Abstract
Orientation: There is limited literature on talent retention framework constructs for Generation Z (Gen Z) in the Platinum Group Metals’ (PGM) mining sector of South Africa.
Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between employee recognition, flexible work arrangements and professional development opportunities as retention strategies and the ability of these strategies to influence retention of Gen Z in PGM’s mining sector.
Motivation for the study: This research was motivated by the difficulties encountered by PGM’s miners in retaining the Gen Z in the industry.
Research approach/design and method: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was used in unison with a case study strategy. The quantitative data were collected through online questionnaires, with qualitative data collected through online interviews with participants from PGM. Structural equation modelling technique and thematic analysis were utilised to examine the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.
Main findings: The findings revealed that employee recognition and flexible work arrangements were positively related to Gen Z talent retention. Professional development opportunities were not found to be positively related to Gen Z talent retention.
Practical/managerial implications: Human resource management professionals in the mining sector must be prepared for the future pool of employees by reviewing and aligning their talent management practices with the unique workplace preferences of the Gen Z cohort to retain Gen Z talent.
Contribution/value-add: This research study identified a significant mismatch between current mining industry retention strategies and the factors that Gen Z employees deem essential for remaining with their employers.
Keywords: Generation Z; retention; employee recognition; flexible working arrangements; professional development opportunities; mining sector.
Introduction
The mining industry in South Africa has not been without challenges. Among others, the industry encounters declining performance, reduced capital flows and ageing infrastructure (Cassim et al., 2019). At the centre of these issues is the crucial need to modernise the mining sector by embracing emerging digital technologies to improve the sector’s cost competitiveness and sustainability. What is significant to this industry’s digital transformation journey is the retention of talented employees, particularly from Generation Z (Gen Z). Generation Z are individuals who are born between year 1995 and 2010 (Böhlich & Axmann, 2020; Francis & Hoefel, 2018). This cohort or group of individuals grew up in a highly digital and connected world (Luttrell & McGrath, 2021). The challenge, however, is that the mining sector currently lacks full knowledge of the strategies to effectively optimise the retention of this valuable talent pool. This research study aimed to address this gap by contributing towards human resource strategies to enhance Gen Z talent retention in the mining industry. The Herzberg’s two-factor motivation-hygiene theory as well as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory were used to serve as the theoretical foundations for the study.
Orientation
The Mineral Council of South Africa (2019) has developed an approach to update and improve the mining industry by promoting autonomous technologies that are mechanised. Although this technology transformation is deemed necessary by the Mineral Council of South Africa (2019) to improve the industry’s competitive position and sustainability, it has at times resulted in an inadvertent negative impact, particularly among low-skilled workers (Leeuw & Mtegha, 2018). It is, therefore, important for the mining sector to exercise care and introduce training opportunities to all employees affected by technological advancements to reduce the direct negative effects of unemployment and/or retain those ‘high-tech savvy’ employees to expedite the needed technological advancements in the sector.
The effect of technological advancements in the mining sector was not the focus of this study; rather, the focus was on the Gen Z’s early attraction and retention for the purpose of advancing the required technological advancements in the mining sector. Generation Z becomes the most attractive generation to retain in the mining sector because it is the only generation raised with a strong sense of connectivity, and living in a period of advanced technology, which allowed it to use social media extensively and lead high-tech lives (Gaidhani et al., 2019).
In addition, research has shown that the attitudes of employees and their rate of technology adoption directly impact the effectiveness of technology implementation and the overall business performance (Oh et al., 2019). It is, therefore, a further rationale for the mining sector to retain Gen Z talent as this can be pragmatic for the industry to expedite the sector’s digital transformation.
There is, however, a problem in that the mining sector currently lacks a full understanding of the strategies to optimise the retention of the Gen Z talent. In addition, the arrival of Gen Z in the labour market brings with it not only new skills and innovative ideas, but also new expectations and ways of working (Mina et al., 2021). However, limited literature exists to guide the human resource professionals in the mining sector to align their talent retention strategies to meet the Gen Z’s workplace preferences. The researcher saw this lack of talent retention strategies for Gen Z talent in mining sector as problematic and a gap for research.
Underpinning theories
As outlined by Bhatt et al. (2022), the two-factor hypothesis of motivation and hygiene factors theory, broadly outlines the elements that their unavailability will lead to workplace discontent (hygiene), and the elements through which employees remain motivated to be within the organisation (motivator factors). The Herzberg’s two-factor motivation-hygiene theory proposes that organisations need to make adequate investments that typically centre on their employees’ physiological demands and requirements to effect the desirable impact. Organisational policy, such as flexible work arrangements, is an example of a hygiene factor, while employee recognition and professional development opportunities exemplify motivator factors (Bhatt et al., 2022).
