The effectiveness of human resource management functions on the performance of selected urban local authorities in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

The success of organisations both public and private, hinges on the quality and effectiveness of its human resources. There is a dearth of studies that have addressed the relationship between employing good HRM functions on the performance of Urban Local Authorities in Zimbabwe. This study was conducted to address this knowledge gap. The primary objective of the study was to establish the impact of HRM strategies on the performance of selected Urban Local Authorities in Zimbabwe.The study was aided by the Best Fit Model, Resource Based View, Stakeholder Theory and Human Capital Theory. A pragmatic research philosophy was adopted and a cross-sectional survey design was used in the study. The target population comprised of approximately 8582 municipal workers (lower level employees, top executives, middle level managers and HR administrators) employed at City of Harare, Bindura Town Council and Mutare City Council. Stratified random sampling was used to select two hundred and seventy six (276) Municipal employees. The sampling method was guided by the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table. Reliability was checked using Cronbach’s alpha (α). Quantitative data were validated through exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity and discriminant validity before carrying out structural equation modelling. Data were analyzed using SPSS® version 21 and AMOS® version 21. Qualitative data were presented using thematic analysis and NVivo software. The study findings indicated that Human Resources Management strategies positively affect the implementation of policies in Urban Local Authorities (ULAs) and service delivery. The research findings identified internal and external factors which hindered successful implementation of HRM strategies in Urban Local Authorities. Internal factors identified were management leadership style, organisational culture, attitude of employees and employee participation whereas external factors included political, economic, social and technological aspects. The study also revealed that ULAs faced HRM challenges like bureaucratic tendencies, lack of government support, resource constraints and political interference when implementing HRM strategies. ULAs were therefore recommended to prioritize implementation of HRM strategies and make better use of HR information systems for enhanced institutional performance. It also recommended the adoption of HR functions like Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management and Reward Management for improved institutional performance.