Performance appraisal system and attainment of peformance targets at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The purpose of the study sought to examine the relationship between performance appraisal system and attainment of performance targets at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Central Region. To achieve the main purpose the following specific objectives were pursued: assess the performance appraisal practices of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, examine the performance targets of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and to examine the relationship between performance appraisal practices and performance targets. The study adopted a quantitative approach and the design was descriptive and correlational design. Out of a population of 230 respondents, 144 respondents were randomly selected to participate in the study using Krejcie and Morgan’s 1970 sample size determination formula. The Research instrument used was questionnaire and the findings were that the teaching hospital adopts variety of methods in appraising the performance of employees including job results/outcome, essay method, forced distribution, graphic rating scale, and behavioural checklist. It was also found that, the teaching hospital has varieties of goals including provision of health at an absolute level, minimized inequitable disparities in health, responsiveness and people centeredness and financial risk protection in health. The study further found that a statistically significant moderate correlation was between performance appraisal practices and performance targets at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. The study concluded that performance appraisal practices was a contributor to the attainment of performance targets. It was recommended that performance appraisal is a means not an end. And as means human resource development would be better off if performance appraisal is genuinely conducted.