scholarly journals Exploring the causal relationship between the antecedents and consequences of talent management for early career academics in South African higher education institutions

Author(s):  
Dorcas L. Lesenyeho ◽  
Nicolene E. Barkhuizen ◽  
Nico E. Schutte

Orientation: South African public higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing significant challenges to attract and retain quality early career academics. Therefore, the need exists to explore the potential antecedents and consequences of effective talent management practices for early career academics.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the causal relationship between the antecedents (i.e. talent attraction; management support) and consequences (organisational commitment; intention to quit) for early career academics employed in selected South African public HEIs.Motivation for the study: Research using a holistic approach for the effective talent management of early career academics is lacking.Research approach/design and method: Quantitative data were gathered by administering a Talent Attraction Tool, a Talent Development Measure, a Talent Retention Diagnostic Tool and the Organisational Commitment Measure, using a sample of early career academics in public South African HEIs (N = 117).Main findings: The results showed that management support, talent development, compensation and recognition, and satisfaction with institutional practices significantly enhances the organisational commitment of early career academics and reduces their turnover intentions.Practical/managerial implications: The results highlight the importance of management support in enhancing the effective application of talent management practices among early career academics. Higher education managers are encouraged to implement talent development opportunities and adequate compensation and recognition practices to retain early career academics.Contribution/value-add: The research provides useful information on how talent management practices can be effectively applied to enhance the commitment and retention of early career academics.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinde Coetzee ◽  
Nadia Ferreira ◽  
Ingrid Potgieter

Orientation: Employees’ psychological attachment to their organisation remains an important topic of inquiry for organisations concerned about improving their talent management practices for the purpose of retaining valuable human capital.Research purpose: The aim of the study was to explore the constructs of job-embedded sacrifice, workplace friendship and career concerns as potential underlying explanatory mechanisms of employees’ affective, continuance and normative commitment towards the organisation. Organisational attachment theory was utilised as theoretical framework to study the relations among the variables.Motivation for the study: The notion of job-embedded sacrifice, workplace friendship, career concerns as explanatory mechanisms of employees’ affective, continuance and normative commitment in the South African higher education context is under-researched, and especially from the perspective of organisational attachment theory.Research approach/design and method: A non-probability convenience sample (N = 200) of academic and administrative staff members employed in a South African higher educational institution participated in the study. A cross-sectional, quantitative research design approach was followed. Multiple regression analysis was performed.Main findings: Person–job sacrifice positively predicted affective, continuance and normative commitment. Perceptions of friendship opportunity accounted for the variance in affective commitment. High levels of work–life adjustment career concerns accounted for higher levels of affective and normative commitment.Practical/managerial implications: Addressing the underlying psychological needs espoused by employees’ perceptions of person–job sacrifice, friendship opportunity and work–life adjustment concerns are important to consider in human resource talent management practices. The constructs speak to employees’ sense of employment security which influences their organisational commitment.Contribution/value-add: The study extends organisational attachment theory by offering insight into the role of person–job sacrifice, friendship opportunity in the workplace and work–life adjustment concerns in explaining employees’ organisational commitment. The new insights inform human resource retention practices for academic and administrative staff members in the higher education environment.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ophillia Ledimo ◽  
Nico Martins

Leaders in motor manufacturing companies are faced with the challenge of talent attraction, development and retention due to constant changes in manufacturing technology. Yet, these leaders are expected to recruit, train and retain specialist skills due to the highly specialised nature of their manufacturing business processes. Another threat faced by these leaders is the loss of skilled talent to their competitors. These challenges have, therefore, created the need to audit employee commitment in a manufacturing organisation in order to enable leaders to initiate talent management practices. It is against this background that this paper poses the question: What is the nature of organisational commitment of manufacturing employees for leaders to be able to manage talent? This question was addressed through a quantitative study of organisational commitment dimensions. The main objective of this study was to audit the organisational commitment dimensions (as measured by Meyer and Allen’s Organizational Commitment Scale) within a manufacturing organisation. The data was collected using a survey on a random sample size of N=371, all of whom were employees of a South African motor manufacturing organisation. The results of this study indicate that there are significant differences between organisational commitment dimensions namely; affective, normative and continuance commitments. These findings provide valuable information to assist leaders to propose talent management interventions vital for organisational talent attraction, development and retention


Author(s):  
Mamokgadi Z. Masete ◽  
Chengedzai Mafini

Background: The demand for higher education in South Africa continues to increase, placing pressure on public higher education institutions to satisfy this demand. Supply chain management is one of the practices that may be implemented to ensure that public universities improve their operations and can, therefore, meet the increased demand for higher education in the country.Objectives: This study aimed to explore the barriers to the implementation of supply chain management practices at a South African public university.Method: The study used a qualitative case study approach using a sample of 17 members of management and staff at a South African traditional university in the Limpopo Province. Data were collected using a combination of a focus group discussion and semi-structured in-depth interviews.Results: The study generated eight themes that embody the barriers to the implementation of supply chain management at the institution. These themes were labelled as stakeholder buy-in, knowledge of supply chain management, supply chain systems and processes, procurement policy and practices, implementation of supply chain management, stakeholder change management, human resource management and organisational culture.Conclusion: Various internal barriers impair the implementation of supply chain management practices at the institution. Administration at the institution has invested limited resources, time and initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of supply chain management. The focus should be directed to finding lasting solutions to each of the barriers identified in this study. Further studies should address the issue of external barriers to supply chain management in public higher education institutions.


