Abstract
Creating a sustainable competitive advantage requires higher learning institutions to attract, motivate, develop and retain the talented staff they need now and in the future. However, the technical universities in Ghana are facing significant challenges in attracting and retaining talents to academic positions since their conversion. Besides, there exists limited research on factors that attract talented academics to these institutions as preferred employers. The main objective of this study was therefore to examine lecturers’ perceptions of factors that attract talents to academic positions within a Ghanaian higher learning institution; in this instance, Sunyani Technical University (STU). A qualitative approach was adopted for this study; semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain data. The study participants comprised of 23 lecturers selected from the university under study. The findings show that nine themes are related to the attraction of talents to the universities: career development and advancement, opportunities to make a contribution, employer branding and prestige, job security, flexible working hours, intellectual stimulation, innovation, opportunity to apply skills and autonomy. The results challenge higher learning institutions to develop a superior employer brand with a strong employee value proposition (EVP) that would attract, develop and reward talented academics for their work efforts. The study provides important practical guidelines that could assist the university studied and other higher learning institutions to attract talented lecturers and become employers of choice.
Highlights
A major challenge facing the technical universities in Ghana remains the issue of attracting talented lecturers [1]
It is evident that career development and advancement, opportunities to make a contribution and employer branding and prestige were the themes that occurred most often
The participants indicated that they wanted to make a contribution to students’ lives, their community and the knowledge society. These findings indicate that these lecturers had clarity regarding the career expectations of an academic scholar and the purpose of their role as lecturers [7]
Summary
A major challenge facing the technical universities in Ghana remains the issue of attracting talented lecturers [1]. The persistent strikes, amidst issuing of ultimatums by unionized groups in the universities, especially the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), has significantly tarnished the reputation of the institutions as employers of choice. The organisational brands of the universities continue to be dented due to the downgrading of their competitive rankings relative to higher educational institutions abroad [2]. Lecturers contend with a lack of adequate research funding, uncompetitive remuneration packages and research incentives [3]. Tarnished organisational brands present serious barriers to attracting lecturers in ensuring an adequate pipeline of academics, which is critical to Ghana’s national strategy to accelerate human capital development [4]
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