Employee qualifications and competencies versus deployment: Existing gaps in the context of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya

Abstract

Staff competency is a key factor in ensuring an organization performs and delivers on her mandates. Both professional and academic are important indicators of competency and it evolves over time in line with presenting scenarios. A mismatch between staff competencies and deployment creates apathy towards work which greatly compromises performance. At Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology for instance, in the first half of the financial year 2021/2022, about 3% of employees left the service in search for greener pastures elsewhere. This was largely due to job dissatisfaction arising from improper deployment among other reasons. This study was conducted to establish the relationship between staff qualifications and competencies vis-à-vis deployment and the extent to which this relationship affected staff performance. A Mixed Methods Research Design, allowing a blend of both quantitative and qualitative paradigms was employed. A cross-sectional design was adopted as the study targeted a cross-section of staff across all cadres. Results show that while a majority of staff are qualified for the various assignments they are assigned to perform, a small proportion do not have the requisite skills. This could be explained by the fact that the University has not fully operationalized her HR manual and therefore the machinery for measuring staff performance is weak and needs improvement. Further, it is also evident that apart from academic qualifications, professional training is equally vital. There is therefore need for continuous professional training which should equip staff with the most current skills needed for effective delivery of services.