Assessment Of Practices Used In Retention Of Knowledge Workers In Sugar Companies In Western Kenya

ABSTRACT

Whereasfirms have retention strategies, the turnover rates keep escalating and the failure to keep

or retain knowledge workers may undermine the competitive capability, intellectual capital,

culturalfabric, image building and institutional memory of such firms and thus the need for this

study.The purpose of this study was to establish the effectiveness of practices used by sugar

industriesin retention of knowledge workers as a way of building their competitive advantage.

Thespecific objectives of this study were to: determine the effectiveness of rewards on retention

of knowledge workers, establish the influence of training and development on retention of

knowledge workers, ascertain the influence of management style on retention of knowledge

workers,find out the impact of opportunities for professional growth on retention of knowledge

workers and lastly to establish the effectiveness of working environment on retention of

knowledge workers. The study is hinged on a conceptual framework where the envisaged

retention strategies form the independent variable while the expected outcomes (both positive

and negative ones) form the dependent variable. The interplay of the said variables is regulated

by an intervening variable hinged on transparency, equity and fairness. The study utilised the

descriptive survey design and was carried out in Sugar companies located in Western Kenya.

The following companies were .selected for this study: Mumias Sugar Company Limited, Nzoia

SugarCompany Limited and Chemelil Sugar Company. The study population included human

resourcemanagers, IIO.Ds and knowledge workers (employees who engage in specialised work

and who also possess specialised training, skills and experience) drawn from the following

departmentswithin each selected company: finance, agriculture, production, marketing and IT.

Both probability and non-probability sampling were used to select respondents who gave the

requiredinformation within the study location. There were 146 respondents: 2 HR managers, 14

H.O.Dsand 130 knowledge workers. Besides reviewing secondary data on pertinent issues, che

informationwas sourced using questionnaires and scheduled interviews. The raw data was then

analyzedboth quantitatively and qualitatively by a statistical package for social sciences. (SPSS)

andM.S Excel for means and percentages. The analysed data was presented in tables, pie charts

andbar graphs. The study found out that the rewards the sugar companies were offering were not

competitive enough to retain their knowledge workers. Training and development programmes

wereevident but preference was given to workshops and seminars at the expense of professional

certification and as such_training and deyelQQ.ill~.!:!.LPTogrammhesardly moti.vated the knowledge