dc.description.abstract | Background and Aim
South African organisations and other organisations around the world face the challenge
of lack of skills and lack of suitable strategies to attract, retain and develop labour force.
Issues such as an increasingly varied workforce, demanding baby boomers, emerging
competitors, more demanding customers and significant leadership roles are among the
issues that have and will continue to have greater impact on the next generation workforce
and that create the urgent need for talent management. However, the battle to improve
skills should start from the education system, given that it is considered the key to a
stronger workforce, the most vital aspect in the national restoration, and thus leads to a
better quality of life for the citizens.
The current study seeks to investigate the relationship between the current application of
talent management, employee engagement and service quality in a South African Higher
Education Institution.
Method:
A descriptive research design was followed with data collected from employees of a South
African Higher Education Institution. (N=60). The Human Capital Index (HCI), Utrecht
Work Engagement Scale and Service Quality Scale were administered. Factor Matrix,
Reliability Analyses, Descriptive Analyses and Correlation Analyses were applied.
Results:
Significant relationships exist between the following variables:
• The results acquired indicated that a relationship exists between the current application
of Talent Management Dimensions of Management Commitment, Talent Review
Process, Talent Commitment, Talent Development and all dimensions of work
engagement
• Performance Management was significantly positively related to Vigour, Dedication and
Absorption.
• The results further showed the importance of Talent Review Processes was
significantly positively related to vigour.
• Staffing was positively significantly related to the all the dimensions of vigour.
• Talent Retention is positively significantly related to Vigour and Absorption and
Dedication.
• The results showed that there is no significant relationship between the current
application of talent management and the service quality dimensions.
• The results further showed a significant positive relationship between some of the
importance of the Talent Management Practices and service quality dimensions.
• Management Commitment was significantly positively related to reliable, Staffing was
positively significantly related to Assurance, Reliable, Tangibles and responsiveness.
• Talent Acquisition is positively significantly related to all the dimensions of service
quality.
• Talent Development is positively significantly related to Assurance.
• The results showed that all three dimensions of work engagement are significantly
positively related to the Assurance Dimensions of Service Quality.
• Vigour and Absorption was significantly positively related to Responsiveness.
• No significant differences were found between the work engagement dimensions and
the service quality dimensions of reliability, tangibles and empathy.
Practice Relevance:
There is currently no study in South Africa that has been conducted on the investigation of
the relationship between talent management, employee engagement and service quality of
employees. Therefore this study brought forward a new and an important topic that shall
be further investigated by other researchers in SA. The study also contributed to the
literature that exists on the above three concepts.
Talent Management is considered the most critical factor to every organisation's success,
thus the current study further assisted in determining the current application of talent
management practices in the organisation and the importance thereof as perceived by the
employees. A relationship was found between the three concepts and it shows that the
outcomes of talent management, employee engagement and service quality influence one
another in certain ways. Recommendations were mentioned at the end of the study and
they intend to help management to find suitable strategies to ensure effective and efficient
application of talent management practices, in order to increase the level of employee
engagement and the quality of service rendered by the organisation. | en_US |