Relationship between demographic groupings, work engagement and performance management systems

Orientation: The performance of the public sector, which refers to the efficiency and effectiveness of government departments and their employees, is one of the primary concerns for the organisation and its employees. Research purpose: This study aims to determine the relationships between three ordinal demographic factors (age, years of service, education), work engagement (WE) and the performance management system (PMS) in the public sector. Motivation for the study: While PMS and WE are widely studied, there are limited studies on the association between ordinal demographic groupings, WE and PMS within the South African public sector. Research approach/design and method: The study adopted a comprehensive and reliable quantitative research approach. A questionnaire was utilised to collect data. The population was 10 660, 400 questionnaires were distributed, and 355 questionnaires were completed successfully. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was applied. Main findings: The correlation analysis results revealed some intriguing insights. As an example, it showed that age and years of service do not necessarily correlate with WE. However, the results do indicate a positive relationship with the PMS. Similarly, education does not seem to influence WE but shows a favourable correlation with the PMS. Practical/managerial implications: The goal is not only for academic understanding but also to provide helpful guidance that the public sector management and human resource professionals can directly apply in their roles, thereby enhancing the performance of the public sector. Contribution/value-add: This study provides valuable insights for public sector management and human resource professionals, particularly in the South African public sector, where such research is scarce.