Knowledge and attitudes of operational supervisors on the performance management system at Mopani district hospitals in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Background: This study seeks to determine knowledge and attitudes of operational supervisors on the performance management system, at Mopani district hospitals in Limpopo Province. This is owing to the fact that literature indicates that poor management of performance is still found among experienced managers. Employees‟ perception is that managers/supervisors lack proper understanding with regard to implementation of management performance system, due to lack of training and use of predefined ratings. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the district hospitals of Mopani district for a period of two months (March to April 2010). The study targets operational supervisors because they directly supervise many employees (5 to 8) and are at the front line of service delivery, interacting daily with community members. Results: A response rate of 54% (88/162) was achieved. Operational supervisors with less than ten years of experience scored higher in both positive attitude and knowledge on performance management system, as compared to supervisors with more than ten years of experience. There is no statistical significance difference with all questions relating to perceptions. Conclusion: The finding of this study has led to the following recommendations being made: a) The provision of regular in-service training on implementation of the performance management system with special attention being given to operational supervisors, to assist in adherence to some form of quality control. b) Setting up of a task team to conduct regular audits on the implementation of performance management system in all departmental institutions hospitals to ensure that quality service delivery is provided to clients.