Effect of technology on staff retention: case study of pick N pay Namibia

Elingua Kuume* and Nikodemus Angula*

*Correspondence:
Elingua Kuume,
kuume75@gmail.com;
Nikodemus Angula,
chcangula@gmail.com;
angulan@unam.edu.na

Received: 05 April 2023; Accepted: 21 April 2023; Published: 02 May 2023.

When business leaders have retention measures in place, they generally see increased profitability. The expense of replacing IT professionals, on the other hand, poses substantial issues for corporate executives. Given the rising influence of technology on operational expenses, IT staff retention is critical. The tenacity of this experiment a single review was to determine tactics used by executives to boost IT staff retaining. The people contained of workers Pick N Pay in Windhoek, Namibia, who were in charge of IT staff retention. The conceptual underpinning for this investigation was Herzberg’s two-factor theory. The data was collected from questionnaire that was send through email by Google forms. Data analysis and methodological triangulation which analyzed the answers from questionnaire It also covers firms being more lucrative through improved worker retaining tactics, it contributes structure of information for leaders may utilize to give individuals with steady job possibilities. Single Person, families, communities, businesses, and the economy are all impacted by IT staff retention rates. Employing retaining methods might effect in improved worker-employer connections and managerial success.

Keywords: effect of technology, staff retention, IT workers

Introduction

The role of Information Technology has made some significant changes in the way of how workers conduct their today running of a business. This has really affected employment rate due to the fact that no company would want to worker, an worker without a background of Information technology. The use of ICTs paves way to significant organizational improvement as well as competitive advantage (1). Worker retention is critical to an organization’s long-term success. Workers contribute to an organization’s profitability and success (2). This has led to have continues debate about strategies that can be put into practice to promote staff retention in global development. In recent years we have seen that technology changes day by day which also tells business need to also upgrade regularly.

Problem statement

Staff retention seems to have been a persistent issue for pick n pay retail establishments in Namibia over the years. Organizational executives frequently see increased profitability when they use retention initiatives for IT staff (3). The basic business challenge was leaders’ failure to improve staff retaining tariffs in a way that has long-term implications on organizational productivity (2). The precise business issue is executives deficiency methods for increasing IT personnel retention. The reason for this is that worker retention is very important to maintain the smooth delivery of the business process and to the long-term success of the business, the researcher conducted this required business research to evaluate the contributing factors relating to retention rates (4). The researcher has also analyzed the present economic situation and inspected any association which has increased retention rates, thereby implementing worker training to keep the workers aware of the new technology and rewards through tough economic times might promote retention (5).

Aims and objectives

The study’s goal was to find out what techniques executives in Namibia utilize to boost IT staff retention.

Objectives were:

(a) To examine the effect of technology on staff retention in Windhoek Namibia.

(b) To evaluate strategies that can be put into practice to promote staff retention in Windhoek Namibia?

(c) To analyze the encouragement programs an organization put into operation to reduce the effect of technology on staff retention in Windhoek Namibia.

Methodology

An exploratory single case study was used in this investigation approach, which allowed the researcher to better understand the phenomena of how business leaders boost IT personnel retention inside the organization. The focus of the case study was on decisions that contribute to real-life occurrences where the boundaries and context were not obvious (6). This design enabled me to examine, collect, analyze, and interpret data from study participants’ lived experiences (7). Marshall (8) other qualitative research methodological inquiry methodologies, like grounded theory, ethnography, and phenomenology, were considered but were not relevant for the study.

Literature review

The goal of study is a serious examination and synthesis of existing and historical research that looks at the impact of technology on Pick N Pay worker retention and how managers use it to keep personnel.

Workers interact directly with consumers and suppliers to do business on behalf of an enterprise. Organizational leaders must prioritize the retention of their people resources. The productivity, performance, and efficiency levels of an organization are all affected by shifting human capital (9). This had led to most organization to keep analyze the encouragement programs an organization put into operation to reduce the effect of technology on staff retention. ICTs have been receiving enormous scientific and political attention among International Organizations namely the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (OECD, 2015). The 2017 World Trade Report states that the use of computers, information technology (IT) and the internet has effects that go far beyond labor productivity (10). However, the effects of ICT in staff retention in Namibia is not yet fully understood and to date there is insufficient published research that looks at the importance of ICT (11). Therefore, the goal of qualitative multiple review studies to discover policies that affect technology staff retention in pick n pay (12).

Discussion of results

This section presents the findings from the respondents and from the data that was evaluated and analyzed through questionnaires. The findings are effects of technology in Pick n Pay, which is the basis to explore and describe understandings and challenges faced by workers in Pick n Pay. The collected data were evaluated, analyzed and summarized to come up with the conclusion and the recommendations. The data in these findings were collected in questionnaire.

The researcher distributed 20 self-administered questionnaires, however, only 10 were completed and returned as illustrated in Table 1. This resulted in a return rate of 50% that could be considered as acceptable and the response rate was sufficient to accept the samples as a true reflection of the population.

TABLE 1
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Table 1.

