Perception of performance management and rewards in selected public sector organisations in Ghana: a test of the systems theory

In the new public administration, performance management is expected to provide the necessary information that makes the behaviour of governments more results-oriented and responsive to conditions affecting governments goal attainment. Performance management focuses on achieving results which is expressed in useful products and services for customers inside and outside the organization. The purpose of the study was to investigate staff perception of the level of performance management effectiveness and also establish a relationship between staff perception of performance management and rewards in the public sector in the theoretical context of the systems. A total of 100 employees from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Ghana were selected using convenience sampling. The results showed that Quality, one of the performance indicators, was the only variable that was associated with rewards. The findings provide valuable insight into the key performance criterion and how it relates to rewards in the public sector of Ghana.Keywords: Performance management, Rewards, Systems Theory, Public sector organisation