The impact of South African Police promotions policy on organisational commitment of forensic analysts.
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Date
2012
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Abstract
The tendency of members under the South African Police Services (SAPS) to obtain tertiary qualifications relevant to policing has declined due to SAPS promotion policy. Those who do further their educations enroll into fields that will assist them to obtain employment outside of SAPS. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) under SAPS is solely responsible for the analysis of the police investigating officer’s evidence it receives. It is thus critical that FSL analysts are motivated and have high levels of commitment. This study will attempt to determine if SAPS promotion policy has an impact on the level of commitment of forensic analysts, with the aim of suggesting and recommending a Human Resource Management (HRM) policy or practice that will maintain or improve the level of commitment of Forensic analysts. The quantitative research approach was employed, and questionnaires were distributed to forensic analysts in FSL in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study was important in gaining insight into the impact of SAPS promotion policy on organisational commitment of forensic analysts, and to understand what form or type of organisational commitment that drives continuous participation of analysts in the organisation. A probability sample of sixty six (66) forensic analysts was drawn from FSL in KZN (Amanzimtoti) with a population size of eighty (80) analysts. FSL-KZN was chosen because of the convenience access to the study sample and since provincial FSL’s are mostly affected by promotion policy procedure. Data was collected using questionnaires which were physical distributed by the researcher. The promotion policy was measured using promotion policy scale developed by the researcher together with biographical variables questionnaire such as age, gender, marital status, tenure, level of education and ranks level. Organisational commitment was measured using the Meyer and Allen (1991) Organisational Commitment Questionnaire. The study revealed that SAPS promotion policy has a significant impact on organisational commitment (affective and normative commitment) but no significant impact on continuance commitment. The study also showed no significant difference between some of biographical variables and organisational commitment (affective, normative and continuance commitment) and that continuance commitment was the most dominant form of commitment that drive analysts to continue to work for FSL. The study results could play an important role to managers who want to implement HRM practices and promotion policy that enhance the organisational commitment of employees with high expertise and skills such as FSL forensic analysts under SAPS.
Description
Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
Keywords
South African Police Service--Education (Higher), Forensic sciences., Promotions., Theses--Business administration.