Examining human resource management practices as mechanisms for enhancing organisational commitment in South African universities: a study in a private university

Abstract

Human resources management practices are important factors within organisations which enable an organisation to achieve a competitive advantage. The possibility of an organisation to achieve a competitive advantage and maintain business sustainability is dependent on the organisational commitment of its staffs. As a result, organisations need effective human resource management practices to equip employees in other to obtain organisational goals and objectives. The objective of this study is to examine whether Human Resource Management practices influence the organisational commitment of employees in a private university. The study was conducted with academic staff members in a private university at Midrand, Gauteng province Johannesburg, South Africa. The researcher conducted a survey of 145 academic staffs from a population of 225. The research design which was used in this study was descriptive, cross sectional research design and a quantitative approach. The questionnaire method was used to collect data from the respondents using a survey instrument of 5-point Likert scale format. The analysis of the data was done using the SPSS software by using the linear regression analysis method after data was captured in Ms Excel. The Hayes process of moderation analysis was also adopted. The researcher found that performance appraisal, reward and training contribute to the enhancement of organisational commitment.