Human Resource Management Practices and Turnover Intentions of University Employees in Uganda

Abstract

This study explored the mediated relationship between human resource management (HRM) and turnover intentions of university employees in Uganda. The study was triggered by the recurring instability in the staffing of both old and new universities in the country. With the use of a correlational cross-sectional survey research design, data were collected using survey method from 722 employees drawn from three public and three private universities and analysed with the use of descriptive statistics, correlations and structural equation modelling (SEM). Study results showed, among others, that HRM practices are positively associated with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and OCB, but negatively associated with the turnover intentions of university employees. Second, the results also revealed that both job satisfaction and organizational commitment significantly mediate the relationship between HRM practices and turnover intentions. However, OCB had no significant mediation effect on the relationship between HRM practices and the turnover intentions of university employees. Therefore, it was concluded that the adoption of appropriate HRM practices in universities would not only lead to desirable employee attitudes of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but also enhance desirable employee behaviours such as OCB and reduced actual turnover through lowering employee turnover intentions. In that case, the study recommends that university managers should adopt HRM practices that their employees value – eight of which have been dealt with in this study.