The tourism sector, comprising hotels and restaurants in Botswana, has scored the lowest points in a recent survey carried out by Botswana National Productivity Center (BNPC). Hotels and restaurants scored scoring 3.1 points out of seven in a BNPC research on work ethic ratings by industry of employment. This was revealed by BNPC spokesperson, Letlhogile Lucas at a presentation on Botswana’s work ethics to the Gaborone City Council on Thursday. He said the highest scorer in the survey was the public service-either in Central or Local Government-with 3.6 points out of seven.
“The manufacturing industry follows after the public service with 3.5 points. Mining and quarrying and financial services scored 3.4 points each out of seven, while the agriculture industry, comprising hunting, fishing and forestry, together with the health sector scored 3.3 points each. The construction, wholesalers and retail trade each scored 3.2 points,” he said.
Lucas also revealed that work ethic emerged as the greatest concern when BNPC did a research to establish the most problematic factors of doing business in Botswana, through asking Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and other senior officers.
“Ranked out of a percentage response of 25 percent, poor work ethic scored 20.7 percent. Insufficient government bureaucracy scored 12.9 per cent. Access to financing and inadequately educated workforce scored 12.4 per cent each. Restrictive labor regulations, inadequate supply of infrastructure and insufficient capacity to innovate scored 9.5; 8.8; and 7.9 per cent in that order,” said Lucas.
Lucas said an employee who has good work ethics should be dependable, consistently keeping work commitments. He added that the person should be detail oriented, flexible and open to change, possess good judgment, have high standards, honest and trustworthy, be service oriented and be a team leader. He said as an organisation tasked with spearheading productivity in the country, BNPC has the responsibility to create national awareness on mindset and work ethic challenges and their negative effects on productivity and competitiveness. They also have to work with selected target groups to bring about transformation towards higher productivity levels; as well as to transform national mind-sets towards productivity in line with the Vision 2016. As a strategy, BNPC will embark on extensive campaigns on mindset change and work ethic.
“We are as BNPC and stakeholders will embark on human and institutional capacity building intended to inform the target audience and communities, generate interest on mindset and work ethic change across a wide spectrum, mobilise consciousness and support towards mindset and work ethic change,” he said.
