Harnessing technology for strategic HR alignment: Lessons from selected Tanzanian ministries, independent departments and agencies

Steven C. Kauzeni; Venance Shilingi; Denis Kamugisha; Tukae Mbegalo

doi:10.51867/ajernet.6.4.50

Authors

Steven C. Kauzeni
steven.kauzeni20@Mustudent.ac.tz
School of Public Administration and Management, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, Tanzania
Venance Shilingi Department of Public Service and Human Resource Management, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, Tanzania
Denis Kamugisha Department of Local Governance and Management Studies, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, Tanzania https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5138-7954
Tukae Mbegalo Department of Mathematics, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, Tanzania

Keywords:

Emerging Information Systems, Leadership Commitment, Institutional Readiness, Public Sector, Strategic Human Resource Alignment

Abstract

This study investigated technology's role in advancing Strategic Human Resource Alignment in Tanzanian Ministries, Independent Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), focusing particularly on emergent Information Systems, Leadership Commitment, and Institutional Readiness. Guided by the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Contingency Theory, the study theorizes these constructs as critical organizational resources and contextual factors influencing the alignment of HR practices and institutional goals. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design, which was quantitative in nature. HR managers, line managers, and IT managers in selected MDAs constituted the study population. Through the application of purposive sampling, 111 respondents were targeted, and 104 usable responses were obtained, representing a response rate of 93.7%. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, and hypotheses were tested through the application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings show that strategic human resource alignment is significantly facilitated by the use of emerging information systems, with leadership commitment and institutional readiness also exerting strong direct effects. The explanatory model demonstrated high variance in strategic human resource alignment and confirmed its predictive validity. These findings confirm RBV's contention that human capital and technology are strategic resources, while contingency theory emphasizes organizational fit as a condition for alignment effectiveness. Theoretically, the study adds to digital HR transformation knowledge by illustrating how new information systems, leadership, and institutional readiness together enhance alignment in the public sector. Practically, it offers lessons for MDAs: technological investments must be followed up with leadership commitment and organizational preparedness so that HRIS implementation can contribute to strategic results and national development agendas. The results emphasize the need to adopt a synergistic strategy: technological implementation should be followed by aggressive leadership backing and good organizational preparedness. Managers and policymakers need to accord topmost priority to creating capacity, training leaders, and infrastructure so that HRIS could make a stronger strategic impact. On theoretical contributions, this study adds to theoretical understanding by resolving the conflict between the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Contingency Theory, demonstrating that new information systems as strategic assets appreciate only when supported by leadership and institutional readiness. In showing how alignment comes out of the interaction between resources within the organization and conditions within the context.

Dimensions

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