Human resource risks and organisational performance in Zambian quasi-governmental organisations

Abstract

This paper investigates the human resource (HR) risks faced by quasi-governmental organisations in Zambia and examines their effects on organisational performance. Anchored in stakeholder theory, human capital theory, and institutional theory, the study adopted an interpretivist multiple-case study design. The target population comprised the most senior HR practitioners in quasi-governmental organisations in Zambia, and purposive sampling produced eleven participants drawn from parastatal and statutory bodies across diverse sectors. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework. The findings identify five critical HR risk categories, namely recruitment corruption and political interference, recruitment and skills mismatches, casualisation and legal exposure, talent drain from uncompetitive compensation, and benefit misalignment with workforce demographics, together with reputational damage as a cross-cutting governance consequence. These risks undermine organisational performance through capability depletion, operational disruption, financial liability, and legitimacy erosion. The paper concludes that HR risks in quasi-governmental organisations are strategic rather than merely administrative problems and recommends stronger recruitment controls, reduction of unlawful casualisation, improved retention and reward strategies, and greater elevation of HR risk to board and executive attention.