Managers' Responses to Formal and Informal Talent Management Practices: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study

<p>Management of talent ranks high among today’s organizational issues. Accordingly, organizations are seeking relevant approaches to markedly interpret and improve employees’ talents. Despite these efforts, inconsistent definitions of talent and talent management (TM), along with insufficient empirical research, make it difficult to identify and comprehend the impact of TM practices or its absence on managers and their responses.</p> <p>A convergent parallel mixed methods design using the Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect (EVLN) framework was used to identify (a) how managers respond to formal and informal talent management practices in organizations and (b) which variables – such as the level of involvement in the TM design process, the level of use of one’s skills, and the general level of satisfaction with TM related issues – mainly impact EVLN. Initially, 70 anonymous quantitative surveys were distributed to a group of managers. Fifteen interviews followed. Data was then examined using both quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures including correlation, independent samples t-test, and regression analysis. Significant findings revealed that formal TM practices promoted managers’ involvement in the TM design process followed by an increase in active constructive responses, while at the same time minimizing passive destructive responses.</p> <p>In addition, significant results showed that formality in TM practices implied higher levels of satisfaction, substantially reducing managers’ willingness to leave their organizations.</p> <p>Further, within informal TM settings, managers tended to rely exclusively on involvement in order to increase active constructive behaviors. This study provides useful data revealing how managers respond in both formal and informal TM settings. Lastly, this study informs theory regarding managers’ involvement in the design and implementation of TM practices in organizations.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD Leadership Studies

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation: Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Leadership Studies

Year dc:date.available

2017

Author dc:creator

• Cabral Ferreira Polonia, Adriano Manuel

• EVLN
• exit
• loyalty
• neglect
• talent
• voice
• Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/83

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.sandiego.edu:dissertations-1083