University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002)

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC

SERVICE

by

Johannes Stephanus Hartzenberg

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

MAGISTER COMMERCII (HUMAN RESOURCES

MANAGEMENT)

in the
FACULTY OF ECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

at the
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Pretoria August 2002

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following individuals and institutions made a substantial contribution to this

research and without their support this research would not have been possible:

A special word of thanks to -

the Office of the Public Service Commission who, as my employer, enabled this
dissertation by approving that this study be undertaken;

GJ Steyn, Department of Human Resources Management at the University of

Pretoria, for his guidance and supervision as mentor and leader of this study;

Prof SW Theron, Department of Human Resources Management at the University of

Pretoria, for his assistance with the scientific processing of the data gathered during
the study;

all the institutions who participated in the survey. Without their responses this study
would not have been possible; and

my wife Erika and son Schalk who, in spite of the difficult circumstances and
personal sacrifice, supported me during the execution of this study.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) iii

I hereby declare that “The implementation of career management practices in

the South African Public Service” is my own work and that all sources used by me
and referred to in this regard have been acknowledged, recognized and
comprehensively referred to.

I also declare that the content of this dissertation has not been submitted to any
tertiary institution in order to obtain another qualification.

___________________________________ _____________
JOHANNES STEPHANUS HARTZENBERG DATE
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) iv

LIST OF CONTENTS

Page

Summary (English) xi

Summary (Afrikaans) xiv

CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1

1.1 Introduction and background 1

1.2 Scope of the investigation and objectives 3

CHAPTER 2: Defining career management 5

2.1 Introduction 5

2.2 Defining career management 5

2.3 The purpose of career management 7

2.4 Role players responsible for career management 9

2.5 Elements of career management 11

2.5.1 Career planning 12
2.5.2 Career pathing 17
2.5.3 Career development 20

2.6 Conclusion 24

CHAPTER 3: Method of investigation 26

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) v

3.1 Introduction 26

3.2 Research strategy and design 27

3.3 The measuring instrument 30

3.4 Population that participated in the study 36

3.5 Statistical processing of the data 37

3.6 Conclusion 38

CHAPTER 4: The extent of implementation of career management

programmes in the Public Service 39

4.1 Introduction 39

4.2 The implementation of career management programmes 39

4.3 Practices that support career management programmes 41

4.3.1 Utilisation of an instrument to facilitate career management 41
4.3.2 Departmental training and development policies and strategies 43
4.3.3 Performance assessment/management 43
4.3.4 Affirmative action objectives 44
4.3.5 Job descriptions 45

4.4 Career management: A practical perspective 46

4.4.1 Department 1 46
4.4.2 Department 2 49

4.4.3 Department 3 52

4.5 Conclusion 53
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) vi

CHAPTER 5: The manner in which careers are managed in the

absence of formal programmes 55

5.1 Introduction 55

5.2 Reasons for the non-existence of a career management programme 55

5.2.1 Outdated organizational structures 56
5.2.2 Decentralization 57
5.2.3 National policy 57
5.2.4 Career Management not a separate programme 57
5.2.5 New departments 58
5.2.6 Human resources policy 58
5.2.7 New administrative framework 59

5.3 The manner in which career management is currently dealt with 59

5.3.1 Employees 60
5.3.2 Managers 60
5.3.3 Administrative framework 60
5.3.4 Systems 61
5.3.5 Career counselling 61
5.3.6 Mentor/Protègè programme 61
5.3.7 Career path agreements 62
5.3.8 Placement in higher posts 62

5.4 Conclusion 63

CHAPTER 6: Career management as applied by a sample of

institutions outside the Public Service 65

6.1 Introduction 65
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) vii

6.2 KRYGKOR 65

6.3 SPOORNET 66

6.4 Tshwane City Council 67

6.5 Conclusion 67

CHAPTER 7: Proposals in respect of the implementation of a career

management programme 69

7.1 Introduction 69

7.2 Creating awareness of career management 69

7.3 Practices supporting the process of career management 70

7.3.1 The career planning and pathing process 70
7.3.2 Performance management 74
7.3.3 Establishing a co-ordinated departmental career development
programme 75
7.3.4 Organisational needs audit 76
7.3.5 Affirmative action 76
7.3.6 Job descriptions 77

CHAPTER 8: Conclusion 78

List of references 79

Appendix A: Summary of the questionnaire utilized to obtain data from

institutions that participated in the study
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) viii

Appendix B: Summary of statistical processed data

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) ix

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1: Respondents from whom completed questionnaires were received 32

Table 2: Distinguishing characteristics of quantitative and qualitative

approaches 37

Table 3: Responses received regarding the lack of career management

policies and strategies 56

Table 4: The manner in which careers are managed in the absence of

formal career management programmes 59

Table 5: The manner in which newcomers are informed of career pathing

and development opportunities 63

Table 6: Role players responsible for developing career management

programmes 64
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) x

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 1: A working model of organizational career development 13

Figure 2: A developmental work system model activities 19

Figure 3: Career development systems 21

Figure 4: Development of career management programmes 64

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xi

SUMMARY

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC

SERVICE

by

JOHANNES STEPHANUS HARTZENBERG

LEADER : MR GJ STEYN
DEPARTMENT : HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
DEGREE : M COM (HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT)

In the past human resource management practices in the South African Public
Service did not place any emphasis on the development and implementation
of career management programmes or practices. The career paths of
employees were largely dictated by the prescripts and measure applicable to
the various occupational classes in the Public Service. Consequently the
career development of public servants, especially lower level workers such as
cleaners and labourers, was neglected.

However, following the dawn of the democratic order in 1994, a massive

process unfolded to rationalize and restructure the Public Service. With the
advent of this new political dispensation for South Africa, the transformation of
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xii

the human resource management practices of the Public Service received

priority attention.

In spite of the prominence given to career management in the South African

Public Service by various government policies and white papers, it was
suspected that career management, as a human resource management
practice, is not receiving the necessary attention that it deserves.

This study was therefore undertaken in order to determine the extent of

implementation of career management programmes in the South African
Public Service. Not only was the population group of the study made up of all
government departments, a sample of four statutory organizations were also
approached to participate in the study.

The study was executed with the following objectives in mind:

1. To determine the state of affairs as far as the implementation of career

management programmes in government departments are concerned.

2. To determine the reasons why government departments have not

implemented and activated career management practices (if
applicable).

3. To determine the nature of the practices that have already been put in
place by departments.

As a first phase to the study, a literature review was undertaken. During this
review numerous articles and books written by reputable persons in the field
of human resources management were studied. The literature research
mainly focused on the purpose of career management, the role players
responsible for it and the elements thereof.

Emanating from the literature study, the research design and strategy were
decided upon. A population group was identified and data was obtained from
respondents by means of a questionnaire especially developed for this
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xiii

purpose. The data was statistically processed after which conclusions and
recommendations were made.

Recommendations made focused on the creating of an awareness of career

management as well as practices that support it. These practices include
career planning and pathing, performance management, co-ordinated
departmental career development programmes, organisational needs audits,
affirmative action and job descriptions.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xiv

SAMEVATTING

DIE IMPLEMENTERING VAN

LOOPBAANBESTUURSPRAKTYKE IN DIE SUID-

AFRIKAANSE STAATSDIENS

deur

JOHANNES STEPHANUS HARTZENBERG

LEIER : MNR GJ STEYN

DEPARTEMENT : MENSLIKE HULPBRONBESTUUR
GRAAD : M COM (MENSLIKE HULPBRONBESTUUR)

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Staatsdiens het in die verlede geen klem geplaas op die
ontwikkeling en implementering van loopbaanbestuursprogramme nie. Die
loopbaanpaaie van werknemers was gereguleer deur voorskrifte en maatreëls
wat van toepassing was op die verskeie beroepsklasse in die Staatsdiens.
Die gevolg hiervan was dat die loopbaanontwikkeling van staatsamptenare
agterweë gebly het, veral die van werkers op laer vlakke – byvoorbeeld
skoonmakers en arbeiders.

Met die aanbreek van die nuwe demokratiese bestel in 1994 het ‘n groot
proses egter ontvou ten einde die Staatsdiens te rasionaliseer en te
herstruktureer. Die nuwe politieke bedeling in Suid Afrika het meegebring dat
die herskikking van menslike hulpbronbestuurspraktyke in die Staatsdiens
prioriteit geniet het.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xv

Ten spyte van die prominensie wat loopbaanbestuur in die Suid-Afrikaanse

Staatsdiens geniet het as gevolg van staatsbeleide en witskrifte, het die
vermoede bestaan dat loopbaanbestuur, as menslike hulpbronbestuurs-
praktyk, nie die nodige aandag geniet wat dit toekom nie.

Hierdie studie was daarom onderneem ten einde die mate van
implementering van loopbaanbestuurspraktyke in die Suid-Afrikaanse
Staatsdiens te bepaal. Die bevolking/teikengroep van die studie het bestaan
uit alle staatsdepartemente asook ‘n steekproef van vier statutêre
organisasies.

Die studie was uitgevoer met die volgende oogmerke ten doel:

1. Ten einde die stand van sake rakende die implementering van
loopbaanbestuursprogramme in staatsdepartemente te bepaal.

2. Ten einde die redes te bepaal waarom staatsdepartemente nog nie

loopbaanbestuurspraktyke geimplementeer het nie (indien van
toepassing).

3. Ten einde die aard van praktyke te bepaal wat reeds deur
departemente geimplementeer is.

‘n Literatuurstudie was onderneem as eerste fase van die studie. Gedurende

hierdie studie was verskeie artikels en boeke - geskryf deur kundiges op die
gebied van menslike hulpbronbestuur - bestudeer. Die literatuurstudie het
hoofsaaklik gekonsentreer op die doel van loopbaanbestuur, die onderskeie
rolspelers verantwoordelik daarvoor en die elemente waaruit dit bestaan.

Voortspruitend uit die literatuurstudie was die navorsingsontwerp en –

strategie bepaal. Die bevolking/teikengroep was aangewys en data was
ingesamel vanaf die deelnemers by wyse van ‘n vraelys wat spesiaal vir
hierdie doel ontwerp was. Die data was statisties verwerk waarna
gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak was.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) xvi

Die aanbevelings gemaak fokus hoofsaaklik op die bewusmaking van mense

aangaande loopbaanbestuur, asook die praktyke wat loopbaanbestuur
ondersteun. Sulke praktyke sluit die volgende in: Loopbaanbeplanning en –
paaie, die bestuur van gedrag, gekoördineerde departementele
loopbaanontwikkelingsprogramme, organisatoriese behoefte bepalings,
regstellende aksie en posbeskrywings.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

In general, public services all over the world are non-profit organizations with
the main aim of rendering effective and efficient services to the citizens of that
specific country. It is therefore save to argue that institutions of this nature
are more services than people orientated. This might, inevitably, lead to the
negligence of crucial human resources practices such as career
management.

Closer to home in South Africa, prior to April 1994, human resource

management practices in our Public Service did not place any emphasis on
the development and implementation of career management programmes or
practices. The career paths of public servants were largely dictated by
documents generally known as “personnel administration standards” which
contained, amongst others, the salary structures of the different occupational
fields in the Public Service. Consequently the career development of public
servants, especially lower level workers such as cleaners and labourers, was
neglected. In most cases career progression for such individuals depended
on the availability of vacant posts.

According to the Department of Public Service and Administration’s status

quo report on human resource practices and employment equity in the Public
Service (2001: 8-9) human resource planning in the Public Service (that
encompasses human resource practices such as career management) can
only be understood if it is located in the historical realities of South Africa.
Following the dawn of the democratic order in 1994, a massive process
unfolded to rationalize and restructure the Public Service.

With the advent of this new political dispensation for South Africa, the
transformation of the human resource management practices of the Public
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 2

Service received priority attention. The need for effective career management
in the Public Service is specifically advocated by section 195(1)(h) of the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. According to the
Constitution, one of the basic values and principles that should govern public
administration is the cultivation of good human resource management and
career development practices to maximize human potential.

