The Effect of HRM Practices and Self-Efficacy on The Performance of Academic Staff in Jordan: The Moderating Effect of Nepotism

Performance of academic staff is important for universities and nations. Previous studies on academic performance among developing countries are limited to descriptive or correlational studies. Thus, this study investigates the performance of academic staff in Jordan according to the resource based view, social cognitive theory as well as the self-efficacy model. This study proposes that Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and self-efficacy significantly affect the performance of academic staff. Nepotism is proposed to negatively moderate the effect of HRM practices and self-efficacy on performance of academic staff. The population of this study consists of three public universities in Jordan. Using stratified sampling technique, 248 responses were collected from academic staff using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The data was analysed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) and Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS). SPSS was used to present the descriptive information, conduct reliability test and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). AMOS was used to assess the measurement and structural models, and to examine the hypotheses of this study. The findings showed that HRM practices (B= 0.17, P-value<0.001) and its components (recruitment and selection, training and development, promotion, and performance appraisal) have significant effect on the performance of academic staff. Self-efficacy (B=0.73, P-value<0.001) and its components such as past experience, verbal persuasion and emotional cues have significant positive effects on performance of academic staff. The vicarious experience from self-efficacy did not affect the performance of academic staff. The findings also showed that nepotism moderated the effect of HRM practices and self-efficacy on the performance of academic staff (B=-0.14, P-value<0.05). Nepotism also found to have a direct negative effect on performance of academic staff (B=-0.11, P-value<0.05). The findings of this study recommended to enhance the criteria of recruitment and selection to be based on skills, competency, and capabilities rather than on relationships. Self-efficacy suggested to be improved through the establishment of training courses for academic staff. Further, it is found out the elimination of nepotism may improve the performance of academic staff as well as the rank of the universities. The findings of this study are limited to academic staff in public universities in Jordan and the variables that were included in this study. More studies are needed in private universities in Jordan and other countries.