STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN ETHIOPIAN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

This study focuses on exploring the effect of Strategic Human Resource Development Practices (SHRDP) on employee performance as mediated by organizational learning in selected public sector organizations of Ethiopia. With a view to achieving this objective, descriptive and explanatory research design were applied. Moreover, the researcher employed mixed research approach, where qualitative approach is made to be embedded within the quantitative approach. The data were collected by means of questionnaires from a sample of 392 employees working in three regional Public Service and Human Resource Development Bureaus. The data analysis was done using SPSS version 27.0. Accordingly, regression analysis was used to determine if the effects of SHRD practices on employee performance is mediated by organizational learning. Particularly, Hayes Process Macro Mediation Analysis and Sobel test were used to determine if organizational learning mediate the relationship. Accordingly, the study found out that SHRD practices has significant effect on employee performance and organizational learning plays mediating role in the relationship between SHRD and employee performance. As the direct, indirect and total effects are all found significant, the mediation is partial. Hence, it is concluded that OL partially mediates the relationship between SHRD practices and employee's individual level performance in the selected public sector organizations. Finally, the researchers recommend future researchers to focus on testing the moderating effects of OL in the relationship between SHRDP and employee performance.