Supervisory skills of extension managers in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province

Abstract

Against the background of unsatisfactory extension delivery, this paper investigates the role of extension management, or, more specifically the skills of extension managers. The study was focused on one of six districts in Limpopo Province and the 107 respondents included 50 to 100 percent samples of the managers at the different levels, as well as 36 (33.6 percent) frontline extension workers as subordinates. The findings in general confirm that the level of management skills is a cause for concern. Although not based on objective measures, it is the perceived assessments of subordinates - the main recipients of the management – that give credence to this conclusion. The fact that managers tend to overrate their management skills by approximately ten percent means that they underrate the management problem and are thus less likely to address it. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that this misperception regarding the management skills is worst in the most critical management categories, namely at the supervisory level (Sub-District Extension Coordinators) and the top extension management level (Extension Heads). These are the two management levels that can potentially have the biggest influence on the efficiency of extension delivery.

Keywords: management, leadership skills, differential perception, extension managers

South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 34(2) 2005: 289-302