Human resource management practices in Eritrea: challenges and prospects

Abstract

Purpose -This article seeks to examine the challenges and prospects of human resource management (HRM) in a developing-country context. It focuses on contextual factors and employee involvement in analysing HRM to provide theoretical insights. Design/methodology/approach -To explore the above theme, on-site interviews were carried out with general managers, human resource professionals, line managers and union leaders in eight firms. Furthermore, a sample of 252 employees was included, thereby contributing to the generalisability of the findings. Findings -This article provides substantial and current information on HRM knowledge and practices in Eritrea. The paper argues that some contextual variables impose certain challenges to HRM practices. However, evidence also reveals that the concept and knowledge of HRM practices, such as training, recruitment, compensation, employee participation, performance appraisal and reward systems, are in place with some indicators of local influence. Research limitations/implications -In light of the above findings, the article informs multinational companies that transferring managerial expertise to Africa may not necessarily be required, as the knowledge already exists there. A major limitation may derive from the use of convenience sampling in selecting the firms, but extreme caution is taken to get a faithful representation. Originality/value -Contrary to the dominant view that African management is characterised by authoritarianism, this study shows the participative style of managers. Moreover, it incorporates the attitudes and perceptions of employees, a generally neglected part of HRM studies.

Comparative analysis of teachers’ perception of equity, pay satisfaction, affective commitment and intention to turnover in Botswana

“…The study therefore allows for wider generalizations of results to other organisations within Botswana and possibly to other countries. More broadly, the results of this study also contribute to the literature in developing economies and thereby fills the gap, identified by several researchers, that studies of management have been concentrated in the US and there has been a significant oversight in not studying employees from other countries (Ghebregiorgis & Karsten, 2005;Khilji & Wang, 2007;Meyer, Stanley, Herscovitch, & Topolnytsky, 2002;Suliman & Iles, 2000). The other significant contribution has been the development of the complex predictive model designed for this study.…”

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