Maslow’s theory of motivation can be used to investigate the needs of employees, and how these needs will guide an employee’s decision-making during employment within the organisation. Should employees’ base needs not be met, they could be overcome with feelings of inadequacy, as well as a sense of not fitting into the existing organisation. This can quickly result in a decision not to stay within the organisation, and thus exit at the earliest convenient opportunity.
Literature review
Generation Z and their workplace preferences
Individuals born between year 1995 and 2010 constitute the Gen Z (Böhlich & Axmann, 2020; Francis & Hoefel, 2018). This cohort is described as interested in modern technologies and prefers simplicity, encourages and promotes safety, often likes to escape world reality, has raised expectations and exerts efforts in exceptional experiences (Tunsakul, 2020). Generation Z are recognised by research as the inaugural generation in history to be socially conscious and adept at technology (Desai & Lele, 2017). Stanley (2019) expects the Gen Z cohort to have the largest living population by 2034, at 78 million globally. Arar and Öneren (2018) sum up that Gen Z prefer a workplace that has the following attributes: flexibility and possible mobility in the workplace; organic structure rather than hierarchy; a healthy balance between work and life; possibilities for both vertical as well as horizontal career advancement; and performance assessment that emphasises production over input hours at work, meaningful work, distance from routine, creative and innovative based tasks, technological devices, individual office occupancies where possible and job opportunities that bring both monetary and psychological satisfaction. Lettink (2019) predicts that there will be an increase of Gen Z in the workforce over the next decade and beyond, and as a result, organisations need to prepare for this influx to retain the required skills and expertise of young talent.
Retention
Employee retention has become a big concern for corporations in the current global competitive environment (Prakash, 2022; p. 245). While the word ‘employee retention’ has been used in a number of ways, it basically means that organisations are investigating and implementing different strategies to motivate their skilled workers so that they stay with them for longer (Singh, 2019). It is important for organisations to understand this phenomenon. According to Ganguli et al. (2022), understanding the talent retention phenomenon will assist organisations to engage further with the subject to retain employees in the workplace. To the extent that research exists, there is not much knowledge on how to attract and retain the Gen Z, including in the mining sector (Anggapradja et al., 2024).
Employee recognition
Recognition concerns the regard or stance that one takes on others. Employees who feel appreciated for their work are more likely to be happy and productive, and less likely to leave their jobs (Shayrine & Venugopal, 2023). Shayrine and Venugopal further provide examples such as public praise and awards as forms that organisations can use to demonstrate recognition and gratitude for their employees’ efforts. Generation Z is intrinsically motivated when their supervisor recognise their contributions and implement their ideas (Silinevica & Meirule, 2019).
Flexible work arrangements
To ensure high productivity for both the organisation and its personnel, organisations must maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life (Garg & Yajuverdi, 2016). Further research by Kumar and Velmurugan (2018) explains that striking a work-life balance could be facilitated by an organisation through creating a flexible working schedule, telecommuting facility and family-friendly working environment. It is also determined that employees who are being facilitated properly will tend to stay in the organisation and that the company image will also be formed as a company that supports its employee welfare, thus attracting the future workforce as a preferable company to work for (Tirta & Enrika, 2020). The creation of a hybrid workplace in the digital era is important because highly skilled talent prefers hybrid work modes (Dabic et al., 2023). Companies that value a good work-life balance and offer flexible working options are what the Gen Z is looking for (Sánchez-Hernández et al., 2019).
Professional development opportunities
One of the principal factors of talent retention are the development opportunities offered within the workplace (Kamalaveni et al., 2019). The training obtained within a workplace that is related to a specific job improves the ability of employees to problem-solve. In addition, the extent to which the employees perceive the organisation to be caring about their professional development and well-being influences their decision to stay in the organisation (Lin et al., 2022). Generation Z employees value clear professional routes and opportunities for advancement (Rampen et al., 2023).
Mining sector
Mining sectors remain a major employer globally (Oshokoya & Tetteh, 2018), although challenged. From the many challenges that the sector faces, the skills shortage issue is still its major worry, and inevitably requires the sector to review, develop and/or optimise talent retention and be ready to adjust, tap from the available workforce pool and accommodate varying generational workplace requirements. Currently, literature on talent retention strategies lacks detail that incorporates the significant preferences of Gen Z in the mining sector.
Research purpose and hypotheses
The study’s main purpose was to contribute towards human resource strategy to optimise the retention of Gen Z talent within the mining sector, focussed on determining the relationship between employee recognition, flexible work arrangements, and professional development opportunities as human resource retention strategies and the ability of these strategies to influence retention of Gen Z in Platinum Group Metals’ (PGM) mining sector.