In addition to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, other

government policies regarding the transformation of human resource
management practices have focused on the need for the development of
career management practices in the Public Service. According to Chapter
13.1 of the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service, the
development of effective and lifelong career development paths for all public
servants should be undertaken as part of a strategic framework for effective
human resource development. In addition to the requirements of the latter
White Paper, the White Paper on Human Resource Management in the Public
Service (specifically Chapter 5.10) provides that career management
procedures, linked to a performance management system, should be
developed based on specific principles.

However, in spite of the prominence given to career management in the South

African Public Service by the abovementioned government policies, numerous
white papers and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, it is
suspected that career management, as a human resource management
practice, is not receiving the necessary attention that it deserves. For
instance, the Department of Public Service and Administration found in its
report on the assessment of the state of readiness of departments to
implement new performance management and development systems for staff
below the management echelon (2001: 2) that departments were unable to
meet the regulatory requirements in this regard. If this is the case with
performance management and development systems, then surely the
situation could be similar as far as career management is concerned.

1.2 SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION AND OBJECTIVES

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 3

In view of the expected shortcomings of departments in the South African

Public Service to deal with career management as a human resource
management practice, as well as their limited capacity in this regard, it was
decided to execute this study. All government departments were identified to
participate in the study.

In addition, a sample of four statutory organizations, that are partly funded by

Government, were also approached to participate in the study. These
institutions were identified with a view to establish a possible benchmark in
this regard.

The objective of this study is threefold. Firstly it is to determine the state of

affairs as far as the implementation of career management programmes in
government departments are concerned. Secondly to determine the reasons
why government departments have not implemented and activated career
management practices (if applicable) and lastly to determine the nature of the
practices that have already been put in place by departments due to their own
initiative.

During the study specific emphasis will be placed on the extent to which
departments’ career management programmes support the affirmative action
objectives of Government as an employer, its effectiveness and various other
practices that support career management programmes. Specific
recommendations in this regard will also be made.

In the chapter dealing with the literature study an attempt will be made to
define the term “career management” by focusing on the various elements
that this human resources practice consists of. In the third chapter a status
report on career management in the South African Public Service is provided.
Emanating from this, the manner in which careers are managed in the
absence of formal career management programmes will also be scrutinized.

An indication of how careers are managed by a sample of institutions outside

the Public Service is also provided. It might be that good lessons could be
learned from them in this regard.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 4

Lastly, emanating from the findings of the study, recommendations are made
in respect of career management in the Public Service. These
recommendations might assist departments with the development,
implementation and management of tailor made career management
programmes, providing for their unique needs and circumstances.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 5

CHAPTER 2: DEFINING CAREER MANAGEMENT

2.1 INTRODUCTION

As was highlighted in Chapter 1, a massive rationalization and restructure

process was embarked upon in 1994 as part of the ongoing transformation of
the Public Service. This transformation co-incited with the implementation of a
totally new administrative framework for the Public Service. Various policy
documents and legislation were also implemented with a view to support the
newly implemented administrative framework. The majority of these policy
documents and relevant legislation now also, for the first time, addressed the
issue of career management and development.

From the above it should be clear that the practice of career management is
relatively new in the Public Service. Therefore, in order to establish broad
guidelines within the unique working environment of the Public Service, a
thorough understanding of the characteristics of effective career management
programmes is essential.

2.2 DEFINING CAREER MANAGEMENT

In order for the term “career management” to be clear, the concept of a

“career “ should first be placed under the magnifying glass. Clark (1992: 4)
refers to a career as a sequence of jobs or activities, planned or unplanned,
involving elements of advancement, commitment and personal development
over a defined period of time. Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalk (2000: 8-9)
similarly view a career as a mobility path within a single organization – a
pattern of work related experiences that span the course of a person’s life.

Career management, on the other hand, is defined by Greenhaus et al (2000:

12) as a process by which individuals develop, implement and monitor career
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 6

goals and strategies. They described career management furthermore as

process in which an individual –

gathers relevant information about himself/herself and the world of

work;

develops an accurate picture of his/her talents, interest, values and

preferred life-style as well as alternative occupations, jobs and
organizations;

develops realistic career goals based on this information;

develops and implements a strategy designed to achieve the goals;

and

obtains feedback on the effectiveness of the strategy and the relevance

of the goals.

Following the literature study conducted of different definitions of career

management by numerous authors, career management can in general be
defined as the process that plans and shapes the progression of individuals
within an organization in accordance with the organizational needs and
objectives, employees’ performance potential and their preferences. One of
the main issues observed in the majority of definitions scrutinized is the
integration of the individual’s objectives with those of the organization. It
would seem that the latter is one of the most important prerequisites for
effective career management.

However, the concept of career management might further be illustrated

through a thorough analysis of the purpose of career management, the
various role players involved and the elements thereof.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 7

According to Baron and Greenberg (1990: 320-321) a typical career

management programme, as part of the larger human resources system,
involves efforts to -

“help employees to assess their own career strengths and weaknesses;

set priorities and specific career goals;

provide information on various career paths and alternatives within the

organization; and

offer employees yearly reviews of their progress towards these goals

by managers who have received training in conducting such
assessments”.

2.3 THE PURPOSE OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

In order to succeed, most organizations need a continuous flow of talented,

skilled individuals to fill existing or newly created positions (Baron et al, 1990:
319). All organizations need an effective career system designed to
accomplish specific goals.

All human resource management practices are furthermore designed with a

specific goal in mind. Merit and performance assessment instruments, for
example, are designed to monitor performance and to identify, amongst other
things, development needs.

Career management programmes encompass a large number of these human

resource management practices with the following objectives:

Assisting employees to improve their performance

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 8

Career management programmes strive to involve employees in setting

their own goals and recognizing their strengths and weaknesses. It
assists employees with the identification and facilitation of training
needs and opportunities. This is mainly achieved by building a process
of feedback and discussion into the performance management systems
of institutions.

Clarifying available career options

Through career management programmes employees are informed of

career options available within the institution. It assists employees with
the identification of skills and other qualities required for current and
future jobs. Most career management programmes seek to focus
employees’ career plans upon the institution, thereby enhancing their
commitment to the institution. In doing this, career paths are developed
that indicate mobility in different directions in the institution for
employees.

Aligning the aspiration of employees with organizational

objectives

Many organizations attempt to assist employees in their career

planning through career management programmes. Research findings
suggest that these are successful to the extent that employees
perceive a match between their own career plans and those proposed
for them by their organizations (Baron et al, 1990: 323).

Career management programmes furthermore seek to improve the

matching of jobs with the right employees. An assessment of the skills
and competencies of employees could assist in accommodating them
in positions that suit them better. Through the application of practices
such as transfers and rotation, an institution’s operational effectiveness
can be improved. Career management programmes can also result in
a reduction in the need to recruit externally as employees with the
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 9

required capabilities are revealed through their career planning

activities.

Purely from the employer’s perspective the purpose of its career management
programme should be to ensure the availability of competent and skilled
employees within its organization (Boase, 1996: 36).

Clark (1992: 9-10) is of the opinion that career management, as an area of

managerial competence, is fundamental if the organization is to meet its
strategic objectives and if the individual is to derive a sense of purpose,
motivation and self-esteem. Meeting these two classes of needs has a cost
implication if career management does not occur to the satisfaction of both
parties. In particular absenteeism, turnover, performance decrement and
atrophy of skills are some of the consequences of failure in this area.

2.4 ROLE PLAYERS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAREER MANAGEMENT

Traditionally, organizations were seen to be responsible for career

management. However, recent schools of thought suggest that individuals
themselves should be responsible for managing their careers (Boase, 1996:
36). According to Stoner and Freeman (1989: 754) organizations can assist
individuals to manage their careers. Career management is, however,
ultimately the individual’s responsibility.

Clark (1992: 8) states that there is currently a move away from the traditional
“the organization knows what is available (and what is best for you)” approach
to the corporate philosophy of “everyone is responsible for his or her career -
don’t expect us to plan it”. A key reason for this was that in the United
Kingdom during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s rapid changes,
unemployment and recession forced organizations to “let go” of careers and
encouraged a survival of the fittest attitude. The question is also rightfully
asked: Can organizations nowadays afford such a laissez-faire policy on
careers to meet current challenges?
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 10

Gutteridge, Leibowitz & Shore (1993: 200-201) are of the opinion that a
culture shift towards the empowerment of employees and new roles for
managers are very much in line with two central emphases of career
development - that employees take responsibility for their own development
and that managers play an important coaching and facilitation role in the
process.

Furthermore, according to Stevens (1990: 23-26) the employer can utilize

various techniques in fulfilling its role of supporting the career development of
individuals. These techniques could include counselling, workshops, self-
development materials and assessment programmes.

Gutteridge et al (1993: 3) also states that employees, managers and the

organization have specific roles to play in a career development system. They
are of the view that employees are responsible for assessing themselves,
creating plans within the context of organizational realities and carrying out
certain development activities. Managers support their employees and play a
crucial role in helping them understand the organization’s needs and
requirements. The organization itself is responsible for providing tools,
resources, and structures to support the process.

All of the above views are neatly summarized by Chapter 10.5.2 of the White
Paper on Human Resource Management in the Public Service. It states that
career management procedures, linked to a performance management
system, should be developed, based on the following principles:

Employees are responsible for their own career management.

The employee’s immediate manager is responsible for familiarizing

her/himself about the employee’s career aspirations, as well as how
this can best be met.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 11

The manager should keep up to date with job, training and

development opportunities which are likely to assist in meeting both the
employee’s career aspirations, and the organization’s operational
objectives. The manager should also support the employee’s efforts to
avail her/himself to these opportunities.

Managers have a duty in respect of employees whose careers have

been hampered through no fault of their own, e.g employees who are
disabled.

Now that career management has been defined, and the roles and
responsibilities of the different role players have been scrutinized, the
elements of career management need to be unpacked.

2.5 ELEMENTS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

During the literature study conducted it was observed that there are various
and quite diverse approaches to career management. Different authors are
having different opinions in this regard. However, the three elements common
to most programmes, as identified by the Public Service Commission (2000:
7-8), are the following:

Career planning.

Career pathing.

Career development.

Whilst these three elements are identified as separate practices, they

complement and inform each other during the process of career management.

2.5.1 Career planning

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 12

Most people never plan their careers but leave it to the company. They
simply get comfortable in a job, and before long inertia sets in (Taylor,
1991: 9-10). “After all, the company keeps management records,
recommends courses and seminars to attend, conduct performance
appraisals and makes recommendations to the individual concerning
his or her future”. This occurs despite the fact that the individual is the
only one who knows what he or she really wants to do. His research
has shown that individuals who reach the top rungs in any profession
are those who have conscientiously followed their own plans for self-
development and growth.

According to Stoner et al (1989: 754) individuals who develop plans for

the future are most likely to achieve their goals. Such individuals can
focus their energy on the career goals they have selected and are also
less vulnerable to chance events. They tend to be more motivated and
purposeful than others. Thus they are often more useful to their
organizations and more likely to be successful within them.

Hall (1986: 3) defines the term career planning as a deliberate process

of becoming aware of opportunities, constraints, choices and
consequences identifying career related goals and programming work,
education and related development experiences to provide the
direction, timing and sequence of steps to attain a specific career goal.
He states that if individual employees have failed to plan for their own
development, they may not be ready to respond to opportunities
presented to them through organizational career management activities
- after all: “Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

Career planning is also a process undertaken by employees and their

supervisors. The employee is responsible for self-assessment,
identifying career interests and development needs. As part of the
process of self-assessment the employee analyze his or her skills and
experience as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses. Career
planning is also more effective if done jointly by the individual and the
organization. The organization has a stake in successful career
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 13

planning as it needs a steady supply of adequately trained people to do

jobs at every level of the organization (Milkovich and Glueck, 1985:
424-425). Graphically they illustrate this process as follows:

Figure 1: A working model of organizational career development

(Milkovich et al, 1985: 424)

Organizational career
development

INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTION

Career Career
planning management

Career planning, furthermore, “consist of those activities in which

individuals must engage in order to make informed choices as to
occupation, organization, job assignment and self-development” (Hall,
1986: 55). This includes such activities as self-assessment, the
evaluation of available career opportunities and the preparation of a
career strategy with an implementation plan, all of which are key in
order for employees to enhance their personal career development.

