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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Author(s)
Mwansa Kamukwamba
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DOI:10.17265/1537-1506/2017.01.003
Affiliation(s)
Mulungushi University, Kabwe, Zambia
ABSTRACT
This study explores the
impact of organization structure on human resource management in a bi-national
organization Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). It is a bi-national
organization because it is jointly owned and managed by the two contacting
states of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Zambia.
Tanzania-Zambia Railway stretches 1,860 meters from the Port of Dar es Salaam
in East Africa to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
The study seeks to provide answers to such questions
as what is an organization structure. Can an organization structure affect
human resource management in an organization? If so how? What type of
organization structure can be appropriate for a bi-national organization? What
are the advantages and the limitations of the organization structure designed
for TAZARA? What measures can be taken to deal with the disadvantages? Organization
structure refers to the formal arrangement of tasks, communication, and authority relationships
that influence and control how people coordinate and conduct their work (Martin
& Fellenz, 2010). The study was
undertaken within phenomenological paradigm due to the nature of the inquiry of
the impact of the organization structure on a bi-national organization concerned with the
relationships of actors such as governments as both institutions and employers
and employees as individuals and groups. Phenomenological paradigm is concerned
with the understanding of human behavior from the participants’ frame of
reference. The study was
designed as a case study where the researcher explores a phenomenon (case) in
this case ( the organization structure) bounded in time and activity (in this
case TAZARA as an institution) and collects data using a variety of procedures during
a sustained period of time. It was appropriate for exploring, understanding, and obtaining in
depth knowledge of understanding the impact of organization structure on a bi-national
organization Tanzania-Zambia Railway
Authority, which is divided into two
regions and the Head office. Both primary and secondary data were collected
from the two regions and the Head office. Primary data were collected by focus
group discussion, and structured interviews and questionnaires while secondary
data were collected by
archival method, organization documents, books, and news papers. Data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative
methods by triangulation techniques. Sample size comprised eight governments and Board of Directors officials, 35 Management
officials, 11 trade union officials and 58 focus group members from seven discussions groups, and bring the total to
112. The study revealed
that the organization structure has both advantages and limitations. From
governments’ perspective the structure provides the means of maintaining equal
commitment, ownership, and management of the organization by the two
contracting states,
while the business perspective has identified two limitations. First, the three-tier structure is
expensive because of duplication of duties. Second, the involvement of
government officials in managing the organization brings in government
bureaucracy which should be avoided in business due to slow decision making. Efforts to change the
structure to make it business, as so far have proved futile due to governments’ reluctance to
relinquish power as this will be seen as reducing their commitment to the
organization.
KEYWORDS
bi-national organization, three-tier organization structure, phenomenological paradigm, case study, triangulation
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