Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

Turnover behaviour has been a focal point, eliciting interest from organisations, researchers, and human resource managers around the globe for over a century now. Research in industrial, behavioural psychology, economics and management sciences is undertaken to further insights into turnover behaviour and find the correct mix of actions, conditions, and policies to retain workers for extended periods. The social work profession around the globe struggles with retaining social workers because turnover affects organisational costs due to increased spending in recruitment and separation costs, lowered productivity and performance, cases being reallocated when social workers leave results in higher caseloads for remaining social workers and a lack of trust in the system which ultimately affects client outcomes.

Methodology

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as theoretical grounding, this study aims to determine the factors influencing social worker turnover intentions and their intervening role in performance in the Northern Cape Department of Social Development (NCDSD). The literature review included a review of articles, books and applicable legislative frameworks governing social work in the South African context. The literature review indicates that the factors that influence social worker turnover intentions are job satisfaction, caseloads, supervisory support, and demographics. These factors are also related to job performance. Consequently, a proposed conceptual framework was developed based on the prevalence of the five factors influencing social worker turnover intention and the different relationships observed.

Findings

The study is novel because the identified factors have yet to be investigated in their proposed relations to each other. The study contributes to the turnover intention field by highlighting that social worker job satisfaction, usually derived from serving clients, can be overwritten into a turnover intention. Moreover, turnover intention is an outcome of already high rates of actual turnover in the social work profession. The knock-on effects can also be observed in the reported high caseloads and lack of supervisory support.

Proposals

In addition, the literature review reveals that social workers in developed and developing countries face similar challenges. Specifically, this is due to the undervaluing of the profession, overemphasis on bureaucracy and managerialism, and lack of funding to improve the social worker work environment. While supervision is acknowledged as an important ingredient in social welfare success, its effective practice is neglected. Therefore, social welfare organisations should aim to create a conducive environment where social workers can flourish and create policies that address social worker turnover intention.

References

No references for the abstract

Problem Statement and Purpose

Undoubtedly, the South African Public Service is under pressure to adopt new strategies to manage public service delivery and human resources, focusing on training and human resources development. Training and development of public service officials serve as an enabler in ensuring that public servants are capable and competent to render efficient and effective services. The training and development process is often described as lacking in implementing best practices and not responsive to the changing nature of the environment and the needs of public servants. In addition, there is limited evidence-based knowledge on training and development practices in Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Given the critical role of public servants, government departments must identify and implement effective and efficient training and development interventions. This paper aims to debate the need for an improved training and development process and propose new and practical insights to ensure an efficient and effective learning process based on the perspectives of human resource development management and public servant training attendees.

Methodology

This paper applied a mixed methods research approach and a concurrent triangulation design, across national and provincial spheres of government. The data collection instruments included a literature review and a pilot study, 16 participants were interviewed in both the semi-structured face-to-face and semi-structured telephone interviews, and 346 participants completed the survey questionnaires.

Findings

Despite the existing training and development regulatory framework, numerous challenges continue to obstruct the implementation of the training and development process. Key qualitative findings suggested that training programmes are often provided without performing systematic training needs assessments. Key quantitative findings indicated the need for a continuous learning culture and professional development opportunities. Furthermore, there is a crucial need to implement training and development processes that reflect the individual needs of public servants.

Proposals

To improve training and development practices within the South African public service work environment, the value and importance of the learning organisation model, particularly its relevance for an efficient and effective training and development process, must be explored.

References

Ngema, K., Rajlal., A. and Utete, R. 2022. Employee Training as a Panacea for Career Development: Evidence from South African Police Service. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, 18(6):174-195.

Mohlomi, N. and Mutereko, S. 2019. Training and development in the public sector: A case of Provincial Department of Kwazulu Natal, Durban: University of KwaZulu Natal, College of Law and Management Studies.

Schutte, N. and Barkhuizen, N. 2018. Creating public service excellence applying learning organisation methods: the role of strategic leadership. Journal of International Cooperation and Development, 1(1):1-12.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Working from home (WFH) enabled organisations to maintain job continuity across the world during the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic period. Service delivery in the public sector should continue, even under disruptive circumstances. The ability of organisations to function during the COVID-19 pandemic period by implementing WFH allowed the state to remain productive with minimal face-to-face operations and enabled employees to continue with their duties without having to be in their respective organisational offices

The study intended to add value to the body of knowledge in the field of public administration in South Africa by enhancing on the knowledge regarding working conditions and the conduct and preference of employees in the public sector regarding WFH. It aspired to open communication channels and platforms on the conditions involving WFH as an alternative working environment for public sector employees under both unforeseen and ordinary circumstances.