Work life balance

Work life balance, based on Viswanathan (2013), refers to the ability to sustain fulfilling work and family settings short of sacrificing outcomes of each job. According to Viswanathan (2013), leaders have realized that by managing worker work-life conflicts correctly, they are able to remember extra of their gifted workers. According to Ratna (2012), workers choose to break with firms that offer a work-life balance. According to surveys, staff’s prefer a elastic agenda. In response to overarching research question: Do you think the Technology training provided by the organization is helpful? And how do you rate the usefulness of your Technology trainings in the daily working procedures at your organization? These questions emerged from the questionnaire question 3 and 4 has a flexible or alternative work schedule, which is in line with the replies of the participants. The chart below shows how Technology played any important role in helping to insure a work life balance on the staff retention. This group seems to want greater diversity in their employment and the opportunity to work around their personal schedules as much as possible. Job elasticity, together with (intrinsic) hygiene aspects, crucial motivator for all workers, according to Kataria et al. (2012).

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Telework

Workers have easy access to telework policies, processes, and instructions, which may be found on the company’s intranet and at the human resources office. Pick N Pay has created a telework program because of, all of their workers. It is critical that the telework program fits the company, the distinct worker, and the specific work at pointer. The questions 6, 7, and 8 led to the development of telework. Pick n Pay has created a telework program that allows workers to effort from an permitted worksheet in accordance with government laws. Telework is used by the vast majority of IT personnel.

According to Herzberg (1959), hygiene variables qualities connected with business policy might lead to worker discontent workstation. In review, the telework procedure inclusion at Pick n Pay had a favorable impact on worker retention.

Incentives

The administration provides inducements to keep staff (Ratna, 2012) stated that workers choose to organizations which offer economical compensation with incentives, work stability, working out, and dependable retirement plans. According to Pokorny (2013), firms capable to maintain people with content work and who are highly rewarded and recognized. The issue of incentives is supported by the study of literature and conceptual framework. Incentives emerged from questions Two, Three, Four and Five. Participants agreed that both monetary, rewards, non-monetary and recognition are effective retention strategies for IT professionals. According to the findings, experts are not always driven solely by monetary incentives. Specified exercise chances and occupation progression are encouragements, and cross training is employed to equip personnel with a better general grasp of the IT division. This technique breaks up the monotony of daily life and delivers thought-provoking challenges. It also makes a more well-rounded worker more competitive for future advancement. According to Aguinis (13), monetary salary is essential and substantial intrinsic elements influencing worker holding. Among the Herzberg inherent elements, recognition and development may have an impact on contentment. Herzberg discovered that when executives acknowledge an individual’s achievements, the person may be more productive. Verbal praise has the potential to increase business loyalty (Aisha et al., 2013, Sinha and Sinha, 2012). Extrinsic variables such as business policy and job security may impact worker job unhappiness.

Quality of life

According to Valenti (2014), workers desire more from their employment than just income and benefits. Because there is a limited supply of money, most individuals will gravitate toward higher-paying jobs in order to improve their quality of life. According to Ratna (2012), workers voluntarily stay with organizations that offer competitive compensation and bonuses on which they may rely. This subject was supported by the majority of the literature. Pick n Pay’s policy document, Pick N Pay Strategic Business Plan, confirmed that the organization’s number one aim for taking care of their workers is “quality of life.” The comments of the participants are consistent with the command’s aim of improving work-life balance in order to retain staff. Advancement was recognized as a probable effect on job satisfaction in the list of Herzberg intrinsic elements. Salary was recognized as a probable effect on work unhappiness in the list of intrinsic variables. These elements may have an effect on IT staff retention.

Leadership

According to Mahal (2012), A leader’s leadership style can influence organizational commitment. According to Mardanov et al. (2014), a positive attitude of a leader enhances worker attitudes toward work, their boss, and the organization. This idea was principally supported by the body of literature. Leadership arose from a section D issue. By providing both internal and external leadership chances, the Pick N Pay mentoring program corroborates the aforementioned evidence that leadership is concerned with the growth and development of its people. Workers are certain that this makes a difference. Concurred, illustrating the concept by designating mentors to help junior staff advance to more senior roles. This study found that one method utilized was to work to an individual’s strengths while coaching them on their flaws. Participants stated that because the IT business is changing so fast, it is difficult to retain skilled staff. Growth, supervision, and the worker-supervisor connection were all crucial to Herzberg et al. Extrinsic variables, including as growth, might improve worker happiness, according to Herzberg’s hypothesis. Worker unhappiness may be reduced by the existence of intrinsic elements such as supervision and relationships with supervisors and peers. These characteristics may influence organizational commitment, which may affect IT staff retention.

Conclusion

In various respects, the findings of this study were relevant to professional business practices. The study’s findings indicated business executives’ perspectives inside one firm on developing creative retention tactics and implementing positive organizational improvements to decrease IT staff turnover. Business leaders could use the findings to establish ongoing and continuing training to update their worker skills and expertise. Business leaders may also use this study as a basis for increasing the retention rate in other areas. Publishing the results of this study could provide business leaders information on worker motivation and productivity.

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