Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UPDF Promotions

Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UPDF Promotions 2022

Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UPDF Promotions – Check below:

Procedures used by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces to promote its Officers.

The procedures that the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces follow when promoting its Officers are varied and one needs a thorough assessment whenever a critique in this matter is made. Laurie (1996: 717) contends that, morale has been recognized to be of paramount importance to the Forces and that one of the tenets of morale is promotion at the workplace.

The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces has a configuration that includes a council and Authority that are responsible for the promotions of the Officers.

Academic qualifications are of paramount importance in as afar as promotions in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces are concerned.

Related to the above is the issue of the results of any standard professional examinations as stipulated from time to time by the Authority and the Council and following the classified reports and approval by one’s superior is also another essential tool for promotion in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces.

Also, when there are vacancies in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces then, the Council and the Authority can take a resolution to promote.

Effectiveness of promotions as a strategy for motivating employees

Bohlander Snell (2004) puts it forward that promotions involve change of the assignment to that of a higher level in the organization. The new job normally provides an increase in pay and status and demands more skills and carries more responsibility.

Promotions enable an organization to utilize the skills and abilities of its personnel more effectively thus, good performance realized. The three principle criteria for determining promotions are merit, seniority, and potential.

Promotions however, are sometimes constrained by the fact that many organizations do not determine it following these three principles (merit, seniority and potential). Often the problem is determining how much consideration to give to each factor. A common problem in organizations is that promotion primarily depends on past performance and seniority that sometimes leads to promotion of employees to levels of their incompetence.

This is called the Peter Principle as put forward by Armstrong and Bohlander. Promotions sometimes move with status in a group of other employees in an organization. Stephen Robbins etal (1999) say that status is a prestige grading, position,
or rank within a group.

It is therefore, important for employees to believe that the status of an individual in a system is congruent with the job he or she is assigned to. Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UPDF Promotions

The possibility of advancement often serves as a major incentive for superior managerial performance and promotions are the most significant way to recognize superior performance. Therefore, it is extremely important that promotions be fair, based on merit and untainted by favoritism (James etal, 2000:397). In some instances, even fair and appropriate promotions can create a number of problems for instance, members of an organization who are bypassed feel resentful, which may affect their morale and productivity. In Uganda’s context there is always a problem of failure to retain staff especially higher cadres. This is evident in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces. Barungi (2005) contends that this problem has its roots in conditions of service and job satisfaction.There is no practical way to indicate that a man was impassioned outside the area of his/her competence without prejudice to his/her career, the up or out promotion policy

ignores the possibility that a man/woman may have the ability to perform with excellence in a lower grade job even though he may not have the ability for a higher grade job (Laurence etal, 1969:53). This is still consistent with the Peter Principle, where one is promoted to his highest level of incompetence that is a common phenomenon in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and other organizations. Uganda Peoples Defence Forces UPDF Promotions

READ ALSO: Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Officers Recruitment Application Deadline

On the other hand, it is quite possible to turn in years of satisfactory performance without receiving a promotion. Some organizations are structured in a manner that does not allow for frequent promotions, and even above-average performance is expected as a normal contribution. Sometimes contributions are recognized with extra financial rewards instead
of promotions and at times not. If one has achieved results, but has not been rewarded by frequent promotions, then he or she may face objections from other potential employers who consider lack of promotions as an indication of few achievements or inability to get along with others.

Recommendations for improvement of performance at work place in Uganda with reference to the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces.

Uganda Peoples Defence Forces leadership has many challenges in many arenas and one of the largest challenges is providing the transformational leadership necessary to engender cultural changes in the attitudes and beliefs of the line Officers in order to induce motivation to the upcoming officers. James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, The Leadership Challenge, provide five principles for getting extraordinary things done in organizations. They claim that effective leaders challenge the process, they take risks, challenge the system, and challenge the way things are done. They also inspire a shared vision which involves

breathing life into what are the hopes and dreams of others, and enable them to see the exciting possibilities that the future holds. They also enable others to act and enlist the support of all those who are necessary to get results, as well as those who will be affected by the results. Their role is to encourage collaboration and teamwork and make it possible for others to do good work. They model the way and lead by example. Leaders must encourage the heart of their followers to carry on (Kouzes and Posner, 1987)

The above cited significant principles highlight the need for Police Forces and other organizations to reckon with the importance of the leadership development in and proper planning especially in areas of motivating the employees so that such institution can realize fruitful results or meet its goals and objectives. In this respect therefore,
promotions can be implemented but with a careful and scrutinized stance to avoid boomerang especially as earlier seen in the Peter Principle.

Society benefits by being protected by officers who feel good about the job and not merely earning a paycheck. Motivational training that outlines the style for personal growth has been proven among corporate personnel to enrich employee development. Mullins (1996) contends that Companies and agencies benefit in this training by encouraging personnel to help find solutions to old problems. People support what they create, the difference between an employee who views himself as “semi-retired” versus a “go-getter” is the level of trust he has in management’s vision.

It is also argued that selecting a competent team is essential that individuals are motivated, flexible, able to work as team members, have integrity, and inspire trust, ability and willingness to turn their hands to various problems. Adair (1987) asserts that other managerial skills of value in a community service oriented environment especially tailored to the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and other institutions include networking and liaison skills, capacity to manage change, and ability to evaluate effectiveness. In line with Adair’s argument, when this idea is effectively implemented in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces spheres, could produce tangible results in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces as well as other organisations.