ANALYSIS OF SUPERVISOR AND SUPERVISEE COOPERATION IN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN A PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT IN KWAZULU-NATAL

Year 2018, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 0 - 0, 31.12.2018

Sikhumbuzo Michael Ndlovu Sybert Mutereko

Abstract

Studies have shown that employees and their supervisors rarely cooperate in the
various stages of performance planning including the setting of their performance
targets. This study has sought to explore the cooperation of supervisors and
supervisees in the implementation of performance management, commonly
known as the Employee Performance Management and Development System
(EPMDS), in a provincial government department in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Drawing on the pragmatist philosophy, the study employed a mixed-method
approach which involved in-depth interviews (six), documentary analysis and
survey methods (83 questionnaires) to elicit the views of workers on the
implementation of EPMDS in a provincial government department in KZN.
Through documentary analysis, this study established that there are proper and
systematic procedures for EPMDS. A further analysis has revealed that the central
tendency is evident when supervisors give performance scores, with most workers
being given average scores and only a few scores being above the average, which
adversely affects their motivation. These findings have critical implications for
human resources managers in the public sector. The consequence of this is that
there is a need to balance the tensions between time constraints and proper
Performance Management by involving workers in the whole cycle of
Performance Management. Without such involvement, workers will continue to
be suspicious of the EPMDS which may defeat its purpose. 

Keywords

Public sector, performance management, performance review, personal development plan

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