Methodology

The study evaluated how WFH affected Statistics South Africa employees’ performance during the period. Factors affecting employees working from home were considered in evaluating the conditions under which organisation found themselves while WFH. Organisational digital maturity as well as e-governance in the South African public sector were explored towards overall organisational capacity building in service delivery. The study used performance theories in identifying primary aspects pertaining to employees’ performance. Performance theories used towards evaluation included the job performance theory, job demand-resource theory, and self-determination theory. This enabled the exploration of performance in association with tasks carried out through timelines, quality and quantity of work

Data for the study were gathered by means of a quantitative questionnaire that primarily used ordinal Likert scale items in evaluating and measuring employees’ participation and performance. Obtained data were analysed using quantitative methodologies in evaluating distribution levels to measure and compare performance across different categorical groupings. Non-parametric statistical techniques for distribution analysis, including the Kruskal-Wallis Test and the Mann-Whitney U Test, were performed in SPSS for analysis.

Findings

Employees’ job satisfaction and positive performance levels were observed in the study, with most of the employees indicating that they performed significantly well under the WFH conditions. Most of the employees who indicated that they were able to carry out their duties while WFH also indicated high levels of job satisfaction. Employees also indicated that they would prefer to have the option to WFH in the public sector. Amongst additional benefits, employees relate WFH with the ability to work more hours while maintaining high levels of communication with their colleagues and supervisors by means of existing digital solutions.

Proposals

The private sector poses a continued threat to government institution with regard to staff retention. These threats can be managed by competitive practise in the public sector. Opportunities and developments in the private sector put public sector employees under pressure to match up with their peers in their fields of work. This suggests reaction from the public sector in balancing the working conditions to match those offered in the private sector.

References

Aksoy, C.G., Barrero, J.M., Bloom, N., Davis, S.J., Dolls, M. & Zarate, P. 2022. Working from home around the world. Cambridge: Research, N.B.O.E. [Online] Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3386/w30446 [Accessed: 23 October 2023].

Al-Habaibeh, A., Watkins, M., Waried, K. & Javareshk, M.B. 2021. Challenges and opportunities of remotely working from home during Covid-19 pandemic. Global Transitions, 3:99-108.

Al-Shameri, A.S.A.S. & Omar, S.S.B. 2022. HR Digitalization as a Critical HR practice to Navigate through Covid-19 for the Improvement of the Employee Job Performance. Paper presented at Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Istanbul, Turkey, March:7-10.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Change impacts employees’ behavior in different ways and triggers various reactions. Managers in public services need to be thoughtful of initiating employee-centered strategies that helps them to maintain happy and committed employees during change. This is because employees are an investment without which public institutions cannot render services to satisfy the needs of citizens. Managers in the public service must therefore continually seek ways to mitigate negative impacts of change on employees to bolster their employee retention strategies. Although there is abundant research that focuses on workplace insecurities and reactions that are induced by change internationally, such research is lacking in South Africa, more so in the public service as the largest employer. Although not related to change, there is a growing research interest in this topic in the discipline of industrial psychology. However, this research fails to cater for the needs of the public service since it has been conducted in mining and construction companies and auto industries (see Jacobs, 2012 and Monaco, 2019). This paper examines the influence of workplace uncertainties on contemplations to leave and specifically focuses on a period of change. It contributes to public human resource management as a field of Public Administration. It covers five discussions that include justification for the need of this research, context and theoretical framework, research design and methodology, presentation of selected findings and discussions and analysis.

Methodology

This paper is a synopsis of the findings of a study that was conducted in the Free State Department of Police Roads and Transport (DPR&T), at which quantitative data was collected through a specially designed research questionnaire. This research questionnaire was administered to a research sample of 132 respondents selected from a target population of 2271 employees. The unit of analysis of this paper is interdependences that exist between workplace insecurities and contemplations to leave during change, whilst the units of observation are selected antecedents, namely, job security, stress, workload, performance demands, salary, anxiety, uncertainty and job stability.

Findings

Empirical evidence demonstrates that workplace uncertainties evoke contemplations by employees to leave during change. This is so in this paper in which proportionate numbers of respondents that were dissatisfied about job security, stress, workload, performance demands, salaries, levels of anxiety and job stability reported having had contemplations to leave DPR&T during change.

Proposals

Due to frequent changes that that are instituted in the South African public service, there is a constant need for managers to observe how changes impact on employee behavior. They need to implement proactive measures to mitigate the negative impacts of changes on employees. Amongst other initiatives, they need to consistently conduct exit interviews and explore alternative ways through which workforce stability can be achieved. From an academic point of view, research on interdependencies between workplace insecurities and contemplations by employees to leave needs to be intensified to support employee retention strategies of the South African public service.

References

Charles, W.P., Gie, L. and Musakuro, R.N. 2023. ‘Barriers to the employability of people with disabilities in the South African public service’, African Journal of Disability 12(0), a1178.

Jacobs, M. 2021. Job insecurity: Assessment, causes and consequences in a South African gold mining group. This thesis is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in Industrial Psychology at the North-West University: Potchefstroom campus.

Monaco, L. 2019. Emerging Insecurities: Precarization of Employment Relations in the Indian and South African Auto Industries, Labour, Capital and Society,