Employee perceptions towards organisational Performance Appraisal Systems (PAS) play a critical role in achieving motivated personnel who performed optimally, hence increasing organisational performance.
These were the research findings of MANCOSA’s MBA graduate, Mr Dushen Nagesur, an electrical engineer by profession. Using a steel company as a case study, he investigated the interrelationship between staff performance appraisal, employee motivation and job satisfaction,. Work towards his research dissertation resulted in Nagesur, now a Technical Manager at Aberdare Cables Group Operations Centre in Johannesburg, graduating cum laude (with distinction).
Investigating the dichotomy between the intended and actual use of a PAS is commonplace in organisations and underpinned Nagesur’s research. He conducted research to establish whether existing systems exacerbated or improved employee and organisational efficiencies.
According to Nagesur, the findings show a correlation between PAS satisfaction and perception with employee job satisfaction. The findings further suggested that Performance Appraisal Systems play a critical role in developing employees who are both organisationally and job engaged through motivation and job satisfaction.
“PAS can be used as a tool to increase both financial and non-financial organisational performance through directly influencing employee performance. However, this is subject to many conditions and constraints. The most pertinent of which is that simply creating and administrating a PAS and expecting it to create an environment of employee motivation and job satisfaction may not produce favourable results. Instead, such poorly designed systems may result in the complete opposite effect – demotivation and little to no job satisfaction,” said Nagesur.
Responding to his academic achievement, Nagesur said it was a great feeling to be awarded a cum laude pass. Graduating with distinction was an indicator that the sacrifices he made while studying were not in vain. “I was living four hours away from Durban during the completion of this degree made travel to examinations and workshops very difficult. Also, senior employment at a steel works’ plant demands physical and mental commitment and meant that I could only really pursue my studies when time permitted,” he said.
An inherent drive to achieve academic excellence, hard work and the unwavering support of his fiancé and parents has been a recipe for success for Nagesur. The MBA journey has brought to the fore the challenges of working and studying simultaneously, therefore he advises those willing to pursue the MBA, to follow effective time management.
“The MBA degree has helped me greatly in my current position. It has given me a holistic view of how a successful business should and can operate, as well as aided in identifying the necessary support structures that should be in place to allow it to do so,” he added.