However, Stevens (1990: 3-4) states that while career planning

remains the individual’s responsibility, many lack the information, skills,
insights or the initiative to determine their own career plans effectively.
The employer therefore needs to assist employees in this regard with
the following:

To analyze their interests, values, goals and capabilities.

To consider available options.

To make decisions relating to their current job.

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 14

To establish personal development plans that are likely to bring

the results they merit and, in turn, benefit the employer.

Together with his or her supervisor an employee goes through a

process of assessing and discussing performance, identifying
expectations (both the employer’s and the employee’s), setting goals
for career progression and identifying training and development
opportunities.

While specific career tools and techniques will vary from one
organization to another, there is a series of generic elements that must
be incorporated into any comprehensive career planning system (Hall,
1986: 60-63). These elements include -

individual self-assessment data concerning employee attitudes,

interests, skills, abilities, competencies and values;

organizational data concerning such factors as available career

opportunities and associated skill requirements, projected
organizational employment needs, the organizational value
system and availability of various career tools;

systems for inputting data from individual to organization and

from organization to individual;

systems to ensure meaningful dialogue and feedback between

the individual and the organization concerning the match
between employee career needs and organizational employment
opportunities; and

developmental systems that provide opportunities for personal

and professional growth in line with individual career strategies.

In addition, Clarke (1992: 127) is of opinion that appraisal systems are

used in several ways that affect career planning and development.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 15

Administratively it can provide a felt-fair way of deciding on promotions,

transfers and remuneration. It also provides the organization as a
whole with a means of acquiring information about the level and type of
skills available, etc.. However, as Clark puts it, the success of
appraisal as a basis for career decision making “depends on the level
of trust that managers can elicit from their staff and the ability of both to
set clear achievable objectives”. It creates an awareness of strengths
and weaknesses that can be used as a basis for coaching to reach the
mutual goals of the appraisee and appraiser.

Needless to say, the involvement of employees in the setting of career

goals - and the conditions under which they can be achieved - ensures
that employees take ownership of these goals and processes.

The first step in the Career Planning Model of Bowling Green State
University involves gathering information about oneself to assist in
making a decision about a career (http://www.bgsu.edu/
offices/careers/process/process.html). This gathering of self-
knowledge, as a first step in the career planning process, is confirmed
by the Kapi’olani Community College in Hawaii as well as the career
centre of the Ball State University in Indiana, USA (http://naio.kcc.
hawaii.edu/ss/project/cplan.html and http://www.bsu.edu/careers/
handouts. html).

It is important that employees, for effective career planning, have

information about job requirements and career paths, remuneration
opportunities and available personal development resources.
Employees must furthermore learn about the organization’s business -
what it is doing and why, it’s plans and objectives and future career
opportunities.

Employees can get this information by means of career counselling

(Ferris and Rowland, 1990: 61-62). The career planning and
counselling process brings together information about jobs and career
paths as well as information about employees generated through
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 16

personnel assessment programmes. Career planning and career

counselling should therefore work hand in hand.

However, they are furthermore of the opinion that because of the

central roles that career planning and counselling play in the
developmental process, some portion of the career counselling that
employees receive should be provided by trained counsellors who
understand careers, and not only by supervisors.

In the United States of America the Department of Energy have

developed a web-based programme, USACareers, to assist federal
employees with career development and career planning
(http://www.hr.doe.gov/pers/cdserv.htm). The programme is
administered by the Office of Personnel Management and provides an
integrated approach to helping employees plan for the future by
learning more about themselves, their career goals, competencies and
interests. USACareers allow employees to view occupational profiles,
match training courses to developmental needs and conduct targeted
job searches. It furthermore provides occupational information on 67
clerical and technical occupations, 105 professional and administrative
occupations and three managerial levels. Modules or elements include
-

assessment of competencies and interests for current and future

jobs;

a career development plan based on the information obtained

from the competency and interest assessment as well as
exploration of occupations and training opportunities;

training and development activities - employees are able to

search for appropriate training based on criteria they select; and

occupational exploration and job search in specific organizations

or agencies throughout the Federal Government. Information
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 17

provided for occupations includes tasks, career paths,

competencies required and where the jobs are.

The Certified Management Accountants of Alberta, a Canadian based

company, states that good career planning identifies a match between
the employee, the job and the needs of the employer (http://www.
cma_alberta.com/html/career management_id.html.). As stated earlier,
Baron et al (1990: 323) indicated that research findings supports this by
suggesting that career management programmes are successful to the
extent that employees perceive a match between their own career
plans, and those proposed for them by their organizations.

2.5.2 Career pathing

Based on the career expectations identified in the process of career

planning, possible career paths are mapped out for employees. Career
paths set out a sequence of posts to which employees can be
promoted, transferred and rotated. It should however be noted that
each employee could have a multitude of career pathing options.

The Professional Development Guide of NASA defines a career path

as a sequence of job positions and experience that lead to a specific
career level (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/HREducation/training/
pdhbc4.html).

NASA also has a Financial and Resources Management Career

Development Guide clearly stipulating that the combination of individual
career preferences and organizational opportunities shape the direction
of an employee’s career (http://ifmp.nasa.
gov/codeb/staffing/cdguide.htm). The Guide also specifies that career
paths identify job progression opportunities and provide employees with
assistance in pursuing their career goals.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 18

An interesting issue emanating from the Guide is that “up is not the only
way”. With the thinning of management positions and flattening of
organizational structures the traditional linear career patterns are less
available. Employees therefore need to be more flexible, creative in
identifying their next job and may need to consider lateral moves or
rotational assistance in order to broaden their experience or leverage
their skills.

Career pathing is furthermore informed by the career goals set by

individuals during the career planning phase, the career progression
structure which forms part and parcel of the employee’s conditions of
service as well as the career development opportunities available to
employees in an organization. People also need to have, and maintain
in the face of constant change, an accurate knowledge of career paths
suitable for their uniqueness and their changing needs and preferences
(Stevens, 1990: 5).

Furthermore, career paths should be established by an organization’s

career development system (London and Stumf as quoted by Milkovich
et al, 1985, p.429-430). The existence of such career paths
communicates to employees specific step-by-step objectives and
identifies possible role models in the organization.

In setting career paths, employees and their supervisors must be

realistic in terms of their potential and the time frames in which the
career goals captured in the career paths can be achieved.

Ferris et al (1990: 58) are of the opinion that the development of

profiles (such as competencies and skills for instance) for a set of jobs
provides a basis for analyzing the properties of career paths. For
example, traditional routes of promotion can be assessed in terms of
their suitability as developmental paths. Graphically they illustrate the
various activities interrelated with, amongst others, career pathing as
follows:
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 19

Figure 2: A developmental work system model activities (Ferris et

al, 1990: 58)
Personnel
Job & career assessment
path assessment

Career planning
& counseling
Job
design

Developmental
activities

Taylor (1990: 10) summarizes the whole issue of career pathing by

stating that an employee must upon promotion from one position to
another, as he or she follows his or her career path up to a specific
level, be adequately trained for the task awaiting at the higher level. He
makes mention of the fact that although a person will never be fully
trained for a higher level job until after occupying the job, there is
danger in advancing too quickly along pre-determined career paths. It
is important to build up self-confidence and a strong self-image before
taking on a complete set of new responsibilities, otherwise one may fall
victim to Laurence Peter’s “Peter’s Principle”.

2.5.3 Career development

Career development for individuals is a prerequisite for organizational

development. To prepare for change, organizations need committed
people and one way to ensure that this happens is to have developed
managers not only implement change, but handle its consequences
well for their own and others’ benefits (Clark, 1992: 8, 56-57).
Organizational policies and processes that feed into career
development, such as appraisal, remuneration and training can
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 20

furthermore provide access to career information about vacancies,

assessment centers (for promotability), development centers (for self-
awareness and career planning), counselling and special development
programmes.

According to Gutteridge et al (1993: 1-3) organizational career

development refers to a planned effort to link the individual’s career
needs with the organization’s workforce requirements. It could
furthermore be seen as a process for helping individuals plan their
careers in concert with an organization’s business requirements and
strategic direction. It is also important to note that, along the concept of
alignment between the individual and the organization, development is
an ongoing process. This linking of organizational needs with individual
career needs can be illustrated as follows:

Figure 3: Career development systems (Gutteridge et al, 1993: 2)

Individual career needs

Organizational needs
To find opportunities within
the organization that:
• Critical skills, knowledge ISSUE:
and experience needed.
• Use strengths
Are employees developing
• Staffing levels required. themselves in a way that • Address developmental
links personal needs
• Bench strength effectiveness with the
necessary to meet achievement of the
• Provide a challenge
critical challenges. organization’s strategic
objectives?
• Match interests

• Match values

• Match personal style

Milkovich et al (1985: 425) is of the view that career development

implies more than the organization offering a set pattern of
advancement, which an employee is free to accept or reject, or an
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 21

employee setting career goals without regard to the organization.

According to them, career development implies that the employee is
heavily involved in designing a career with inputs from the organization
as to what they expect and anticipate for the employee. One of the
organization’s roles is to provide training and development
opportunities to meet the requirements for movement along the career
path. They therefore define career development as “the formal,
structured activity offered by an organization for its members for the
purpose of increasing their awareness, knowledge or capabilities
affecting the direction and progression of their careers”.

Career development support techniques could include counselling,

workshops, self-development materials and assessment programmes.
In addition to these career development support techniques, processes
must also be put in place to give effect to the career development goals
that were set during the career planning phase. Emanating from the
literature study conducted it became clear that a typical career
development process could include the following interventions:

Internal as well as external training courses and seminars.

Training programmes developed in support of the career

development process.

Rotation to the various divisions/components in an organization

to provide employees broader exposure.

Mentorship programmes:
Clark (1992: 70) describes mentoring as a process where an
older, more experienced manager will offer support,
encouragement and advice to a younger person (protégé) and
enhance their career by developing his or her potential. Such a
mentor, or role model, also assists one in negotiating your way
successfully through the worklife and provides objectivity and
suggestions (Stevens, 1990: 15-16). According to Tsukudu
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 22

(1996: 16) the training of mentors that fosters competence and

understanding of the mentoring process is furthermore
imperative for successful implementation of mentoring.

Further academic study (for which bursaries or some form of

study assistance could be granted).

Regular assessment of work performance.

According to Hall (1986: 48) career development efforts should help

individuals understand their strengths and weaknesses, needs and
interests and the social political work environment. Management
simulations and assessments should be offered to diagnose and
develop managerial strengths rather than simply to evaluate employees
for promotion potential. Employees should receive information about
themselves from several sources - superiors, peers, subordinates,
trained assessors - and this information should be used to determine
training needs and career opportunities.

From surveys conducted Gutteridge et al (1993: 189-195) identified

nine points that have to be part of a systematic approach to ensure that
career management has a long-lasting impact. These points were
culled from case studies, examination of best practices and from advice
offered by interviewees during this survey. It include:

The linking of development to business strategy.

Aligning employee and organizational needs.

Building systems and linkages.

Using a variety of tools and approaches.

Creating a corporate infrastructure, but implementing career

development systems in individual business units or divisions.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 23

Ensuring line manager participation.

Holding line managers accountable.

Evaluating and continuously improving the career development

effort.

Maintaining high visibility and ongoing communication of career

development.

According to Milkovich et al (1985: 429-430) an organization’s career

development system should, amongst others, provide feedback on
performance and potential, foster realistic expectations, manage
information, match jobs and people, maintain programme continuity
and flexibility and integrate career planning with other human resource
functions.

Clark (1990: 211) furthermore feels that the possession of certain

values and competencies is vital. “Therefore, individuals will have to
develop their own unique career portfolios”. These could contain
general and specific roles, work experience, skills, values and
behaviour. Development of such portfolios would produce a flexibility
and responsiveness of their talents to meet organizational needs.
However, these portfolios have to be properly managed and maintained
over the life of the owners. It must be kept up to date, review for its
potential and marketed.

