Performance Appraisal or Praising Performance? The Culture of Rhetoric in Performance Management in Ghana Civil Service

Justice Nyigmah Bawole, Farhad Hossain, Kwame Ameyaw Domfeh, Hamza Zakaria Bukari, Francis Sanyare

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article examines the practice of performance appraisal as a critical element of administrative culture in the Ghana Civil Service (CS). It relies on three focus group discussions with senior civil servants to analyze the practice and its implications for performance of civil servants in Ghana. The article argues that: leadership seldom gives the needed attention to this administrative practice; the process lacks objectivity; it is fraught with superstition, spirituality, and fear; appraisers are rarely trained; and civil servants only become more interested in performance appraisals (PAs) during promotion-related interviews. The article therefore concludes that this process has become rhetoric rather than an important practice and that performance only gets praised rather than being appraised. The article recommends an overhaul of the PA system by integrating it into a holistic performance management program; integrating PA training into civil service mandatory training programs; and the revision and computerization of the PA system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)953-962
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Public Administration
Volume36
Issue number13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Ghana Civil Service
  • administrative culture
  • performance appraisal
  • performance management
  • rhetoric

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