Author(s):  
Yazan Emnawer Al-Haraisa ◽  
*Noor Al-Ma'aitah ◽  
Khalaf Al-Tarawneh ◽  
Ahmad Abuzaid

This study investigated the role of talent management practices (talent discovery, talent development, and talent retention) on achieving a competitive advantage in Jordanian insurance companies. Data were collected via a questionnaire using a convenience sample consisting of 130 managers and their assistants. Using SPSS 21, a multiple regression analysis was conducted and found a positive effect for talent management (talent discovery, talent development, and talent retention) on competitive advantage, and the relative importance of dimensions was talent development, talent discovery, and talent retention, respectively. This study concluded the importance of talent management practices in Jordanian insurance sector, in particular in the selection stage for choosing the right people. Recommendations for future researches are also identified.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydwell Shikweni ◽  
Willem Schurink ◽  
Rene Van Wyk

Orientation: The South African construction industry is constrained by the shortage of a skilled workforce due to global competition and insufficient graduate output. There is a need to evolve attract and retain the most valuable talent.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate talent management in a prominent South African internationally operating construction company. The objective is to develop a framework for enhancement of talent management practices.Motivation for the study: The South African construction industry’s inability to retain talent, hampers global competitiveness and productivity. Talent shortages need to be addressed at a strategic level to remain competitive.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach examined a single South African construction organisation in the Gauteng Province. Grounded theory was used to analyse data generated from interviews, participant observations and company documents.Main findings: Firstly, talent management in the construction industry supposes mutual actions from the organisation and its talented employees. Secondly, internal enablers drive business outcomes by in alignment with a well-crafted strategy. Thirdly, a regulatory framework should acknowledge labour market dynamics and diversity. Fourthly, internal and external enablers should be taken into consideration. Finally, effective implementation of talent management practices yields talent sustainability and competitiveness.Practical/managerial implications: The two conceptual frameworks developed indicate: (1) key factors that play a role in talent management, and (2) the interface between talented employees and the organisation.Contributions/value-add: The findings provide two proposed frameworks that could guide leadership to devise an enabling global competitive talent management environment in the construction industry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marguerite Theron ◽  
Nicolene Barkhuizen ◽  
Yvonne Du Plessis

Orientation: Globally, the demand for academic staff in higher education is expected to continue to increase. The South African situation is exacerbated by the so-called ‘retirement swell’ and turnover and retention problems; measurements to diagnose these factors remain limited.Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence turnover and retention of academic and to validate the developed talent retention diagnostic tool for use in South African higher education institutions.Motivation for the study: Limited research currently exists on the retention factors of academic staff in the South African context.Research approach, design and method: Using an investigative quantitative research approach, the tool was administered to a convenience sample of academics (n = 153) in 13 higher education institutions.Main findings: The results showed an array of distinguishing turnover and retention factors and proved the tool to be a valid and reliable measure. Over half the respondents indicated slight to strong dissatisfaction with compensation and performance management practices. Significantly, 34% indicated that they considered exiting their academic institution, citing unhappiness about compensation, as the most likely reason, whilst 74.5% have previously looked for another job.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlights key areas (i.e. compensation, emotional recognition, a bonus structure that reflects employee contribution, performance management systems, mentorship and career development opportunities) that higher education should attend to if they want to retain their key and talented academic staff.Contribution/value-add: The results contribute to new knowledge on the factors that contribute to turnover and retention of academic staff and present a valid and reliable measure to assess these retention factors.


Author(s):  
Cebile Mensele ◽  
Melinde Coetzee

Academic staff recruitment and retention remain a challenge in South Africa and internationally. Most academics at South African universities are ageing, with fewer younger people entering academia. The objectives of the study were to determine empirically whether job embeddedness and organisational commitment significantly predict voluntary turnover and whether people from different gender, race and age groups differ significantly in terms of these three variables. The measuring instruments used were the Job Embeddedness Scale (JES), the Organisational Commitment Scale (OCS) and the Voluntary Turnover Scale (VTS). A cross-sectional quantitative survey design was used to collect data from a random sample of (N=102) full-time academic staff at a South African higher education institution in Gauteng. The findings showed that organisational fit, community links and normative commitment significantly and positively predicted the participants’ intention to stay at the institution. Female participants showed higher levels of organisational fit and sacrifice, hence a stronger intention to stay. White participants had stronger community links and fit, and the African participants had higher levels of normative commitment than the other race groups. The current study adds to the knowledge base on the turnover intentions of academic staff and makes recommendations for retention practices and possible future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lebogang N. Setsena ◽  
Christian T. Botha ◽  
Leigh-Anne Paul-Dachapalli

Orientation: This article presents the characteristics associated with organisational commitment levels and the perception of the effectiveness of human resource (HR) management practices in a South African information technology (IT) company.Research purpose: The objective of this research was to investigate whether there was a significant positive relationship between organisational commitment levels and the effectiveness of HR management practices amongst employees within the IT company along the lines of age, gender, race, educational level and tenure.Motivation for the study: Companies are becoming increasingly interested in the promotion of commitment amongst employees because of the numerous benefits associated with organisational commitment, such as improved employee performance and reduced employee turnover.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative research approach was used and a structured questionnaire, validated from previous studies, consisting of close-ended questions was used. A convenience sampling was used and a sample size of 309 participants was used to collect necessary data. Data were collected and analysed using the Stata V15 statistical analysis software. The results were interpreted with frequencies and percentages using tables and figures.Main findings: The results indicated that a positive relationship between organisational commitment and HR management practices exist. In terms of variables, demographical groups vary.Practical/managerial implications: Mangers need to understand employees’ perceptions and attitudes towards the HR management practices employed in the organisation to determine whether these particular HR management practices achieve desirable outcomes.Contribution/value-add: This study will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the effectiveness of HR management practices in managing the high turnover in organisations and to improve employee commitment in South African IT companies.


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