Retention of high performing employees at middle management level within a platinum mining entity : an exploratory study

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the various retention factors that are key in retaining high-performing employees at middle management level in a mining company. High-performing employees are assets to most organisations, as they contribute towards the immediate success, sustainability, and competitiveness of the business. Therefore, it is important for organisations to always introduce and update retention strategies that are aligned with the needs of their high-performing employees as a strategy to keep them in the organisation. The study was exploratory and qualitative in nature, conducted within the constructivism paradigm. A purposeful sample consisting of five high-performing employees from a platinum mining entity was selected to participate in the research study. In-depth interviews were conducted, and data was analysed using content analysis. The study findings revealed that intrinsic factors related to the job itself which includes the challenging work responsibilities, sense of personal achievement, career advancement and growth, promotion opportunities, recognition for a job well done and responsibilities are considered as important by the high-performing employees who participated in the study to remain with the organisation. In addition, the study findings also indicated that external factors outside the job itself such as job security, salary, work conditions and interpersonal relationships also influence the decision of the high-performing employees to remain with the organisation. The study findings revealed that both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors are important for high-performing employees in middle management level to remain with the organisation. The results were integrated with literature and theory to support the findings from the study. Recommendations were made to the organisation on the retention factors identified in the study that may help to retain their high-performing employees within the middle management level. Recommendations for future research were also made.

Die doel van die studie was om die onderskeie retensiefaktore te ondersoek wat belangrik is in die retensie van toppresterende werknemers op middelbestuursvlak in ’n mynmaatskappy. Toppresterende werknemers is ’n bate vir die meeste organisasies aangesien hulle tot die onmiddellike sukses, volhoubaarheid en mededingendheid van die besigheid bydra. Dit is dus belangrik vir organisasies om gedurig retensiestrategieë in te stel en by te werk wat in ooreenstemming is met die behoeftes van hul toppresterende werknemers ten einde sodanige werknemers vir die organisasie te behou. Die studie was ondersoekend en kwalitatief en binne die konstruktivismeparadigma uitgevoer. ’n Doelbewuste steekproef wat bestaan het uit vyf toppresterende werknemers van ’n platinummyn-entiteit, is gekies om aan die navorsingstudie deel te neem. Deurtastende onderhoude is gevoer en data is deur middel van inhoudsanalise ontleed. Die bevindinge van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat intrinsieke faktore wat met die werk self verband hou deur die toppresterende werknemers wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, as belangrik geag word in hul besluit om in die organisasie aan te bly. Hierdie faktore sluit in, uitdagende werkverantwoordelikhede, ’n gevoel van persoonlike prestasie, beroepsvooruitgang en -groei, bevorderingsmoontlikhede, erkenning vir goeie werk en verantwoordelikhede. Bykomend hiertoe, het die bevindinge van die studie ook aangedui dat eksterne faktore los van die werk self, soos werksekerheid, salaris, werksomstandighede en interpersoonlike verhoudinge ook die besluit van toppresterende werknemers om in ’n organisasie aan te bly, beïnvloed. Die bevindinge van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat beide intrinsieke en ekstrinsieke faktore belangrik is vir toppresterende werknemers op middelbestuursvlak om in die organisasie aan te bly. Die resultate is met literatuur en teorie geïntegreer om die bevindinge van die studie te steun. Aanbevelings is aan die organisasie gemaak ten opsigte van die retensiefaktore wat deur die studie geïdentifiseer is, en wat dalk kan help om hul toppresterende werknemers op middelbestuursvlak te behou. Aanbevelings is ook ten opsigte van toekomstige navorsing gemaak.

Maikemišetšo a dinyakišišo tše e bile go utolla mabaka a mehutahuta a go tšwela pele go thwala bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla maemong a bolaodi a bogareng ka khamphaning ya moepo. Bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla ke methopo ye bohlokwa go dikhamphani tše ntši ka ge ba tsenya letsogo go katlego ya ka pela ya khamphani, go go tšwela pele go ya go ile le go bokgoni bja kgwebo. Ka fao, go bohlokwa gore dikhamphani di dule di tsebagatša le go mpshafatša maano a go tšwela pele go thwala bašomi ao a sepelelanago le dinyakwa tša bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla gore ba dule ba le ka khamphaning yeo. Dinyakišišo tše di bile tša kutollo le tša boleng ebile di dirilwe ka gare ga seemo sa kamano ya dikgopolo. Sampole ye e nago le maikemišetšo yeo e nago le bašomi ba bahlano bao ba šomago ka maatla go tšwa go khamphani ya moepo wa pholathinamo e kgethilwe gore e kgathe tema ka dinyakišišong. Dipoledišano tšeo di tseneletšego di dirilwe gomme tshedimošo e sekasekilwe ka go šomišwa ga tshekatsheko ya diteng. Dikutollo tša dinyakišišo di utollotše gore mabaka a ka gare ao a amanago le mošomo ka bowona, tšeo di akaretšago maikarabelo a mošomo ao a lego boima, maikutlo a phihlelelo, go gatela pele ka mošomong le tlhatlošo, dibaka tša tlhatlošo, go lebogišwa ge mošomo o dirilwe gabotse le maikarabelo, di bonwa bjalo ka dilo tše bohlokwa ke bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla bao ba kgathilego tema ka dinyakišišong gore ba dule ba šoma ka khamphaning. Godimo ga fao, dikutollo tša dinyakišišo di laeditše gore mabaka a ka ntle ga mošomo ka bowona, a go swana le tšhireletšego ya mošomo, moputso, maemo a ka mošomong le dikamano le batho, le ona a huetša sepheto sa bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla go tšwela pele go šoma ka khamphaning. Dikutollo tša dinyakišišo di utollotše gore bobedi mabaka a ka gare le a ka ntle a bohlokwa go bašomi bao ba šomago ka maatla maemong a bolaodi a bogareng go tšwela pele go šoma ka khamphaning. Dipoelo tša dinyakišišo di ile tša kopanywa le dingwalwa le teori go thekga dikutollo tša dinyakišišo. Ditšhišinyo di dirilwe go khamphani mabapi le gore bašomi ba tšwele go šoma ka khamphaning gomme di ditšhišinyo tše di ka thuša dikhamphani gore bašomi ba tšona bao ba šomago ka maatla ba bolaodi bja magareng ba tšwele pele go šoma ka fao khamphaning. Ditšhišinyo go dinyakišišo tša ka moso le tšona di dirilwe.