MANAGING STAFF PERFORMANCE FOR OPTIMUM OUTPUT

1. MANAGING STAFF PERFORMANCE FOR OPTIMUM OUTPUT Dr. George K.T. Oduro Workshop for Deans of Faculty, Heads of Department/Deputies/Directors University of Education, Winneba. Held at SMAYAK HOTEL, APAM< JUNCTION, 29th September 2011.

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

3. 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)

4. What are Universities for?

5. Mission of Universities Generating knowledge through Research MISSION Extension Services: Apply knowledge to policy making & Implementation, Disseminate Knowledge – Teaching, Seminars, Conferences etc

6. CLASSIFIED FUNCTIONS • Non-Academic • (Registry Personnel) • Create enabling environment • for teaching & learning to take place • Keep the mission of • university on track Academic (Lecturer/Registrar) • Generate knowledge • Share knowledge (teach, conference, consultancy etc Student Learn: cognitive, affective & psychomotor

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

8. 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,teamsandindividualsby understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competencerequirements’ (Armstrong, 2003)

9. 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)

10. 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)

11. PROCESSES OF P. M.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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)

17. 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).

18. 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).

19. 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)

20. External Interventions  Interference from opinion leaders (Chiefs; politicians, pastors etc), e.g. discipline • Partisan & sectional Influence: threat to critical mindedness, shrouds objectivity etc

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

22. 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, msesawohybr) • Authority  use of legitimate power normally derived from law or statutes or tradition or convention.

23. Power Distance High DistancevrsLow Distance • Less acceptance & respect for authority & power of the boss • Titles, status, & formality less important Acceptance & high respect for authority & power of the boss Titles, status & formality very important Case: Illusion of absolute power – Cape Coast polytechnic situation

24. Push Factors • Imposition of decisions • Stifling communication (ignorance) • Resistance to Change • Unsecured working environment • Selective application of rules • Verbal Dirrhoea

25. 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

26. Team work is critical in Performance Management  The Baobab Tree Metaphor Nunya, adidoe, asimesune o. [Knowledge is like the baobab tree, no one person can embrace it] The baobab tree metaphor drives home the fact that knowledge, resources & skills needed for maximizing performance go beyond the capacity of a single effort ‘

27. 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.

28. 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!!!