Exploring the talent retention strategies of Cape Coast Technical University in Ghana

Abstract

Orientation: Educational institutions are ranked highly as the performance of their talented staff gives them a competitive advantage. Higher educational institutions (HEIs) and for that matter technical universities in Ghana, however, have the challenge of retaining their talented staff.

Research purpose: To explore in the Ghanaian context the talent retention strategies employed by HEIs (technical universities) as a critical aspect of the talent management (TM) process.

Motivation for the study: There is limited literature on TM in HEIs in Ghana and especially on talent retention in the technical university context.

Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach and a case study design were adopted in this study, and 20 academic and management staff were purposively sampled and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide.

Main findings: The study found that the university’s retention strategies employed included fair handling of staff promotions, settling of lawsuits and legal tussles, training and development measures, awards and recognition of talented staff, and better conditions of service for its talented staff.

Practical/managerial implications: This research provides insights into how talents are retained and specifically examines the talent retention strategies for which technical universities, institutions and human resource practitioners could employ.

Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to TM literature by providing empirical evidence from the HEI context. It also extends the TM literature with evidence from technical universities in Ghana, as previous studies have been predominantly conducted in western contexts.