2.6 CONCLUSION

From the theoretical analysis provided in this Chapter it is clear that, as

indicated by the various definitions, career management is a process which
involves both employee and employer. Career management programmes
also encompass numerous human resource management practices.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 24

However, it would seem if the main objectives of career management would

include the following:

To assist employees to improve their performance.

It endeavors to clarify the various career options available to

employees.

To align the aspirations of employees with the organizational

objectives.

Based on this background the extent to which departments (as an employer)

have developed and implemented career management programmes were
assessed.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 25

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Although de la Rey (1978: 11) argues that without a specific identified problem
no reason exists to investigate the relevant issue further, this study is not
based on a problem. In this regard it should be noted that the existence or
non-existence of career management programmes in the South African Public
Service is not regarded as problem areas. The study merely endeavors to
determine the extent of implementation of career management programmes in
the Public Service and how careers are managed in the absence of such
programmes.

A further point of consideration is the population chosen to participate in the

study, namely government departments. Gerth and Mills as quoted by Baker
(1988: 8) stated that the nineteenth-century German sociologist, Max Weber,
defined the following four major characteristics of bureaucratic organizations,
such as public services – including the South African Public Service:

Such organizations are hierarchical. This means that positions in the

organization are fixed in a descending order of authority.

Bureaucratic organizations are guided by a set of rules and practices

which are formally established.

Positions within a bureaucratic organization are specialized, such that

one person’s work in an organization was clearly distinguished from,
but often depended upon, the work of others.

Social behaviour within a bureaucratic organization is impersonal.

Those in authority must rule without special favour, the organization
must treat its clients and customers with a fairness and formality that
suggests that no one is receiving special favours or benefits.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 26

All of the above factors, including the fact that the Public Service is the biggest
employer in South Africa by employing in the region of 1.1 million people,
were taken into account during the development and consideration of the
appropriate methodology followed during the execution of the study.

This chapter will not only focus on the research strategy and design followed,
but attention will also be given to the population that participated in the study
and the measuring instrument utilized.

3.2 RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DESIGN

In order for the most effective research strategy and design to be decided
upon, it is important that the researcher has a thorough understanding of the
various steps or phases when conducting social research. According to Baker
(1988: 87, 104-108, 110) any research project consists of eleven stages. In a
nutshell, these stages consist of the following:

Stage 1: Define the research topic

In any proposal the research topic should be posed in such a way that it is
clearly grounded in the general social field relevant to it.

Stage 2: Find out what is known about the topic

Printed sources, available data on ongoing social research topics,
Government collected data and non-governmental datasets are but a few
sources that can assist the researcher in this regard. However, social
research topics are usually embedded in so many different kinds of material
that the researcher must be careful to select the best materials to examine.

Stage 3: Clarify concepts and their measurements

This entails the move from abstract concepts to operational definitions and
from operational definitions to the specification and measurement of variables.
Two critical issues during this stage is validity and reliability.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 27

Stage 4: Establish an appropriate data collection method

Survey research is the most widely used method in social research.
Questionnaires and interviews are generally used in this regard.

Stage 5: Consider the purpose, value and ethics of the study

This assists the researcher in thinking through how to justify the study in terms
of both its rationale and the ethical issues that it might raise.

Stage 6: Operationalize concepts and design the research instrument

In a survey, for instance, the questionnaire or interview schedule is the
operationalized survey.

Stage 7: Select a sample of subjects to study

The selection process for deciding what or whom will be studied rests on a
large body of thought about the nature of sampling. In this regard a clear
distinction is also made between probability and non-probability samples.

Stage 8: Collect the data

Different methods of data collection have different types of procedures that
might be followed. Each form of data collection has its special concerns which
need to be considered fully before doing the study.

Stage 9: Process the data

Once the data is collected it must be put into a form that will enable it to be
analyzed. If it is quantifiable data it usually has to be prepared for a computer.

Stage 10: Analyze the data

Analyzing data must be given some thought during the designing phase of the
study. Numerous analytical tools also exist to study quantifiable data.

Stage 11: Present the results

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 28

The data for an entire study may be collected, but the research is not
complete until the results of the study have been written up.

In line with the above stages of a research project, and as part of the first
phase of this study, a comprehensive literature study was undertaken in order
to identify the most common elements of career management as well as the
practices which support career management. Textbooks and articles written
by reputable persons in the field of career management were therefore
studied. In addition, information was also obtained from the Internet websites
of certain international institutions carefully selected for this purpose.
According to Leedy (1997: 66-68) the Internet is a collection of sprawling
computer networks that links millions of computers used by tens of millions of
people all over the world. It can therefore be seen as a powerful way to
access a wide variety of information on an almost limitless number of topics.

Following the literature study, a measuring instrument was developed. This

instrument was utilized to obtain data from the respondents that participated in
the study. Issues considered during the development of the measuring
instrument are elaborated upon in Part 3.3 of this chapter.

Due to the topic which is investigated, as well as the population identified for
this purpose, it was decided that survey research method will be applied as
part of the methodology in the gathering of data. A questionnaire was
developed having regard to the Public Service’s unique work environment.
Data obtained by means of this questionnaire was also supplemented by data
obtained from conducting interviews with certain respondents identified for this
purpose.

During decisions taken regarding the research strategy and design it was
ensured that such strategy and design would be suitable for determining the –

state of affairs as far as the implementation of career management

programmes in government departments is concerned;
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 29

if applicable, reasons why government departments have not

implemented and activated career management practices; and

nature of the practices that have already been put in place by

departments due to their own initiative.

3.3 THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT

Baker (1988: 171-172) laid the following general rules down for the
construction of a questionnaire:

Include only questions which will address your research concerns and
which you plan to analyze.

Make the questionnaire as appealing as possible to the respondents.

Keep the questionnaire as short as will suffice to elicit the information

necessary to analyze the primary research concerns. Be sure,
however, to include questions on all aspects of the research problem
that you will need to address.

If the questionnaire is self administered, keep the instructions brief, but

make sure they contain all the information required to complete and
send back the questionnaire.

Consider in advance all the issues that a respondent might raise when
he or she receives this instrument. Be sure that the questionnaire
addresses these issues.

The above general rules were all observed and taken into account during the
development of the questionnaire.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 30

A summary of the questionnaire is attached at Appendix A to the dissertation.

As can be observed from this questionnaire, close-ended questions were
mainly utilized. Baker (1988: 173-174) is of opinion that such close-ended
questions force the respondent to select a single response from a list. Care
was therefore taken to ensure that the lists of responses covered as many
alternative answers as possible. She furthermore indicated that closed-ended
questions with forced choice responses are more likely to be completed by
respondents than open-ended questions.

However, in some instances the nature of the issue addressed dictated the
use of open-ended questions. Space was therefore provided on the
questionnaire for the respondent to write out his or her answer. One of the
disadvantages elicited to by Baker (1988: 174) in this regard is that if, in the
opinion of the respondent, too many or too few lines are left, he or she may be
more likely to skip the item.

The questionnaire was distributed to all national and provincial government

departments. From the following table it will be noted that completed
questionnaires were received back from 35 out of the 40 government
departments. This relates to a response of 87,5%.

Table 1: Respondents from whom completed questionnaires were received

RESPONSE NO RESPONSE
DEPARTMENT/PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION
RECEIVED RECEIVED

Agriculture

Arts, Culture, Science and Technology

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 31

RESPONSE NO RESPONSE
DEPARTMENT/PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION
RECEIVED RECEIVED

Communication

Constitutional Development

Correctional Services

Education

Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Finance

Foreign Affairs

Health

Home Affairs

Housing

Independent Complaints Directorate

Justice

Labour

Land Affairs

Minerals and Energy

Office of the Deputy President

Office of the President

Offices for Public Enteprises

Provincial Administration: Free State

Provincial Administration: Western Cape

Provincial Administration: Northern Cape

Provincial Administration: Eastern Cape

Provincial Administration: KwaZulu/Natal

Provincial Administration: Mpumalanga

Provincial Administration: Limpopo (Northern Prov.)

Provincial Administration: North West

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 32

RESPONSE NO RESPONSE
DEPARTMENT/PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION
RECEIVED RECEIVED

Provincial Administration: Gauteng

Public Works

Public Service and Administration

South African Police Service

South African National Defence Force

Sport and Recreation

State Expenditure

Statistics South Africa

Trade and Industry

Transport

Water Affairs and Forestry

Welfare (Social Development)

n=35

The cover page of the questionnaire contained the instruction notes aimed at
assisting the respondent in completing the questionnaire. Provision was also
made for the respondent to complete his or her name, rank and contact
details. This was required in the case further probing questions had to be
posed to the relevant person.

Baker (1988: 119-124) describes validity and reliability as whether the

instrument measures what it is supposed to measure and the consistency in
such measurement, respectively. According to her there are a number of
methods to test for validity by determining the association between a concept
and the empirical indicator(s) chosen to measure it. The following three
methods are described by her as tests that can typically be used in this
regard:

Content validity
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 33

Careful examines the measure of a concept in light of its meaning and ask the
question whether the instrument really seems to be measuring the underlying
concept.

Criterion-related validity
Two measures are taken: the measure of the set of empirical indicators and
the criterion to which the test is supposedly related. Some empirical evidence
need therefore be obtained to serve as the basis for judging that what is being
measured really measures what it is supposed to measure.

In other words, a correlation is used between the measure and the criterion to
determine the criterion-related validity.

Construct validity
Construct validity is based on forming hypotheses about the concepts that are
being measured and then on testing these hypotheses and correlating the
results with the initial measure.

The influence of the scientific validity and reliability of the measuring

instrument was minimal on the results achieved by using the instrument. The
reason for this can be found in the fact that something concrete was
measured as opposed to the measuring of abstract issues such as
perceptions, viewpoints, etcetera. However, it was ensured that the
measuring instrument would measure what it was developed to measure by
making it available to various experts in the field of human resource
management. The instrument was only finalized after inputs from these
persons were obtained.

Throughout the questionnaire the respondent was guided in terms of the

completion of the various sections provided for by the questionnaire.
Irrespective of its applicability, the following main issues were addressed by
the questionnaire in this regard:
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 34

The background as to why a career management policy or strategy has

not been implemented.

Information on how career management is currently dealt with.

Information on future actions regarding the implementation of career

management policies and strategies.

The background to the implementation of the career management

policy or strategy.

The key elements of the career management policy or strategy, with

specific reference to -
career management instruments;
departmental training and developmental policies and strategies;
performance assessment;
affirmative action objectives; and
job descriptions.

Revision and marketing of the career management policies and

strategies

In addition to the completed questionnaires, interviews were also held with

managers responsible for career management at two departments that have
implemented career management programmes.

These interviews were conducted with a view to obtaining a more in-depth

understanding of the relevant career management policies, strategies and
processes that have been implemented.

3.4 POPULATION THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 35

Churchill (1996: 535) defines a population as the totality of cases that conform
to some designated specifications. He also states that information can be
collected from each member of the population of interest by completely
canvassing this population. According to him a complete canvas of the
population is called a census.

Alternatively, information can be collected from a portion of the population by

taking a sample of elements from the larger group.

However, for purposes of this study it was decided to include all national and
provincial government departments in the population group. The decision to
include all national and provincial government departments in the study was
informed by the following:

More reliable results are usually obtained when all elements are
included in a study of this nature than when only certain elements are
identified to participate by means of sampling, for instance.

The practical work circumstances of the researcher. Due to his working

environment the researcher has become familiar with the majority of
government departments by liaising with them on a continuous basis.

The fact that the population consists of 40 elements only. This number
is regarded as a manageable population, given the scope of the study.

