Exclusive talent management, employee engagement and interpersonal conflict: Evidence from Kenyan banks

Orientation: Employee engagement is widely recognised as a driver of positive workplace relations, yet its potential to buffer the adverse effects of exclusive talent management practices remains underexplored, particularly in African contexts. Research purpose: This study examines whether employee engagement moderates the relationship between exclusive talent management and interpersonal conflict among employees in Kenya’s banking sector. Motivation for the study: While prior research links exclusivity to organisational tensions, limited evidence exists on the mechanisms through which engagement shapes such dynamics in developing economies. This study integrates Social Exchange Theory and Conflict Theory to explain how engagement may influence conflict under perceived inequity. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used, involving 399 bank employees, 66 of whom worked in institutions implementing exclusive talent management practices. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Main findings: Exclusive talent management significantly increased interpersonal conflict, reflecting its divisive effects. Although employee engagement was negatively associated with conflict, its moderating effect on the exclusivity-conflict relationship was not significant, indicating that engagement alone cannot offset the structural inequities inherent in exclusive systems. Practical/managerial implications: Banks should complement elite development with inclusive engagement strategies that promote fairness and relational harmony. Contribution/value-add: The study extends global and African talent management scholarship by showing that engagement functions more as an independent predictor of harmony than as a moderating force in exclusive environments.