The South African Police Service organisational culture : the impact on service delivery

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This research study explores the impact of organisational culture with specific reference to theSouth African Police Service (SAPS) culture on service delivery. The two interrelated conceptsorganisational culture and service delivery are discussed broadly in terms of their challenges forthe contemporary policing function which put emphasis on the provision of police service andaccounatbility to the broader community. The premise of the study is based on literature researchevidence that organisational culture is an important factor to influence employee behaviourtowards organisational effectiveness and also determine how they respond to its externalenvironment. At the same time a strong organisational culture can be rigid and become ahindrance to change.Service delivery is a critical challenge to the government's ongoing efforts to ensure that itsdelivery process is efficient and responsive, particularly to the needs of the previouslydisadvantaged communities. In recent years, this challenge reinforced the government to embarkon broad transformation mechanisms in order to position public institutions in an environmentwhere service delivery meets the public needs and expectations. Some of these mechanismsinclude the promulgation of legislation, regulations and a series of policy frameworks notably,The White Paper on Reconstruction and Development (ROP), 1994, The White Paper on theTransformation of the Public Service of 1995, Public Service Regulation of 1999 etc. However,the provision of efficient service delivery in public institutions is usually constrained by variousfactors such as lack of capacity and shortage of competency skills, financial and technologicalresources as opposed to the private sector which normally have these resources in abundance.Since lack of sufficient financial resources will always be a challenge for public service deliveryenhancement, this study suggests that public institutions can incorporate some private sectorstrategies in order to be innovative and improve efficiency.Apart from a lack of the above mentioned resources as contributing factor to inefficient servicedelivery, available theory on organisational culture state that it is an all encompassing factor thatinfluences employee behaviour in public institutions. Chapter 3 provides a theoretical frameworkon the concept of organisational culture, its formation, and its sources, how it is sustained in theorganisation. Various models and examples of organisational culture as found in small and bigorganisations such as those associated with government agencies are analysed and distinguish in terms of why the size of the organisation can determine its prevailing culture. Smallorganisations with flat structures are considered to be flexible, autonomous, innovative andresponsive to customer needs.On the other hand the traditional bureaucratic organisations such as government agencies likepolice organisations tend to be characterised by highly formal hierarchical structure with toomany layers, operational rules and regulations which are intended to enforce control measures.However, type of structures are criticised for rigid systems, autocratic, and slow. Models forchanging organisational culture in order to increase its effectiveness are suggested.After a theoretical discussion on both the concepts organisational culture and service delivery,the SAPS was used as a case study to establish the applicability and the extent to whichorganisational culture impact on service delivery. The first stage consist of analytical perspectiveof the SAPS historical military culture since its inception in 1913 and giving critical accounts of itsoperational phases that it had undergone until the new dispensation. Since the early 1990s untilafter April 1994 elections, marked a new era in the SAPS which embarked on broadtransformation initiatives in order to change policing function from that of a narrow law and ordermaintenance to a fully integrated community policing which makes police officers to beaccountable to the broader community by rendering police service and problem solving within ahuman rights culture. However, police culture has been widely criticised as a source ofresistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood.The prevailing police culture which was inherited from the previous paramilitary legacy such asthe autocratic leadership style, traditional bureaucratic structure, corruption, secrecy, mistrust aresome of the dominant indicators which are identifiable and commonalities among the differentpolice agencies. These dominant features cause any resistance to any change initiative and areperceived with negative image. After contextualising the description of the SAPS, the studydescribes the methods and procedures used to conduct an empirical research project in the formof a pilot study conducted in two police stations in Cape Town. Data collection methods includethe following: 1) literature review, 2) open-ended one-an-one interviews with the stationcommissioners from the selected stations, 3) distributing survey questionnaires which consist ofclose ended questionnaires to junior officers at police stations to determine their attitudestowards the organisations they work in, and 4) by means of observation. Theoretical evidence proves that police culture which is characterised by paramilitary,bureaucracy, rigid systems and procedures, inflexible structure still prevail in the SAPS andcontributes significantly to lack of coordination, slow response and results inefficient servicedelivery. It is concluded that police stations are the primary centres where the public gets firsthand experience when reporting their cases or need the help of police officers to solve problemsin the community. In order to provide efficient police service, units which provide interrelatedfunctions need to be fully integrated under one unit commander in order to improve coordinationand prompt response. Policing crime is still the primary function of the police and police officersneed to be fully equipped with competency skills and other capacity building programs that areconsistent with the contemporary policing function.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University