Prestasiebeoordeling as maatstaf vir bevordering en loopbaanbeplanning (met spesifieke verwysing na die sekretariele beroep in die Wes-Kaap)

Abstract

Even though performance appraisal is used in most South African organisations, the information acquired is often not used for the purpose to which it pertains, i.e. improving work performance and identifying career, promotion and development opportunities. The former, together with the lack of formal post structures and goal orientated career plans when appointments are made, often results in secretarial personnel (especially executive secretaries and personal assistants) never receiving the necessary acknowledgement in spite of their training, competence and experience. This group of employees plays a very important support- , ing role at all levels of management; yet they are often overlooked for promotion to lower and middle management levels, despite the crucial shortage of people with high level skills. Since the largest percentage of these employees are women, they experience even more discrimination because of their gender. In the first place this investigation attempted to establish to what degree secretarial personnel's performance is appraised and to what end the results are employed. Secondly, an attempt was made to determine the degree to which the enterprises involved in the investigation have established career programmes and whether the results obtained from performance appraisals are used as criterion for promotion and career planning. Furthermore, the obstacles in the way of the development and promotion of secretarial personnel were investigated. At the same time the degree of discrimination against women in management positions was surveyed. As background to the investigation, a comprehensive literature review was conducted.