Developing customer-focused public sector reward schemes: Evidence from the Botswana government's performance-based reward system (PBRS)
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 21 January 2013
Abstract
Purpose
Governmental agencies are interested in improving the quality of their service delivery. One tool that has been used to manage their performance is performance based reward schemes (PBRS). The aim of this paper is to examine the degree to which a sample of these plans, used within the Botswana public sector, is customer-focused. Being more customer-focused should deliver improved public sector service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
This study carried out an evaluation of a sample of Botswana PBRS plans, using multidimensional content analysis undertaken by four expert “evaluators”, to identify the degree to which the PBRS were customer-focused.
Findings
Classifying PBRS plans as being customer-focused was difficult, as the plans had few objectives related to customer experiences or outcomes. Those that did had poorly defined performance objectives, their targets were not specific, or there was limited explicit role responsibility. Thus, PBRS plans seemed not to focus on improving customer outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The PBRS evaluated do not appear to be customer-focused and, thus, would have limited ability to improve customer experiences (i.e. public sector quality). Further research is needed in other countries to see whether these results are generalisable, and whether service levels vary with more customer-focused PBRS plans.
Practical implications
The results suggest improvements that could be adopted by organisations seeking to make their PBRS schemes customer-focused.
Originality/value
Extensive research suggests that PBRS plans can be used to improve service quality. Most of the studies have focused on the employees' perspectives and have not looked at the degree of customer orientation within the plans.
Keywords
Citation
Kealesitse, B., O'Mahony, B., Lloyd-Walker, B. and Jay Polonsky, M. (2013), "Developing customer-focused public sector reward schemes: Evidence from the Botswana government's performance-based reward system (PBRS)", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 33-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513551311293426
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited