Environmental Drivers of Human Resource Outsourcing and Outsourced Employee Retention in Africa: Evidence from Kenya’s Oil and Gas Industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/hrlj.4014Keywords:
Environmental Human Resource Outsourcing Drivers, Outsourced Employee, Employee Retention, Oil and Gas CompaniesAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of environmental human resource outsourcing drivers on outsourced employee retention among oil and gas companies in Kenya.
Methodology: The study employed the post- positivism philosophy, adopting concurrently embedded mixed-methods research design with quantitative data as the primary strand and qualitative data providing contextual insights. The study population comparised of 430 oil and gas companies, from which a target population of 860 respondents was identified. An sample of 273 respondents represented the unit of observation. Quantitative data analysis involved descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The study achieved a response rate of 77.2 (n=211) percent.
Findings: Environmental human resource outsourcing drivers were found to have a positive influence on outsourced employee retention, whereby companies that respond well to external conditions such as labor market shifts and regulatory demands through outsourcing enable employees to experience improved job continuity and predictability, which strengthens their intention to stay.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study highlights how Kenya’s oil and gas sector’s regulatory environment, market conditions, workforce scalability, and outsourced employment management influence outsourcing outcomes. It urges the Ministry of Labour to enhance welfare policies for outsourced workers and advises HR practitioners to prioritize remuneration and retention in human resource outsourcing decisions for sustainable employee management.
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