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.
Overview
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Review Mission of a University
Conceptual Issues
Focus & Processes of Performance Management
Measuring Performance
Challenges of managing performance
Ways of Enhancing performance management
Sources of Information
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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)
What are
Universities
for?
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Mission of Universities
Generating
knowledge
through
Research
MISSION
Extension
Services: Apply
knowledge to
policy making &
Implementation,
Disseminate
Knowledge –
Teaching,
Seminars,
Conferences
etc
CLASSIFIED FUNCTIONS
Non-Academic
Academic

(Registry Personnel)
(Lecturer/Registrar)

Generate knowledge
Share knowledge (teach, conference,
consultancy etc
•Create enabling environment
for teaching & learning to take place
• Keep the mission of
university on track
•
Student
Learn: cognitive, affective & psychomotor
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3/21/2016
THE BIG QUESTION?

How
do/can
we
ensure
that
PERFORMANCE of Lecturers, Researchers,
Assistant Registrars, Administrators, Drivers,
Security
Personnel,
Drivers
etc.
is
maximized?
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, teams
and individuals by understanding and managing performance
within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and
competence requirements’ (Armstrong, 2003)
FOCUS OF PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT (PM)

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Performance improvement
Employee Development (PM not achievable unless there are effective
processes of continuous staff development)
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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:

Concerned with what people do (their work); how they do it (their
behaviour) and what they achieve (their results)
(academic,
administration, accounts, audit, procurement, transport, security, sanitation etc)
KEY FACTS
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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)
PROCESSES OF P. M.
Role Profile
Sets out purpose of role; key result areas; key competencies etc
Performance Agreement or Contract
Defines
objectives and standards of performance; performance
measures and indicators; time lines for task accomplishments etc.
Personal Development Plan
Sets out actions people intend taking to develop themselves towards
improving their performance. (Performance Development Stage)
Implementing Performance Agreement and Personal
Development Plan
Continuous process of monitoring and providing feedback on performance,
conducting informal progress reviews, updated objectives, dealing with performance
challenges etc.
.
Performance Review
Formal Evaluation of achievements, progress and problems as basis of refined
performance agreement and personal development plan or for performance ratings
Measuring Performance
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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
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Ways of Measuring Staff
Performance (Hakala n.d.)
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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
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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
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)
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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).
Cultural Values vrs P.M. principles
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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).
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)
External Interventions
 Interference from opinion leaders (Chiefs;
politicians, pastors etc), e.g. discipline
 Partisan & sectional Influence: threat to
critical mindedness, shrouds objectivity etc
Internal
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Institutional Interest Group: Formal
Organisations that have statutory interest
articulation tasks. E.g. UTAG, GAUA, TEWU,
SRC etc
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sesa wo hybr)

Authority  use of legitimate power normally
derived from law or statutes or tradition or
convention.
Power Distance
High Distance
Acceptance & high
respect for authority &
power of the boss
Titles, status & formality
very important
vrs
Low Distance
Less acceptance &
respect for authority
& power of the boss
Titles, status, & formality less
important
Case: Illusion of absolute power – Cape Coast polytechnic situation
Push Factors
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Imposition of decisions
Stifling communication (ignorance)
Resistance to Change
Unsecured working environment
Selective application of rules
Verbal Dirrhoea
Enhancing Performance
Management
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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
Team work is critical in

Performance Management
The Baobab Tree Metaphor
Nunya, adidoe, asi
mesune 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
‘
Note!!
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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.
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!!!
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