Abstract
Orientation: The research focused on employees’ perceptions of organisational
development (OD) interventions in South African public service organisations (PSOs).
Research purpose: To determine the implications of the design of OD interventions
in PSOs and to develop a framework for the optimum design of OD interventions in
PSOs.
Motivation for the study: To gain an understanding of the critical success factors in
designing and implementing OD interventions to enhance the performance of PSOs.
Research design, approach, and method: The study followed a qualitative research
approach within an interpretivist paradigm, whereby 15 participants were interviewed.
The methodological choice was guided by the research questions, and the aim was to
understand the subjective realities of employees of a PSO as these relate to OD
interventions and organisational performance. Seven themes were identified.
Main findings: The participants had a predominantly negative view of OD
interventions and the performance of the PSO under study.
Practical/managerial implications: The OD team must have a thorough
understanding of governmental objectives and the associated implications for
departmental performance. To ensure that OD interventions are designed and
implemented in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Public Service
and Administration (DPSA), the OD team has to have detailed knowledge of DPSA
policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, as well as the implications of these for
departmental performance.
Contribution/Value-add: The findings of this study provide practitioners with insights
regarding the critical intersection of OD interventions and organisational performance.
Furthermore, the proposed framework could guide the OD function on principles to
adopt to enhance organisational performance.
Keywords: organisational development, employee perceptions, organisational
performance, performance management, public service organisation.