Abstract
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a widely recognised strategic performance management tool, developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, that translated organisational vision and strategy into actionable objectives and measurable outcomes. While extensively applied in the private sector, it has also been adopted in the public sector. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of awareness and understanding of the BSC framework among a sport and recreation entity in the public sector. This study employed a qualitative research methodology to gain an understanding of the experiences of the individuals in the public sector. There were 14 employees interviewed: five were from top-level management, five were from middle-level management and four were from lower-level management in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Community Development department in the Sport and Recreation directorate. To evaluate the study’s results, the data from the interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically to find patterns and themes across the interview responses using Atlast.ti 25. The research study had five themes: (1) awareness and understanding of the BSC (2) experiences of using the BSC (3) implementation challenges (4) benefits of the BSC (5) mitigation and recommendation. Based on the findings, top-level management staff had more knowledge of the BSC because they have spent the most time in the organisation and have received training and workshops. All the employees understood their roles in the BSC due to the top-down approach, which makes it easier to see how the BSC links to different levels of management. Based on the findings the biggest challenges the CoJ was facing in the implementation of the BSC were a lack of resources, insufficient training and workshops, budget constraints and resistance from employees. From the findings the most common benefit the BSC had in the city employees was the reward system. Employees are given leave days when they achieve their objectives, which motivates them to perform and achieve more. This research study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing valuable insight into the understanding and experiences of the BSC in a sport and recreation entity in the public sector. Recommendations include providing more training and workshops and encouraging interactive coaching. It is suggested that future research should focus on ways sport and recreation entities in the public sector can acquire funding to support the successful and sustainable implementation of the BSC.