Introduction
Performance is objectively one of the most important indicators of various organizations’ activities, regardless of the forms of their work, property, and other criteria. This type of management is based on the principles and approaches to regulating the results and labor inputs. It also includes processes and methods for detecting and eliminating factors hindering the achievement of required performance. To analyze the application of this indicator, the Seychelles people defense force (SPDF) will be considered as a structural unit where the quality of performed work largely depends on the effectiveness of control and the involvement of each participant in the activities of the organization.
The Importance of Performance Management and Its Benefit
Labor performance is an indicator that makes it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of personnel’s work. The advantages of controlling the productivity of employees are obvious. Compared with the indicators for a set period of time, it is possible to trace the dynamics of improvement or deterioration in the quality of work and to identify possible performance problems in individual sectors. Also, it is possible to assess the potential burden on the employees and the ability of the team to perform tasks during a particular period (Church et al. 460). What is equally important, this approach establishes a system of personnel incentives by improving the work of all employees. These advantages explain the relevance of performance management.
General Advantages of Performance Management
Performance management includes the solution of not only personnel but also a whole series of other tasks – organizational, technical, financial, and others. All these questions, as a rule, are complexly solved. According to Van Dooren et al., the more successfully the system of evaluation and control over the activities of subordinates is established, the greater is the chance that a particular structure will be able to timely resolve any problems (33). It is essential to note the impact of performance management on employee productivity. Having sufficient motivation, the staff, as a rule, successfully copes with set tasks (Cardy and Leonard 139). Therefore, such an approach is effective and necessary.
Performance Management at the Employee Level and Its Benefit
When evaluating performance management at the employee level, it is possible to claim that this approach to organizing the workflow helps to increase staff motivation. According to Mone and London, the involvement of workers takes place not through coercion but the proper planning of all tasks and allocating rewards to particularly successful employees (91). These measures give an opportunity to abandon traditional methods of control through punishments and fines. Moreover, the staff sees the leadership’s interest, which also plays a significant role in the process of their work. Therefore, at the employee level, the approach to assessing and monitoring the productivity of personnel is an indispensable component of competent management.
Job Descriptions from a Performance Management Perspective
In order to assess the effectiveness and benefits of the considered approach to leadership in a particular organization, the Seychelles people defense force (SPDF) will be taken as a basis. This unit belongs to the power structures, and the control over the quality of work and productivity here is extremely important. As an objective assessment, two posts will be considered – the chief of the defensive force and a technical advisor. From the point of view of performance management, the first post provides for the development and monitoring of relevant provisions, and the second one implies the strict implementation of orders and submission to senior management. The description of work tasks will be based on assessing compliance with the terms of the performance management policy as one of the primary criteria defining labor quality.
The Chief’s Job Description
The position of the chief of the SPDF provides for constant control over the performance of important duties since the tasks of this department include ensuring the safety of residents and visitors of the region. Strategic management should be based not only on monitoring performance and following labor instructions but also assisting colleagues and subordinates in the organization of the work process. For these purposes, appropriate methods of organizing activities should be applied so that all SPDF’s activities could be covered without exception.
The distribution of bonus payments is one of the tasks that is envisaged for the position of the chief. According to Katzenbach and Smith, a material motivation of employees can have an essential role in the organization of work, but it is significant to ensure that this measure is not a key one (171). If subordinates realize that money is the main incentive for their work, the results of labor can worsen. It is particularly true for law enforcement agencies where security depends on the performance of people. The SPDF activity aimed at providing comprehensive security of the population implies the protection of law and order, control of the border area, and other important tasks. One of the conditions for the work of the chief, in this case, is to achieve the full-fledged performance of subordinates’ duties in accordance with the statute of service. Planning practice can be useful since the preliminary assessment of possible errors, and a competent distribution of tasks are successful components of effective management (Shields et al. 79). Moreover, the higher the interest of the manager is, the more chances are that employees will have a corresponding interest in achieving their goals. Therefore, one of the primary conditions is a positive personal example.
A Technical Advisor’s Job Description
From the perspective of a technical advisor, a number of duties prescribed by the leadership are also implemented through performance management provisions. As Jagannathan claims, the involvement of any employee in the work process should be accompanied by a competent statement of tasks; otherwise, the absence of clear goals may lead to their incorrect implementation (308). A technical advisor of the SPDF receives orders from the senior management and executes them according to some duties. Certainly, a personal initiative is important for the self-development of an employee as a specialist. Nevertheless, if the leadership does not take into account possible options for performing particular tasks, there is a risk of arbitrariness, which is absolutely unacceptable in the law enforcement agency. Therefore, a qualified consultant should be aware of the need to follow the prescribed instructions without violating them so that the management could have an idea of the scope of the subordinate’s activities and could plan all steps in advance.
In the process of activity, the employee should skillfully use the available resources and distribute tasks in accordance with their relevance. As O’Toole and Meier note, the intention to do as much as possible can lead to undesirable consequences, and planning is an integral component of work (249). The process of organizing the entire activity of subordinates is engaged in the leadership. However, employees should be interested in the nature of their activities and not disregard their job descriptions. Moreover, according to Spearin, the tasks of representatives of law enforcement agencies are complicated by the need for increased vigilance and responsibility (133). Therefore, a technical advisor should be well-oriented in his or her duties and competently perform the tasks assigned by the management.
The Importance of Performance in the SPDF
Performance management in the Seychelles in the SPDF team is an important condition for ensuring the safety of both citizens and the security officials themselves. As Malcolm and Murday note, “for island states, the importance of the maritime domain is unquestionable with many having responsibility for, and access to, vast areas of ocean” (234). Accordingly, increased control over the performance of all activities is a significant aspect of the leadership’s work. It is required to not only plan the workload of subordinates but also to take into account the specifics of work in a particular region in order to effectively implement set goals set. Therefore, the introduction of performance management conditions should necessarily take place in the SPDF units.
Conclusion
The implementation of performance management in the SPDF units is essential since the quality of work primarily depends on the effectiveness of control and the involvement of each employee in organizational activities. Job descriptions of managers and subordinates are different, but both should comply with certain work rules that are relevant to the military service of a particular region. Planning and continuous monitoring are integral components of successful work aimed at ensuring public safety.
Works Cited
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