QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE CASE OF A BANK

 

Leadership is a requirement for the success of any quality program.  Heads of organizations must acquire a quality program and start implementing it from the very top tier and throughout the entire organization.  Quality, therefore, is an organization-wide effort.  The philosophy must be woven in to the very fabric of the organization and be a part of the organizational culture.

The prevailing corporate problem in Cameroon is thus- leadership.  This creates a big problem for any multinational corporation to set up company in Cameroon.  The culture in Cameroon is such that ‘defects’ are acceptable.  “We accept that it is normal if things do not work first time around and like a mechanic in Douala ‘regale’ seems to be the way quality is delivered, after an initial cock-up.  Traditionally managers in Cameroon tend to shy away from sending staff on courses.  Their emblazoned mentality is “you don’t get trained here, but get here trained!”  It is well acknowledged that a chasm exists between industry and the formal education meted in the local colleges and universities. Monono, Lloney.  Doing Business in Cameroon; Problems Delivering Quality,  9 February, 2007.  The Sun. http://the-news-from-cameroon.com/article.php?category_id=1&article_id=252.  21 April, 2011.)”

Organizations define a Quality Policy on how they handle issues with quality.   The Quality Policy is usually supported by a Quality Management System which embodies a set of standards which the company adopts towards the provision of goods and services for its customers.  The company’s structure which ensures that the organization’s quality policy is followed to the tee is another support of the quality policy. 

Human Resources Management develops and implements human resources management policies and strategies which attracts recruits, develops, retains and maintains a high quality, performing and productive workforce; as well as a healthy and safe working environment for the organizations’ employees.  Responsibilities include attending to all matters concerning employment terms and conditions of staff and providing consultancy services to complexes on the management of their human resources. 

“The department takes a lead in developing human resources best practices through partnerships with similar organizations and providing leadership and being innovative in the management of organizational and cultural change so as to enable the company achieves its strategic objectives. (Corporate Human Resources Management Department.  http://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/structure/complexes/corporate-services/corporate-human-resources-management-department-chrm/. 21 April, 2011.)  The HR department is also involved in influencing and coming up with resolutions for differences across organizational boundaries and treating the staff with equality and impartiality while being sensitive to cultural and gender differences.    “HR takes the leadership to provide programs and policies that are responsive to the diverse needs of the company.  It also plays a role in developing and implementing communication channels within the company as a reliable resource to managers and employees who have questions or issues relating to workplace policies and procedures, particularly in the areas of procedures, rules and regulations, entitlements, discipline and grievances.  (Corporate Human Resources Management Department.  http://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/structure/complexes/corporate-services/corporate-human-resources-management-department-chrm/.  21 April, 2011.)” 

According to the Structural Adjustment Programmes II (SAP II) of Cameron, the Bank’s performance was barely satisfactory, given that the Bank did not create value-added in the formulation and implementation of the Programme, which comprised too many procedures and components.  (Cameroon:  Structural Adjustment Programme II.  https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afdb.org%2Ffileadmin%2Fuploads%2Fafdb%2FDocuments%2FEvaluation-Reports%2F00682830-EN-CAMEROON-SAP-II.PDF.   21 April, 2011.)”  Cameroon restored its economic growth, after a decade of economic crisis and subsequently the devaluation of the CFA Franc, as a result of the efforts undertaken by the Government within the framework of the various economic reform programmes agreed upon the Bretton Institutions and the Bank Group. 

The execution of SAP II enabled Cameroon to reinstate the key macroeconomic balances, return to the growth path and stop the decline in the purchasing power of the population.  The programme also made possible the institutional competence building of the administration especially in the areas of resource mobilization, modernization of the tax administration, and improvement in the programming of the monitoring and implementation of the public investment programme.  “Despite these performances, several key measures of the programme were not implemented by the date of the loan closure in May 1999, and some of them have still not been introduced, such as the establishment of a tax register, social security reform or the privatization of some state-owned enterprises.  Nevertheless, the implementation of the Programme enabled Cameroon to prepare satisfactory I-PRSP, reach the decision point for the HIPC Initiative, and reduce by ten points the incidence of poverty.  (Cameroon:  Structural Adjustment Program II.  https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afdb.org%2Ffileadmin%2Fuploads%2Fafdb%2FDocuments%2FEvaluation-Reports%2F00682830-EN-CAMEROON-SAP-II.PDF.  21 April, 2011. 7.)”

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