Perceived Factors Influencing Strategic Human Resource Development Practice at the National Cereals and Produce Board
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Date
2012-11Author
Kisilu, Charles N
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
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This research project reports the findings of the perceived factors influencing strategic
human resource development practice at the National Cereals and Produce Board. The
objective of the study was to establish the perceived factors influencing strategic human
resource development practice at the National Cereals and Produce Board. A descriptive
research design was used to gather data by means of questionnaires. The study revealed
that the Board has been using various Human Resource development practices in attempt
to equip its employees with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them
handle their current and future needs. This has been mainly through on the job training
and career development. Delegation, Job enrichment Programs, Peer Consultations by
employees and Employee empowerment human resource development practices were
fund to be used to a moderate extent. However Job enlargement, Coaching, Mentoring,
Job rotation and Succession Planning human resource development practices were fund
to be used to a low extent. Another key finding of the study was that the Board is facing
the challenge of how to develop and manage its employees, as well as having well
established overall direction and objectives on key areas of human resource development
in order to ensure that they are not only consistent with but also support the achievement
of business goals. Additionally it was found that the Board did not have detailed
procedures and systems which reflect its strategic framework in human resource
development developed and implementation structure.
Despite having programs to support and sustain human resource development practices,
the study found that the Board experienced various challenges which included integration
of human resource development and the support of human resource development plans
and policies to wider business needs. Other factors related to the evaluation of human
resource development activities so that its strategic contribution and relevance can be
assessed, lack top management support, human resource development function failing to
a line its activities with the organization strategy and culture, the capacity to continuously analyze external environment to identify both opportunities and threats to
business and human resource development strategies, provision of sufficient investment
or budgets for human resource development activities and involvement in formal work
teams or other related work related problem solving activities.
Since it is clear that there are factors influencing strategic human resource development
practice, This study recommends that the board should diversify some of the human
resource development practices such as Job enlargement, Coaching, Mentoring and Job
rotation, this will aid in succession planning and help in the development of personal
career development plans. The Board should ensure that human resource development
practices are not only consistent with but also support the achievement of business goals.
Additionally management should ensure that there are detailed procedures and systems
which reflect its strategic framework in human resource development and implementation
structure. The study further recommends that the Board should integrate human resource
development plans and policies to support wider business needs, evaluate human resource
development activities so that its strategic contribution and relevance can be assessed and
top management support. The capacity to continuously analyze external environment to
identify both opportunities and threats to business and human resource development
strategies, provision of sufficient investment or budgets for human resource development
activities and involvement in formal work teams or other related work related problem
solving activities all need to be addressed by management.
Further studies can be done to establish on the various ways of measuring the return on
investments on strategic human resource development practices and establish specific
links to improved organization performance and competitiveness as well as ways in
which organizations can mitigate on the various factors influencing strategic human
resource development practices.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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