An evaluation of participative management in police organisations at station level.

[摘要] In any organisation it is of the utmost importance that employees form part of thedecisions made by management that influence them personally as well as those decisionsthat have an influence on their daily responsibilities. A sound principle that could bepractised by managers to address this aspect is that of participative management.Although it will depend on the type of manager there is legislation in South Africa thatforces managers to ensure that their personnel are managed in a participative manner.There are formal and informal methods to practice participative management in anorganisation and certain factors that will have an influence on the successfulimplementation of this type of management style.In this research the focus will be on participative management at the police stations in theEastern Metropole, Western Cape as well as a benchmarking with the police departmentsin Wyoming, United States of America.The methods that will be used to gather information to evaluate participative managementwill entail a questionnaire that has to be completed by the employees at the identifiedpolice stations and personal interviews with the individual Station Commissioners andChiefs at the police departments in Wyoming.The analysis in relation to the questionnaires, interviews and literature review has beenused by the researcher to formulate the findings and recommendations.The employees who work at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole are satisfiedwith the amount of responsibility and accountability that is delegated to them by themanagement. The employees are therefore adequately empowered to render aprofessional service to their respective clients. There is a need for the management at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole toimprove on the following:to make use of the ideas, talents and suggestions of employees;to obtain commitment from employees before embarking on a course of action;to utilize the ideas on how to solve problems and improve service delivery byemployees;the identifying of critical outputs and goals by the employees for their work, althoughthe Performance Enhancement Process has ensured the opportunity it seems that thenegotiation of the outputs in the individual performance plans of employees still needimprovement;to create a working environment where employees are treated as stakeholders anddemocracy is enhanced by means of participative management; and thedispute settlement between management and unions.That the management at station level:do not always consult with employees in relation to decisions that affect them; andthere are not always opportunities created for employees to participate in decisionmaking.The legislation and collective agreements that relate to participative management in theSAPS are not always adhered to by the management at the police stations in the EasternMetropole, Western Cape. Shop stewards should get more involved at station level in therepresentation of their respective employees. Participative management is being practisedat the police stations in the Eastern Metropole, but there is a need for the improvementthereof.The police departments in Wyoming do not have legislative prescriptions to formalparticipative management as the Police Service of South Africa. The organisational The informal methods used in Wyoming to practice participative management are verysimilar to that of South Africa, despite the fact that there is no legislation or prescriptionsto the adherence thereof.The researcher is of the humble opinion that a clear policy in relation to the practice ofparticipative management in police organisations at station level should be compiled thatwill incorporate existing legislation and collective agreements in the SAPS as well as themethods to practice participative management. The shop stewards that represent theiremployees at the police stations in the Eastern Metropole, Western Cape should besensitised on their role and responsibilities. Managers at the police stations in the EasternMetropole, Western Cape should again be sensitised on the legislation and collectiveagreements that relate to participative management and that a suggestion box, qualitycircles and a participative management forum be implemented at station level.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University