EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN BRIDGING THE CONNECTION BETWEENTALENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

The progress of any organization significantly relies on the effectiveness of its human resources. In Bayelsa State, Nigeria, there are concerns regarding the underperformance of academic staff in state-owned tertiary institutions, which negatively impacts the overall success of these institutions. Drawing on the Human Capital Theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET), along with a comprehensive literature review, this study explores the potential mediating role of employee commitment in the link between talent management and the performance of academic staff. While previous research has examined these areas, there remains a limited understanding of how employee commitment specifically mediates this relationship. To address this gap, the research investigates the mediating effect of employee commitment on academic staff performance within Bayelsa State’s state-owned tertiary institutions. Using proportionate stratified sampling, 485 questionnaires were distributed, and data analysis was conducted on 408 completed responses using PLS-SEM path modeling in SMARTPLS2. The findings revealed a strong, positive correlation between talent attraction, development, retention, and academic staff performance. Significantly, the analysis showed that employee commitment mediates the relationship between talent retention and academic staff performance. Based on these results, the study recommends that administrators in Bayelsa State’s tertiary institutions focus on attracting the right talent, fostering ongoing development, and enhancing retention strategies to boost staff performance.