A strategy for the implementation of performance management in schools in a province of Zimbabwe / Talkmore Saurombe

• Main Author: Saurombe, Talkmore
• Language: en
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Performance management; Performance information; Work plans; Involvement; Goal commitment; Perceptions; Training and development; Implementation; Policy; Innovation; Remuneration; Accountability; Management
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/11968

This study set out to study performance management implementation in the education sector in a province of Zimbabwe. The study argues that the implementation of performance management in schools has been done in a haphazard manner without serious consideration for the factors that impede successful implementation of change programmes. The study identified the human, financial, technological, information and structural issues that influenced the commitment to successful implementation. Other factors are the lack of material resources and other intangible resources such as organizational culture and deemed necessary for the successful implementation of practices such as performance management together with the intangible A literature search and empirical study were developed through focussed study on an international level, the international perspective on how performance management is implemented in selected geographical locations to establish what international practice is regarding performance management implementation was done. Qualitative approaches to data collection were involved in the study as focus groups and in-depth interviews with twenty-six respondents were done. Findings suggest that the implementation process is flawed and does not consider deeply the factors that are necessary for implementation of performance management. Implementer perception issues bar see performance management being implemented in ritualistic manner as a way of satisfying policy requirements without any improved out come from the process, There is widespread evidence that the performance information is used selectively in a manner that satisfies the needs of the employer and not for purposes of developing, training and remunerating employees. The study recommends high participation and commitment of implementing agents for the implementation process to succeed and the heavy investment in training of human capital, the availability of requisite resources and the building of high level hard skills and soft skills as necessary for the successful implementation performance management in schools. Remuneration plays a very important part in ensuring the promotion of the individual‟s goals in order to realise the organizations goals. The flow of information as communication and feedback from the lower reaches of the province‟s lower rungs ensure that the programme is well understood by implementers and at the same time the information is used to clarify theposition of the programme so that impediments may be minimised. Lastly, the study identified areas for further research which if carried out will improve the knowledge of how such programmes may be perfected in order to ensure a high degree of success with the implementation process. === PhD (Educational Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014