Human Resource Strategic Orientation and Organizational Commitment in Kenyan Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the relationship between the soft and hard strategic orientations of human resource management and three components of organizational commitment: affective, continuance and normative. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 251 large manufacturing in Kenya. From the results of tests of six hypotheses, significant positive relationships between both the soft HR and hard HR strategic orientations and affective and continuance components of commitment were found while normative commitment was negatively and weakly associated with hard HR. Contrary to theoretical reasoning, hard human resource practices was positively associated with affective commitment. These findings support previous views that employees develop affective commitment even under hard HR practices because the satisfaction that comes with success meets their intrinsic needs. Organizations should devise HR policies and practices that retain employees covering all three areas of commitment so as to realize business success.