Navigating the Ideological Contract: How Faith-Based Institutional Governance Conditions the Perceived Effectiveness of HRM Practices on Teacher Retention in Rural Uganda

Abstract

This study examines how faith-based institutional governance structures condition the perceived effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) practices on teacher retention and staying intentions in rural Uganda. Guided by Institutional Theory, the study explores how religious and governance logics shape the implementation and acceptance of HRM practices in faith-based educational institutions. A qualitative multiple-case study design was adopted, involving 28 semi-structured interviews with academic staff (17 teachers) and administrators (11 administrators) across six Catholic and Protestant schools. In addressing critical review constraints, this study provides an analytical rather than statistical account of moderation, exploring the qualitative conditioning pathways of governance while operationalising teacher retention as perceived drivers and staying intentions, and explicitly acknowledging the intention-behaviour gap due to the absence of systematic historical archival data. The findings demonstrate that while fundamental HRM practices—such as competitive compensation, professional development, and supportive workplace relationships—act as vital foundations, their retention value is filtered through three qualitative governance mechanisms: legitimacy filtering, autonomy constraints, and value congruence. Although strong alignment with institutional mission and values promotes affective commitment, centralised ecclesiastical authority and a lack of procedural transparency create severe local autonomy constraints that undermine retention. The study concludes that sustainable teacher retention requires HRM systems that are integrated into procedurally fair, transparent, and value-consistent governance frameworks. Recommendations include strengthening school-level administrative autonomy, incorporating participatory decision-making, and reinforcing ethical, value-consistent leadership.