An investigation into the effectiveness of skills retention strategies applied by the Namibian Defence Force (NDF)
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Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) under the title “An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Skills Retention Strategies Applied by the Namibian Defence Force”. The objectives of the study were to examine challenges that undermined the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the NDF and how the NDF’s failure to retain its competent and well trained military members will affect national security, and to recommend measures needed to mitigate staff members’ retention challenges in the defence force. The researcher conducted a theoretical study and then carried out a survey in the concerned area. In this study, the he he researcher used qualitative research instruments consisting of in-depth depth depth depth interviews with senior management staff as well as a perusal of relevant documents as the primary instruments of the research. The responses were collected and analysed to gain a deeper understanding of skilled members’ motives for leaving the force prematurely. To validate data or response from selected respondents, the researcher requested permission from Senior Staff Officers Human Resource (SSO HR) to retrieve former NDF members’ personnel files and made comparisons between the reasons given by former NDF members during in-depth interviews and the reasons they have articulated in their statements placed in their personnel records to see whether there is a correlation between the aforementioned reasons. The main finding of the study was that the main challenge that undermined the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the NDF was the absence of unique retention strategies for the defence force to retain its highly trained soldiers. The study further established that the NDF’s failure to retain its well-trained military members has the potential to disturb the national, regional and international peace and security. The recommendations of the study were that the management and policy makers of the NDF should carefully plan incentive programmes and introduce unique retention strategies for the NDF members to overcome the labour turn over issue.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of master of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies (MASSS)
Keywords
Skills retention