Fostering employee innovation through engagement and skills development in the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe. Ukukhuthaza ukusungulwa kwabasebenzi ngokuxoxisana kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono emkhakheni wezokukhiqiza eZimbabwe.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
The study focused on how employee engagement and skills development can influence
employee innovation in the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by three
theoretical perspectives namely the Social Exchange Theory, the Human Capital Theory and
the Componential theory. The Social Exchange theory was adopted to explain employee
engagement. The Human Capital theory, which emphasises investment in employees, was
adopted to explain the concept of skills development whilst the Componential theory guided
the concept of employee innovation. The study followed the positivist philosophical world
view which provides the framework for the use of the quantitative research approach. The
sample size of the study consisted of 335 participants comprising managerial and non
managerial employees who were randomly selected. 200 participants responded to the
questionnaires distributed by the researcher. The study adopted quantitative techniques of
analysing data. Specifically, Structural equation modelling with confirmatory factor analysis
was conducted to determine the relationships between the variable items and the variables
themselves. The results of the structural equation modelling showed that there were significant
relationships between the variable items and the variable factor. Multiple regression analysis
was also performed to determine the impact of the independent (employee engagement and
skills development) on the dependent variable (employee innovation). The multiple linear
regression analysis indicated that employee engagement and skills development have a
significant capacity to predict employee innovation with the resultant model explaining more
than fifty per cent of the dependent variable. This, confirmed the viability of the proposed
model of the study. Also, the Pearson Product Moment correlation method was used to explain
the relationships between the research variables. The results of the Pearson’s correlation
analysis revealed that both employee engagement and skills development have moderate
positive influence on employee innovation. These results of the study are significant in that
they have theoretical and managerial implications. The findings represent a meaningful and
incremental contribution towards existing literature on employee engagement, skills
development and employee innovation by uprooting insights and showcasing the nature of the
relationships amongst these variables. The results should assist management in the
manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe on how they can improve employee innovation in their
organisations.
Iqoqa:
Lolu cwaningo belugxile ekutholeni ukuthi ukusebenza kwabasebenzi kanye nokucijwa kwabo amakhono kungaletha yiphi indlela entsha yokwenza izinto embonini yokukhiqiza eZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo belulandela izinjulalwazi ezintathu, okuyilezi: injulalwazi ye-Social Exchange, injulalwazi ye-Human Capital nenjulalwazi ye-Component. Injulalwazi ye-Social Exchange isetshenziswe ukuchaza ukusebenza kwabasebenzi. Injulalwazi i-Human Capital, egxile ekubalulekeni kwabasebenzi, yona isetshenziswe ukuchaza ukuthi yini eyenziwayo ukucija amakhono abasebenzi, kanti injulalwazi ye-Component yona isetshenziswe ukubheka indlela entsha yokusebenza kwabasebenzi. Lolu cwaningo belulandela ipharadayimu ye-positivist futhi luwucwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu. Ubungako besampula buveza abahlanganyeli abangama-335 abahlanganisa abasebenzi abasezikhundleni nalabo abangekho ezikhundleni, abakhethwa ngendlela engahlelekile. Abahlanganyeli abangama-200 baphendula uhlu lwemibuzo. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yekhwantithethivu yokuhlaziya imininingo. Le ndlela ebizwa nge-Structural equation modelling yayihlose ukuhlonza ubuqiniso mayelana nobudlelwane ezintweni ezazicutshungulwa nokucutshungulwa kwazo. Imiphumela ye-Structural equation modelling ikhombise ukuthi kukhona ubudlelwane obukhulu phakathi kwalezi zinto. Kuphinde kwasetshenziswa indlela eyinhlanganisela eyaziwa nge-Multiple regression analysis ukubheka umphumela ozimele (ukusebenza kwabasebenzi nokucijwa kwamakhono abo) nomphumela ongazimele (izindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi). Indlela yokuhlaziya i-Multiple linear regression iveze ukuthi ukusebenza kwabafundi nokucijwa kwamakhono abo kudlala indima enkulu ekugaguleni ukuthi indlela entsha yokusebenza kwabafundi izoba njani, okuletha incazelo ngemiphumela ezimele ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angamashumi ayisihlanu. Lokhu, kufakazela okuyiyona njulalwazi ephakanyiswe kulolu cwaningo. Kwaphinde kwasetshenziswa indlela ye-Pearson Product Moment ukuchaza ubudlelwane bezinto. Imiphumela yokuhlaziya kwe-Pearson iveza ukuthi kokubili ukusebenza kwabasebenzi kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono abo kuba nomthelela ekuqhamukeni nezindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ibalulekile ngoba iveza ukubaluleka kwendlela yokucabanga kanye nendlela yokuphatha. Imiphumela iletha ulwazi olubalulekile nolwengezayo kulolu olukhona mayelana nokusebenza kwabasebenzi, ukucijwa kwamakhono abasebenzi kanye nezindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi ngokuqhakambisa imibono ephusile kanye nokuthuthukisa ubudlelwane obuhle kulezi zinto. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo kumele ikwazi ukwelekelela abaphathi embonini yokukhiqizwayo ukuthi bazithuthukisa kanjani izindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi ezinkampanini zabo.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.