A human resource management programme for social workers at psychiatric hospitals

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study investigated the need for a human resource management programme for social workers at psychiatric hospitals. The emphasis was on gaining access to andexploiting optimal specialist knowledge and skills.The motivation for the study has been the new challenges brought about byrationalisation of health and 'welfare services due to budget limitations and the 1996White Paper for Social Welfare's call for more effective and equitable service delivery.Due to management cut-backs and restructuring of services, the prospects forsatisfying extrinsic needs of staff, for example, by means of salary increases andpromotion options, are poor. It thus becomes the task of the social work manager toactivate potentially committed staff members by means of satisfying their higherintrinsic needs such as for example the need for autonomy and greater responsibility.A literature study was undertaken to explore and describe the relatJonship between theadministrative, educational and supportive functions of human resource managementand supervision within the framework of the development model.Data for the empirical study was collected by means of. self-administeredquestionnaires completed by the social workers at the three psychiatric hospitals in theWestern Cape namely, Valkenberg, Lentegeur and Stikland. The needs of socialworkers and the tasks of the manager were investigated and described.Guidelines for a human resource management programme were determined accordingto the research findings in terms of staff acquisition, staff development and training,staff utilisation and evaluation. Findings also indicated the need for a shift from acontrol to a more participative and commitment paradigm.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University