Municipal Employees’ Perceptions Of Political Interference In Human Resource Management Practices: Evidence From The Free State Province In South Africa

Abstract

Service delivery in South Africa has of recent been marred with much criticism and citizens’ dissatisfactions evidenced by protests across the country, especially in different municipal areas. While the South African central government recognizes the important supportive role of human resources management (HRM) in ensuring quality service delivery, the municipalities’ human resource management seem not to be playing this important role. There are accusations of too much political interference in municipal human resource management activities in municipalities in the country. The objective of this study was to determine municipal employees’ perceptions of political interference in human resource management practices within selected municipalities in South African. Using a sample of nine municipalities and 342 employees, results of the quantitative analysis of data collected using questionnaires showed that municipal employees perceived little or low levels of political interference in HRM practices.  The results are discussed within the context of organisational justice theory and implications on issues such as application of appropriate ethics in HRM practices are suggested.