The following hypotheses are listed for the study:
H1: A direct positive correlation exists between employee recognition and talent retention.
H2: A direct positive correlation exists between flexible work arrangements and talent retention.
H3: A direct positive correlation exists between professional development opportunities and talent retention.
The Gen Z will continue to be a significant proportion of the workforce over the next decade and beyond (Lettink, 2019). Thus, understanding the Gen Z will help organisations prepare better to engage and retain them (Ganguli et al., 2022).
Research design
Research approach
The abductive research approach was used to determine the relationship between employee recognition, flexible work arrangements, and professional development opportunities as human resource retention strategies and the ability of these strategies to influence retention of Gen Z in PGM’s mining sector. The researcher aimed to uncover the best explanations for the observed challenges in retaining Gen Z talent in mining organisations. This was achieved through a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
Research strategy
The research strategy adopted was a case study. According to Schoch (2020), this approach entails conducting a thorough and in-depth examination of a specific incident (e.g. talent turnover and prolonged ability to fill mining vacancies), circumstance (e.g. mining sector is uncompetitive, requires efficient adoption of technological advancements, and lacks strategies to retain Gen Z) or social unit’s structure (e.g. emergence of Gen Z as the growing pool of talent) within its real-life context. The organisation in study is a multinational organisation, operating across various regions with multiple mining processes that covers end-to-end mining value chain. The strategy was to be clinical and obtain deep knowledge on the phenomenon. The case study strategy allowed the researcher to investigate in-depth the talent retention in a selected multinational mining organisation (the phenomenon) within the Gen Z population (the context). This was achieved through determining the relationship between variables, that is, employee recognition, flexible work arrangements and professional development opportunities, and the ability of these variables to influence the retention of Gen Z in PGM’s mining sector.
Research method
For this investigation, a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design was used. There are two separate stages to the mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: the quantitative stage and the qualitative stage (Clark & Watson, 2019). In this study, the researcher gathered and examined the numerical (or quantitative) data first. As a second stage, the quantitative results from the first stage were explained and/or expanded upon using the qualitative (text) data gathered and processed sequentially. The study’s intermediate point connected the two stages, with the qualitative phase building upon the quantitative phase.
Research process
Research participants and sampling methods: The target population of this study consisted of employees of the Anglo-American PGM’s business who formed part of the Gen Z cohort. For the initial phase of the study, the researcher used proportionate random sampling. According to Anglo-American Platinum’s (AAP) employee listing of August 2022 (AAP, 2022), the researcher determined that the proportion of gender in the entire population was 34% female and 66% male. The required minimum size of the sample for the study’s quantitative method was determined to be 339 participants, and 356 participants was the final sample size in the study.
For the second phase of the study, purposive sampling was used to identify a sample of participants who matched the specific inclusion criteria – employee born between 1995 and 2010, permanently employed in the mining organisation during the period when the research was conducted and works in a technical department. In other words, this approach was used by the researcher to intentionally select employees within the employee listing that fell within the age range of the Gen Z. Purposeful random sampling also allowed the researcher to increase the credibility of the results (Palinkas et al., 2015). In addition, purposeful sampling facilitated the inclusion of participants in a sample based on their relevance to the research objectives as perceived by the researcher (Makwana et al., 2023).
As an important emphasis, the researcher wanted to achieve credibility through purposeful sampling. According to Obilor (2023), the credibility of results through purposeful random sampling is achieved through filtering out irrelevant responses that do not fit into the context of the study. The study followed such a process and ended with data saturation reached with the 15th participant, after which data collection was concluded. Thus, qualitative data were collected from a sample of 15 participants. According to Hennink and Kaiser (2022), a saturation point refers to the point in data collection process when no additional issues or insights are identified and that data begin to repeat such that further data collection becomes redundant, signifying that an adequate sample size is reached.
Data collection tools and methods: The data collection method for this study was an online adaptive questionnaire (for the quantitative study) and semi-structured interviews conducted online using Microsoft Teams at the behest of the participants (for qualitative study). As per Bachmann et al. (2024), the former approach minimised survey fatigue and enhanced response quality by showing each participant the most pertinent questions, hence optimising data collection. The questions were structured to collect specific data on the subject matter. For example, the Likert scale was used, wherein participants were asked to rate the extent to which retention strategies that is, employee recognition, flexible working arrangements and professional development opportunities influenced their decision to remain employed within the mining sector. Participants were asked questions that resembled various human resources strategies and determined the extent of influence, for example, (1) Negligible; essentially no influence, (2) Minor influence, (3) Moderate influence, (4) Strong influence and (5) Direct; traceable influence.
