The implementation of the compulsory induction programme on the socialisation of public servants

Abstract

Empirical evidence suggests that public service induction training is a significant precondition for public servants to understand their role as enablers of effective and efficient service delivery. Despite governments’ efforts to professionalise the public service through training and development, customer-centric engagement from public servants remains a global challenge. Governments continue to receive backlash from the public for the appointment of underqualified, lazy, and unethical public servants. Since the study of induction training and the socialisation of newly appointed public servants are under-researched areas in South Africa, this thesis explores the socialisation experiences of newcomers who have attended the Compulsory Induction Programme (CIP). The thesis draws strongly on the work of Feldman (1976) whose Contingency Theory of Socialisation provides insights on the phases of socialisation, and the resolution of variables in each phase to achieve the outcomes of socialisation. The data for this qualitative study was collected from 18 newly appointed public servants through virtual in-depth interviews. The study found that whilst newly appointed public servants were clear about the tenets of service delivery and ethical and professional conduct, they still experienced low levels of public service motivation and commitment in their first year of employment. The findings in this study have also shown that when newcomers experience increased levels of job autonomy and mutual influence, they are more likely to be satisfied with their role as public servants. This study proposes an alternative model for the implementation of the CIP that can facilitate newly appointed public servants’ socialisation and understanding of their role as service delivery agents. Further, this study recommends that the public service develop strong internal Human Resource Development policies that address how newly appointed public servants understand the sector’s culture, expectations, and mandate. The institutionalisation of organisational procedures, such as the development and implementation of comprehensive onboarding information booklets, regular employee satisfaction surveys, and the establishment of a departmental mentorship programme, will further seek to address the factors that influence newly appointed public servants’ socialisation outcomes. Quantitative studies which explore the socialisation experiences of newly appointed public servants could be conducted on a more substantial sample for the generalisability of the findings.