Talent management as a predictor of positive work related outcomes for academic staff in South African HEIs

Abstract

No subject in the past 15 years has received as much attention in the human resource management literature as talent management (Elegbe, 2010). In spite of a decade of debate around the importance of talent management for success in global business, much of the literature in this field is practitioner or consultancy based, not well grounded in research and often over-reliant on anecdotal evidence. Therefore, the concept of talent management is openly criticised as in need of adequate definition and theoretical development, principally in the global context (Scullion & Collings, 2011). This study is aims to investigate talent management, happiness, meaningfulness, and intention to quit in academic staff in Higher Education Institutions. A cross-sectional survey research design was followed with data collected from the academic staff members (n=160) from ten Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. The Human Capital Index, General Happiness Scale, Meaning of Life Questionnaire, as well as the Employee Retention Scale have been administered for the purpose of this study. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Reliability Analyses, Descriptive Analyses, as well as Regression Analysis were applied. In line with the results that were obtained in this study, significant relationships exist between the following variables: • A positive relationship between talent management and happiness. • A positive relationship between talent management and meaningfulness. • A negative relationship between talent management and turnover intention. • A negative relationship between happiness and turnover intention. • A positive relationship between meaningfulness and turnover intention. The moderator results read as follows: • From the Multiple Regression analysis conducted on the relationship between talent management and the intention to quit it has determined that happiness is statistically not a significant mediator for the relationship between talent management and the intention to quit. • According to the Multiple Regression analysis conducted on the relationship between talent management and the intention to quit it has determined that meaningfulness is statistically not a significant mediator for the relationship between talent management and the intention to quit. As far as could be concluded, there have not been voluminous studies conducted on the relationship between talent management, happiness, meaningfulness, and intention to quit in academic staff in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. This study, therefore seeks to identify whether a significant relationship indeed exists between the concepts, and whether the study makes a substantial contribution towards the body of knowledge surrounding the relationship between the four concepts in a South African context. Moreover, the study of these measures of organisational energy, which can be applied in the South African context, will prove to be valuable to those interested in the relationship between talent management, happiness, meaningfulness and the intention to quit in the workplace. happiness, meaningfulness and the intention to quit in the workplace.