Qualitative data were collected using an interview guide dominated by open-ended questions relating to the perceived professional development opportunities. By definition, an interview guide is a research document consisting of research topics or discussion points the researcher wishes to collect data on (DeJonckheere & Vaughn, 2019). Given the quantitative study findings, participants were asked why Gen Z saw professional development opportunity not to have direct positive correlation to retention. Full transcriptions of the interviews were made. The use of the recorded interviews and transcripts provided the researcher with a comprehensive understanding of the lived experiences of the participants.
Data recording: The online feedback from questionnaires and interviews were recorded and securely stored for record-keeping purposes. All the interviews were recorded via Microsoft Teams. Before the interviews, the researcher explained the research in detail and consent was received from all participants to participate in the study and to record their interviews.
Strategy to ensure data quality and integrity
For the quantitative phase, Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (CR) were used to assess construct reliability. The recommended thresholds for both Cronbach’s alpha and CR are values of 0.7 and above (Cheung et al., 2023). In addition, the construct validity was established through the convergent validity and discriminant validity. The convergent validity is established using Average Variance Extracted (AVE), with a recommended threshold of 0.5 and above, while the discriminant validity is assessed through cross-loading, Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio (Fauzi, 2022). Using the cross-loading criterion, discriminant validity is established if factor loading of the items on their underlying construct is greater than their cross-loadings on the other construct (Clark & Watson, 2019). The HTMT criterion, on the other hand, requires the HTMT value to be below 0.9 to establish discriminant validity between the two constructs (Purwanto 2021). The structural model, on the other hand, assesses the structural relationship between the variables as well as hypothesis testing (Pagadala et al., 2023).
For the qualitative phase, this study promoted data quality and integrity by adopting the trustworthiness techniques as indicated by many researchers (i.e., Enworo, 2023; Eryilmaz, 2022; Riazi et al., 2023), namely credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. The credibility of the findings was established by ensuring that the findings were a representation of the information obtained from the interviewees and that this information was the correct interpretation of the interviews conducted. With regards to transferability, the researcher described the research context in detail so that the conclusions of this study could be transferred to other studies in a similar context. The dependability of the findings included the evaluation of the findings by the participants, as well as their recommendations. The confirmability of the findings relates to the possibility of other researchers confirming the findings of this study, by using the same or similar data collection methods used in this study. As overall, the extensive literature research that is conducted, as well as the data collection and analysis methods which were used in this study, secures the trustworthiness of the data.
Data analysis
The study applied a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, making it necessary for the analysis of the data using methods that were quantitative and qualitative as well. The study employed a combination of inferential and descriptive statistics to analyse quantitative data. The latter was used to describe the data variables in the sample and provide a description of the Gen Z population. In addition, inferential statistics were used as an additional method. The data collected from the sample were inferred from the population. The researcher described and drew conclusions regarding the entire Gen Z population using data from a randomly selected sample.
Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis component of the qualitative study. According to Kiger and Varpio (2020), thematic analysis is a technique for assessing qualitative data that comprises looking for, analysing and reporting recurring patterns within a data collection.
Ethical considerations
Ethical approval for this study was granted by MANCOSA’s Human Research Ethics Committee (M-HREC), reference number M-HREC/187967/2023. The permission to conduct the study was sought and obtained from the Senior General Manager, Executive Head Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Impact, and Executive Head Human Resources of AAP. The participants were notified that their participation in this study was voluntary. No participants were harmed during the study. Furthermore, participants’ confidentiality was maintained throughout the data collection and reporting components of the study, with adequate measures taken to ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of the data collected.
Results and discussion
Introduction
The study is a mixed method sequential explanatory and as a result, the findings and discussions are sequenced in this section.
Descriptive statistics
The data collected using an online questionnaire from mine employees at AAP consisted of 119 (33.4%) female workers and 237 (66.6%) male workers between the ages of 22 and 27 years, with an average of 24.61 years. In the collected data, the experience within the mining sector was determined and in which 3.9% had less than a year, 35.2% between 2 and 3 years, 51.3% between 4 and 5 years, and 9.6% between 6 and 7 years of experience in mining sector.
Factor analysis
Factor analysis was used to identify the underlying factors measured by each item. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) test and Barlett’s test of sphericity were run to assess the appropriateness to conduct factor analysis. The results are depicted in Table 1.
| TABLE 1: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) test and Barlette’s test of sphericity. |
The results show that the KMO statistic is 0.890 (above the threshold of 0.5), indicating that the sampling is adequate. The results of the Barlett’s tests of sphericity show a statistically significant result, with a p-value of 0.000 (p-value < 0.05), indicating that there is enough correlation between the items. Thus, the data are appropriate for factor analysis.
