Performance Management for Organizational Development
Performance management is a means of promoting the organizations' ability to accomplish its mission of maintaining or improving what it provides while at the same time seeking to maintain or enhance staff satisfaction and development (Armstrong, 1999).
The concept of continuing professional development is closely related to teacher appraisal and it is the responsibility of the management to create an environment that encourages continuous development. Therefore, an effective and well-rounded staff appraisal system can help identify and improve both areas of weakness and strength, thereby promoting teacher development.
It is the intention of this project to examine an existing staff appraisal system in Pakistan and, in light of the needs of the organization and its staff members, to develop a cost-effective, non-threatening and successful appraisal system. This research highlights the deplorable condition of the performance management system at Kinnaird College, Lahore, through an in-depth analysis of the system as it exists.
Through interviews with the management personnel, questionnaire forms filled out by teachers and document analysis, it has been concluded that in the Pakistani institution under study the performance management and teacher appraisal process is considered a threat to the professional autonomy of the teacher as it is viewed as a tool for fault-finding rather than professional development: whenever the results of the appraisal indicate any area of weakness, the concerned teacher is reprimanded and in some cases even fired. This is a situation that needs to be remedied as soon as possible.
In light of the findings of the research, a realistic, cost-effective, non-threatening, and progressive teacher appraisal system has been recommended for implementation at Kinnaird College. In short, this supportive and developmental performance management system will bridge the gap between individual and organizational goals and objectives.
Consequently, the research hopes to raise awareness that effective performance management in an educational institution is imperative to its short- and long-term development and success. The smooth operation of the human resource of an organization ensures that the students are receiving the type of instruction that they need, thereby, ensuring that they achieve their academic goals and reach their optimal potential.
Thus, performance management is viewed as a tool for professional and organizational development and can allow for the generation of a co-operative and mutually beneficial relationship between the organization, its staff and its students.