ZQMS-ARC-REC-002

ASSIGNMENT COVER

REGION: HARARE

PROGRAMME: BCOMM-HHIR INTAKE: 31

FULL NAME OF STUDENT: NYARADZO SIMANGO PIN: P1875833G

MAILING ADDRESS: simangonyari@gmail.com

CONTACT TELEPHONE/CELL: 0773805059 ID. NO.:63-1456560A13

COURSE NAME: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COURSE CODE: BHIR301

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1 DUE DATE: 14 MARCH 2020

ASSIGNMENT TITLE:
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MARKER’S COMMENTS: ______________________________________________________

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OVERALL MARK: _____________ MARKER’S NAME: ________________________

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MARKER’S SIGNATURE:_______________________________ DATE: _________Issue
Date
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT

Performance management according to Cronje, (2001), is the means by which managers ensure
that employee activities and output are in line with the business goals. It is a means of getting
better results from the organisation, teams and individuals by understanding and managing
performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards. It is
against this background that benefits are accrued by the manufacturing company of beverages,
Delta Beverages in Zimbabwe. The importance of the main characteristics of performance will
be elaborated further in the essay to follow. Some benefits include clear work goals and
responsibility, defining and agreeing on targets, standards of performance, greater commitment
and motivation of staff just to mention but a few.

SIDA, (1998), identified that performance management leads to performance improvement

process based on a joint problem solving approach rather than an evaluation and control system.
This is because it places emphasis on organizational goals and values with individual managers’
objective being formulated as part of the inter-grated setting of goals and standards of all
employees. Therefore it is essential for making better decisions and solving problems
effectively. For example at Delta Beverages if a worker is entitled to deliver a certain number of
loads in various cities, performance management will make sure that the number of deliveries to
be made a day has been reached. Thus the problem of deliveries in various cities and town will
have been solved unlike when the performance of the driver for deliveries is not managed.

Performance management places emphasis on longer term goals as on short term objectives. It
focuses on results not processes with increased effectiveness, eliminating unnecessary activities.
It encourages managers to prioritize their work objectives so that they focus on key areas that are
critical for the achievement of organizational goals. For example if the objective of Delta is to
provide beverages across the region, there is need for managers to meet the demand of beverages
to be produced locally or either it wishes to open another manufacturing plant in those regions.
It can also set goals to expand the manufacturing plant locally so that it will be able to provide

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across regions. Their long term goals to produces regionally will be achieved stating by short
terms goals of local cities and towns.

Also it improves retention and attraction of staff as the system rewards high performers by
offering them an incentive of remaining in the company. Thus an organisation operating a
performance system is likely to attract higher performers when recruiting from outside. The
reward system attracts highly skilled well abled individuals in the organisation. As such if more
skilled workers are employeed, it increases productivity and the business becomes more
profitable enabling the opening of other branches. For example Delta is established in many
countries besides Zimbabwe. This is because the reward system was able to retain more skilled
and self-motivated workers as they were attracted by the reward system and helped the company
to grow in different nations.

It promotes individual accountability as clear work goals and responsibility are issued. The
process of defining the purpose of the job and establishing key results and the individual being
clear of responsibilities. As individual members will have knowledge on who is responsible for
what, efficiency is improved and making individuals to pay for their mistakes or to receive
rewards for performance well done. For example at Delta when an employee is based at a
certain floor of production, and if damage is recognized that beverages from a certain floor are
not fully tied up, the management will know who to ask as tasks and responsibility area would
have been issued. It gives individual members sense of belonging and satisfaction that their
tasks are required for the achievement of the companies objectives.

It is a reliable method of measuring performance since staff are evaluated against objectives they
themselves have participated in setting. Thus it reduces favouritism and ensure that there is
fairness amoung employees. This will increase the morale of the workforce, also raises the
standard of unskilled members in order to overcome labour shortages. It provides for succession
by enabling qualified replacements to be available. For example at Delta managers have
objectives they set according to their area, they have knowledge of the demand and quantities
required for their area, as such they set their goals and objectives accordingly. Therefore their
performance will be measured against the targeted area of responsibility.

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There is improved communication as the process of clarifying mission, goal setting result in
better communication throughout the organisation at all levels. Performance management forces
managers to talk to each other, help their subordinates in any way possible. Effective
communication reduces the chances of grapevine thereby increasing productivity and profits.
This will lead to growth and expansion of the company as evidenced by Delta Beverage which
has grown over the years as a result of performance management.

Furthermore performance management strengthens managerial motivation through goal setting.

Thus by allowing its managers to have a hand in setting their own objectives, the organisation
has provided them with an incentive system for achievement. Managers are self-motivated as
there would like to achieve the goals which they would have set themselves. These will result in
motivational variables of recognition of achievements, growth and responsibilities that are
internalized and operationalized.

Moreover the assessment of personnel brings to the fore training needs of subordinates and
super-ordinates. Thus there is more effective development of people as training need is
identified individuals will go for training in order to gain knowledge and skills hence increase
the level of performance of duties.

Overall performance management is an intergrated approach balancing people, attitudes and

skills, processes and procedures that reflect the organisation’s culture. It determines the desired
performance standards in the business. Measuring performance by using performance appraisals
and giving feedback to employees on their performance.

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References:
Cronje, PM, (2001), Performance Management, 2nd Edition, Irwin, London.
Noe, RA, (1997), Human Resource Management, Reutledge, London.
Pfeffer, J, (1995), An A-Z Training & Development, London, Kogan Page.
SIDA, (1998), Performance Appraisals Handbook, Theory & Practicals, Juta, Capetown.
Thomas, B, (1992), Total Quality Training, London, McGraw-Hill.