Publication:

Factors affecting retention of academic staff in selected private chartered universities in Kiambu county Kenya

Universities in Kenya have continued to experience interruption in their academic delivery and resource availability as a result of various factors, key among them being academic staff retention. A significant number of academic staff are leaving for greener pastures (seeking newer employment opportunities). This may have led to costly recruitment processes, disruption of curriculum delivery, loss of human resources and at times, resentment among remaining staff due to increased workload before adequate replacements are identified. It is on this basis that the current study, aims to assess the relationship between work assignment, remuneration, on employee retention among academic staff in private chartered universities in Kiambu County. The study targeted 2074 academic staff at three private chartered universities (Mount Kenya University, St. Paul’s University and Gretsa University in Kiambu County). Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 309 staff from three stratum (tutorial, lecturers and professors). Semi-structured questionnaires was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection was by drop and pick method with the aid of research assistants. Data analysis was carried out thematically for qualitative and descriptively (mean and standard deviation) for quantitative data. The findings from the study informed policy makers in three private chartered universities in Kenya and the entire higher education sector, in reducing staff turnover and manage talent within their universities. The study concludes that work assignment has a positive and significant effect on employee retention in Kiambu county, kenya. Finding revealed that effective, behavioural, and cognitive influence in employee retention in Kiambu county. In addition, the study concludes that remuneration has a positive and significant influence on employee retention in Kiambu county, Kenya. Findings revealed that remuneration scale promote strategy and openness influence employee retention in Kiambu county, Kenya. The study findings revealed that work assignment has a positive and significant influence on employee retention in Kiambu county, Kenya. This study therefore recommends that the management of private chartered universities should formulate strategies to enhance better work assignment practice in the private chartered university in Kiambu county. In addition, the study findings revealed that remuneration has a positive and significant influence on academic staff retention in Kiambu county. Management in the private chartered universities should formulate and implement an effective framework for employee remuneration and ensure fairness and transparency in the promotion progress.