Factor Analysis of Talented University Support Staff Attributes

Abstract

This mixed method research study aimed to examine the attributes of talented university support staff. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted to obtain data from university executives and human resource management experts. Questionnaires were distributed to collect the data from the support staff of autonomous universities. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to analyze the data using a smaller set of summary variables. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was then employed to verify the factor structure of the set of observed variables. The findings revealed that there were three dimensions of attributes related to talented university support staff, namely: (1) change promoter and future creator, (2) participation creator, and (3) organizational competency builder. These findings are not in line with what was expected, but are consistent with some previous studies. Hence, the researchers have proposed guidelines for applying the results in theory and practice in order to expand the knowledge of talent management.