Career Planning and Succession Management Practices of the Clinicians at Kenyatta National Hospital
Abstract
The world now is a global village and very competitive in every front. For any individual, business
firm, organization, country or even continent to survive in the competitive environment it has to
utilize her resources effectively and efficiently for her future benefit and survival. One of the
fundamental resources is the human capital. What determines growth and future survival in a
business firm, a country or continent is how she treats and develops her human capital. Effective
HRM encompasses career planning and succession management. With the increased scope for job
mobility and corporate race for global headhunting of good performers, it is now a well-established
fact that normal employment span for key performers remains awfully short. Hence, career
planning and succession management practices are crucial in these organizations and the extent to
which these practices are implemented can greatly support the achievement of organizational
objectives.
The objective of this study was to find out the career planning and succession management
practices at KNH. The study adopted a case study design where data was collected using an
interview guide. Three senior employees were interviewed and data was analyzed using qualitative
analysis. The study established that there are several career planning and succession management
practices that have been adopted at KNH. The career planning practices include top management
support, alignment to organizational objectives, career centers, communication and feedback while
the succession management practices include structured succession management program, policies
on succession management, alignment to organizational strategies, top management support and
finally training and development.
In conclusion, career planning and succession management have a great impact on the performance
of KNH and therefore the pursuit of this will create an environment of cohesiveness and
commitment to work and therefore needs to incorporate the practices that have not yet been
adopted. It is recommended that similar study be undertaken in other public and private hospital in
Kenya in order to shed more light on the area.