptions were not aligned to the contents of the SAPS Detective Service strategic objectives and performance indicators. In areas where alignment was found, such alignment was so minimal that there was no meaningful correlation between an individual detective’s performance and organisational performance. The suggested recommendations are based on the findings of this study, which should be taken seriously if there is a desire to improve service delivery by the Detective Service. Apprehension, conviction, and sentencing of an offender can cause potential offenders to refrain from committing criminal acts for fear of apprehension and punishment.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

Evaluating the effectiveness of the performance management and development system in the Eastern Cape Liquor Board

  • Authors: Tini, Linda Lindelwa
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8937 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021216
  • Description: Research studies have reported that many organisations implement a performance management and development system. However, it is often not as effective as it is intended. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the performance management and development in the Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB). The study emphasised the importance of an organisational culture that supports management of performance in order for the system to be effective. The study further highlighted that alignment between the performance of individuals and the organisation is critical as all efforts have to focus on the achievement of the organisational vision. The study also emphasised the importance of a process of determining key performance areas that is transparent and involves participation by all employees. The study further argued that the development and rewarding of employees for performance is crucial in ensuring an effective performance management system. The target population for this study consisted of ECLB employees including the district offices. The findings suggested that when the performance management and development system is not implemented in its entirety it cannot be effective. Furthermore, the findings revealed that ECLB implements some of the elements of the system correctly whilst other areas still require more attention.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2014
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