Determinants of Academic Staff Retention in Zimbabwean Universities: A Case Study of Selected Universities in Matabeleland Region

The issue of academic staff retention has attracted major interest in many countries and Zimbabwe is not an exception. The purpose of this study was to establish the determinants of academic staff retention in Zimbabwean universities with particular reference to two universities in Matabeleland region. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to establish whether demographic factors (age, sex and marital status), remuneration, career advancement opportunities, training and development, educational qualifications and amount of workload have an influence on academic staff retention. The study was quantitative and it employed the survey design. The total population of the academic staff in the two universities covered by the study was 491. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 119 from the two universities. Data was analysed using Eviews version 10 and SPSS Version 21 software. The study employed the logit model to estimate the results. The study revealed that marital status, educational level, training and development, workload, remuneration and career advancement opportunities significantly affect academic staff retention in Zimbabwean universities. Age and sex do not have a significant effect on academic staff retention. The study recommended the need for Zimbabwean universities to provide staff exchange programmes so that members of staff can share latest practices with staff members from other universities. It also recommended academic institutions to negotiate with banks to offer housing and vehicle loans to academic staff at reasonable interest rates. Another recommendation was that universities should conduct exit interviews with quitting members of staff so as to identify the major reasons for quitting. In addition, universities should provide continuous professional development programmes to their staff, so that they can obtain relevant training and appropriate skills.