Abstract
Service delivery has been a contentious issue in the public sector in numerous developing countries. Governments have cited poor employee performance as the primary cause of declining service delivery. Subsequently, policymakers and stakeholders have embarked on varying human resource management (HRM)-oriented strategies to improve employee performance and public sector services. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of human resource (HR) practitioners in fulfilling their roles in urban local authorities (ULAs) in Zimbabwe, focusing on confronting the challenges that prevent them from fulfilling their roles. The study was motivated by the HRM strategies currently implemented by governments to solve performance issues in local authorities. In addition, the study aimed to tackle the lack of studies on HR practices in Zimbabwe.
The study adopted a qualitative research approach, in which data were gathered through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 17 HR practitioners from two ULAs. Phenomenology guided the research strategy as a means of obtaining in-depth knowledge from the research participants. Subsequently, the retrieved data were analysed through thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase thematic analysis process. The findings of this study highlighted five main themes: HRM challenges, HRM delivery and line management support, HRM capabilities and procedures in ULAs in Zimbabwe, employee perceptions of HRM in ULAs, and measures to solve HRM challenges.
The findings uncovered practical and managerial implications, noting that the HR function should be upgraded to a full strategic partner in ULAs in Zimbabwe. The study provided an understanding of how ULAs in Zimbabwe operate, in particular, in relation to HRM, which gives HR practitioners insight into fulfilling their roles effectively and efficiently. In addition, the study supplemented the gap in knowledge about the current HR practices in the Zimbabwean public sector. The study also presented a conceptual model to overcome the HRM challenges affecting HR practitioners in ULAs. Stakeholders, HR practitioners, and policymakers can benefit from the conceptual model and the recommendations suggested for streamlining HRM procedures in ULAs in Zimbabwe.
Keywords: urban local authority, human resource management, HR practitioners, lived experience