Human Resource Management Practices and Sustainability of Public Transport Organizations: A Case of Gateway Bus Service Limited

Abstract

This study assessed Human resource management practices and sustainability of public transport organizations:  a case study of gateway bus Service limited. The objectives of the study were: (1) To assess the effect of training and development on sustainability of gateway bus service limited. And (2) to evaluate the effect of reward management on sustainability of gateway bus service limited. (3) Assessed Human resource management practices and sustainability of public transport organizations. The transport industry is an important aspect of any growing economy like Uganda. Many private individuals and companies do participate in the transport business and Gateway bus service limited is one of them. Gateway bus service was established in 1982 and is one of the pioneer Bus Companies in Uganda with over 200 employees. It operates both locally and internationally. The study was aimed at examining the relationship between HRM practices and sustainability of Gateway bus service limited, focusing on recruitment and selection, training and development, and reward management. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used in the selection of respondents. Data was collected and analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods where questionnaires and interviews were used as the instruments to collect data.

The findings of the study indicate that there was no recruitment and selection policy, no room for many people to apply and those who came looking for jobs rarely got employed. Head hunting and hand picking were most commonly used practices for recruitment and selection activities, it was inconsistent and discriminatory, hence recruitment and selection at Gateway bus service limited was not professionally handled. It was further discovered that the company had no training and development policy to help guide on issues of training of the staff, hence the company relied on informal programs of training done once at the time of entry. It was also discovered that the company had no reward policy; rewards were determined by the directors based on their judgement and were not uniform. Many were not satisfied with their remuneration, the staffs were mainly rewarded with allowances and salary. The researcher recommends that the management of Gateway bus service should set up a recruitment and selection policy to help in guiding on issues to do with employment of people into the company, and must be handled by a human resource specialist. The researcher further recommends that there must be an establishment of a training policy to provide a framework within which decisions can be made and supported with regard to the training and development of individuals and groups within the company. It was also recommended that a reward management policy be established to help in the formulation and implementation of ways to best handle issues to do with the rewarding of employees.

Country : Uganda

1 Mabutu Joseph2 Dr. Willy Ngaka3 Musoke Matthew

  1. Department of Business and Management, Kampala International University, P.O. Box 20000 Kampala, Uganda
  2. College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062 Kampala, Uganda
  3. School of Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR), Team University, Kampala, P.O. Box 8128, Mengo- Kampala, Uganda

