selection is a process that involves the principal, human resources and the agent. Al-
though each actor has a stake in the employment relationship, the agent has more of a
stake because of the thousands of citizens it represents who queue daily for healthcare
services. In this case, as a means to cope with the problems of recruitment and retention,
managers are supposed to continuously innovate ways for better staff recruitment and
retention including the provision of monetary and non-monetary incentives by using
local resources.
Analytical framework
From the research objectives and theory, the study used principal-agent resource-
dependency analytical framework where a descriptive cause–effect relationship between
human resource shortages, recruitment and retention strategies and innovations are in-
terlinked with motivation and reduction of human resource shortages. Figure 13.2 pre-
sents a flow diagram of the relationships.
Figure 13.2 Analytical framework
Figure 13.2 suggests that the human resource shortage may be improved through the
adoption of various strategies. Some strategies may include increasing the number of
hours for the available staff or widening job descriptions whereby less qualified staff
may be required to perform roles of more qualified and senior staff. However, this strat-
egy is short lived because it will lead to overworked staff, absenteeism, go slow and
lastly abscondement, which may increase shortages as has been, experienced elsewhere
(Pillay 2009; McAuliffe 2009). For the purpose of the research that the report presents,
specific recruitment and retention strategies are more plausible optional choices. Some
strategies may be local authority decisions and resource dependent; others are central
government decision and resource dependent or both. Similarly, some innovations for
the improvement of staff recruitment and retention through improved motivation could
come from the local authority, the central government or both. Unlike other professions
Human resource shortages Other strategiesRecruitment and retention strategiesLocal authority decision and
resource dependentDistrict level innovationsCentral government decision and
resource dependentMotivationImproved recruitment and retention