1.

1 Background to the study

Performance Appraisal system is the single most important tool in sophisticated and well managed
organizations. No other management process has as much influence over individual’s careers and work
lives than Performance Appraisal, and is the most powerful instrument that organizations have to mobilize
the energy of employee of the enterprise towards the achievement of strategic goals. Recognizing and
appreciating the crucial role that Performance Appraisal system as a Human Resource Management
control tool can bring in an organization, most Civil Service Departments in Zambia have engaged in the
implementation of Performance Appraisal System as a proactive response to the problem of decline in the
efficiency and effectiveness of the public servants in service delivery. The University of Zambia, a Public
University is one of the civil service institutions that is implementing performance Appraisal in a bid to
ensure both academic and support staff performance improves and is sustained so as to make the
institution relevant and competitive in the provision of higher education both to the local and international
community.
Academic and support staff under-performance is a phenomenon which is never welcome in the sphere of
Socio-Economic development of any country. The serious consequences of under-performance on the part
of the academic and support of the University of Zambia, being the highest learning institution in the
country is felt at every stage of the Socio-Economic development of the Zambian community. Most
students complain of the assistance, support, guidance and attention they receive from the members of
staff, a situation which has led most prospective students prefer going to other competing Universities.
Equally, organizations either public or private complain of the quality of graduates in terms of knowledge,
skills, values and attitudes. Admittedly, there are many other factors at play, but much is owed to the
academic staff performance in various disciplines. Under-performance on the part of academic staff sets a
poor foundation for higher achieving and gifted students because they end up not receiving adequate
impartation to be grounded fully in their programmes of study and get developed holistically as expected
under good academic staff performance. Currently, devotion to duty and dedication to the profession is
questionable. These essential traits are almost missing in the current generation of academic and support
staff of the University of Zambia.
Realizing the presence and consequences of under-performance on the part of both academic and support
staff, the Council of the University of Zambia, which is the central administration in the University, through
the Human Resource Department embarked on the implementation of performance Appraisal system in
2016 as one of the ways to improve the performance of the academic and support staff.
A statement of the problem is used in research work as a claim that outlines the problem
addressed by a study. A good research problem should address an existing gap in knowledge in
the field and lead to further research

Research purpose is a statement of "why" the study is being

conducted, or the goal of the study. The goal of a study might be to
identify or describe a concept or to explain or predict a situation or
solution to a situation that indicates the type of study to be conducted
(Beckingham, 1974).

1.2 Statement of the problem

Numerous studies in the area of Performance Management show that Appraisal is one of the major focus
of business today because of the more significant role it plays. Performance Appraisal is a single largest
contributor to individual and organizational effectiveness and if ignored, organizations fails Greene, J.R
(2014). While the benefits of performance Appraisal system will depend on a multitude of factors, good
implementation of the system is of primary concern. Implemented well, performance Appraisal can focus
every person’s attention on the company or institution’s mission, vision and values. But poorly
implemented, the whole system quickly becomes the butt of jokes and the target of Dilbert lampoons Grote,
D. (2002). Performance Appraisal is difficult and doing the procedure is like being in the Olympics of
management (Ibid).
So far, however, little attention has been paid to assess the implementation of performance Appraisal
system in the University since it was introduced in 2016. This study therefore, seek to find out whether
Performance Appraisal System is being implemented well enough to realize what it promises under good
implementation.

Purpose of the study

This study seek to assess the Implementation of Performance Appraisal system at the University
of Zambia

1.3 Main Research Objective

 Assess on how effective Performance Management System for academic and support staff is
being implemented at the Universities of Zambia.
1.4 Specific Research Objectives
  Determine whether the key aspects to performance management system such as; setting
objectives, measurement of performance, feedback of results and rewards based on outcomes are
adhered to in the implementation
 Find out if management “ buy-in” is present for the system
 Determine whether or not performance Management Implementation is yielding the intended
results of improving academic and support staff performance
1.5 Significance of the study
 The potential contribution of this research is that it will bring to light how the Performance Appraisal
System is being implemented at the Universities of Zambia. Equally, the study will reveal the
challenges faced by departments at the University of Zambia in implementing appraisals. The
accurate assessment of the implementation of performance Appraisal system will help in
highlighting short-comings involved and make suggestion of how to improve the implementation of
the system in the University so that the system is applied effectively to improve the effectiveness
and productivity of both academic and support staff in the University.