Many scholars, practitioners and experts in the field of human resource management agree on the existence of a phenomenon where the political environment directly affects human capital sourcing in Kenya. The phenomenon is especially pronounced in the civil service structure where many human resource positions are influenced by various politically-influenced factors. Akong'o Dimba stated how political influences created by the ruling party in Kenya as well as the opposition affected the process of sourcing for human capital.
Additionally, Kimenyi, reiterated the presence of distinct political influences operating on tribal lines based on the tribal disposition of Kenya’s ruling party in the face of its main opposition. These influences, according to this research, continue to affect the processes associated with human resources development where certain tribes cannot get employment in certain areas due to these political issues.
More on the issue emerges in the form of subtle tribalism where the current political environment in Kenya seems to have pitted the Kikuyu against the Luo communities from the perspective of Jubilee party and Orange Democratic Movement. Consequently, as demonstrated by Ng’ang’a Njuguna, these issues seem to have permeated into the Counties after devolution. Based on the distinct political influences created by the current political climate in Kenya, sourcing of human capital has suffered from the negativities of tribalism and other biases. Nyambegera also identified that most of the regions in Kenya have experienced problems associated with sourcing human capital brought about by the existence of, and the alignment with political parties and their ruling figures’ tribal affiliations.
Omwoha stated the seriousness of the problem when her research finding exposed the hardships some parts of the country experience when sourcing human capital. Although the role the media continues to play in propagating the rift between the two main parties is significant to the issue, politics have been identified as the main source of hardships when sourcing for human resources at the county level in the country. Although the issue continues to benefit from ongoing research, the stage has already been set for significant attention to be directed towards the role of politics on human capital dynamics at the county level in Kenya.
Table of Contents
1. Background to the Study
2. Statement of the Problem
3. Objectives of the Study
4. Questions and/or hypotheses
5. Literature Review
6. Conceptual Framework
7. Proposed Research Design, Methods and variables
Objectives and Topics of the Study
This study aims to examine the impact of political environment and tribal affiliations on human capital sourcing processes within the Kenyan civil service and county-level administrations. It explores how political partisanship creates barriers to employment and efficiency, specifically investigating the mechanisms through which political influence permeates post-devolution human resource management.
- The impact of political environment on human resource sourcing.
- The role of tribalism and political affiliation in employment outcomes.
- Devolution and its effect on county-level human capital dynamics.
- Methodological approaches to studying political influence in human resource management.
- The relationship between political organizations and human resource development.
Excerpt from the Book
Statement of the Problem
After the introduction of multiparty democracy in Kenya, the political environment set was such that most of the emerging political parties took on a distinct tribal image. Most of the political parties that emerged did so with the intention of correcting the social-economic evils that KANU had meted out to the respective communities. Consequently, the removal of KANU from power in 2002 resulted in the formation of political coalitions based on distinct tribal communities’ intent on securing power and influence. Unfortunately, such phenomena also affected the business environment such that affiliation to certain communities perceived to be aligned with certain political parties affected human capital dynamics. Suddenly, the process of sourcing for human capital even after devolution depended on political influences, a problem that continues to erode the efficiency of many county development agenda and many other aspects of growth.
Therefore, the main problem that these scenarios present is uniquely directed towards the gap in knowledge on the effects of politics on Kenya, especially at the county levels given that devolution has occurred. Additionally, while research exists aimed at understanding the role of political influence on human resource management, little research exits aimed specifically at Kenyan counties after the process of devolution.
Summary of Chapters
Background to the Study: Discusses the historical context of political influence on human resource management in Kenya, highlighting the issues of tribalism and party alignment.
Statement of the Problem: Identifies the gap in current research regarding how political influences and tribal affiliations specifically impact human capital sourcing in the post-devolution era.
Objectives of the Study: Outlines the primary goal to analyze the role of political influence on human resource processes at the county level using Nairobi County as a case study.
Questions and/or hypotheses: Defines the research questions concerning the impact of political influences on sourcing processes and the specific roles these influences play at the county level.
Literature Review: Provides a theoretical grounding in human capital theory, linking formal instruction, skills development, and economic efficiency to organizational performance.
Conceptual Framework: Illustrates the relationship between independent, dependent, and intervening variables, focusing on political attitudes and sourcing outcomes.
Proposed Research Design, Methods and variables: Describes the qualitative research approach, the selection of Nairobi County as the population, and the variables to be measured via structured questionnaires.
Keywords
Human Capital, Political Influence, Kenya, Devolution, Tribalism, Human Resource Management, Sourcing, Nairobi County, Multiparty Democracy, Neoclassical Economics, Employment, Organizational Performance, Political Parties, Skills Development, Qualitative Research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the impact of the Kenyan political environment, particularly tribal affiliations and political partisanship, on the processes used to source human capital.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The themes include the intersection of politics and human resource management, the historical influence of political parties on tribal communities, and the challenges faced by counties in sourcing talent post-devolution.
What is the primary research goal?
The main objective is to investigate the extent to which political influences and their derivatives affect human capital sourcing at the county level in Kenya.
What methodology is employed in this study?
The study utilizes a qualitative research methodology, relying on structured questionnaires distributed to a sample of 1000 individuals in Nairobi County.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers theoretical frameworks of human capital, the conceptual relationship between political variables and hiring success, and the specific research design used for data collection.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Human Capital, Political Influence, Kenya, Devolution, Tribalism, and Human Resource Management.
How does the author define the problem of "subtle tribalism"?
The author describes it as a phenomenon where political competition between communities leads to bias in employment and human resource practices, which has persisted even after the introduction of devolution.
Why was Nairobi County selected as the study population?
Nairobi was chosen because it represents a diverse mix of all political and tribal affiliations in Kenya, providing a balanced and representative dataset for the study.
- Quote paper
- Ernestoh Khomu (Author), 2016, Effects of political influence on sourcing of human capital at the county level, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/344375
