An investigation of the management of human resource policies in KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury.
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Date
2014
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Abstract
Christensen (2005:77) states that there are very few line managers who are really involved in setting human resource strategy and very few HR leaders who work hard enough in inviting management into the world of HR. Every manager has a responsibility for managing personnel issues of his/her directorate guided by the HR prescripts. Whilst the HR directorate offers support services to managers in implementing all human resource strategies and also ensures that the respective directorates comply with legislative frameworks. However, most managers tend to eliminate the HR function from business priorities and put more emphasises on what is regarded as real business matters such as technology, product, sales and profit.
This study is contextually based at the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury in Pietermaritzburg. The study intended to analyse and evaluate the management of human resource systems in improving performance and service delivery in the Provincial Treasury in KwaZulu-Natal. The study also aimed at investigating if the human resource systems have a direct or indirect impact on achieving the strategic objectives of the department.
Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire. Out of 149 senior/middle and junior managers who were permanently appointed by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury, 110 Managers participated in the study. Data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel for quantitative questions and the thematic analysis for qualitative questions. The study found that the human resource systems have a strong impact on both individual and departmental performance. The findings also indicated that most managers within the department have unconsciously delegated most of the human resource functions to the Human Resource Directorate and rely on this directorate to lead these functions on their behalf. It is critical to locate the human resource function at a strategic level and also to incorporate human resource strategies into the broad departmental strategies in order to effectively manage human resources which can assist the department to achieve the desired results. Therefore the management of human resource systems can have a negative or a positive impact on the individual and directorate performance which can eventually lead to an improvement or no improvement of departmental performance and service delivery.
Description
M. Com. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2014.
Keywords
KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Provincial Treasury--Personnel management., Personnel management--KwaZulu-Natal--Pietermaritzburg., Performance--Management., KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Provincial Treasury--Employees--Rating of., Theses--Management.