Impact of SHRM on Employee Commitment in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Ghana

Introduction

The primary aim of strategic human resource management (SHRM) is to align organizational HRM practices with its strategies and performance outcomes (Collins & Kehoe, 2017; Moustaghfir et. al, 2020). SHRM encourages innovation and flexibility in dealing with human resources (Al-Jabari & Ghazzawi, 2019; Gonçalves de Aquino & Oliveira da Silva, 2021) and enhances employee commitment (Fruhen, Griffin, & Andrei, 2019; Mayhew,2018; Alewell & Hamsen, 2014; Overstreet et al., 2014). Effective SHRM provides organizations with the desired competitive advantage (Barrick et al., 2015; Collins,2021; Lee & Puranam, 2016; Greer, Lusch & Hitts, 2017). Thus, organizational strategies linked to HRM practices offer a great advantage (Lee & Puranam, 2016). It improves skills and affords opportunities for employees, contributes to human capital development, and can have a positive effect on employee commitment (Greer et. al., 2017; Vomberg, Homburg, & Bornmann, 2015). As people remain the most important resource to any organization (Gibson, Gibson, & Webster, 2021), SHRM offers strategies as to how to attract outstanding personnel and help them to attain organizational objectives (Buller & McEvoy, 2016; Boxall, 2018). SHRM further fosters a relationship between employer and employees, leading to higher commitment and lower turnover in an organization (Collins & Kehoe, 2017).

Successful implementation of organizational strategies requires a combination of HR practices and employee commitment (Barrick et al., 2015). Employee commitment is a critical factor for organizations in successful strategic planning (Greer et. al., 2017; Anand et. al,2020). It is an employee’s psychological attachment to, association with, and involvement in the activities of the organization (Barron & Chou, 2016; Gollagari et al., 2021; Mackay, 2018; Nam et al., 2018). Eisenberger (2010) notes that committed employees are willing to continue their relationship with the organization and devote positive effort to achieve the organizational goals. However, there is a debate concerning the extent to which SHRM improves employee commitment (Greer, Lusch & Hitts, 2017). Although some knowledge exists regarding SHRM practices in organizations (Mayhew, 2018; Rasheed & Alam,2020), the influence of SHRM on employee commitment in tertiary educational institutions is yet to be properly documented.