Human Resource Management Practices and Organizational Commitment in Higher Educational Institutions : A Kenyan Case

Organizations do tend to face challenges such as recession, cut-throat competition and information technological advances. Their survival is, therefore, dependent upon a loyal and committed workforce. The central role Human Resource Management (HRM) practices play in creating and maintaining commitment is critical. This paper examines the impact of demographic characteristics and HRM practices on multidimensional organizational commitment in a non-Western context. Data was collected using mixed methods research. First, questionnaire responses were received from 446 academic and 486 administrative employees from three public and three private universities in Kenya. Secondly, semi-structured interviews with 15 academic and administrative employees were conducted. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The results show that (a) HRM practices are more important than demographic characteristics in influencing organizational commitment; (b) demographic characteristics and HRM practices differ in their influence on each dimension of organizational commitment; and (c) private universities have more superior HRM practices than public universities. This paper contributes to existing knowledge by testing the predictors of multidimensional organizational commitment in a non-Western context. Conclusions, recommendations and limitations are also discussed in the paper