3.5 STATISTICAL PROCESSING OF THE DATA

After the literature study was concluded, data was gathered by means of the
questionnaire developed for this purpose. The data gathered was processed in order
for justifiable conclusions and recommendations to be made. The processing of this
data was done programmatically with the aid of an Ms Word Excel software package
at the University of Pretoria. A summary of the statistically processed data is
attached at Appendix B.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 36

Influencing the processing of data, is the various approaches one can take when
executing a study of this nature. Leedy (1997: 105-106) distinguish between the
quantitative and qualitative approaches. He captured the distinguishing
characteristics of these two approaches in the following table:

Table 2: Distinguishing characteristics of quantitative and qualitative approaches

(Leedy, 1997: 106)

QUESTION QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

What is the purpose of the To explain & predict To describe & explain
research? To confirm & validate To explore & interpret
To test theory To build theory
Outcome-orientated Process oriented

What is the nature of the Focused Holistic

research process? Known variables Unknown variables
Established guidelines Flexible guidelines
Static design Emergent design
Context free Context-bound
Detached view Personal view

What are the methods of data Representative, large sample Informative, small sample
collection? Standardized instruments Observations, interviews

What is the form of reasoning

Deductive analysis Inductive analysis
used in analyses?

Numbers Words
How are the findings
Statistics, aggregated data Narratives, individual quotes
communicated?
Formal voice, scientific style Personal voice, literary style

From the above table it is clear that this study into the extent of implementation of
career management programmes in the South African Public Service was based on
the qualitative approach.

3.6 CONCLUSION

This chapter focused on the importance of choosing the correct research strategy
and design when conducting social research. Issues to be taken into consideration
during the development of an appropriate measuring instrument were also discussed
in detail.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 37

The choice of the population of the study was reflected upon. All government
departments were included in the study due to various reasons as mentioned.

From the statistical processing of the data obtained by means of the measuring
instrument (questionnaire) it furthermore became evident that a qualitative approach
was followed with this study.

Following from the obtainment and processing of the data, findings, conclusions and
recommendations are made. Although similar findings and recommendations were
made by the Public Service Commission (2000: 10-41), this dissertation deals with
these issues in much more depth, especially from a scientifically perspective.
Chapters 4 to 7 will deal with these issues in detail.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 38

CHAPTER 4: THE EXTENT OF THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF CAREER

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES IN

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This Chapter provides information on the number of departments that have

implemented career management programmes, how it was developed and
implemented and what the career management programmes consist of.

As was indicated in Chapter 3, responses were received from 35 national

departments and provincial administrations. If one takes into account that
questionnaires were initially forwarded to 40 government departments, a very
successful return rate of 87.5% is calculated.

However, of the 35 national departments and provincial administrations that

have responded, only three have implemented career management
programmes whilst a further one was in the process of implementing one.

4.2 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMMES

The study revealed that a number of processes preceded the implementation

of career management programmes in the departments that have done so. In
all three these departments an affirmative action survey was conducted. The
results of the survey were taken into account during the development of the
respective career management programmes.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 39

Whilst the human resources components were responsible for the

development of the career management programmes at two of these
departments, this responsibility was vested in the Training Component of the
third one.

Extensive consultation took furthermore place during the development of the

career management programmes in all three departments. The following role-
players within the departments as well as external institutions were consulted:

Line managers, including Senior Management.

Line functionaries.

Employee organizations (where departmental bargaining chambers

existed).

Educational institutions.

Other departments such as the Department of Public Service and

Administration and the Department of Labour.

The Private Sector (in the case of one department).

International training and development organizations (also in the case of

one department).

In addition to the consultation processes, the career management programmes

and its instruments were in all instances first piloted in specific components.
Following the pilot exercise the programmes were implemented in selected
sections and only for certain levels of personnel in two of the departments.
The third department indicated that its career management programme forms
part of its training needs analysis and that it is being implemented in phases
together with its new training policy.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 40

The measuring instrument also tested departments on the manner in which

departments inform personnel about the career management programmes. It
was determined that information pertaining to career management
programmes are made available to personnel by means of training courses,
letters and memoranda, workshops and also at human resource development
forum meetings.

4.3 PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT CAREER MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMMES

The following practices support the career management programmes already

implemented in the Public Service:

The utilization of a pro-forma instrument to facilitate career

management.

A departmental training and development policy and strategy.

Performance assessment/management.

Affirmative action objectives.

Job descriptions.

4.3.1 Utilization of an instrument to facilitate career management

In order to facilitate the process of career management all three

departments make use of pro-forma instruments to assist managers
and their subordinates. These instruments in general provide for the
following:

o The personal aims or goals of the employee are identified

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 41

The employee is provided with an opportunity to indicate his or

her career goals in the short, medium and long term.

o The needs of the employer are indicated

The employer’s expectations of the employee are indicated and
discussed.

o Training and other development needs are identified

Emanating from the employee’s personal goals, the expectations
of the employer and the results of the employee’s performance
assessment, training needs are identified. The training needs are
captured on the instrument. The capturing of agreed training
needs amounts to an undertaking by the supervisor to facilitate
such training, either through personal mentoring or formal training
courses.

o Target dates are set for the achievement of goals

Target dates are set for the addressing of identified training needs
as well as other career development goals.

Other issues provided for in these instruments, although not common to

all of them, are the results of performance assessments, job
requirements of current as well as higher positions and available
personnel development resources and opportunities.

Although these pro-forma instruments are used to assist managers and

their subordinates to engage in career management, not all
departments expect their managers to complete such instruments on
each subordinate.

An interesting aspect is the fact that departments use different career

management instruments for different occupations. This is ascribed to
differences in work environments and functions.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 42

4.3.2 Departmental training and development policies and strategies

Two of the three departments indicated that training needs, identified

through career management programmes, are incorporated in
departmental training programmes. Resulting from career management
programmes, training programmes and courses are arranged to equip
personnel for their current posts as well as higher posts and to
ultimately address the needs of the department. The remaining
department, on the other hand, indicated that it is left entirely to
management to arrange for the necessary training from needs identified
through career management programmes.

4.3.3 Performance assessment/management

Performance management is not in all cases directly linked to the

career management programmes of departments. In those cases
where it is, the dates for performance assessment and for the revision
of career management plans are synchronized.

Career management programmes are informed by the following

information that can be obtained through performance assessments:

o The identification of an employee’s strengths and

weaknesses
A performance assessment indicates an employee’s strengths as
well as the areas in which an employee needs to improve in
order to function optimally in his or her current position. This
information assists with the determining of career development
objectives as part of career management. Training needs to
equip an employee for his or her current position are also
identified.
o Information on whether career goals are realistic
The performance of an employee in his or her current position
indicates the level of development required to aspire for higher
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 43

positions. Career goals identified through career management

can on the basis of this information be revisited. The
assessment of an employee in his or her current position
provides a clear indication of his or her readiness or potential to
be promoted.

o It provides feedback on whether pre-set career development

and performance goals have been achieved
Through career planning, performance goals and career
development goals are set. Performance assessments indicate
whether the performance goals have been achieved and whether
career development initiatives have been successful. As part of
career management, the reasons for success or failure to reach
these goals are discussed and revised targets are set.

4.3.4 Affirmative action objectives

According to Stevens (1990: 28) equal employment opportunity,

personal privacy and anti-discrimination guidelines are creating new
demands for objectivity from management.

The White Paper on Affirmative Action in the Public Service provides

that career management, as a human resource management practice,
should be evaluated to determine whether it is capable of supporting an
organization’s affirmative action objectives. As indicated earlier an
affirmative action survey was conducted in all departments before the
development and implementation of the career management
programme. Consequently the career management programmes in
place provide for the following practices with a view to promoting
affirmative action:

o Intensified formal and in-service training

Training programmes are developed with due regard to affirmative
action needs. Departments also make use of personal mentoring
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 44

and in one of the departments a formal mentoring programme has

been developed.

o Mobility within the organization

All three departments that have implemented career management
programmes employ fast tracking as a career management
strategy to attain affirmative action objectives. In order to ensure
a match of person with post, as well as to facilitate career
development, employees are rotated regularly. Where necessary
a redistribution of duties and tasks is done. Employees are also
allocated additional duties and tasks as part of career
development.

In view of the limited number of departments in which career

management programmes have been implemented, the
researcher is of opinion that it is not possible to predict whether
career management as a human resource management practice
in the Public Service will be aligned with the objectives of
affirmative action.

4.3.5 Job descriptions

Well defined job descriptions, clearly identifying possible career paths,

as well as the knowledge, skills and personal attributes required to
perform the task and function, assist employees in developing career
plans. The relevant departments indicated that information in respect of
the following areas applicable to career management are included in
their job description formats:

o Learning fields and indicators

The incumbent of a post is provided with information about the
knowledge, skills and qualifications required to perform effectively
in the post.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 45

o Promotion opportunities
Information is included on higher posts in the department to which
the incumbent can aspire to be promoted. The requirements for
promotion are also indicated.

In addition to information regarding career development and pathing, a

job description includes details of the job content of a specific post,
thereby enabling a match of employees with posts.

4.4 CAREER MANAGEMENT: A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE

The career management programmes implemented by the various

departments provide insight into how different role players can be involved with
career management. Next a discussion will take place of the practical
application and dynamics of the implemented career management
programmes.

4.4.1 Department 1

Career management programme

In this department personnel audits and surveys are conducted by a
career management directorate. The findings of these audits and
surveys are captured in an organogram format indicating, amongst
others, the post level, post title, name of the incumbent of the post, the
incumbent’s rank and the channels of communication.

The above exercise enables this department to determine exactly where

personnel gaps exist per unit. Different colours are furthermore used to
indicate which employees will be leaving the service in the near future,
which employees applied for voluntary severance packages, or are
carried out of adjustment. The organogram services as a map
indicating areas where the organization is in need, or will be in need, of
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 46

personnel with specific competencies, thereby assisting management in

the department with proper human resource planning.

Heads of the various units within the department are responsible for
conducting personnel surveys. Career managers, especially appointed
for this purpose, are responsible to follow the findings of such personnel
surveys up with the relevant head of a unit, and to provide assistance in
this regard.

Apart from career managers, “career planners” are available to assist

employees in planning their careers by means of interviews. On
average, a career planner conducts ± 200 interviews per month.

A prescribed form to be used during these interviews was developed

internally. A matrix is drawn of the individual’s career, indicating the
rank, number of years’ service, courses completed, etcetera. This is
regarded as a source of reference to obtain a picture of the past, the
present and the future as far as an individual’s career is concerned,
including his or her expectations.

Not only are supervisors required to assist heads of units with the
conducting of personnel surveys, they are also responsible for, amongst
other things, nominating subordinates to attend required training
courses.

Advantages of the programme

According to the Department it is expected that the advantages of
performing career management in this manner (strategy) could include
the following:

Establishment related problems and shortcomings are identified

and addressed accordingly.

Career awareness programmes are launched.

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 47

Employees are made aware of their careers as well as their

respective career ceilings.

Employees are provided with the required training and skills in

good time.

Ghost workers are eliminated, thereby creating more career path

and mobility opportunities.

Realism amongst employees as far as their career aspirations

are concerned is ensured.

Inequitable work distribution is identified.

In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, the following

observations were made by the researcher:

The programme seems to cover the areas of career pathing,

planning and development sufficiently.

The size of the career management component is of concern.

The viability of such a large component is questionable.

Care should be taken that the “over involvement” of the career

management directorate does not dilute the important role that
managers have to play in the career planning and development
of their subordinates.

The programme is still at an infant stage. It is therefore not

possible to comment on its success in practice at this point in
time.

4.4.2 Department 2
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 48

Career management programme

Career management is also only in its beginning phase at this
department. However, positive feedback has been obtained from the
first group of employees who were introduced to the career orientated
programme.

According to the policy framework on career management developed by

this department, the role players involved with career management are
as follows:

The Director or Manager: Career Management

The Director or Manager: Career Management is responsible for
the development, facilitation and monitoring of a national policy
and procedures regarding career management. Included in this
broad terms of reference are the development of instruments for
career management, presentation of career management
programmes, development of career paths and the monitoring of
the standard of career management in the Department.

Supervisors and Personnel practitioners

These officials must integrate career management with human
resource management practices when it comes to recruitment,
selection, training and development, transfers, placements,
affirmative action and performance appraisal. They are
responsible for the conducting of career discussions with all
newly appointed employees or personnel who have been
transferred. Supervisors are responsible to provide feedback
regarding performance assessment, to identify development
areas and to compile development plans that must support
individuals in developing and improving their skills. They are
furthermore responsible to conduct regular discussions with their
employees about their careers. During these discussions the
plans and strategies concerning their careers are monitored,
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 49

evaluated and adjusted in terms of predetermined career

objectives.

