Fostering employee innovation through engagement and skills development in the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe=Ukukhuthaza ukusungulwa kwabasebenzi ngokuxoxisana kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono emkhakheni wezokukhiqiza eZimbabwe.

Abstract

The study focused on how employee engagement and skills development can influence employee innovation in the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by three theoretical perspectives namely the Social Exchange Theory, the Human Capital Theory and the Componential theory. The Social Exchange theory was adopted to explain employee engagement. The Human Capital theory, which emphasises investment in employees, was adopted to explain the concept of skills development whilst the Componential theory guided the concept of employee innovation. The study followed the positivist philosophical world view which provides the framework for the use of the quantitative research approach. The sample size of the study consisted of 335 participants comprising managerial and non managerial employees who were randomly selected. 200 participants responded to the questionnaires distributed by the researcher. The study adopted quantitative techniques of analysing data. Specifically, Structural equation modelling with confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine the relationships between the variable items and the variables themselves. The results of the structural equation modelling showed that there were significant relationships between the variable items and the variable factor. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to determine the impact of the independent (employee engagement and skills development) on the dependent variable (employee innovation). The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that employee engagement and skills development have a significant capacity to predict employee innovation with the resultant model explaining more than fifty per cent of the dependent variable. This, confirmed the viability of the proposed model of the study. Also, the Pearson Product Moment correlation method was used to explain the relationships between the research variables. The results of the Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that both employee engagement and skills development have moderate positive influence on employee innovation. These results of the study are significant in that they have theoretical and managerial implications. The findings represent a meaningful and incremental contribution towards existing literature on employee engagement, skills development and employee innovation by uprooting insights and showcasing the nature of the relationships amongst these variables. The results should assist management in the manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe on how they can improve employee innovation in their organisations.

Iqoqa

Lolu cwaningo belugxile ekutholeni ukuthi ukusebenza kwabasebenzi kanye nokucijwa kwabo amakhono kungaletha yiphi indlela entsha yokwenza izinto embonini yokukhiqiza eZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo belulandela izinjulalwazi ezintathu, okuyilezi: injulalwazi ye-Social Exchange, injulalwazi ye-Human Capital nenjulalwazi ye-Component. Injulalwazi ye-Social Exchange isetshenziswe ukuchaza ukusebenza kwabasebenzi. Injulalwazi i-Human Capital, egxile ekubalulekeni kwabasebenzi, yona isetshenziswe ukuchaza ukuthi yini eyenziwayo ukucija amakhono abasebenzi, kanti injulalwazi ye-Component yona isetshenziswe ukubheka indlela entsha yokusebenza kwabasebenzi. Lolu cwaningo belulandela ipharadayimu ye-positivist futhi luwucwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu. Ubungako besampula buveza abahlanganyeli abangama-335 abahlanganisa abasebenzi abasezikhundleni nalabo abangekho ezikhundleni, abakhethwa ngendlela engahlelekile. Abahlanganyeli abangama-200 baphendula uhlu lwemibuzo. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yekhwantithethivu yokuhlaziya imininingo. Le ndlela ebizwa nge-Structural equation modelling yayihlose ukuhlonza ubuqiniso mayelana nobudlelwane ezintweni ezazicutshungulwa nokucutshungulwa kwazo. Imiphumela ye-Structural equation modelling ikhombise ukuthi kukhona ubudlelwane obukhulu phakathi kwalezi zinto. Kuphinde kwasetshenziswa indlela eyinhlanganisela eyaziwa nge-Multiple regression analysis ukubheka umphumela ozimele (ukusebenza kwabasebenzi nokucijwa kwamakhono abo) nomphumela ongazimele (izindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi). Indlela yokuhlaziya i-Multiple linear regression iveze ukuthi ukusebenza kwabafundi nokucijwa kwamakhono abo kudlala indima enkulu ekugaguleni ukuthi indlela entsha yokusebenza kwabafundi izoba njani, okuletha incazelo ngemiphumela ezimele ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angamashumi ayisihlanu. Lokhu, kufakazela okuyiyona njulalwazi ephakanyiswe kulolu cwaningo. Kwaphinde kwasetshenziswa indlela ye-Pearson Product Moment ukuchaza ubudlelwane bezinto. Imiphumela yokuhlaziya kwe-Pearson iveza ukuthi kokubili ukusebenza kwabasebenzi kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono abo kuba nomthelela ekuqhamukeni nezindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ibalulekile ngoba iveza ukubaluleka kwendlela yokucabanga kanye nendlela yokuphatha. Imiphumela iletha ulwazi olubalulekile nolwengezayo kulolu olukhona mayelana nokusebenza kwabasebenzi, ukucijwa kwamakhono abasebenzi kanye nezindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi ngokuqhakambisa imibono ephusile kanye nokuthuthukisa ubudlelwane obuhle kulezi zinto. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo kumele ikwazi ukwelekelela abaphathi embonini yokukhiqizwayo ukuthi bazithuthukisa kanjani izindlela ezintsha zokusebenza kwabasebenzi ezinkampanini zabo.