Performance appraisal as driver of individual innovation within and across organisations

Abstract

Literature suggests that human resource practices (HRPs), particularly performance appraisal (PA), contribute to innovation. However, the importance of PA amongst other antecedents to innovation is inadequately described. This leaves human resource managers (HRMs) in the dark on which HRPs they should emphasize. This study contextualises the PA-innovation relationship in South Africa and specifies the importance of PA as a driver of innovation within and across organisations. A cross-sectional survey was employed, acquiring data from a broad cross-section of South African employees and organisations. PA, HRPs and three other antecedents to innovation, and innovation itself, were measured. Across organisations, PA was directly responsible for between 3.8% and 5.7% of the variance in innovation. It was also found that, when PA was combined with other HRPs and other antecedents to innovation, the role of PA was significant, though mostly secondary. Within organisations, the pattern repeated itself with the PAinnovation relationship significant in 30% of organisations, with PA never the dominant driver of innovation in any organisation. The research thus revealed that PA, as an antecedent to innovation, plays a subordinate role, both across employees and within specific organisations. When testing more complex models on the PA-innovation link, the results revealed that the PA-innovation relationship is mediated by work engagement (WE) as well as affective commitment (AC), with WE having the greatest effect. Transformational leadership (TL) and corporate entrepreneurship (CE) moderate the PA-innovation relationship, with TL having the strongest effect and CE having almost no effect. Proactive personality does not moderate the PA-innovation relationship. The results specify the relative importance of PA in general and within specific organisations. The main finding is that PA is not the dominant HRP driving innovation. It also shows that leadership behaviour (TL) more than climate (CE), and WE rather than AC influence the PA innovation relationship. The aforementioned will benefit all stakeholders, particularly HRMs, to focus on appropriate HRPs when trying to enhance innovation at the general employee and organisational level. No previous research has discussed the role of PA as an antecedent to innovation in this degree of detail or contextualised the research as has been done here.

Literatuur suggereer dat menslike hulpbronpraktyke, veral prestasiebeoordeling, bydra tot innovasie. Die belangrikheid van prestasiebeoordeling onder ander antesedente vir innovasie word egter onvoldoende beskryf. Dit laat menslikehulpbronbestuurders in die duister waarop menslike hulpbronpraktyke hulle moet beklemtoon. Hierdie studie kontekstualiseer die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-verhouding in Suid-Afrika en spesifiseer die belangrikheid van prestasiebeoordeling as 'n drywer van innovasie binne en oor organisasies. Daar is gebruik gemaak van 'n deursnee-opname met die verkryging van data van 'n breë deursnit van Suid-Afrikaanse werknemers en organisasies. Prestasiebeoordeling, menslike hulpbronpraktyke en drie ander voorvaders vir innovasie en innovasie self is gemeet. Regoor organisasies was prestasiebeoordeling regstreeks verantwoordelik vir tussen 3.8% en 5.7% van die variansie in innovasie. Daar is ook gevind dat, toe prestasiebeoordeling gekombineer is met ander menslike hulpbronpraktyke en ander antesedente vir innovasie, die rol van prestasiebeoordeling belangrik was, hoewel meestal sekondêr. Binne organisasies het die patroon homself herhaal met die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-verhouding wat in 30% van die organisasies beduidend was, met prestasiebeoordeling nooit die dominante drywer van innovasie in enige organisasie nie. Die navorsing het dus aan die lig gebring dat prestasiebeoordeling, as 'n voorvader van innovasie, 'n ondergeskikte rol speel, beide oor werknemers en binne spesifieke organisasies. By die toetsing van meer ingewikkelde modelle op die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-skakel, het die resultate aan die lig gebring dat die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-verhouding bemiddel word deur werksbetrokkenheid sowel as affektiewe toewyding, met die feit dat werksbetrokkenheid die grootste effek het. Transformasionele leierskap en korporatiewe ondernemerskap het die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-verhouding gematig, en Transformasionele leierskap het die sterkste effek en korporatiewe ondernemerskap het byna geen effek nie. Proaktiewe persoonlikheid modereer nie die prestasiebeoordeling-innovasie-verhouding nie. Die resultate spesifiseer die relatiewe belang van prestasiebeoordeling in die algemeen en binne spesifieke organisasies. Die belangrikste bevinding is dat prestasiebeoordeling nie die dominante menslike hulpbronpraktyk is wat innovasie dryf nie. Dit wys ook dat leierskapsgedrag meer as klimaat is, en werksbetrokkenheid eerder as affektiewe toewyding die binnovasieverhouding beïnvloed. Bogenoemde sal alle belanghebbendes, veral menslikehulpbronbestuurders, bevoordeel om op toepaslike menslike hulpbronpraktyke te konsentreer as hulle probeer om innovasie op die algemene werknemer- en organisatoriese vlak te bevorder. Geen vorige navorsing het die rol van prestasiebeoordeling as 'n voorkennis vir innovasie in hierdie mate van detail bespreek of die navorsing gekontekstualiseer soos hier gedoen is nie.

