Human Resource Management Reforms and Public Sector Governance in Tanzania: An Application of Decentralization Perspective

Abstract

In Tanzania, Human Resource Management (HRM) decentralization and
reforms were initiated as an effort to address non-transparent and patronizing
Human Resource (HR) practices so as to improve public sector governance.
However, HRM of the entire public service has been centralized and placed in
the hands of President’s Office Public Service Management (PO-PSM). Hence,
there arose the need to conduct this study by analyzing the influence of
decentralization of HRM on public sector governance in Tanzania.
Questionnaires were used for data collection, while Structural Equation
Modelling (SEM) was used in data analysis. Results revealed that management
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of HR in a decentralised context has a significant relationship with both
transparency and accountability. Moreover, findings revealed that political
support, technology and culture moderate the relationship between management
of HR in a decentralised context and public sector governance. The study
suggests that in order to improve governance, the Tanzanian government has to
engage strong political support and devolve the controlled autonomy on
decision-making to some HRM practices to local government authorities,
digitalise government, and transform employees’ behaviours towards
accountability for performance manner.