Enhancing Organizational Leadership, Management Functions, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills for the Civil Service Commission of Timor-Leste: An Action Research Approach

Abstract

The objectives of this study are first to examine the current conditions of the Civil Service Commission of Timor-Leste in terms of the organizational leadership, management functions, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and propose improvement plans to enhance the four variables. Data were collected using two sets of instruments; structured questionnaires and interviews. Thirty five participants completed the structured questionnaires. Six participants were interviewed based on purposive sampling plan. An interview transcript was validated by three coders; the responses from the structured questionnaires are analyzed using descriptive statistic to measure the average means, Standard Deviation (SD), frequency as well as qualitative rating. The descriptive statistic results show that the thirty five participants agreed that, they have an ability to understand the four variables as reflected in the mean and standard deviation of the four variables: the organizational leadership mean was 3.30 and the S.D was 0.5774; the mean of management functions was 3.320 and the S.D was 0.5219; the mean of interpersonal skills was 3.400 and the S.D was 0.5766 and the mean of intrapersonal skills was 3.417 and the S.D was 0.6000. Despite their level of understanding, the thirty five participants were agreed to have a capacity building at least 6 - 12 months to enhance their competence and skills in four areas, as this will help them to provide a better service to the community. Proposed improvement plans are suggested to the institution to enhance the four variables. Recommendations are providing the government and institution to continue its efforts to tackle all the challenges by providing a capacity building to the employees, review the law and regulation, establish service delivery unit in each ministry, apply 40 hours of training for employees in all levels, improve HR system, try to apply merit system, public administration reforms, review the evaluation performance that should <span style="font-family:Verdana;mso