LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, TALENT MANAGEMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS IN BANKS IN LAIKIPIA COUNTY

Abstract

Leadership development refers to expanding the collective capacity of organizational members to engage effectively in leadership roles with or without formal authority. It is also a process to enable a group of people work together in a meaningful way. Talent management is the systematic process of identifying the vacant position, hiring the suitable person, developing the skills and expertise of the person to match the position and retaining him to achieve long-term business objectives. Business competitiveness therefore, is the advantage that an organization has over its competitors, that further allows it record greater sales /profits margins or retain most of its customers as compared to its competitors. Competitiveness is the ability of firm to produce, market and design products which are superior as compared to those provided by competitors. Thus, the main objective of this study was to find out how leadership development and talent management affect competitiveness in banks in Laikipia County. Resource based theory was used to explain the interrelationship between variables. Empirical literature reviewed scholarly studies on Leadership development, talent management and competitiveness in banks in Laikipia County. Cross sectional descriptive survey design was used. The unit of analysis was 38 branch and operation managers from all commercial banks in Laikipia County, Kenya. The research adopted a census study of all the 38 respondents since the population was relatively small and manageable. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data through self- administration method. Both content and construct validity were determined. The research therefore concluded that leadership development and talent management impacted how banks performed and gained a competitive edge in the market. Further, by examining the quantitative data through descriptive statistics, a correlation between leadership development, talent management and competitiveness in banks was found. The study found out that talent management and leadership development, impacted highly on how banks will increase their revenue and gain competitiveness as a business. In conclusion, the study recommended that commercial banks should aggressively work on the leadership styles they use in managing staff and business and should aggressively work on a competitive recruitment, hiring, selection and retention of the best talent to ensure increased revenue.

Key Words: Strategic capabilities, Business competitiveness, Commercial Banks             

CITATION: Waikwa, J. W., & Makhamara, F. (2022). Leadership development, talent management and competitiveness in banks in Laikipia County. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 9 (4), 843 – 852.