IRJIET, Volume 6, Issue 6, June 2022 pp. 8-18

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2022.606002

References

  1. Afful, D. (2011, June). The challenges of confronting private bus operations in Ghana: Maastricht School of Management Maastricht, the Netherlands. Retrieved March 31, 2013, from http://repository.regentghana.net:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/75/1/Dominic%20Afful.pdf
  2. Amin, M.E. (2005). Social science research: conceptions, methodology and analysis. Kampala, Makerere University Press.
  3. Armstrong, M. (2006). Human Resource Management Practice. Tenth Edition London: Kogan Page Ltd.
  4. Armstrong, M. (2009). Human Resource Management Practice. Eleventh Edition London: Kogan Page Ltd.
  5. Axelsson, R. (1998). Towards evidence based health care management: [Electronic Version]. International journal of health planning and management. 13, 307-317.
  6. Bakidde, S. (2012, May).  Akamba bus collapse. Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. Retrieved  May 07, 2013, from http://sbakidde.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/akamba-bus-collapse/
  7. Ballentine, A., Mckenzie, N., Wysocki A., & Kepner, K. (2012). The Role of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives in the Workplace as Influenced by Career Stage1. University of Florida. IFAS Extention. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HR/HR01600.pdf
  8. Barifaijo, K.M., Baheka, B., & Oonyu, J. (2010). How to Write a Good Dissertation/Thesis: A Guide to Graduate Students, First Edition Kampala: The New Vision Printing and Publishing Company Ltd.
  9. Bell, J. (1997). How to complete your research project successfully (A guide for first time researchers). Printed at Replika Press. Delhi.
  10. Brown, J. (2002). Training Needs Assessment: A must for developing an effective training program. Public Personnel Management, Vol. 31(4), 569-578.
  11. Cooper D. R., & Schinder P. S. (2002). Business Research Methods. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited.
  12. Delaney, J. T., & Huselid, M.A. (1996). The impact of human resource management practices on performance in for-profit and nonprofit organizations. [Electronic version]. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 949-969.
  13. Dooley, K.J., Johnson, T.L., & Bush D.H. (1995). "TQM, Chaos, and Complexity," Human Systems Management, 14(4): 1-16. Retrieved May 16, 2013 from http://www.mubs.ac.ug/procdocs/Procurement%20Ethics%202/tqmchaos.pdf
  14. E Learn Portal, (2013). Education and Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from http://www.elearnportal.com/courses/education/school-system-administration/school-system-administration-education-frederick-taylors-scientific-managem.
  15. French, W. L. (1997). Human Resource Management. First edition. University of Washington Foster S.D. (2010). Training and development for employees to provide continuous exceptional results. Retrieved August 19, 2013, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Training-and-Development-For-Employees-To-Provide-Continuous-Exceptional-Results&id=4016110
  16. Gusdorf, M. L. (2009). Society for Human Resource Management. 1800 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3499.
  17. Harrison, R. (2005). In Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved May, 2013, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training_and_development
  18. Hindle, T. (2003). Triple bottom line. Retrieved April 23, 2013 from http://www.economist.com/node/14301663
  19. Huselid, M.A. (1995). The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance [Electronic version]. Academy of Management Journal, 38, 635-672.
  20. Huselid, M.A., Becker, B.E., & Beatty, R.W. (2005). The Workforce Scorecard: Managing Human Capital to Execute Strategy [Electronic version]. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2005, 278 pages.
  21. Katushabe, W. (2009, May). Road accidents involving your buses. Transport licensing board, Kampala, Uganda.
  22. Kiron, D., Kruschwitz, N., Haanaes K., & Velken, I. S.V. (2012). Sustainability Nears a Tipping Point. MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol 53 No 2 Retrieved April 15, 2013 from, http://c4168694.r94.cf2.rackcdn.com/MIT-SMR-BCG-Sustainability-Nears-a-Tipping-Point-winter-2012.pdf
  23. Koul, L. (2001). Methodology and Educational Research. Third and enlarged edition: New Delhi. Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
  24. Krasteva, V., Ruesch, M., Egger, D., Erl, E., Barta, F., Brouwer, H. et al. (2007, July). Challenges of the public transport sector: Strategies for Public Transport in Cities. TREN/05/FP6TR/S.07.59847/019835 Retrieved April 4, 2013 from http://www.sputnicproject.eu/docs/SPUTNIC_D2_Challenges_Report.pdf
  25. Kumari N. (2012). A study of the recruitment and selection process. SMC Global. Manav Rachna international University, Faridabad, India. Retrieved August 19, 2013, from http://EzineArticles.com/4016110
  26. Laughland, P., & Bansal, T. (2011). Improving the practice of management: “The Top Ten Reasons why Business Aren’t more Sustainable.” Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/social-responsibility/the-top-ten-reasons-why-businesses-aren%E2%80%99t-more-sustainable
  27. Maicibi, N. A.  (2007). Human resource management success; the tips for HRM theorists and practitioners Kampala: Makerere University.
  28. Mondy, R.W., & Mondy, J.B. (2010). Training and development. Human Resource Management, Eleventh edition, Mcneese state university.
  29. Morefiel, D. (2001, October). Sustainability Symposium: Talking points for slide presentation. Retrieved April 04, 2013 from http://www.corporatecomm.org/pdf/1001_morefield.pdf
  30. Mugenda, O.M., & Mugenda, A.G. (1999). Research methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Nairobi: African Centre for Technology Studies press.
  31. Mugenda, O.M., & Mugenda, A.G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Nairobi: African Centre for Technology Studies press.
  32. Mugisha, B. (2009, May). Gateway buses fatal accidents. Uganda Police Force. Police Headquarters, Kampala Uganda.
  33. Mutua, S.M., Karanja, K., & Namusonge, G.S. (2012). Role of Human Resource Management Practices on Performance of Financial Cooperatives Based in Nairobi County, Kenya. [Electronic version]. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(22), 289-297.
  34. Neuman, L. (2011). Social Research methods. Quantitative and Qualitative methods. Sixth edition. Pearson Education Inc.
  35. Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2007). Pre Tesing Data Collection Instruments. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://www.oagbvg.gc.ca/internet/English/meth_gde_e_19734.html
  36. Ofori, D. (2011). Recruitment and selection practices in Small and Medium Enterprises. Perspective from Ghana. (Electronic version). International journal of business administration, Vol. 2(3), 45-54. Retrieved May 03, 2013, from www.sciedu.ca/ijba International Journal of Business Administration Vol. 2, No. 3; August 2011.
  37. Ogwang, J. (2013, March 25). No easy road for pioneer bus. New Vision, p.18: Open Learn Lab Space website (2013). Purposeful sampling. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=454418&section=1.6.1