Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)
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Item Perceptions of performance appraisals amongst civilian employees of the Department of Defence(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Gopane, Onkemetse Macphonia; Van Nieuwkerk, AnthoniThe purpose of this study was to explore civilian employees’ perceptions of the management of the performance appraisal process in the Department of Defence. To achieve this objective, a qualitative case study was undertaken whereby data were collected by using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. A sample of 15 purposely selected junior and middle management civilian participants from Defence Head Quarters was done whereby participants were interviewed and data collected analysed by using thematic analysis. The themes that emerged indicated how employees perceive and experience performance appraisal. The findings revealed that although employees understand what performance appraisal is, the management of the process remains a challenge. From the analysis, there is a lot of dissatisfaction among employees as they feel that performance appraisal is subjective, and the way performance bonuses are paid is based on favouritism and inconsistency which lead to grievances. The findings also indicated that some managers use performance appraisal to punish employees that they do not like regardless of their performance which often diminishes the morale of high performers. The absence of feedback, lack of training by Human Resource Development and lack of support and commitment by top management were also raised as challenges that impede proper management. It is therefore recommended that the Department of Defence should prioritise offering regular and detailed performance appraisal training and workshops to managers and employees so that they both have a common understanding of the objective of the process. Furthermore, the Department of Defence should benchmark with other state institutions and implement an automated performance appraisal system with the latest technology which might reduce human errors and biasednessItem “The impact of the South African national defence force armed forces week on local economies post Covid”(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Kenny, Leon Rodney; Kriek, DrikusThe purpose of this applied research study was to assess the economic impact of the armed forces event on the Nelspruit local municipality. The rationale behind choosing this particular local municipality was based on the decision made by the Military Command Council (MCC) to designate Mpumalanga as the host province and Nelspruit as the host city. Regrettably, this occurrence took place during the initial phase of lockdown, known as level 1, and was integrated into the city's strategy for revitalizing the economy in the aftermath of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Despite being a military exercise, this event holds considerable significance as it exhibits the defining characteristics of hallmark events within its category. The research incorporated both secondary and primary data sources and a cost benefit analysis methodology was used. The results suggest that this particular event had a direct economic impact of R50 665 000 on the local economy, hence benefiting a multitude of businesses in the vicinity. Furthermore, the extended duration during which the troops of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were stationed in the host city created a favourable setting for the advancement of commercial activities. The study holds significance since it highlights the potential of the Department of Defence to contribute to socio-economic upliftment, as outlined in the Defence Act, Act 42 of 2002