In cases where supervisors cannot advise employees, the

employee is referred to a career advisor. Supervisors are,
however, required to familiarize themselves at regular intervals
with the employee’s career aspirations. They are also to keep up
to date with job, training and development opportunities which
are likely to assist in meeting both the employee’s career
aspirations and the organizational objectives.

Career advisors
Career advisors offer career programmes for groups as well as
individual career guidance to employees. They also assist
supervisors and personnel practitioners during the
implementation of career management programmes at grass root
level.

Individual employees
Individual employees are primarily responsible for their own
development and promotion in line with their career aspirations.
In order to do this, they must have access to information and
development opportunities. They must also engage in realistic
self-assessment.

Effectiveness of programme
As was the case at Department 1, it is too early to comment on the
success in practice of this career management programme. However,
the following is noted by the researcher:

It would appear as if the policy framework on career

management clearly indicates and defines the roles and
responsibilities of the various role players involved in career
management.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 50

The policy framework attempts to cover the areas of career

planning, pathing and development sufficiently.

As was stated above, one of the responsibilities of the Director

(Manager): Career Management, is to monitor the standard of
career management in the Department. It is important that
feedback in this regard be given on a regular basis to supervisors
and personnel practitioners.

It should be ensured that all supervisors are adequately trained

so as to assist employees with career planning, pathing and
development.

According to the policy framework individual employees must

engage in realistic self-assessment. Guidelines in this regard will
have to be provided by supervisors, especially to newly
appointed employees.

4.4.3 Department 3

Career management programme

Department 3’s career management programme entails the completion
of career development plans for each individual within the Department
in accordance with a prescribed instrument.

The career development plans provide for the assessment of core

competencies required to function effectively both in the existing as well
as higher positions. These core competencies (or outcomes) as well as
the assessment criteria that are set, are basically elements of a
performance assessment instrument, namely -

working with people;

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 51

management of work;

personal effectiveness; and

knowledge and experience.

After aims regarding the level of operation expected of the individual are
set and rated in respect of each outcome, the actual performance of the
individual is rated in both the current position and the next higher
position. This rating is done by means of self-assessment and an
assessment authority. The assessment authority could include
supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers and clients, suppliers and
an assessment center (simulations).

The rating of performance is compared with the aims that were set and
education and training solutions and programmes are identified.
Examples of education and training solutions include the attendance of
courses, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, job enlargement, job
enrichment, participation in multi-skilled project teams and the
attendance of seminars, congresses and conferences. Target dates for
the completion of the education and training solutions and programmes
are also to be indicated on the prescribed instrument.

As indicated above, supervisors are responsible for completing a career

development plan for each subordinate, assessing the performance of
subordinates, and seeing to it that subordinates are nominated to attend
the required education and training programmes.

Shortcomings of the programme

The researcher is of the view that this career management programme
only focuses on career development, and not on career planning and
pathing. This is a matter of concern as effective career development
cannot occur if it is not preceded by proper career planning and pathing
processes.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 52

Superficially viewed, it would also appear that the entire career

development process is based on the outcome of performance
assessments. This is a possible shortcoming as, amongst others, only
needs in terms of the current position (according to the assessments)
are addressed. Future needs of the Department are not necessarily
taken into account during this process.

However, the allocation of target dates for the completion of education

and training programmes is a commendable practice. It indicates the
commitment of both the employer and the supervisor to the process of
career development.

4.5 CONCLUSION

Although the population of this study consisted of 40 national departments and

provincial administrations, only three out of the 35 that have responded to the
request for information have indicated that they have developed and
implemented career management programmes.

The career management programmes that have been implemented in the

Public Service are in an early stage of implementation and measuring its
effectiveness is not feasible at this point in time. It was, however, determined
that these career management programmes are in general supported by
practices such as the utilization of a pro-forma instrument, internal training and
development policies and strategies, performance assessment/ management,
affirmative action objectives and job descriptions.

Respondents also indicated that career management policies and strategies

will be revised on an annual basis and that information in this regard will be
made available to personnel mainly by means of training courses, workshops
and circulars.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 53

CHAPTER 5: THE MANNER IN WHICH

CAREERS ARE MANAGED IN

THE ABSENCE OF FORMAL

PROGRAMMES

5.1 INTRODUCTION

As was indicated in Chapter 4, only three departments have developed and

implemented career management programmes. This Chapter endeavors to
provide the reasons why career management programmes have not been put
in place in the majority of national departments and provincial administrations.

Respondents were also probed on how they go about managing the careers of
employees in the absence of formal career management programmes. A
synopsis is therefore provided of the manner in which career management is
currently dealt with.

Lastly the envisaged actions of departments regarding the development and

implementation of career management programmes are assessed.

5.2 REASONS FOR THE NON-EXISTENCE OF A CAREER

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

High work pressure, backlogs in work, a high number of vacancies, lack of

expertise and knowledge, the fact that career management is not deemed a
priority and, in an isolated instance, resistance from line management are all
reasons provided by respondents for their failure to implement formal career
management programmes. In table form, the responses received in this
regard are as follows:
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 54

Table 3: Responses received regarding the lack of formal career

management policies and strategies

FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES
REASONS
RESPONSES (n) EXPRESSED AS A %

High work pressure 13 31.7%

Backlog in work 5 12.2%

High number of vacancies 9 21.9%

Lack of expertise & knowledge 7 17.1%

Career management not a priority 5 12.2%

Resistance from line management 2 4.9%

TOTAL 41 100%
n=41

In addition to the above, the following issues were furthermore emphasized by

certain respondents as major contributing factors which prohibited the
development of career management programmes:

5.2.1 Outdated organization structures

Although restructuring should not be an excuse for not engaging in

career planning and development, respondents have indicated that
outdated organizational structures do not meet their functional needs.

A comprehensive restructuring will therefore have to be undertaken

before career opportunities can be mapped out. After all, if it is clear
that the organizational structure does not meet the functional needs it
should also be clear what the developmental needs of the department
are.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 55

5.2.2 Decentralization

The process of decentralization in departments, that includes issues

such as the creation of regional offices, etcetera, impacts on their ability
to finalize human resource development policies and procedures.
Policies and strategies are therefore in different stages of development.

In addition to the above, the appointment and/or absorption of new staff

could also delay the consultation process in respect of new human
resource development policies.

5.2.3 National policy does not stipulate a time-frame

No target date was set for the implementation of a career management

programme in the various White Papers. The development of such a
programme has therefore not received priority. The researcher is,
however, of opinion that the lack of target dates do not constitute
sufficient reason for not having developed and implemented career
management programmes. Departments ought to have taken their own
initiative in this regard.

5.2.4 Career management is not addressed as a separate programme or

policy but is provided for by the multitude of human resource
development policies that are in place

Some respondents argued that no need exists for the development of a

career management programme per se as the principles of career
management are also addressed in policies on human resource
development which have already been developed.

It is, however, questionable whether the policies would provide

sufficiently for the practices of career planning and pathing.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 56

5.2.5 Departments are newly created or restructured

The progress with human resource management and development

policies is limited in view of the fact that institutional transformation has
only been completed recently and departments have been newly
created or incorporated in the Public Service.

Although the difficulties experienced with the establishment of new

institutions are acknowledged., departments and provincial
administrations should consider establishing partnerships with each
other. Certain departments and provincial administrations have already
progressed significantly with the development of such policies. These
policies can be obtained and tailored to suit departments’ and provincial
administrations’ unique circumstances.

5.2.6 Human resources policies supporting career management must

first be developed

Some respondents have indicated that certain human resources

policies, such as affirmative action and training and development for
example, are currently in draft format and should be finalized shortly.
Career management, as a strategy, is an integrated approach to human
resource practices and it would therefore not be sensible to develop a
career management strategy if the building blocks are not in place.

5.2.7 Implementation of the new administrative framework for the Public

Service was awaited
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 57

The implementation of the new administrative framework for the Public

Service was awaited. It was argued that the implementation of the new
Public Service Regulations would provide an appropriate framework to
create a comprehensive career management strategy.

5.3 THE MANNER IN WHICH CAREER MANAGEMENT IS CURRENTLY

DEALT WITH

In the absence of a formal career management programme, respondents

indicated that careers are managed as follows:

Table 4: The manner in which careers are managed in the absence of

formal career management programmes

NUMBER OF RESPONSES
INDICATED MANNER
RESPONSES (n) EXPRESSES AS A %

By individuals themselves 1 1.8%

By managers in an informal manner 15 26.3%
According to existing prescripts 19 33.3%
In a manner other than the above 22 38.6%

TOTAL 57 100%
n=57

A more in depth discussion of the various manners in which careers are

managed in the absence of formal programmes, as indicated in the above
table, is provided:

5.3.1 By employees themselves

Employees are solely responsible for the identification of career paths

and career development opportunities. The obvious risk with such an
approach is that there is no balance between the needs of the
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 58

employee and the employer. It could, for example, happen that an

employee obtain a tertiary qualification with a view to being promoted to
a specific higher post whilst the employer does not have a need for an
employee with such a qualification. The employee furthermore receives
no structured assistance in achieving career goals.

5.3.2 By managers in an informal manner

This is done by making subordinates aware of career development and

promotion opportunities. Although this approach allows flexibility in that
the subordinate is not bound by a structured career planning process,
the benefits attached to such a structured approach are not available to
the subordinate. The organization in such instances will not be able to
provide informed career development support.

5.3.3 Within the administrative framework, guidelines and measures

applicable to Public Servants as contained in Personnel
Administration Standards

This approach is very restrictive as it limits career pathing to the

occupation covered by a Personnel Administration Standard. These
standards also do not address training and other career development
opportunities unless legislated (registration requirements, etcetera).

This could lead to loss on multi-skilling opportunities as well as the

inability to follow alternative career paths. It should furthermore be
borne in mind that the new administrative framework, implemented in
the Public Service with effect from July 1999, provides for more
flexibility in terms of mapping out career paths.

5.3.4 As part of systems designed to enhance competency and to

evaluate potential
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 59

Such an approach focuses on development needs of employees and

may not necessarily address career pathing opportunities. It is
furthermore not clear whether these systems are informed by the results
of career planning. The success of this approach would therefore be
dependant on the extent to which the enhancement of competency is
focused on immediate circumstances or whether it also caters for future
needs and expectations.

5.3.5 Career counselling is provided by the human resources

development component

Career counselling is a necessary and integral part of a career

management programme. It is assumed, however, that career
counselors are not in all instances familiar with the career development
(including training and performance) needs of an employee in his or her
current position. Interaction between the employee and supervisor is
therefore an absolute requirement.

5.3.6 Career management is part of a mentor or protégé programme

Prinsloo (2001: 31) defines mentoring as a deliberate relationship where

personal skills and attributes are required to impart knowledge and
experience in such a way that the maximum benefit can be derived by
all parties concerned. He continues by stating that in order to achieve
the goals of mentoring, the mentor may have to fulfill the roles of an
analyst, assessor, advisor, supporter, tutor/coach, psychologist,
diplomat and matchmaker.

Such an approach, however, limits itself to new appointees or newly

promoted employees and may have as its primary focus the orientation
of individuals to the institutional culture.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 60

5.3.7 By completing and signing career path agreements prior to

employees attending courses

Nominations are requested from employees to attend training courses

with a view to strengthening certain line function fields in departments.
Employees are required to sign career path agreements prior to
attending such courses, thereby binding themselves contractually to
remain in the service of the relevant department after completion of the
course. The duration of such a contractual obligation will depend on the
duration and cost of the training course.

By following this approach career paths are clearly demarcated and

skills could be developed optimally. In order for this approach to be
successful, it will have to be preceded by a comprehensive career
planning process. On its own it serves merely as a mechanism to
ensure that the skills developed through courses are not lost
immediately to the labour market.

