Talent Management and Employee Performance: The Moderating Effect of Transformational Leadership

Abstract

The global competitive environment is shaping the way organizations manage,
maintain, and improve employee performance. Literature has established that
there are different mechanisms through which transformational leadership
influences employee performance, yet few studies have tested the mode of
influence on followers' attitudes, behaviors, and employee performance in public
universities in Uganda. The study looks at the role of transformational
leadership in moderating the relationship between talent management and
employee performance in Ugandan public universities. The study draws on a
cross-sectional and quantitative research approach. A random sampling
technique was used to select 536 academic staff. Data was collected using a self-
administered questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine
the direct and indirect effects. The findings show that talent management has a
significant positive effect on employee performance. In addition, findings reveal
that transformational leadership significantly and positively affects employee
performance. Furthermore, it was discovered that transformational leadership
exerts a significant moderating effect on the relationship between talent
management and employee performance. This provides the psychological
stimulus that innovates novel ways to execute job tasks; illuminating the role of
transformational leadership in enhancing employee performance as the
transformational leaders identify, motivate and stimulate employees to achieve
extraordinary performance outcomes among academic staff of public
universities in Uganda.

Keywords: Talent Management, Transformational Leadership, Employee Performance,
Academic Staff, Public Universities