How Strategic are Resource-Dependent Organisations? Experience of an International NGO in Kenya

Carol Brunt () and Kunle Akingbola ()
Additional contact information
Carol Brunt: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Kunle Akingbola: Lakehead University

The European Journal of Development Research, 2019, vol. 31, issue 2, No 8, 235-252

Abstract: Abstract Organisations that strategically align their human resources with organisational objectives can benefit from competitive advantage in contrast to transactional human resource management (HRM). While the performance benefits associated with this theory are acknowledged in the for-profit sector, the underlying logic might be transferable to the resource-dependent non-profit sector. Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) depend on effective resource management to achieve program outcomes. We know little of the HRM practices of NGOs. This article examines the case of an international NGO that adopted a strategic approach to HRM. The results of our study reveal trade-offs in resource management choices. While strategic HRM provides a powerful management theory as a basis for management decision-making, financial constraints impose a complex series of trade-offs. Drawing on the experience of this organisation, the authors suggest that pursuance of a “growth strategy” may maximise resource utilisation for organisations similar to the one examined here.

Keywords: Strategic human resource management; International NGO; Donor agencies; Kenya; Resource dependency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41287-018-0144-5 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:31:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1057_s41287-018-0144-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/41287/PS2

DOI: 10.1057/s41287-018-0144-5

Access Statistics for this article

The European Journal of Development Research is currently edited by Spencer Henson and Natalia Lorenzoni

More articles in The European Journal of Development Research from Palgrave Macmillan, European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().