Abstract:
Several stakeholders (Richards & Farrell, 2005) have
viewed the professional development of university staff as
a continuous concern. Scholars contend that professional
development is the engine that keeps universities true to
their mandate as centers of ideas and innovation
(UNESCO, 1998; Plater, 1995). Similarly, any
organization’s success would be jeopardized if its
employees had low organizational commitment because
they would fail to accept the firm’s mission, goals, and
objectives (Unzicker, Clow & Babakus, 2000) and to
believe what the company stands for (Boshoff & Allen,
2000).
Description:
It follows that the high organizational commitment of
academic staff, as the backbone of universities, is critical
for their survival (Fako, Nkhukhu-Orlando, Wilson,
Forcheh & Linn, 2018). The nature of staff commitment
influences organizational effectiveness and behavior of
employees. Mugizi, Bakkabulindi & Bisaso (2015) have suggested that there is a low organizational commitment
of academic staff in Ugandan universities. This state of
affairs would slow down progress and effectiveness in
these universities. Yet, the Uganda Public Service
Standing Orders (2010) emphasise the critical role played
by training and development of staff in creating efficiency
and effectiveness in government institutions. Hence, there
was a need to establish the influence of Professional
Development Practices (PDPs) involving training and
development, in public universities, on academic staffs’
organizational commitment.
