Introduction
Effective delivery of health services is seriously
affected by human resource constraints (Narasimham et al., 2004). The major concerns include
inappropriate numbers and types of staff and the
way they are distributed, and the performance of the
staff. Appropriate human resource management
(HRM) policies and practices can improve human
resource (HR) outcomes and thus the effectiveness
of the workforce, which in turn will contribute to
improved organisational performance. Assuming
HRM policies and practices are aligned with
appropriate health service objectives, improved
HRM leads to improved health outcomes.
McCourt and Eldridge (2003, p. 2)define HRM
as ‘‘the way an organisation manages its staff and