Structural equation modelling
As per Díez-Mesa et al. (2018), the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was employed in the study for purposes of establishing the interrelationship among the observed and unobserved constructs. Owing to the fact that the study aimed at establishing the factors that influence talent retention and the mediating effect of organisation factors and the moderating effect of gender, three model assessments were conducted – the male, the female and the overall model. Table 2 presents the reliability and convergent validity of the construct under all three models.
| TABLE 2: Reliability and convergent validity of the constructs. |
The Cronbach alpha values and CR for all the constructs were above 0.9 (higher than the recommended value of 0.7) for all the models. These results thus validate construct reliability. The AVE for the constructs was higher than 0.5 for all the models. These results validate convergent validity. It is also important to identify that the measures were better for males compared to females on the overall (complete) model.
The discriminant validity was assessed through cross-loadings. The results, as indicated in Table 1-A1, Table 1-A2 and Table 1-A3 in the Appendix, show that the factor loading of items on their underlying construct was greater than their cross-loadings on the other construct in each sample (male, female, complete). Furthermore, the maximum HTMT estimates were all below the threshold value of 0.9. Thus, establishing discriminant validity.
Structural model
The structural relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable were assessed in the structural model of the study. The results depicted in Table 3 indicate that flexible work arrangements (FWA) and employee recognition (ER) have a direct relationship on talent retention except professional development opportunities (PDO) (β = –0.006, T-statistic = 0.127, p-value = 0.899).
| TABLE 3: Structural relationships between variables. |
In addition, the relationship between ER and talent retention (TR) was supported in the complete model (β = 0.144, T-statistic = 2.595, p-value = 0.009, respectively), but not supported among the female (β = 0.093, T-statistic = 0.989, p-value = 0.323) or the male (β = 0.135, T-statistic = 1.907, p-value = 0.057) employees.
From the above findings, the following is determined about the hypothesis:
H1: A direct positive correlation exists between employee recognition and talent retention.
H2: A direct positive correlation exists between flexible work arrangements and talent retention.
H3: A direct positive correlation does not exist between professional development opportunities and talent retention.
The qualitative study constituted the second stage of the explanatory research design, which is a mixed-methods research approach where quantitative data were initially collected and analysed, providing insights for further investigation. Subsequently, from the findings that were drawn from the study’s initial stage, an additional investigation to unpack the meaning and significance of some of the findings was required. The finding from the quantitative study that required further investigation was:
For Gen Z, PDO do not have a direct relationship with talent retention.
Research question
From this finding, a qualitative research question was developed to further investigate why for Gen Z, PDO did not have a direct relationship with talent retention. Formally stated, the qualitative research question was:
Why do Gen Z consider PDO not to have a direct positive relationship with talent retention in the mining industry?
The following qualitative data, gathered through interviews with Gen Z participants, helped to clarify and interpret the statistical finding from phase A above.
Analysis
Table 4 presents the key themes, sub-themes, and demonstrative excerpts that were derived from the evaluation of the interviews and structured around each study topic.
| TABLE 4: Qualitative findings – key themes. |
Discussion
Following an in-depth examination of the feedback from Gen Z, the following major themes emerged: lack of supervision, programme pathway and purpose; development opportunity as a trap; contrast between values and company culture; desire for autonomy; supportive leadership; and economic and social factors.
Theme 1: Lack of supervision, programme pathway and purpose
Generation Z identified the lack of supervision, programme purpose and pathway as factors accounting for why PDO do not have a direct relationship with talent retention in the mining industry. Generation Z explained that they are usually sent out without orientation, mentorship or supervision. This is compounded by the lack of clear direction about what needs to be achieved at the end of the programme.
