Employee advocacy in Africa: the role of HR practitioners in Malawi. Issue 1 (7th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mamman, Aminu; Rees, Christopher J.; Bakuwa, Rhoda; Branine, Mohamed; Kamoche, Ken
• Is Part Of: Employee relations. Volume 41:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 2
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2019-01-07
• Subjects: Africa -- Trade unions -- Malawi -- Employee advocacy -- HR practitioners; Industrial relations -- Periodicals; 331.05
• DOI: 10.1108/ER-12-2017-0296
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0142-5455

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: In recognising the weakness of trade unions and the lack of an institutional framework designed to enforce employee rights in an African context, the purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which human resource (HR) practitioners are perceived to play the role of employee advocate. Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative data set is derived from a sample of 305 respondents (95 HR practitioners, 121 line managers and 89 employees) from Malawi. Findings: Despite the challenges of the context, HR practitioners are perceived by key stakeholders (including line managers and employees) to be playing the role of employee advocate. Standard multiple regression results indicate that the main factor contributing to the perception that HR practitioners are playing this role is their contribution to "motivating employees". Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in Malawi. Further research is necessary to explore the generalisability of the findings to other contexts. Originality/value: The findings provide an empirical base for future studies which explore perceptions of the employee advocacy role undertaken by HR practitioners in Africa.