Influence of Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Retention in Research Institutes in Kenya

Abstract

Employee retention has become an increasingly significant concern for just about every organization as new economy companies lure talent and as technical skills are in increasingly in short supply. Research institutes in Kenya are putting in place measures which can create a work environment that engages employees in the long term however they have to contend with the dynamic and competitive external environment in which they operate. This study sought to examine the influence of human resource management practices specifically employee selection and training and development with management style as a moderating variable on employee retention in research institutes in Kenya. The study adopted both descriptive and correlational research designs. The target population included 1413 research scientists, technical staff and professional support drawn from 5 public research institutes in Kenya formed under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act (repealed), 2013. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 303 employees (22%). Data was collected using self administered questionnaires and data was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) version 23 formerly statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Research findings were presented using percentages, regression model summary and beta coefficient tables. The study found that training and development had a significant positive influence on employee retention whereas employee selection had a significant negative influence on employee retention in research institutes in Kenya at 0.05 level of significance. The research also found that the moderating effect of management style was insignificant on the relationship between the selected human resource management practices and employee retention at 0.05 level of significance. The study recommends the need to improve these human resource management practices through effective communication and consistency in implementation of their policies and procedures, active participation of relevant actors and provision of prompt feedback as regards to these human resource management practices. Keywords: Human resource management, Employee selection, Training and development, Management style and employee retention. I. INTRODUCTION