Effects of Succession Planning Programs on Staff Retention

Stephen Nyikuli Eshiteti; Ochieng Okaka; Samuel N. Maragia; Odhiambo Odera; Emmanuel Kayode Akerele

Authors

Stephen Nyikuli Eshiteti Department of Business Management Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Ochieng Okaka Department of Business Management, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Samuel N. Maragia Department of Educational Psychology Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Odhiambo Odera University of Southern Queensland, Australia and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Emmanuel Kayode Akerele Department of Accounting, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Learning about factors that affect staff retention and ways of improving it, can help firms avoid the inconvenience of high attrition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish the effects of succession planning programs on staff retention in the sugar companies of Western Province, Kenya. Management staff members were purposively selected, stratified and simple randomly sampled. Data collection was done by use of questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed to analyze the data. Findings of the study indicate that more employees had high job satisfaction because of going through the succession planning process with the hope of being next in line of management. This had a positive effect on the retention of staff in the sugar firms under study.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p157