Armstrong (2006) defined
performance simply in output terms as the achievement of quantified objectives
.He went further to state that a performance is not only a matter of what
people achieve, but how they achieve it.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary, 7th edition (2006) defined performance as how well or
badly you do something, how well or badly something works; the act or process
of performing a task, an action, etc. It also defined the concept as an act
that involves a lot of effort or trouble, sometimes when it is not necessary.
Hofrichter and McGovern (2001:
80) clarified that:
·
Performance is driven from the top down, not
from the bottom up, where you see high performance you will find the presence
of strong focused leadership.
·
Performance is the product of winning behaviour.
When leaders and employees consistently do the things that enable an
organization to ‘win’ –to compete successfully, high performance is the
outcome.
·
Winning behaviour can be modeled effectively by
competencies
·
Performance is always about achieving specific
measurable goals that help the organization to win.
·
Performance is defined by measurement because it
is a physical quantity and lastly
·
Performance is shaped by the promise of reward
(and the fear of punishment).
From the above, it is clear that
performance is a complex issue that is beyond one formula solution, as some
people have thought.
Source: Hofrichter D. A. and McGovern T. (2001) “People,
Competencies and Performance; Clarifying Means and Ends”.Compensation
Benefits Review, 33 (4) 36.
Furthermore, Brumbach (1988: 220)
expressed performance as follows:
Performance means both behaviour and
results.
Behaviours
emanate from the performer and
transform performance from abstraction to
action.
not just
the instruments for result. Behaviours are
also
outcomes in their own right-the product of
mental and
physical effort applied to tasks-and can
be judged
apart from results.
The above definition leads to the
conclusion that when managing performance both input (behaviour) and output
(results) need to be considered. Performance is not only evaluated through the
achievement of a set objective, standard or targets, as in the case of
“Management By Objectives” but cover such competence factors as achievement of
expected levels of competence as well as objective setting and review.
Competence plays a vital role in
the process of organization performance. Hoevemeyer (2004: 50) defined
competency as:
A behaviour, knowledge, skill or capability
that describes
The
expected performance in a particular work context
(e.g. job
function). When they are appropriately developed
they are
the standards of success that support the strategic
plan,
vision, mission and goals of the organization.
Performance management is a key
tool for delivering better outcome to stakeholders. It is a combination of many
elements.