Abstract
Against the backdrop of the unrelenting influence of globalisation, marketisation, massification and the South
African political transformation agenda, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) responded to a demand for
accountability by aligning performance to its strategic goals and holding staff accountable for their performance
through a performance management system (PMS). The implementation thereof has resulted in both positive and
negative sentiments. This study is a descriptive phenomenological exploration of a selection of nine UJ academic
Heads of Departments’ (HODs). In-depth semi-structured interviews provided data of the participants’ lived
experiences and perceptions of the institution’s PMS. Duquesne School ‘s data analysis method as enunciated and
used by Hycner and simplified by Groenewald was employed to construct the themes.
The findings showed that HODs support the implementation of a PMS within higher education (HE), alluding to its
potential to enhance performance. However, participants’ narrative of their lived experiences highlighted the tension
between the corporatisation agenda and the university’s traditional social role. Negative experiences were reported
regarding the perceived inadequate financial rewards, high administrative workloads, reduced academic privileges
and compromised academic excellence, all of which deprive managers of adequate performance bonus rewards. A
lack of transparency on ratings and indecisiveness about the purpose of the PMS were also reported.