Analyzing the effectiveness of performance management in Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality.

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of performance management in Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality. The performance management strategies used by South African municipalities have not received much attention and studies tended to concentrate on the corporate level rather than the person level. The study investigated the impact of performance management within the Municipality. Qualitative methodology was employed and the research design was exploratory in nature. Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from five sections in Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality were conducted as part of the study. A thematic content analysis was used to investigate the themes emerging from the data. The themes that were discovered were then analysed to draw meaningful results. The main findings of the study revealed that the current performance management system of the Municipality is dysfunctional as it only seems to be working only for leaders and senior managers. It was also revealed that there is a lack of formal and consistent performance management systems, rewards and recognition policies are skewed towards top management, and there is no constructive communication between the leaders and junior employees. As a result, junior employees are no longer motivated to work and they suggested that the current biased performance management system be dispelled. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made: A performance management policy framework needs to be implemented, incentivising high performing employees, enforcing policies around performance management systems and communication between managers and employees.