Factors Leading to Employee’s Turnover in Tanzania’s Government Institutions, the Case of Zanzibar

Abstract

This paper aimed at analysis of the factors leading to employees' turnover within Zanzibar Government Institutions with special concentration on semi- autonomous Institutions. In achieving this aim the study examined the following objectives; to investigate the effectiveness of recruitment/selection procedures; to find out control measures taken to avoid unnecessary employees' turnover; to examine employees' participation in decision-making process; to assess ways used by management to retain employees. This study therefore examines as to whether the said factors might be the contributing factors to high staff turnover rate in Zanzibar Government Institutions or not. This study attempts to cast and shed light to factors that lead to increasing turnover rate in Zanzibar Government Institutions; strategies and ways that can be used by planners especially Department of Human Resources Planning Zanzibar and President's Office-Public Service and Good Governance to retain competent human resource personnel as recommended by Zanzibar Public Service Reform Program are also highlighted. The data collected from standardized questionnaire, interviews and Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) is analyzed by using both automated statistical methods, excel software and descriptive methods. The study found and indeed it concludes that low salary, lack of motivation, incentives and rewards are the major causes of employees to leave government institutions and turn either to Tanzania Mainland Institutions or other corporate organizations. This study therefore tends to strongly recommend that the institutions should work hard to improve workplace motivation packages, career development programs, quality recruitment systems, leadership style, workplace participation, workplace culture and provision of clear structures for job description and division of labor