Journal of Business & Financial Affairs

When the Employer Neglects his Contractual Obligation Push and Pull Factors for Employees to Come to Work Which is not Paid: A Case of Zimbabwean Parastatals

Abstract

Maunganidze F, Mashavira N and Mapira N*

The paper establishes the reasons why employees from selected parastatals continue coming to work even though they have not been paid their salaries for months. A qualitative study was conducted using 2 different interview guides, one for employees and the other one for human resource managers who acted as key informants. Twenty employees, 10 from each pararstatal were interviewed and 4 key informants, 2 from each organization also took part in the study. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. It has emerged from the study that employees in parastatals continue reporting for duty for different reasons which included desire for professional growth, hope that the fortunes of their respective organisations may turn for the better, abuse of organisational resources and vending at the workplace. Some participants also highlighted a number of social reasons such as seeking company from fellow workmates, avoiding lengthy periods with spouses who were deemed to be demanding and difficultly to handle. As recommendations, it is argued that organisations value and prioritise the welfare of their employees and engage in sound corporate governance decisions.