An empirical study of the effectiveness of a performance management system for academics at Technikon Southern Africa.

Abstract

It has come to the attention of the researcher while being involved in the tertiary education industry, that the current performance management system for academics is considered ineffective because it: • Does not provide meaningful, timely feedback • Is impossible to administer in an equitable manner • Is driven by numbers • Is focused too closely on rewards The impact of this performance management system is as follows: • It generates low moral • It discourages teamwork • It does not foster trust • It generates avoidance of assessment • It has an adverse effect on productivity • It discourages risk taking • It encourages quest for higher visibility • It produces feelings of being judged rather than being appreciated The study focussed on the question of: • How the performance management system at TSA affects employee attitudes? • How employee attitudes towards the performance management system affects their performance? The objectives of the study are to: • Determine the attitudes of the academics at TSA towards the performance management system • Determine how service delivery might be transformed by implementing an effective PMS • Determine the supporting/preventing factors of the existing PMS at TSA • Identify areas for improvement and produce recommendations for future performance management practice at TSA.