Participants 4 and 13 captured this perception by stating:
‘You are sending me out into a space where no one asked for me, no one needs me. When I get there, you are going to get lost in the system, especially if you do not try to make friends with the people in the right places.’ (Participant 4, Female, Mining Engineer)
‘There is no clear direction to say what is it that you are trying to achieve at the end of the programme. It becomes a ‘you figure it out’ type of situation in the process.’ (Participant 13, Female, Mining Engineer)
Theme 2: Development opportunity as trap
It was found that several Gen Zs perceive development opportunities as a trap that attaches Gen Z to an organisation. As such, many are eager to complete their contractual years to free themselves and explore new opportunities elsewhere, as, and when the time and convenience allows. Participant 2 captured this sentiment in these words:
‘There has been a very big talk or discussions amongst us young people saying, this development thing seems like a trap to stay in the organisation for long now because you have to be here … There is much more flexible ways of getting certifications and qualifications than doing it within the organisation. So, you can even do it in your personal capacity and not through the organisation.’ (Participant 2, Female, Strategy Specialist)
Theme 3: Contrast between values and company culture
The contrast between value and company culture was seen by Gen Z as a reason justifying why PDO do not have a direct relationship with TR. This was expressed by the value of flexibility treasured by Gen Z against the rigidity and culture of male dominance in the mining industry. This view can be summed up by the following two quotations:
‘It has its own culture, as much as I can come and find that I am not comfortable, firstly maybe in the male-dominated industry. If you are not comfortable, you are not comfortable.’ (Participant 5, Female, Geologist)
‘If the people in the environment are making your work difficult, either they are not working, there is no collaboration, you cannot work together. So, it is one of the things that can make one leave the mining industry.’ (Participant 5, Female, Geologist)
Theme 4: Desire for autonomy
It was found that Gen Z sees the desire for autonomy, outcome learning and experience accumulated, as a reason justifying why PDO do not directly affect talent retention in the mining industry. Participant 6 captured this perception as follows:
‘I believe the leadership has taught me a great deal, hence I feel the need to go and explore or implement most, if not all, of the things that I have learned here.’ (Participant 6, Female, Social Scientist)
Theme 5: Supportive leadership
Generation Z believe that if subordinates do not work hand in glove with their leader who supports them, it will have a negative impact on talent retention as it can contribute to young talent leaving the industry. This is expressed in the following quotes:
‘If you and your leader do not relate with one another, then irrespective of whatever happens, you would want to leave as soon as possible because you feel like you are not in a productive working environment … The leadership is basically where you see yourself in a certain number of years. If we have a proper working relationship, then it would push me to be at that level based on the leadership style.’ (Participant 1, Male, Geotechnical Engineer)
‘I think it does influence the retention because the type of leadership that you work under also does influence the experience that you have within a particular organisation.’ (Participant 7, Female, Metallurgist)
Theme 6: Economic and social factors
Economic and social factors were used by some Gen Z to justify why PDO do not have a direct impact on talent retention. It was explained that these social and economic factors can affect talent retention positively or negatively, as some may want to leave the industry but cannot afford to make such a decision because of their economic conditions. Participant 2 summarised these views as follows:
‘In the climate of South Africa, if I leave for no apparent reason, I will be disadvantaged. So, whether or not that leadership affects me positively or badly, I will not just up and leave because of the social climate … One is staying due to social and economic factors, and one is leaving just because they do not necessarily link to the organisation and has nothing to do with the leadership.’ (Participant 2, Female, Strategy Specialist)
Practical implications
These findings imply that the mining sector needs to adjust its talent retention framework constructs in practice to achieve the critical talent retention of Gen Z in the mining sector. Furthermore, the results of this study build on the existing theory blocks which indicate that various generations in the workplace require different approaches when it comes to talent management and retention of talent. It, therefore, can further be expected that the greater the extent to which the talent management dimensions are seen to be beneficial, the more likely that Gen Z talent will be retained in the organisation. The new information contributed by this study is the generational workplace requirements to retain Gen Z talent in the mining sector.
Limitations of the study
Despite the contribution to research on Gen Z talent retention discourse within the workplace, a few limitations were encountered, which provides scope for further research. Firstly, the findings focussed on a single multinational organisation in the mining sector, thus limiting their generalisability to the entire sector. Secondly, neither the voice of older generations within the mining sector, nor future Gen Z, who wish to work in mining were included in the study.
Future research
The data analysis of the questions in the study revealed the opportunity for further investigation in exploring the question of gender disparities and the perspective of the older generation in changing workplace through introductions of younger generations.
Conclusion
The results of this study extended the research conducted by earlier scholars on talent management and talent retention of different generations in the workplace. While previous research has explored generational differences in employee needs and motivations, this study uniquely applied those insights to the specific context of the mining sector, which is facing acute challenges in attracting and retaining the next generation of workers.
The literature indicates that the Gen Z cohort is interested in modern technologies, preferring simplicity, encouraging and promoting safety, often liking to escape world reality, having raised expectations and exerting efforts in exceptional experiences. Lastly, Gen Z is recognised by research as the first global generation to be technologically literate and socially empowered.
The findings clearly demonstrate a substantial disconnect between the current talent management practices in the mining industry and the unique workplace preferences of the Gen Z cohort. Employee recognition and flexible work arrangements emerged as the primary constructs of Gen Z talent retention while professional development was seen as not critical. These are constructs that human resource professionals in the mining sector should incorporate in their talent retention frameworks.
Acknowledgements
The author of this article, T.S.G., wishes to appreciate the Anglo-American Platinum employees that partook in this research project. This article is based on the author’s thesis entitled ‘A framework to optimise talent retention in the mining sector: A case study of Anglo-American Platinum mining company in South Africa’ towards the degree of Doctor of Business Administration at MANCOSA, with supervisor Dr Calvin Naidoo. Further acknowledgement to Dr Gillo Lekane and Dr Lionel Kemda who served as statisticians for the project.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors’ contributions
T.S.K. conducted the research and C.N. was the supervisor.
