MANAGING STAFF PERFORMANCE FOR OPTIMUM OUTPUT

Dr. George K.T. OduroWorkshop for Deans of Faculty, Heads of Department/Deputies/Directors

University of Education, Winneba. Held at SMAYAK HOTEL, APAM< JUNCTION, 29th September 2011.

Overview

Review Mission of a University Conceptual Issues Focus & Processes of Performance Management Measuring Performance Challenges of managing performance Ways of Enhancing performance management

Sources of Information

Armstrong, M (2003). Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan

Bratton. J & Gold, J (1994): Human Resource Management. Theory & Practice. MacMillan

Oduro, G & Oduro, G (2004). ‘Culture and individual Performance management in University of Cape Coast’. Makerere Journal of Higher Education. 1 (94-106)

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What are Universities

for?

Mission of Universities

MISSION

Generating knowledge

through Research

Extension Services: Apply

knowledge to policy making & Implementation,

Disseminate Knowledge –

Teaching, Seminars,

Conferences

etc

CLASSIFIED FUNCTIONS

04/19/236

Academic(Lecturer/Registrar)

Generate knowledge Share knowledge (teach,

conference,

consultancy etc

Non-Academic(Registry Personnel)

•Create enabling environment for teaching & learning to take place

• Keep the mission of university on track

•

StudentLearn: cognitive, affective & psychomotor

THE BIG QUESTION?

How do/can we ensure that PERFORMANCE of Lecturers, Researchers, Assistant Registrars, Administrators, Drivers, Security Personnel, Drivers etc. is maximized?

CONCEPTUAL ISSUES.

Performance?

► Relates to both behaviours (inputs) and results (outputs). [Brumbach, 1988]

► ‘The accomplishment, execution, carrying out, working out of anything ordered or undertaken’ (The Oxford English Dictionary)

Performance Management?

‘A means of getting better results from the organization, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competence requirements’ (Armstrong, 2003)

FOCUS OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT (PM)

Performance improvement Employee Development (PM not achievable unless there are effective

processes of continuous staff development)

Satisfying the needs of all stakeholders – not just managers

Communication and involvement: creates a climate for continuous dialogue between managers, teams and individuals on objectives and means of achieving them.

Covers all sub-systems of the organisation: (academic, administration, accounts, audit, procurement, transport, security, sanitation etc)

Concerned with what people do (their work); how they do it (their

behaviour) and what they achieve (their results)

KEY FACTS

Performance management: central to institutional and professional development strategies of African (Ghanaian) Public

Universities because of : - pressures emanating from high public expectations (Mittal, 2004)

- need to meet international standards of operation (ibid)

- mushrooming private universities (competitive threat to public

universities) etc A major challenge facing public universities lies in how they could

attract and retain quality staff and effectively utilise their knowledge and skills towards meeting market demands (Oduro & Oduro, 2004, p.107)

PROCESSES OF P. M.

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Measuring Performance

Measures should match performance against agreed targets and standards.

Measures should be objective and observable Measures may relate to achievements in relation to : ○ outputs – e.g. number of project work/dissertation supervised; number of students graduating, number of research work undertaken; publications etc

○ Impact: on policy? Students’ behaviour? Innovation?

○ Reaction: Feedback from other stakeholders

○ Time: response time (e.g. procurement waiting time);

○ Finance: cost effectiveness? Economic value added? etc

Ways of Measuring Staff Performance (Hakala n.d.)

Quantity (be careful of too much emphasis – may be at the disadvantage of quality) Quality of work output/ service rendered (failures,

corrections etc) Timeliness: waiting time Cost effectiveness: cost of output Availability: absence affects work output Creativity: Keep track of creative initiatives and

quantify them

Manager Appraisal: top down Self-appraisal Peer appraisal Assessment centre: professional assessors (Quality

Assurance) Full-scale (360-Degree Appraisal): involves feedback from all

stakeholders. (Comprehensive and costly but gives realistic view)

Management by Objectives (MBO): appraisal matched against benchmarked objectives

P.M. Challenges in Universities

The Problem of Multiple Values and co-production Universities provide services with multiple values

characterised by co-producers: E.g. (a) Faculty is required to make its students perform well in

examinations but also has the task of creating enabling environment for stakeholder interaction (multiple values)

(b) Student performance depends on lecturers’ efforts, but also influenced by the attitude of students (co-production)

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The Problem of Cultural-Politics

All human institutions work within micro & macro cultures and politics.

‘’ Those who seek to exert influence, individually or in organizations, are involved in politics. Associations of parents, teachers, students, administrators … form and seek to promote their ideas through political processes’’ (Locke, 1974:3).

‘Culture influences and can be engineered to enhance organizational performance (Mannion et al, 2002).

Cultural Values vrs P.M. principles

Relational Context:

‘Cultural factors tend to pose challenges to management in Ghanaian organizations (Debrah, 2000).

‘Organizations in Africa tend to place greater value on care for employees than profitability or market shares; thus making business objectives secondary to welfare issues (Fashoyin, 2000).

Research Evidence (UCC)

Some HODs tend to compromise performance principles for fear straining relationships (Oduro & Oduro, 2004)

e.g. “The issue of communal living is very important. Sometimes the nature of relationship is such that it becomes difficult to apply the rules as rationally as we have to’’ (An Academic Head)

When something happens to an individual, (bereavement as an example), everybody is expected to rally around him. So as a university, we tend to take on certain practices, which other universities in the West may not see as important (Administrative Head)

External Interventions

Interference from opinion leaders (Chiefs; politicians, pastors etc), e.g. discipline

Partisan & sectional Influence: threat to critical mindedness, shrouds objectivity etc

Internal

Institutional Interest Group: Formal Organisations that have statutory interest articulation tasks. E.g. UTAG, GAUA, TEWU, SRC etc

Power & Authority Struggle

‘’There’s politics wherever any element or groups of elements in a social group attempt to influence or manipulate other elements in a social group to behave in certain ways’’ (Owolabi, 1987:5)

Power the ability to change the behaviour of another (Wo y a, msesa wo hybr)

Authority use of legitimate power normally derived

from law or statutes or tradition or convention.

Power Distance

Acceptance & high respect for authority & power of the bossTitles, status & formality very important

Less acceptance & respect for authority & power of the boss

Titles, status, & formality less important

High Distance vrs Low Distance

Case: Illusion of absolute power – Cape Coast polytechnic situation

Push Factors

Imposition of decisions Stifling communication (ignorance) Resistance to Change Unsecured working environment Selective application of rules Verbal Dirrhoea

Enhancing Performance Management

Create a sense of belonging in all staff Shared vision Staff must be clear of their roles and expected standards Avoid discretionary and selective application of rules Increase request response time (procurement, letter etc) Provide leadership based on Mutual-Trust Provide feedback to staff Support staff to perform – appropriate training, resources etc

Team work is critical in Performance Management

The baobab tree metaphor drives home the fact that knowledge, resources & skills needed for maximizing performance go beyond the capacity of a single effort

Nunya, adidoe, asi mesune o.

[Knowledge is like the baobab

tree, no one person can embrace it]

TheThe Baobab Tree Metaphor Baobab Tree Metaphor

‘

Note!!

Do not only think about performance; think also about supporting staff to perform

Never aim at PLEASING ALL – it is impossible.

The trick is calmness, being well-focused and pursuing fairness and firmness in the performance management process.

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REMEMBER: A manager’s joy lies not only in his/her ability to optimize performance but more importantly his/her ability to balance staff motivation with organisational task accomplishment.

THANK YOU!!!