Abstract:
This study focuses on emerging challenges of implementing performance appraisal practices in the South African Public Services context. It develops from a consideration of existing criticism on the way several studies on performance appraisal practices and their associated problems in the public service, use developed countries as a sample. The criticism makes the insight from the developed world-based studies inadequate regarding a developing country such as South Africa. The nation of South Africa faces teething problems with service delivery and public service employees’ performance. The study examines and seeks to provide an important building block for further studies and understanding of current performance appraisal practices and their difficulties within the South African public organisations, and by extension, developing countries.
Drawing on an explanatory case study design, data was collected from 16 employees of the 187 employees at the Auditor General of South Africa, Bloemfontein Office, in the Free State, using semi-structured in-depth interview questionnaire. The data was analysed manually. The key findings of the study are that: employees know and understand performance appraisal practices; employees consider the individual performance contract as part of performance appraisal practices and important for them because it contains targets and actions that contribute to the balance score card of AGSA; and that, employees experienced challenges, which have an impact on performance appraisal practices. As a result, the study recommends that performance appraisal practices should have clear objective in order for them to function effectively and achieve the service excellence needed by the organisation.
