Human Resource Practices and Staff Performance at Education Service Commission in Uganda

ABSTRACT The study was about HR Practices and Staff Performance at Education Service Commission. The study was based on the following three objectives; to determine HR practices at education service commission; to examine the level of staff performance at education service commission and to establish the effect of HR practices on staff performance at education service commission in Kampala, Uganda. A sample of 151 respondents both female and male staffs of the service commission were used for the study. The study employed cross-sectional research design and methodology used was both qualitative and quantitative. Questionnaires were the major tools of data collection. In regard to HR practices at education service commission; it was revealed by the majority 53.6% of respondents who strongly agreed that career development is the responsibility of the staff; majority 74.2% agreed that staff‟s career aspirations within the commission are discussed with immediate supervisor; majority 54.3% strongly disagreed that advertisements are used by the commission to recruit; majority 35.1% disagreed that every staff goes through various training programmes every year and majority 50.3% disagreed that staffs are provided performance based feedback and counselling. In regard to level of staff performance at education service commission; it was revealed by the majority 33.1% and 31.1% respectively disagreed and strongly disagreed that the commission is not able to meet the goals it sets; majority 54.3% agreed that commission achieves its stated goals; majority 25.8% and 44.4% strongly agreed and agreed respectively that each department understands the role it plays in achieving commission's goals and majority 67.5% strongly disagreed that the commission is able to satisfy the owner(s)/shareholders. In regard to effect of HR practices on staff performance at education service commission; It was revealed that there is a significant effect between HR practices and staff performance in education service commission, Kampala, Uganda. This was revealed by a moderate positive linear correlation whereby human resource practices affects staff performance at education service commission. The strength of association between the variables was moderately high (r = 0.480), and the correlation coefficient was moderately significant from zero (p < 0.001). It was recommended that the commission should; plan for the career and development of staffs, use advertisements in its recruitment process, establish measures of paying for performance to improve staff performance, use profit sharing/bonuses as a mechanism to reward higher performance and provide staffs with performance based feedback and counselling.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION........................................................................................................i

APPROVAL.............................................................................................................ii

DEDICATION........................................................................................................ iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...........................................................................................iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................v

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. viii

LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................ix

LIST OF ACRONYMS...............................................................................................x

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ xi

CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1

1.0 Introduction.....................................................................................................1

1.1 Background of the study...................................................................................1

1.1.1 Historical perspective.....................................................................................1

1.1.2 Theoretical perspective ..................................................................................3

1.1.3 Conceptual perspective..................................................................................6

1.1.4 Contextual perspective ..................................................................................7

1.2 Statement to the problem.................................................................................8

1.3 Purpose of the study ........................................................................................8

1.4 Research objectives..........................................................................................8

1.5 Research questions ..........................................................................................9

1.6 Null hypothesis ................................................................................................9

1.7 Scope of the study ...........................................................................................9

1.7.1 Geographical scope .......................................................................................9

1.7.2 Content Scope...............................................................................................9

1.7.3 Time scope .................................................................................................10

1.8 Significance of the study.................................................................................10

CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................11

vi

LITERATURE REVIEW...........................................................................................11

2.0 Introduction...................................................................................................11

2.1 Theoretical review..........................................................................................11

2.1.1 Human capital theory ..................................................................................11

2.1.2 Resource based theory ................................................................................12

2.2 Conceptual framework....................................................................................13

2.2.1 Human resources planning...........................................................................14

2.2.2 Recruitment and selection............................................................................14

2.2.3 Training and development ...........................................................................15

2.2.4 Performance appraisal .................................................................................15

2.2.5 Compensation .............................................................................................16

2.3 Staff performance ..........................................................................................16

2.4 Empirical literature review...............................................................................18

2.4.1 Effect of human resource practices on staff performance ...............................18

2.5 Research gaps ...............................................................................................19

CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................20

METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................20

3.0 Introduction...................................................................................................20

3.1 Research design.............................................................................................20

3.2 Target population...........................................................................................20

3.3 Sample size ...................................................................................................21

3.4. Sampling techniques .....................................................................................21

3.5 Data collection instruments.............................................................................22

3.5.1 Questionnaires ............................................................................................22

3.6 Data analysis .................................................................................................22

3.7 Ethical considerations .....................................................................................23

3.8 Limitations of the study ..................................................................................23

CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................................................24

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION......................................24

4.0 Introduction...................................................................................................24

4.1 Biographical data of respondents ....................................................................24

vii

4.2 HR practices at education service commission..................................................27

4.2.1 Human resource planning ............................................................................27

4.2.2 Recruitment and selection............................................................................29

4.2.3 Compensation .............................................................................................33

4.2.4 Training and development ...........................................................................36

4.2.5 Performance appraisal .................................................................................39

4.3 Level of performance at education service commission .....................................42

4.4 Effect of HR practices on staff performance at education service commission.....49

4.5 Hypothesis testing..........................................................................................49

CHAPTER FIVE.....................................................................................................51

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................51

5.0 Introduction...................................................................................................51

5.1 Discussion of findings .....................................................................................51

5.1.1 HR practices at education service commission ...............................................51

5.1.2 Level of staff performance at education service commission...........................55

5.1.3 Effect of HR practices on staff performance at education service commission..57

5.2 Conclusions of the study.................................................................................57

5.3 Recommendations..........................................................................................57

5.4 Areas for future research................................................................................58

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................59

APPENDICES .......................................................................................................67

APPENDIX I:QUESTIONNAIRE ..............................................................................67

APPENDIX II:ACTUAL STUDY BUDGET ..................................................................73