ABSTRACT

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is one of the aspects that is attributed to organizational competitiveness both from developed to developing countries. Despite the fact that SHRM influences organizational performance, it is revealed from human resource literature that public organizations and more specifically Public Universities in Kenya are experiencing deteriorating in performance due to issues associated to failure to adopt SHRM policies. High turnovers, periodical strikes and boycotts, service inconsistencies among Public Universities are issues associated to poor human resource management strategies. Based on this premise, this study sought to investigate the effect of Strategic Human Resource Management on performance of selected Public Universities in Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to establish the influence of human resource planning, staffing and retention, training and development on performance of selected Public Universities in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population of the study comprised of 13 Public Universities in Kenya where 914 employees were selected from teaching and non-teaching staff members. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents of the. To determine the sample size, the scientific formula proposed by Israel was used to arrive at a sample size of 278 employees. Pilot study was conducted on 5 respondents to determine validity of the instrument by using views of scholars, university lecturers and industry experts while reliability of the instrument was determined by using Cronbach Alpha coefficients of 0.7. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of close-ended and open-ended questions. In addition, secondary data was collected from published sources such as Labour Acts, reports by Commission for University Education (CUE) and performance appraisal reports. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis where key themes of public and spoken word was critically analyzed and conclusions were made. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptively and inferential statistics such as regression with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (Version 24) software. Regression analysis was conducted at 95% confidence level and 5% significance level. Descriptive data was presented in form of tables and figures. The study revealed that there exists a positive significant relationship between human resource planning (r = 774, p < 0.000), staffing and retention (r = 376, p < 0.000), training and development (r = 576, p < 0.000) on performance of selected Public Universities in Kenya. The study concludes that despite the fact that strategic human resource practices had a significant positive relationship on performance of selected Public Universities in Kenya, issues of understaffing, motivation and capacity development were of great concern. Therefore, this study recommends that for effective performance of Public Universities in Kenya, the government should increase financial budgets to facilitate adoption of appropriate technology, employment of staff and investment in infrastructural facilities.