The elaboration and empirical evaluation of a partial talent management competency model

Date
2013-12
Authors
Bezuidenhout, Charl
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study stems from an urgent need to understand which factors contribute to talented employees’ intention to quit, and what organisations can do to ensure the retention of such talent. Difficulties regarding the retention of talented employees have become a worldwide challenge. The retention of talented individuals has become a primary source of gaining a competitive advantage. The increased focus on talent management practices has become a wide spread phenomenon worldwide, including South Africa. History, cultural heritage, politics and the economic environment are but only a few factors that collectively now shape the nature and complexity of the South African labour market. A context, notorious and respected for its diversity and the struggles that have sprouted from it, poses formidable challenges for organisations competing in the global market. A multitude of factors, controllable and uncontrollable, contribute to increased levels of employee turnover in all sectors and organisations in South Africa. Organisations and top management can position themselves, by implementing action plans and organisational structures, to identify and coordinate such controllable factors. Strategies and processes can be implemented to address the increasing challenges regarding the retention of valuable talent. The implementation of structural talent management programmes have proven to address and overcome retention challenges. The crucial role of line management in implementing and fostering a culture of talent retention has also been proven. The foundation of a talent management competency model, for the purpose of addressing and solving this issue, has been laid down. Additional research has been done in order to reevaluate and elaborate on the existing knowledge of such a competency model. This study aims to once again re-evaluate the originally proposed model as well as any extensions that may have been developed by other researchers. The primary objective of the current study consequently was to expand on the existing model as proposed by Oehley (2007) and Smuts (2011). Factors external to the organisational environment were added to the model in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity underlying the determinants of intention to quit. Only a subset of the hypothesised intention to quit structural model was then empirically tested. In the initial model only nine of the nineteen paths were empirically corroborated. The initial reduced model was subsequently revised by deleting various paths that were found to be statistically insignificant (p > .05) and by adding various paths suggested by the modification indices. The final model produced exact fit. Seven of the nineteen paths in the final model were not empirically corroborated. Suggestions for future research are made by introducing additional variables that could be included into a future model.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing vind oorsprong uit die dringende behoefte om die faktore te bepaal wat talentvolle werknemers noop om te bedank en te probeer verstaan wat organisasies kan doen om die dienste van werknemers te behou. Die uitdaging om die dienste van hierdie katagorie van werknemers te behou, blyk 'n internasionale vraagstuk te wees. Die behoud van talentvolle individue in die werksplek het 'n primêre bron van kompeterende voordeel vir organisasies geword. Die toenemende fokus op talentbestuur het 'n wêreldwye fenomeen geword. Die geskiedenis, kulturele erfenis, politiek en die ekonomiese omgewing is maar net 'n paar van die faktore wat gesamentlik die kompleksiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark beïnvloed. 'n Werklikheid wat veelbesproke is, maar gerespekteer word vir sy diversiteit en die meegaande probleme wat daaruit voortspruit, bied buitengewone uitdagings vir organisasies wat moet meeding in die internasionale sakewêreld. Verskeie faktore waarvan sommige beheer kan word, maar ander nie, dra by tot die toenemende verhoging in die arbeidsomset in alle sektore en organisasies in Suid-Afrika. Organisasies en topbestuur kan hulself bemagtig deur verskeie pro-aktiewe benaderings en organisatoriese strukture in plek te stel om sodoende beheerbare situasies te kan identifiseer en koördineer. Strategieë en prosesse kan geïmplimenteer word om die toenemende hoeveelheid uitdagings met sukses aan te pak en dus die waardevolle talent van werknemers te behou. Die toepassing van strukturele talentbestuurprogramme het as sulks bewys dat dit met sukses gebruik kan word om die dienste van werknemers te behou. Die belangrike rol wat lynbestuur vervul in die toepassing en implementering van die proses om talentvolle werknemers te behou, is al deeglik bewys. Die basis van 'n talentbestuur en bevoegdheidsmodel om die probleem aan te spreek en op te los is op sigself al bewys. Addisionele navorsing is alreeds uitgevoer om die huidige model te her-evalueer en daarop uit te brei. Die huidige studie het dit ten doel om die oorspronklike model en teorieë wat vorige navorsers ontwikkel het, te her-evalueer. The primêre oogmerk van die onderhawige studie was gevolglik om op die bestaande modelle soos voorgestel deur Oehley (2007) en Smuts (2011) uit te brei. Faktore ekstern tot die organisasie is tot die model toegevoeg ten einde ‘n meer volledige begrip te ontwikkel van die kompleksiteit wat die determinante van die voorneme om te bedank onderlê. Slegs ‘n subversameling van die gehipotiseerde bedankingsvoorneme-strukturele model is vervolgens empiries getoets. In die aanvanklike model het slegs nege van die negentien bane empiriese steun ontvang. Die aanvanklike gereduseerde model is vervolgens hersien deur verskeie statisties onbeduidende (p > .05) bane te verwyder en deur ‘n aantal bane wat deur die modifikasie-indekse voorgestel is tot die model toe te voeg. Die finale model het presiese passing getoon. Sewe van die negentien bane in die finale model kon egter nie empiries bevestig word nie. Voorstelle vir verdere navorsing word gemaak deur addisionele veranderlikes voor te stel wat moontlik in ‘n toekomstige model ingesluit sou kon word.
Description
Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Keywords
Employee retention, Personnel management, Employees -- Resignation, Dissertations -- Industrial psychology, Theses -- Industrial psychology
Citation