CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
Performance
appraisal is one of the most problematic components of human resource (HR)
management (e.g. Allen and Mayfield, 1983). All involved parties — supervisors,
employees, and HR administrators — typically are dissatisfied with their
organization’s performance appraisal system (Smith et al., 1996) and view the
appraisal process as either a futile bureaucratic exercise or, worse, a
destructive influence on the employee-supervisor relationship (e.g. Momeyer,
1986). This is certainly true of most organizations, at least in the USA,
wherein surveys typically reveal widespread dissatisfaction with the appraisal
process (Huber, 1983; Walsh, 1986). Despite these indictments, managers are
reluctant to abandon performance appraisal which they still regard as an
essential tool of HR management (Meyer, 1991).
Appraisal,
according to Smith (2000), involves the identification of cause and effect
relationships on which employment and labour policies are based or can be based
and are a routine process that organizations use to evaluate their employees.
It is a systematic assessment that is as objective as possible of an ongoing
programme or policy, its design, implementation and results. Its aim is to
appraise the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, efficiency, effectiveness,
impact and sustainability. Although,
performance appraisal itself is often a process that involves documentation and
communication, the tendency in recent years has been to formalize the appraisal
process, whereas in years past, an informal approach with very little record
keeping sufficed, now more documentation is required. Organizations usually
formalize part of the process by using a standard form. Currently, many organizations are
implementing or planning to implement, reward and/or recognition programmes
believing that these will help bring about the desired cultural change. In some
organizations, large amounts of money are being invested in these types of
activities and some managers are required specifically to set aside a certain amount
from their budgets for this purpose (Denning, 2001). This rationale is based on
the assumption that these types of incentives will encourage employee loyalty,
foster teamwork and ultimately facilitate the development of the desired
culture that encourages and supports knowledge sharing.
One
factor that contributes to an effective performance appraisal system entails
ensuring that the system focuses on performance variables as opposed to
personal traits (Smither, 1998). Whereas experts disagree about whether
performance should be measured in terms of the results produced by employees
(e.g. Kane et al., 1995) or in terms of work-related behaviors (e.g. Murphy and
Cleveland, 1991), they agree that measuring personal traits has several
drawbacks. For example Jankowicz (2004) notes that the validity and reliability
of trait-based performance appraisals is highly suspect because the rater’s
perceptions of the traits being assessed are affected by his/her opinions,
biases, and experiences that may have little to do with the particular
employee. In addition, appraisals based on personal traits have little value
for providing diagnostic feedback to employees or for designing training and
development programs to ameliorate identified skill deficiencies (Squires and
Adler, 1998). Furthermore, based on his review of the findings from several
court cases involving performance appraisal, Malos (1998) concluded that, to be
legally sound, appraisals should be job-related and based on behaviors rather
than traits. For an appraisal system to be effective, employees must believe
that they have an opportunity for meaningful input into the appraisal process
(Weick, 2001). Such input may range from having the opportunity to challenge or
rebut the evaluation one receives to judging one’s own performance through
self-appraisal. Regardless of the nature of employee input, it is clear that
giving employees a voice in their own appraisals enhances the perceived
fairness of the appraisal process, which, in turn, increases the likelihood
that employees will accept the appraisal system as a legitimate and
constructive means of gauging their performance contributions. As noted by
Gilliland and Langdon (1998), without the perception of fairness, “a system
that is designed to appraise, reward, motivate, and develop can actually have
the opposite effect and create frustration and resentment”.
The
increasing role of the Police has become an important factor in the present day
Nigeria. Crime wave has blown to alarming proportion and every citizen
endeavors to safeguard the properties of his own seat. In the process, efforts
are made by the Police to provide services that in effect cement over some of
the cracks in the structure of the society (Bunyard, 1999). Police activities
and tasks have expanded and become tougher with changing trend but police
objectives have remained unaltered.
To
stem the eruption of crime is primary and vital objectives of the police. The
activities of uniformed policemen and women patrolling either on foot or by
motor vehicle still fear on criminals or confidence into other members of the
society. This confidence could be strengthened through public enlightenment,
workshops and symposia on crime and its evil effects.
Therefore,
Police performance appraisal is one of the most important components of law
enforcement management—affecting the quality of the services a department
delivers as well as the satisfaction of its employees. It is crucial that the
performance appraisal process is conducted in an effective and equitable
manner.
