The Innovative Performance Management Framework for Fostering Employee Engagement for State-Owned Enterprises in the Agricultural Sector within Zimbabwe’s a Turbulent Environment

Abstract

This study focuses on developing an Innovative Performance Management framework for fostering EE (EE) in a turbulent business environment for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Zimbabwe‘s agricultural sector. Mixed methods, comprising interviews and structured questionnaires, were utilised using a multi case study strategy of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) and the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA). The research sample consisted of a total of 15 managers and executives as key informants for the qualitative data, who were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample size for the survey was 245 employees, obtained after using Yamane‘s formula of sample size determination. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 for Windows. The main findings from the research are that innovative planning, innovative monitoring, innovative training and development, innovative rating and innovative rewarding have significant and positive effects on EE in terms of customer satisfaction, staff morale, labour harmony, presenteeism, profitability, retention and productivity. The practical contribution of this study is that the adoption of this framework in SOEs in the agricultural sector enhances their performance, thereby driving Zimbabwe‘s economic growth and achievement of Vision 2030.