Funding information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author, T.S.K.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. The article does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.
References
Anggapradja, I.T., Marianti, M.M., & Deti, R. (2024). Job satisfaction Gen-Z: A systematic literature review. Nomico, 1(5), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.62872/khvhks09
Anglo American Platinum (AAP). (2022). Employee listing. Unpublished company document.
Arar, T., & Öneren, M. (2018). Role of talent management in the career development of Generation Z: A case study of a telecommunication firm. International Academic Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.9756/IAJSS/V5I1/1810004
Bachmann, F., Sarasua, C., & Bernstein, A. (2024). Fast and adaptive questionnaires for voting advice applications. In Joint European Conference on machine learning and knowledge discovery in databases (pp. 365–380). September 19–23, 2022. Springer Nature Switzerland.
Bhatt, N., Chitranshi, J., & Mehta, M. (2022). Testing Herzberg’s two-factor theory on millennials. Cardiometry, 22, 231–236. https://doi.org/10.18137/cardiometry.2022.22.231236
Böhlich, S., & Axmann, R. (2020). Generation Z: A comparative study of the expectations of Gen Z and the perception of employers. IUBH Discussion Papers Human Resources, 1(1), 1–16.
Cassim, Z., Goodman, S., & Rajagopaul, A. (2019). Putting the shine back into South African mining: A path to competitiveness and growth. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/middle-east-and-africa/putting-the-shine-back-into-south-african-mining-a-path-to-competitiveness-and-growth
Cheung, G.W., Cooper-Thomas, H.D., Lau, R.S., & Wang, L.C. (2023). Reporting reliability, convergent and discriminant validity with structural equation modeling: A review and best-practice recommendations. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 41, 745–783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-023-09871-y
Clark, L.A., & Watson, D. (2019). Constructing validity: New developments in creating objective measuring instruments. Psychological assessment, 31(12), 1412. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000626
Dabic, M., Maley, J.F., Svarc, J., & Pocek, J. (2023). Future of digital work: Challenges for sustainable human resources management. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 8(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100353
DeJonckheere, M., & Vaughn, L.M., 2019. Semistructured interviewing in primary care research: A balance of relationship and rigour. Family Medicine and Community Health, 7(2), e000057. https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2018-000057
Desai, S.P., & Lele, V. (2017). Correlating internet, social networks, and workplace – A case of Generation Z students. Journal of Commerce and Management Thought, 8(4), 802–815. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-478X.2017.00050.7
Díez-Mesa, F., De Oña, R., & De Oña, J. (2018). Bayesian networks and structural equation modelling to develop service quality models: Metro of Seville case study. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.08.012
Enworo, O.C. (2023). Application of Guba and Lincoln’s parallel criteria to assess trustworthiness of qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems. Qualitative Research Journal, 23(4), 372–384. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-08-2022-0116
Eryilmaz, Ö. (2022). Are dissertations trustworthy enough? The case of Turkish PhD Dissertations on social studies education. Participatory Educational Research, 9(3), 344–361. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.70.9.3
Fauzi, M.A. (2022). Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in knowledge management studies: Knowledge sharing in virtual communities. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 14(1), 103–124. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2022.14.007
Francis, T., & Hoefel, H. (2018). True gen: Generation Z and its implications for companies. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumerpackaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companieshttps://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumerpackaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies
Gaidhani, S., Arora, L., & Sharma, B.K. (2019). Understanding the attitude of Generation Z towards workplace. International Journal of Management, Technology and Engineering, 9(1), 2804–2812.
Ganguli, R., Padhy, S.C., & Saxena, T. (2022). The characteristics and preferences of Gen Z: A review of multi-geography findings. IUP Journal of Organisational Behavior, 21(2), 79–98.
Garg, P., & Yajurvedi, D.N. (2016). Impact of work-life balance practices on employees retention and organisational performance – A study on IT industry. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 6(8), 105–108.
Hennink, M., & Kaiser, B.N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523
Kamalaveni, M., Ramesh, S., & Vetrivel, T. (2019). A review of literature on employee retention. International Journal of Innovative Research in Management Studies (IJIRMS), 4(4), 1–10.
Kgarimetsa, T.S., & Naidoo, C. (2024). Effect of employee recognition and flexible working arrangement on Generation Z retention, unpublished paper. MANCOSA.
Kiger, M.E., & Varpio, L. (2020). Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE guide No. 131. Medical Teacher, 42(8), 846–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1755030
Kgarimetsa, T.S, & Naidoo, C. (2024). Effect of employee recognition and flexible working arrangement on Generation Z retention, unpublished paper. MANCOSA.