5.3.8 Lower graded employees are identified for placement in higher

posts, provided that the minimum requirements of the post are met

The placing of lower level workers in higher posts is a common practice.

It is, however, just a very small part of a career management strategy.
The identification of development needs and appropriate career paths
may not receive the required attention. The problem can be eliminated
by means of regular training need surveys as well as the
implementation of capacity building programmes.

During these interventions lower level workers should be familiar with

the concept of career management, including its advantages.

5.4 CONCLUSION
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 61

In addition to the above indicated ways in which career management is dealt

with in the absence of a formal career management programme, respondents
have also indicated that newcomers at the majority of departments and
provincial administrations are informed of possible career paths and
development opportunities through induction and orientation courses
presented by their direct supervisors or by the human resources components.
Feedback received in this regard is contained in Table 5:

Table 5: The manner in which newcomers are informed of career pathing

and development opportunities

NUMBER OF RESPONSES
MANNER OF COMMUNICATION
RESPONSES (n) EXPRESSED AS A %

At induction/orientation course 17 32.1%

By the direct supervisor 19 35.8%

By letters of appointment 1 1.9%

By the human resources component 16 30.2%

TOTAL 53 100%
n=53

Most of the respondents are furthermore currently in the process of developing

career management programmes. Those who have not yet done so indicated
that they intend developing such a programme in due course. Graphically this
can be illustrated as follows:

Figure 4: Development of career management programmes (n=32)

4
yes
no
25
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 62

Although it was indicated that the responsibility of developing suitable career

management programmes will largely rest with the human resource and
training components, other role players will also be involved, such as
developmental offices within line departments and components, line and senior
managers, project teams, regional training committees and human resource
development committees. The responsibility in this regard is illustrated as
follows:

Table 6: Role players responsible for developing career management

programmes

NUMBER OF RESPONSES
ROLE PLAYERS INVOLVED
RESPONSES (n) EXPRESSED AS A %

Human Resources Component 23 66%

Training Component 11 31%

Other role players 1 3%

TOTAL 35 100%
n=35
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 63

CHAPTER 6: CAREER MANAGEMENT AS

APPLIED BY A SAMPLE OF

INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE THE

PUBLIC SERVICE

6.1 INTRODUCTION

TELKOM, KRYGKOR, SPOORNET and Tshwane City Council were ad

randomly selected by means of sampling to participate in the study. Each of
these institutions were consulted to determine how it deal with career
management in their respective organizations.

The researcher found that TELKOM does not have a system in place that
relates to career management. The other institutions, unfortunately, also do
not have structured career management programmes in place. However, all of
them apply certain career management practices. This Chapter provides
insight into the practices applied by these institutions.

6.2 KRYGKOR

At KRYGKOR the process followed is called “Performance and competency

based management.” It makes use of performance and competency
management models which, amongst others, provide for the organization’s
objectives and needs, as well as that of the employee.

At the beginning of each year employees “contract” out their outputs for that
specific year in terms of performance and competency management models,
having regard to the organization’s objectives and needs.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 64

The “performance and competency based management process” furthermore

entails multi-source-evaluations, a practice not familiar to, or utilized in the
South African Public Service. During this process the outputs and
competencies of the individual are evaluated not only by the individual and the
supervisor, but also by colleagues and clients. Emanating from such a multi-
source-evaluation, the supervisor has a performance development discussion
with the individual.

It is clear that the value of KRYGKOR’s approach is that employees’

competencies are evaluated outside of the normal supervisor/subordinate
relationship through the fact that clients and colleagues are also involved. In
fact, Theron (2000: 14-19) argues that multi-rater (360 degree) assessments
certainly give a much broader perspective on performance than top-down
assessments. It is also far more comprehensive than the traditional
assessment of the subordinate by his or her supervisor. Theron furthermore
highlighted more transparent reporting systems and better enhanced
communication as two possible advantages of multi-rater assessment.

6.3 SPOORNET

Although SPOORNET does not have official career management processes in

place, individual development plans are compiled in respect of each employee.
Profiles have been determined for every post within the organization as well as
the competencies required to perform the various functions. The job profiles
are compared with the competency profiles in order to compile the individual
development plans.

This approach is largely focused on development needs within current

positions. Due to the lack of proper career planning and pathing,
SPOORNET’s focus would therefore seem to be on the short term, instead of
the long term.

6.4 TSHWANE CITY COUNCIL

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 65

The concept of career management is promoted at the Tshwane City Council

mainly by means of workshops, meetings with heads of divisions and individual
career discussions. Employees are, together with their supervisors,
responsible for the identification of developmental needs in relation to their
career objectives. These needs are determined by evaluating subordinates
against certain pre-determined key performance areas and are then captured
in a career development plan.

Career development discussions are also held on a regular basis between

employees and their supervisors during which issues such as career
objectives, performance assessments, developmental areas and
developmental interventions are discussed. Emanating from these
discussions, the career development plans are continuously updated and
amended. Furthermore, such plans provide information on the relevant
developmental areas, the actions required, the person responsible and the
time scales.

However, the researcher is of opinion that it would seem as if the City

Council’s programme mainly deals with developmental issues. The flexibility of
career development plans and the attaching of time scales to developmental
actions, on the other hand, are practices that could be noted by other
institutions and government departments.

6.5 CONCLUSION

The focus of the programmes and practices applied by the sample of these
institutions is on –

performance management;

career development; and

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 66

career pathing.

It is, however, clear from the information provided that these three identified
areas do not have equal prominence in each of the institutions.

The different approaches applied by these institutions support the research

findings of this study that models for career management are tailored to the
circumstances which prevail in the work environment for which they are
designed. Both private institutions and government departments will therefore
have to develop and implement their own purpose designed models according
to the unique needs and circumstances applicable to them.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 67

CHAPTER 7: PROPOSALS IN RESPECT OF THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF A CAREER

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

7.1 INTRODUCTION

Advice is provided in this Chapter on the development and implementation of a

typical career management programme. This advice is based on the findings
of the literature study, the research results, the models of career management
observed in individual government departments and the sample of institutions
that were consulted.

It should, however, from the outset be noted that the success of a career
management programme is influenced by the extent to which human resource
management practices in general support the programme. The proposals
made therefore mainly focus on the creating of an awareness of career
management as well as the various practices that support such a process.

7.2 CREATING AWARENESS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT

The development and implementation of career management programmes

should be supported by a thorough consultative process. The consultative
process must include managers and supervisors at all levels in the
organization as well as employee organizations recognized in terms of an
agreement or, in the case of government departments, admitted to
departmental bargaining chambers.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 68

Awareness can typically be created by having workshops, seminars and/or

formal training sessions in this regard. Regular information sessions will also
suffice.

Employees must furthermore be made aware of the fact that the ultimate
responsibility for career management rests with them although the employer is
providing such a framework in support thereof.

7.3 PRACTICES SUPPORTING THE PROCESS OF CAREER

MANAGEMENT

Earlier the viewpoint was raised that a career management programme can
only be successful to the extent that it is supported by other practices in an
organization. The researcher is therefore of opinion that specific attention
should be given to the following when developing a career management
programme:

7.3.1 The career planning and pathing process

Career planning is an integrated process in which the employer can

provide assistance according to its own needs and priorities to the
employee. The following process, to be managed by the employer, can
be undertaken by employees with their supervisors:

Employees and their supervisors should meet biannually to discuss

performance and engage in career planning. The career planning
process should consist of the following components:

(a) Discuss the employee’s current performance

Feedback must be given to the employee on the supervisor’s
assessment of his or her performance in his or her current
position. If a formal assessment of the employee’s performance
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 69

has been concluded by an assessment committee, the results of

such an assessment must also be conveyed.

During this discussion strengths and weaknesses of the

employee pertaining to his or her performance in the current
position must be brought to his or her attention. Based on the
weaknesses, developmental needs for growth in the current
position must be identified. The employee’s strengths must be
noted by the employer and harnessed in a direction to the benefit
of both the employee and employer.

(b) Determine and assess the career goals of the employee

The employee must be provided with an opportunity to indicate
his or her career goals and expectations in the short, medium
and long term. Having gone through the exercise of discussing
performance in the current position, the career expectations
identified by the employee should be more realistic.

The career goals and expectations of employees must be

assessed and requirements to attain these goals must be spelled
out. An analysis of the employee’s current qualifications,
experience, skills and potential must be undertaken and
compared with the requirements attached to positions identified
through the employee’s career expectations. This serves as a
reality check for the individual to assess whether the career
goals set in the short, medium and long term are attainable.

On the basis of this comparison the employee must be allowed

to amend his or her career goals in the short, medium and long
term.

(c) Indicate the employer’s expectations and needs

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 70

The supervisor must also indicate the needs of the organization

around the areas of specific skills and competencies. Therefore,
supervisors must be kept informed and fully understand the
structure of the organization, i.e: its divisions, functions, levels
and job characteristics. The supervisor must also be aware of
the line and staff function fields in the organization that needs
strengthening.

In order to provide the supervisor with the necessary information,

a comprehensive organizational needs audit will have to be
conducted. A process will also have to be established to update
the organizational needs on a continual basis.

The requirements to attain the expectations of the employer

must be clearly spelled out to the employee. The supervisor
must ensure that the goals identified during this phase are
attainable given the employee’s current level of skills and
competency and the developmental requirements for
progression to such positions.

(d) Agree on possible career paths for the employee within the
organization
Based on the career goals of the employee and the priorities and
expectations of the employer, possible career paths must be
developed for the employee. The career paths must represent
as far as possible a marriage between the goals of the employee
and the priorities of the employer.

Career paths must be informed by the developmental needs (the

next component of career planning) and should therefore be
revisited once the developmental needs have been identified.

During this phase the requirements for progression to each level

in the career path must be spelled out clearly (experience, skills,
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 71

qualifications, etcetera). This is necessary to inform the career

development options to be decided upon.

Two or three career paths can be identified, provided that they

are not diverse from each other. Diverse career paths will
complicate decisions on career development.

(e) Identify career development needs

Based on the career paths designed for the employee and the
requirements for progression to the different levels identified in
the career path, development needs must be identified. These
needs must be captured in a personal development plan for each
employee.

The development needs, depending on the designed career

path, could focus on specific training required, experience which
must be gained and skills that must be developed. Where the
supervisor can arrange the required training, this must be
indicated on the development plan.

Each employee’s development plan must be forwarded to the

training unit or person responsible for the co-ordination of
training. The arrangement of courses and the identification of
possible training interventions, by the training unit or person
responsible for co-ordinating training, must be done with due
consideration to the training needs identified in the personal
development plans.

Supervisors must, as part of the developmental needs analysis,

consider the effect that the rotation of staff might have on
addressing requirements regarding experience in specific work
fields. In cases where rotation can be used effectively to
address development needs, this must be reflected in the career
pathing options for employees.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 72

Each intervention decided upon to address the developmental

needs of an employee must be indicated in the personal
development plan. This responsibility must be assigned to a
person or component within time frames.

7.3.2 Performance management

It is understandable that it will be beneficial to synchronise activities

relating to career planning with feedback on performance. An
employee’s performance in his or her current position has a deciding
impact on management’s perceptions regarding his or her potential for
further progression.

Career planning and development is further not limited to initiatives

regarding progression to higher levels. It could also focus on the
requirements for an employee to improve his or her performance in his
or her current position. The key to an employee’s aspirations for higher
positions is sustained high quality performance.

As part of the performance management process, specific emphasis

should be placed on providing feedback to the employee on what areas
he or she should target for improvement. Due consideration must be
given to these areas when the personal development plan for the
individual is developed.

With specific reference to the work circumstances in government

departments, Chapter 5.10.2 of the White Paper on Human Resource
Management in the Public Service states that managers’ own
performance assessments should include an assessment of the extent
to which they have carried out their career management responsibilities.

7.3.3 Establishing a co-ordinated departmental career development

programme
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 73

It is not practical to address the development needs of employees as

identified in their personal development plans on an individual basis.
Some form of co-ordination with the identification and scheduling of
training interventions will be required.

