| Summary: | The South African Police Service (SAPS) is increasingly moving towards community policing and
a greater transparency with regards to the community. This movement places great demands on the
interpersonal efficiency of trainers. To date no research has been done about the stimulation of
interpersonal efficiency of trainers at the South African Police Service Training College at
Hammanskraal.
The interpersonal efficiency and development thereof in Industrial Psychology is presented from a
humanistic paradigm in this thesis. The interpersonal efficiency programme has as its aim to stimulate
psychological optimacy and to study interpersonal skills. The methodology of the programme
involves an individual growth-stimulating discussion, a growth-group and interpersonal skills training.
A two-group design with pre and post testing was used to evaluate the interpersonal efficiency
training programme. Instructors at the South African Police Service Training College at
Hammanskraal were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group. The Personal
Orientation Inventory was used to evaluate the psychological optimacy, while Carkhuff scales were
utilised in the evaluation of interpersonal skills.
As far as the quantitative results are concerned it was found that upon completion of the programme
participants tended to react from within the self and to accept themselves. While members of the
experimental group were more aware of their feelings after the programme had been completed, this
did not differ significantly from the control group. The interpersonal skills of the experimental group
were significantly better after completing the programme than those of the control group.
As far as qualitative impressions were concerned it was found that aspects such as the restriction of
innovation, autocratic management practices and the abuse of power inhibited the participants'
growth toward psychological optimacy. On the basis of the growth group it was found that
participants became more aware of their own responsibilities and that they could air their feelings.
A low level of trust in the group was possibly the results of the autocratic environment. Argued on
the basis of qualitative impressions, it can be stated that upon completion of the programme the
participants had developed a greater self-responsibility, listened better, gained greater self-knowledge,
reacted on feelings and developed more self-confidence.
Recommendations for future research are also given. === Skripsie (MA (Bedryf- en Personeelsielkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997.
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