Talent management practices and work-related outcomes for South African academic staff

Abstract

This study explored the perception of relationships between talent management practices and work meaningfulness, happiness, and turnover intention among South African academic staff. The participants (n = 160) were from a large South African higher education institution (HEI). For a measure of talent management practices, the participants completed the Human Capital Index. Work-related outcome measures included the General Happiness Scale (GHS), the Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Employee Retention Scale (ERS). Regression analysis results showed employee perceptions of talent management practices of talent acquisition and development, talent retention, management commitment, performance management, workforce planning, and staffing to predict their happiness and sense of work meaningfulness. Moreover, employee perceptions of talent management practices of acquisition, development, performance management, staffing, retention practices, and workforce planning predicted lower turnover intentions. Higher education management should invest in employee-centric talent retention practices for sustained academic workforce development and retention.

Keywords:

• academic staff
• happiness
• meaningfulness
• retention
• talent management

Data availability

The original dataset from which the results of this article were analysed and delineated are available on the researchers’ electronic database. Access to the dataset may not be possible because at the time during which the study was conducted, the researcher only requested consent from respondents for the results to be published, but not the actual (raw) dataset.