The role of co-ordinating training interventions can be allocated to the

training component of an organization. If organizations do not have a
training component, a training co-ordinator can be used. The role of the
training component/co-ordinator will be to identify common training
needs from the various personal development plans and to facilitate
appropriate training opportunities. The training component or co-
ordinator can also be used to assist supervisors and employees where
unique training requirements are identified.

In order to support the career management programmes of

organizations the training component or co-ordinator can be assigned
the duty of developing a career development programme. Such a
programme should take the line functional needs of organizations into
consideration and could comprise the development of a set of standard
courses which employees at different levels and occupations in the
organization can attend on an annual basis. The contents of the
courses must continuously be updated in line with the needs of the
employer in terms of specific skills, knowledge or other competencies.

The advantage of an established career development programme is

that full details of courses (nature of course, date and venue) can be
made available to all supervisors to assist them with the process of
career planning.

7.3.4 Organisational needs audit

 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 74

Organizations could consider it to assess their needs in respect of

specific skills on an annual basis. Components requiring a
strengthening of the workforce could then be identified.

A skills audit could be conducted in this regard to assist with the

identification of employees with the potential and skills who can be
groomed to accommodate the needs of the employer. The needs of the
employer should continuously, through the management structures, be
conveyed to supervisors throughout the organization.

In cases where specific employees have been identified with a view to

address weaknesses in certain components, the relevant supervisors
should be consulted timeously in order to accommodate the needs in
the employee’s career planning.

The employer’s needs in respect of specific skills could also be provided

to the training unit or co-ordinator in order to inform the composition of
the organization’s career development programme.

7.3.5 Affirmative action

Any career management programme must support the affirmative action

objectives of the specific institution. Posts that have been targeted to
be filled with a view to promoting representativeness should be
identified and all supervisors should be informed accordingly. The
career planning of employees of the under-represented population
groups must take the requirements attached to such posts into
consideration.

Other practices in support of the affirmative action objectives of the

organization could also be incorporated in the career management
programme. If certain individuals have been identified for fast tracking,
the career planning of these individuals can clearly spell out target
dates for the achievement of preset goals.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 75

Rotation as an instrument to assist with capacity building (by creating a

broader base of experience) can also be included as part of the career
pathing of officials in the under-represented groups.

The personal development plans of employees of the under-

represented groups should specifically place emphasis on the training
needs of such employees. The career development programme of an
institution ought to include a sub-programme specifically designed to
meet the training needs of such personnel.

7.3.6 Job description

Well defined job descriptions in any organization can assist in providing

insight into the competencies, knowledge, skills and experience to
perform the functions and tasks attached to a specific post successfully.
Job descriptions should furthermore be accessible to all supervisors in
the organization in order to assist them with the identification of
requirements for progression (or rotation) to specific posts.

Having access to all job descriptions will also enable supervisors to

accurately inform their subordinates of the nature of work attached to
the positions to which they aspire.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 76

CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION

Career management, a practice previously neglected by many organizations,

including the South African Public Service, has been given specific prominence
in recent years. Legislation and national policies relating to human resource
management specifically address this issues in the South African Public
Service.

Employee self-management has, furthermore, emerged as one of the

international management themes of the 1990's and 2000’s. From the study it
became clear that organizations are expecting employees to assume greater
responsibility for their own future as well as for their organization’s success.

It is of concern that only three government departments have implemented

career management programmes. The researcher is of the view that special
effort should be made by the rest of the institutions to develop, pilot and
implement career management programmes.

It is high time that private institutions and government departments liaise with
one another on human resource management issues such as career
management for instance. Relevant lessons learnt in the past can be passed
on to each other. After all, whether people are employed by a private
company or a public service, the needs of the employee stays the same.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 77

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management_aid. html.

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process.html.

Clark, F.A. (1992). Total Career Management: Strategies for creating

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De la Rey, R.P. (1978). Statistiese metodes in sielkundige navorsing. Deel I en

II. Universiteit van Pretoria: Pretoria.
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Department of Public Service and Administration. (2001a). Report on the

assessment of the state of readiness of departments to implement new
performance management and development systems for staff on levels 1 to
12, as at 31 May 2001. Pretoria: DPSA.

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Human resource practices and employment equity in the Public Service.
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Development. London: Jai Press Ltd.

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Greenhaus, J.H., Callanan, G.A & Godshalk, V.M. (2000). Career

Management. Third edition. United States of America: The Dryden Press.

Gutteridge, T.G., Leibowitz, Z.B. & Shore, J.E. (1993). Organizational Career
Development. First edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers.

Hall, D.T. (1986). Career Development in organizations. First edition. San

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Leedy, P.D. (1997). Practical research: Planning and design. Sixth edition.
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Milkovich, G.T. & Glueck, W.F. (1985). Personnel/Human Resource

Management: A diagnostic Approach. Fouth edition. Texas: Business
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Prinsloo, R. (2001). Mentors can be beneficial. People Dynamics, 19 (2): 31.

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Professional Development Guide. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/HREducation/

training/pdhb_c4.html.

Public Service Commission. (2000). Career management in the Public Service.

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U.S Department of Energy’s Career Management Resource Centre home

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 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002)

APPENDIX A:

SUMMARY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

UTILISED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 2

THIS PART IS ONLY TO BE COMPLETED IN CASES WHERE NO CAREER

MANAGEMENT POLICY/STRATEGY HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED. IN THE
EVENT THAT A CAREER MANAGEMENT POLICY/STRATEGY HAS BEEN
IMPLEMENTED, ONLY THE PART STARTING AT QUESTION (K) ON PAGE 4
MUST BE COMPLETED

BACKGROUND AS TO WHY A CAREER MANAGEMENT POLICY/STRATEGY

HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED

A. Kindly indicate the reason(s) why no career management policy/strategy has

been implemented yet:

1) High work pressure

2) Backlog in work
3) High number of vacancies
4) Lack of expertise/knowledge
5) Career management is not deemed a priority
6) Resistance from line management
7) Other

B. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

INFORMATION ON HOW CAREER MANAGEMENT IS CURRENTLY DEALT WITH

C. If no formal career management policy/strategy is in place, how are careers

managed?

1) By individuals themself
2) By managers in an informal manner
3) According to existing relevant prescripts (PAS’s)
4) Other

D. If other, please specify:

______________________________________________________________

E. Are newcomers in the Department/Provincial Administration informed of

possible career pathing and/or development opportunities at all?

1) YES
2) NO

F. If yes, how?

1) During an induction/orientation course

2) By the direct supervisor
3) Details are contained in letters of appointment
4) By the Human Resources Component/Division
5) Other
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 3

G. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

INFORMATION ON FUTURE ACTIONS REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

CAREER MANAGEMENT POLICIES/STRATEGIES

H. Is your Department/Provincial Administration currently in the process of

developing a career management policy/strategy?

1) YES
2) NO

I. Who has/will have the responsibility of developing a suitable career

management policy/strategy for the Department/Provincial Administration?

1) Human Resources Component/Division

2) Training Component/Division
3) Other
4) Not known as yet

J. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 4

ONLY TO BE COMPLETED IN CASES WHERE A CAREER MANAGEMENT

POLICY/STRATEGY HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED

BACKGROUND TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAREER MANAGEMENT

POLICY/STRATEGY

K. Was the career management policy/strategy developed and implemented

directly as a result of the provisions of the White Paper on Human Resource
Management in the Public Service?

1) YES
2) NO

L. Prior to the implementation of a career management policy/strategy, was an

affirmative action survey (in respect of human resources) conducted in your
Department/Provincial Administration?

1) YES
2) NO

M. If yes, were the results of this survey taken into account during the
development of the career management policy/strategy?

1) YES
2) NO

N. Who’s responsibility was it to develop the career management policy/strategy?

1) Human Resources Component/Division

2) Training Component/Division
3) Other

O. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

P. Who was consulted on the development of a framework for career

management in the Department /Provincial Administration?

1) Line managers
2) Line functionaries
3) Employee organizations
4) Other

Q. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 5

R. If employee organizations were not consulted, provide the reasons why not?

1) The non-existence of a departmental chamber

2) It was not deemed necessary
3) Other

S. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

T. Was the career management policy/strategy and its instruments first piloted in
a specific component?

1) YES
2) NO

U. Has the career management policy/strategy been fully implemented?

1) Only in certain individual components/divisions

2) Only for certain levels of personnel
3) In the whole department/provincial administration
4) Other

V. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE CAREER MANAGEMENT POLICY/STRATEGY

W. Does the departmental career management policy/strategy provide -

1) A broad framework for career management to line managers and their subordinates.
2) Specific elements of career management and how it should be addressed by line
managers and subordinates.
3) Other

X. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

Y. Which of the following practices form part of the department’s career

management policy/strategy?

1) The utilization of a pro-forma instrument by line management and subordinates to

engage in career management.
2) A departmental training and development policy/strategy.
3) Performance assessments.
4) Affirmative action objectives
5) Effective utilisation of job descriptions.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 6

Career management instruments:

Z. If a pro-forma instrument is utilized to assist managers and subordinates to

engage in career management, are line managers obliged to complete such
pro-forma instruments/documents in respect of each subordinate?

1) YES
2) NO

AA. Does the same career management instrument apply throughout the
Department/Provincial Administration?

1) YES
2) NO

AB. If not, please indicate the rationale for using different instruments:

1) Differences in functions/tasks
2) Practical circumstances
3) Different qualification requirements
4) Unique work environments
5) Other
6) Not applicable

AC. If other, please specify:

____________________________________________________________

AD Which of the following elements are provided for in the instrument?

1) Job requirements
2) Career paths (horizontal/vertical)
3) Available personnel development resources
4) The needs of the employer
5) The needs of the employee
6) Determination of strengths and weaknesses of the official
7) Determination of opportunities and threats
8) Training/developmental needs
9) Personal aims/goals
10) Target dates for the achievement of goals
11) Organization’s operational objectives
12) Results of performance assessments
13) Organization’s affirmative action objectives
14) Other

AE. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 7

Departmental training/development policies and strategies:

AF. To what extent is the departmental training policy/programme informed by the

career management needs identified by line managers and subordinates?

1) Training needs identified through the career management programme are incorporated
in the department’s training programme.
2) It is left entirely to line management to arrange for the necessary training.
3) The needs identified through the career management programme are ignored entirely.

AG. Which of the following is addressed through training programmes/courses

arranged as a result of the career management policy/strategy?

1) Only training which is required to equip personnel for their current post.
2) Training required to equip personnel for their current post as well as the next higher post.
3) Other

AH. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

Performance assessment:

AI. Is there a clearly definable link between the processes for career
management and performance assessment?

1) YES
2) NO

AJ. Are the dates/time frames that apply in respect of career management and
performance assessment the same?

1) YES
2) NO

AK. Which of the following indicators in respect of career management are

addressed through performance assessment?

1) An employee’s strengths and weaknesses .

2) Whether pre-set performance goals have been achieved.
3) Whether career goals are realistic.
4) Training needs of an employee.
5) An employee’s readiness/potential to be promoted.
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 8

Affirmative Action Objectives:

AL. If the career management policy/strategy provides for affirmative action

objectives, which of the following practices are promoted?

1) Fast tracking
2) Intensified in-service training
3) Intensified formal training
4) Personal mentoring
5) Regular rotation
6) Redistribution of duties/tasks
7) Allocation of additional duties/tasks
8) Other

AM. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

Job descriptions:

AN. Information in respect of which of the following areas applicable to career

management are included in job descriptions?

1) Learning fields and indicators

2) Required knowledge and skills
3) Promotion opportunities
4) Requirements to be promoted
5) Other

AO. If other, please specify:

____________________________________________________________

REVISION/MARKETING OF CAREER MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND

STRATEGIES

AP How frequent is career planning revisited and adjusted by the managers?

1) Quarterly
2) Biannually
3) Annually
4) Other

AQ. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________
 University of Pretoria etd – Hartzenberg, J S (2002) 9

AR. How is information about the career management policy and strategy made
available to personnel?

1) Training courses
2) Circulars/memoranda
3) Workshops
4) Meetings
5) Leaflets
6) Other

AS. If other, please specify:

_____________________________________________________________

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION