Performance Management Case Study: South Australia Government Finance

This case study examines the implementation of a performance management system within the finance department of a state government company in South Australia. The study highlights various workplace issues, including workplace bullying, harassment, lack of motivation, and ineffective training programs. It analyzes the impact of organizational policies and procedures on employee performance and organizational climate. The author, working as a director in the finance department, investigates these issues through an organizational climate survey and proposes a plan to improve the performance management system. The case study explores the challenges of policy implementation, drawing on theoretical considerations like path dependence, and recommends solutions to improve employee engagement and productivity. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing workplace issues and creating a positive working environment for all employees. Recommendations include securing support from higher management, employee engagement, and the implementation of training programs to enhance the effectiveness of the performance management system. The case study provides valuable insights into the complexities of implementing performance management systems and the importance of addressing employee needs.

Running head: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY
Performance Management Case Study
[State Government Department in South Australia]
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Executive summary
The paper studies the importance of organisational policies and procedures. It clearly explains
that how difficult it is to change any policy in the organisation. The study provides some
solutions to the identified issues in the selected finance department. The company, which is
based in the South Australia, has ample of workplace related issue in its finance department. The
HRM are also very inactive with their policies and procedures. Moreover, the study recommends
some solutions to counter the identified issues.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Authorisation.........................................................................................................................3
1.2 Method of investigation.........................................................................................................4
1.3 Scope......................................................................................................................................4
2. Background..................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Policy and procedural implementation..................................................................................6
2.2 Organizational climate and staff survey................................................................................6
2.3 Outcomes of current implementation....................................................................................7
3. Theoretical consideration.............................................................................................................9
4. Best practice PMS......................................................................................................................10
5. Conclusion/findings...................................................................................................................13
6. Recommendations......................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................15
Appendices....................................................................................................................................19
Project plan................................................................................................................................19
Gantt chart.............................................................................................................................19

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1. Introduction
It is very important to implement the different organisational policies in order to attain
the highest level of performance and retain the employees. However, organisations across the
globe are devoid of an appropriate implementation of different human resource management
related policies (Fu and Deshpande 2014). Issues such as workplace bullying & harassment,
ineffective induction, lack of motivational approach, partial adherence to the organisational
policies, absence of training & development program and not reviewing the performance of
employees have become a part of different organisation across the globe (Branch, Ramsay and
Barker 2013). On a same note, the finance department of a state government company in South
Australia where the learner is working, it has numerous such problems too. The learner has the
task to develop a plan to implement the performance management system across the finance
department in the company. The main purpose of this assignment is to plan a PMS plan across
the finance department in a South Australia based government company.
1.1 Authorisation
The learner is working director in a state government company based in South Australia.
The learner is in the finance department, the department that has shown the least degree of
impact of the current performance management system. The learner has come to know the facts
after cross checking the results of the survey that were held in the department regarding the
organisational climate. The survey has put forwarded many important facts that were still not
cared before (Yeh-Yun Lin and Liu 2012). The learner being the director of the human resources
is very concerned with the outcome, which is the reason why the learner is concerned with the

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PMS implementation in the department. The learner will plan the entire performance
management system and will send the plan to the head of the department.
1.2 Method of investigation
There are ample methods of investigation that could help in investigate the potential
behavioural or other issues at the workplace. Additionally, the different methods that are
available those needs the assistance of a reliable body, which could conduct the entire operation.
In this regard, selecting the HR staffs for investigating the hidden issues at the workplace would
be the best feasible way to the selected organisation (Mandip 2012). In addition to the selection
of the HR staffs, it is also necessary to identify a process that could help in getting ample of
information on the different unidentified issues at the workplace. Conducting a survey on the
organisational climate would be the most feasible and productive process in identifying the
hidden issues in the department. Employees would just be needed to answer the different close
ended questions (Gillet et al. 2013). Method of investigation would include the following points:
 Selecting the HR staffs for investigating the hidden issues in the finance department
 Conducting an organisational climate survey
1.3 Scope
The investigation conducted in the mentioned way has numerous scopes as well. The
different scopes that it delivers are as follows (Dane and Brummel 2014):
 To open up additional scopes to the existing business such as expanding to the different
geography
 To save the time on handling the project with the help of effective performance
management at the workplace

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 To attain a maximised business opportunity with an improved performance management
system
 To attain adequate budgeting on a project, which is only possible with effective
management team
2. Background
The background of this study is to impose a performance management system in a state
government company based in the South Australia. The finance department of the selected
company has been adjoined with numerous workplaces related issues, which is threatening to a
peaceful working atmosphere. Issues as such the workplace bullying, harassment and the absence
of an appropriate training & development program are all hampering the working atmosphere in
the finance department. Nevertheless, it is very important to work as a team in order to attain a
maximum productivity with fewer flaws in work (Hartgerink et al. 2014). However, this has
somehow disturbed in the chosen department. The human resource director has identified the
potential threats that all the issues can present in front of the management department. Realising
the urgency of the threats, the human resource director has planned to implement a performance
management system across the entire finance department. The purpose of this is to get an utmost
control on all the workplace related issues and provide a friendly working environment to all the
employees.
2.1 Policy and procedural implementation
There are certain important points that are needed to be borne in mind before implementing the
policies and procedures in organisations. Following are the list of such considerations that are

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important to care for before the implementation of policies at the workplace (Gong and Janssen
2012):
 A clear support from the higher officials in the company is mostly required before
implementing the policies and procedures in organisations. In the given case study, it is
important to take the approval of higher authorities such as the board of directors and
senior management group
 Core values of the policies & procedures needs to be identified
 All the employees and the managerial staffs are required to support the implemented
policies and procedures by adhering to those wholeheartedly
 A heartiest agreement should be received from the employees before implementing those
policies
 There should be a plan to incept a training and development program in order to educate
employees on the implemented policies and procedures
2.2 Organizational climate and staff survey
Organisational climate is a very vital point that needs to be reviewed in order to maintain
its potentiality and productivity. Organisational climate is affected badly when it fall short in
abiding by the different human resource policies and procedures. This can happen because
several human resources related issues such as workplace bullying, harassment, lack of
motivation at the workplace, improper training & development program and many others like
such issues (Gimenez-Espin, Jiménez-Jiménez and Martínez-Costa 2013). In the given case
study, the finance department of a state government company in South Australia is suffering of
multiple issues, which have also created concerns for a quick remedial action. Issues like
workplace bullying and harassment is accompanied by little or no training by the human resource

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department. The problem has prevailed there at the workplace; however, it has been identified
from an organisational climate survey that certain human resource management related issues
have enhanced its severity. Nevertheless, the organisational climate of the department is getting
worsened with the passage of days.
Staff survey is one of the strategies that the human resource department of a company can
adopt to identify the hidden issues at the workplace. It helps to get the views of employees. It is
very effective as it is a close ended type questionnaire, which just asks to select an option out of
all the options that have been given. In such survey, employees feel secure to disclose their
views. Nevertheless, it is very important to have the views of employees regarding to the
workplace environment. They are the one who all can educate the management on the ongoing
problems (Pinder et al. 2013). On a similar note, the survey done with the employees in the
finance department of the selected state government company in South Australia did reveal some
very interesting facts regarding the department operations. This is because of the survey the
management has come to know the numerous issues at the workplace in the finance department.
The workplace is infected with multiple issues such as workplace bullying, harassment, lack of
motivation, incapable induction process, absence of a proper training & development program
and few others.
2.3 Outcomes of current implementation
The implementation of the policies and procedures in the selected organisation has been
partially supported. The higher managers and the employees have all provided an uncommitted
works of theirs. The managers might have not investigated what is going wrong at the workplace
as it is evident from the organisational climate survey. On a similar note, the employees in the
finance department might have not supported the policies & procedures by ignoring all such

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things. They all have collectively produced an unwanted situation, which has never been thought
before (Sial et al. 2013). Such a trauma has produced many disciplinary related issues such as
workplace bullying, harassment, lack of motivational approach at the workplace etc. The policies
and the procedures that have been implemented did not find a wide reception from both the
employees and the managers. Hence, all such issues started taking place in the department.
Interestingly, all such issues have been accompanied by the absence of training and development
program. The workplace is low in motivation. They are not even given a proper induction before
incepting the workforce at the workplace. Such an ignorant approach has created an unbelievable
atmosphere at the workplace, which is very unhealthy for a spirited work (Wheelen and Hunger
2017).
The outcomes are very severe as the implemented policies are half-heartedly supported
from the management and the employees. It is very noteworthy that few employees have not
even been reviewed by the managers in the last 18 months. They do not get proper training and
development session at the workplace. This has also produced numerous behavioural issues,
which are all threatening to a peaceful working environment (Woodrow and Guest 2014). Such
issues are workplace bullying and harassment. Workplace bullying and harassment are two most
threatening factors that affect the morale of employees. An affected employee with any of such
identified issue is low in motivation. Nevertheless, motivation is very important while working
in an organisation. Working without motivation would lead to no way. Additionally, this will
also enhance the rate of attrition in the department, which is a loss of assets and the investments
as well (Ganta 2014).

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3. Theoretical consideration
There are ample of theories on policy implementation in organisations; however, Path
dependence is the one very important policy implementation theory that shows the factual things
combined with the implementation of policies in organisation. The model argues that it is
generally very challenging to implement any policy in the organisation with utmost success. This
is because organisations are sticky in nature. Moreover, they are less flexible, which is why it is
difficult to implement or bring any change in the existing policies. They become stagnant to what
has been presented to them earlier. They neither follow the already existing policies nor do they
give effort to implement some new policies in order to outperform the different management
related issues. Organisations tend to be in the same state as they do not find this interesting to
alter from the existing position. It can be because of many reasons such as innovation. Lack of
innovative ideas is one of such reasons that encourage the management to be in the same state. It
actually resists the change (Drees and Heugens 2013). For example, workplace bullying has now
become common to many organisations. However, very fewer efforts have been given to uproot
it from the organisational practises across the globe. There use to be few escalations of such
cases; however, the organisation tends to stay in the same state where they belonged to before.
The theory has certain strengths and weaknesses in it. The biggest strength of the theory
is its importance in proving a fact that policy continuity is much possible than policy change.
Management desire to continue in a state they are into. Change of policy is very difficult because
of the following possible reasons:
 The existing policy has been universalised across the organisation and the inception of a
new technology will seek a huge process change. This will also attract a significant
investment from the management, which is feasible only to a few organisations that have

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sufficient funds with them. Additionally, the change in policy may also seek the need of
the training and development program, which is a challenge to organisations across the
globe. Very few organisations in the world are truly efficient in conducting sufficient
training and development program. They afford making huge investments on the training
and development program (Cresswell and Sheikh 2013).
 Poor record in the past post the training and the development program is also one cause
that prevents organisation from innovating with the strategies. They had made significant
investments on the training and the development program; however, they had received
negative responses. This is the one reason why some organisations keep it away from
exploring the different innovative strategies.
 Some policies do not even get a proper support of the higher management. They approve
the policies but they have very less concern for such policies. In such situation, it is very
difficult to get a proper financial support from the top management. This lead the plan to
move in havoc as there is less support of an adequate investment.
4. Best practice PMS
Best practice performance management system can be implemented using the below mentioned
points:
Planning the required action- This is necessary to shortlist. It is foolishness to cover all the
points that also include unnecessary factors. In the given case study problems related to the
workplace related issues have been highlighted. It has also been highlighted that employees are
not motivated in the company. Additionally, there is an absence of a proper training and
development program. The policies should be first planned to improve the identified issues in the

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selected organisation. Once the actions have been identified it is necessary to set the expectations
from the proposed plan. This would help in analysing the benefits of all the planned activities.
Moreover, this will also educate on facts that whether there is a need to continue with the
planned action or not (Marsick and Watkins 2015). The planned action will include the
following:
 Getting the approval of the higher management on the planned action, which is necessary
as this will provide the much needed investments in the action plan. Apart from the
financial supports, the plan also needs the participation of the higher management
officials in order to get the maximum supports (Hu et al. 2012).
 The approved plan needs to be communicated among the employees. This will educate
them on the proposed plan and will also ensure a notable support from them. It is very
important to get the supports of employees in the planned action. This is because it will
make things easier to practice in the organisation. Nevertheless, workplace bullying,
harassment and many other activities like such do all happen because of employees
(Quirke 2012).
 Training the employees on workplace behavioural culture. The training will train the
employees on how to behave at the workplace, how to respect each other and much like
such things. The training will also educate them on the needs to contact the managers in
order to get their works reviewed. These are some targets; however, the action plan will
also inhibit much like such factors (Kulkarni 2013).
Monitoring the performance- This is another very important aspect of a PMS system.
Monitoring of the performance can be done through different ways such as by setting a clear goal
with the set policy plans. It is important to set an annual target with the plans, which could be in