Kumar, K., & Velmurugan, R. (2018). A study on work life balance of Generation Y Information Technology (IT) employees in Cochin. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3.6), 142–147. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijet.v7i3.6.14958
Leeuw, P., & Mtegha, H. (2018). The significance of mining backward and forward linkages in reskilling redundant mine workers in South Africa. Resources Policy, 56, 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.02.004
Lettink, A. (2019). No, Millennials will not be 75% of the workforce in 2025 (or ever). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/millennials-75-workforce-2025-ever-anita-lettink
Lin, C.Y., Huang, C.K., Li, H.X., Chang, T.W., & Hsu, Y.C. (2022). Will they stay or leave? interplay of organisational learning culture and workplace mindfulness on job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Public Personnel Management, 51(1), 24–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026021991581
Luttrell, R., & Mcgrath, K. (2021). The Gen Z - The Superhero Generation. Rowman & Littlefield.
Oh, J.H., Seo, J.H., & Kim, J.D. (2019). The effect of both employees’ attitude toward technology acceptance and ease of technology use on smart factory technology introduction level and manufacturing performance. Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management, 26(2), 13–26.
Makwana, D., Engineer, P., Dabhi, A., & Chudasama, H. (2023). Sampling methods in research: A review. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 7, 762–768.
Mina, M., Souad, R., Abdelkabir, A.M., & Mohamed, F. (2021). Generation Z, postmodern generation, challenges and issues for human resources management. International Journal of Science and Research, 10(3).
Mineral council of South Africa. (2019). Challenges in mining for the fourth industrial revolution. Retrieved from minerals-council-challenges-in-mining-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-18032019.pdf
Obilor, E.I. (2023). Convenience and purposive sampling techniques: Are they the same. International Journal of Innovative Social & Science Education Research, 11(1), 1–7.
Oshokoya, P.O., & Tetteh, M.N.M. (2018). Mine-of-the-future: How is Africa prepared from a mineral and mining engineering education perspective?. Resources Policy, 56, 125–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2017.10.007
Pagadala, S.P., Sangeetha, V., Venkatesh, P., & Jha, G.K. (2023). An overview of structural equation modeling and its application in social sciences research. In C.A. Saliya (Ed.), Social research methodology and publishing results: A guide to non-native English Speakers (pp. 145–163). IGI Global.
Prakash, K. (2022). Employee retention: A review of literature. Specialusis Ugdymas, 2(43), 2194–2204.
Purwanto, A. (2021). Partial least squares structural squation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis for social and management research: A literature review. Journal of Industrial Engineering & Management Research, 2, 114–123.
Rampen, D.C., Pangemanan, A.S., & Mandagi, D.W. (2023). The X-factors behind Gen Z employee performance: A systematic review. Jurnal Mantik, 7(2), 668–680.
Riazi, A.M., Rezvani, R., & Ghanbar, H. (2023). Trustworthiness in L2 writing research: A review and analysis of qualitative articles in the Journal of Second Language Writing. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3), 100065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100065
Sánchez-Hernández, M.I., González-López, Ó.R., Buenadicha-Mateos, M., & Tato-Jiménez, J.L. (2019). Work-life balance in great companies and pending issues for engaging new generations at work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 5122.
Schoch, K. (2020). Case study research. In G.J. Burkholder, K.A. Cox, L.M. Crawford, and J.H. Hitchcock (Eds.), Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner (p. 245). Sage.
Shayrine, H., & Venugopal, P. (2023). The impact of talent recognition on the intention to stay in work context: Empirical overview. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(6), 11. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i6.1839
Singh, D. (2019). A literature review on employee retention with focus on recent trends. International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology, 6(1), 425–431. https://doi.org/10.32628/IJSRST195463
Silinevica, I., & Meirule, L. (2019). Generation X enters into the Latvian business environment. Journal of Social Sciences, 1(11), 97–107. https://doi.org/10.17770/lner2019vol1.11.4317
Stanley, M. (2019). Millennials, Gen Z and the coming ‘Youth Boom’ economy. Morgan Stanley Research. Retrieved from https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/millennial-gen-z-economy
Tirta, A.H., & Enrika, A. (2020). Understanding the impact of reward and recognition, work life balance, on employee retention with job satisfaction as mediating variable on millennials in Indonesia. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, 14(03), 88–98. https://doi.org/10.24052/JBRMR/V14IS03/ART-09
Tunsakul, K. (2020). Gen Z consumers’ online shopping motives, attitude, and shopping intention. Human Behavior, Development and Society, 21(2), 7–16.
<.div>
Appendix
| 
Email this article 
Hide
Show all