For
this reason, the researcher considers it necessary to evaluate the impact of
performance appraisal as it affects productivity of the employees of the
Nigeria Police Force with emphasis on the Enugu area command.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
At
an organizational level, the performance appraisal system impacts other HR
systems as well as organizational strategy. Latham and Wexley (2001) assert
that the effectiveness of an organization’s performance appraisal system is a
prerequisite for ensuring the success of its selection, training, and employee
motivation practices. At a strategic level, the need for rapid and effective
organizational change in today’s dynamic social, economic, and political
environment requires that employees continually re-align their performance with
the evolving goals and objectives of the organization (O’Donnell and Shields,
2002). The need to continually re-align performance propels many organizational
departments which continue to struggle with getting their members to embrace
the philosophies and practices that are geared at enhancing performance
(Scrivner, 1995; Vinzant and Crothers, 1994). As noted by Kane et. al.
(1995:285), “an appraisal system must be considered a major organizational
change effort which should be pursued in the context of improving the
organization’s effectiveness”. Many organizations are faced with the challenges
of an appraisal system either because they find it too rigorous and prone to
error or they lack the knowledge of administering it and how to make management
decisions based on the result. To address these problems, we shall seek answers
to the following research questions.
- Is there any Performance Appraisal System existing in the Nigeria
Police Force?
- To what extent does performance appraisal affect the
efficiency and productivity of Officers in the Nigeria Police Force?
- Does appraisal based on set goals and targets have an effect
on officers’ efficiency in the Nigeria Police Force?
- Is there a relationship between Performance appraisal, reward
and efficiency?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
1.3.1 General Objective
The
study’s main objective is to investigate the effect of performance appraisal
system in the Officers’ performance in the Nigeria Police force with special
focus on Enugu State Police area command.
- Specific Objectives
- To determine if there is an existing Performance Appraisal
System in the Nigeria Police Force.
- To investigate the extent to which performance appraisal affects
the efficiency and productivity of Officers in the Nigeria Police Force.
- To assess the effect of appraisal based on set goals and
targets on officers’ efficiency in the Nigeria Police Force?
- To determine if there is a relationship between Performance
appraisal, reward and efficiency?
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The
significance of the study presents the value or contribution which the research
will make to the existing knowledge. Obasi (1999:73), asserts that research is
most important tool for advancing knowledge and enables man to relate more
effectively to his environment. The significance of this study is categories
into theoretical and empirical significance.
Theoretical Significance
Theoretically,
this work has the potential of contributing greatly to the growth of existing
theories in social science particularly in public administration by helping to
enrich the bank of knowledge through its reliable findings on the effect of
performance appraisal on employee productivity. This is to say that our study
would assist in improving the frontiers of knowledge especially in improving
efficiency of Officers in Nigeria Police Force.
This research work will be of
immense benefit to the Nigeria Police Force in particular and to the general
public (Nigerians). This study will create awareness
of the importance of performance appraisals and to make them appreciate the
need to maximize its benefit while minimizing its pitfalls to justify the use
of performance appraisal as a yardstick for determining individual reward in an
organization.
Government
will also find this research useful as it will help them to know the areas in
which they should offer adequate help to the police. Therefore academically, it
provides additional literature in this important area of research. This research will also be of benefit to the society and to
students carrying out research on the effect of performance appraisal on
employee productivity.
Empirical Significance
Empirically, this study is considered significant it will
contribute in providing the decision makers and other key actors in the Nigeria
Police Force with the road-maps that will necessitate prompt, responsive and
efficient service in the NPF. It will also serve as a panacea through which the
campaign against inefficiency and poor service delivery in the Nigeria Police
Force can be effectively tackled.
In addition, the study has the potential to strategically improve
the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force through its
advocacy for a performance appraisal system. In this regard, this work is a
practical pain staking ‘post mortem’ surgical examination of the problems of
Nigeria police Force as well as the way forward. It is generally expected that
the study will sharpen the administrative capacities of Officers entrusted with
security of lives and properties.
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
The
study was conducted within the framework of evaluating performance appraisal as
a tool for productivity enhancement of staff of the Nigeria Police Force. A
case study of the Enugu Area Command. The study was carried out in the Area
command and the five divisions under it namely, Ogui division, New haven
division, Abakpa division, Transekulu division and Abakiliki road division.
The limitation inherent includes the inability of the researcher to include the entire employee in the Nigeria police force due to some problems and hence generalization are only restricted to Enugu area command. Prominent among these problems are financial constraint as it limited her from engaging on much journey for the collection of data, Time constraints which limited the work as a result of busy schedule. This kind of work ordinarily requires an extensive study of the issue and cases and finally Attitude of respondents. Some of the respondents were not ready to let go of vital information as they felt they were letting go official secret. However all these constraints were not allowed to hinder the researcher from putting together this articulate piece.
THE EFFECT OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN OFFICERS’ EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE_ A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU AREA COMMAND