Izincwadi zisikisela ukuthi imikhuba yemithombo yabantu, ikakhulu ukutuswa ngomsebenzi, kwenza abantu basungule izinto. Nokho, ukubaluleka kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi phakathi kwezinye izinto kudlula ukusungula izinto okuchazwe ngokungenelea. Lokhu kwenza abaphathi bemithombo yabantu besebumnyameni ngokuthi imaphi ama-imikhuba yemithombo yabantu okufanele bawagcizelele. Lolu cwaningo luhlobanisa ukusungulwa kwezinto ze-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi nobuhlobo eNingizimu Afrika futhi ikhuthaze ngokukhethekile ukubaluleka kweukutuswa ngomsebenzi njengokushukumisa abantu ukuba basungule ngaphakathi nakuzo zonke izinhlangano. Kwasetshenziswa inhlolo-vo kuzo zonke izinhlangano, kwaqoqwa idatha kuzo zonke izingxenye zabasebenzi baseNingizimu Afrika nezinhlangano. I-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi, ama-imikhuba yemithombo yabantu nabanye abasunguli abathathu bezinto, nokusungulwa kwezinto ngokwako kwakalwa. Kuzo zonke izinhlangano, i-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi yayinomthwalo ngokuqondile phakathi kwamaphesenti angu-3.8 no-5.7% zokusungula izinto okuhlukahlukene. Kwatholakala nokuthi, lapho i-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi ihlanganiswa namanye ama-imikhuba yemithombo yabantu nezinye izinhlangano ezisungula izinto, indima ye-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi yayibalulekile, nakuba ingeyesibili. Phakathi nezinhlangano, umkhuba wawuziphindaphinda ekusunguleni kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi nobuhlobo nezinhlangano ezingamaphesenti angu-30, i-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi yayingashukumisi ukusungula izinto kunoma iyiphi inhlangano. Ngakho, ucwaningo lwembula ukuthi i-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi, njengento esungulayo, inendima ebalulekile, kokubili kubasebenzi nasezinhlanganweni ezithile. Lapho kuhlolwa izimo eziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu ekuhlobaneni nokusungula kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi, imiphumela yembula ukuthi ukusungula kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi kuhlobene nokusebenza kanye nokuzibophezela okuphumelelayo, i-kuhlobene nokusebenza inomthelela omkhulu kakhulu. Abaholi bezinguquko nabaphathi bezinkampani bayakulinganisa ubuhlobo bokusungula ne-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi, i-abaholi bezinguquko inomthelela omkhulu kakhulu futhi i-nabaphathi bezinkampani ingenawo umthelela. Ubuntu obuhle abulinganiseli ubuhlobo bokusungula kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi. Imiphumela ibonisa ukubaluleka kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi phakathi ezinhlanganweni ezithile. Okwatholakala ukuthi i-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi ayiyona into eyinhloko eshukumisa ukusungula kwe-imikhuba yemithombo yabantu. Ibuye ibonise ukuziphatha kwabaholi ngaphezu kwesimo sezulu, ne-kuhlobene nokusebenza kunethonya le-nokuzibophezela okuphumelelayo ebuhlotsheni bokusungula kwe-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi. Lokho okuphawulwe ngenhla kuyozuzisa wonke ama-stakeholder, ikakhulu ama-abaphathi bemithombo yabantu, ukuze agxile kuma-imikhuba yemithombo yabantu afanele lapho ezama ukukhuthaza abasebenzi abavamile nezinhlangano ukuba basungule. Alukho ucwaningo lwangaphambili oluke lwaxoxa ngendima ye-ukutuswa ngomsebenzi njengesungula izinto kuleli zinga elinemininingwane noma ibeke ucwaningo ngokunembile njengoba kwenziwe lapha.