'Botswana Work Ethic Poor'
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday November 26, 2018 14:33
Mabeo was speaking at a competitiveness and work ethic information sharing and validation workshop hosted by the Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC). “We need to improve national competitiveness as a matter of urgency and we can’t afford to continue moving at a slow pace. We can only improve our competitiveness if we improve drivers of productivity,” he said. “It is therefore imperative that we develop an effective holistic, multi-stakeholder approach, where we act in concert to improve productivity. It is my sincere hope that this gathering will strengthen this coordinated action.”
Poor work ethic in the labour force has become a great concern for policy makers in Botswana. A number of studies point to a culture of laxity in the labour force.
Setting out the strategic direction of the BNPC in 2013, the Board Chairperson at the time, Carter Morupisi, reported that BNPC would prioritise work ethic and mindset change to build a strong work ethic in the labour force.
BNPC then assigned BothoPele Consultants to carry-out an investigation on work ethic in Botswana. The results were shared at the workshop.
“The respondents considered work ethic in Botswana to be generally poor to average. This result confirms the findings of other studies, including the World Economic Forum and the Botswana Quality Workforce 2010 study, which have identified poor work ethic in the labour force as a problem for the economy of Botswana,” reads the investigation report.
The report also states that work ethic was considered better in private sector compared to other sectors, including the public sector.
“In the focus group discussions, it was explained that clarity of roles in the private sector is the main reason work ethic in the private sector is better. Compared to other nationalities, respondents considered the work ethic of Batswana to be worse than that of other nationalities, such as Zimbabweans,” reads the report.
On socio-economic factors that influence work ethic, the researchers found that males place more value on leisure compared to women.
The consultants who were led by Economist Professor Happy Siphambe and the new director of Directorate of Public Service Management Goitseone Mosalakate were tasked with defining and charecterising work ethic in the context of Botswana; investigate socio-economic factors and work ethic; and to investigate socio-economic aspects of work ethic.