An Investigation into the Relationship Between Favouritism and Employee Performance in Selected Quasi Government Institutions

This study investigated the relationship between favouritism and employee performance in quasi-government institutions in Zambia, using a selected quasi-government institution as the case study. The study was guided by three objectives: to determine the most prevalent forms of favouritism practices, to analyse the relationship between favouritism and employee performance outcomes, and to propose strategies for mitigating favouritism and enhancing equitable talent management practices. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected from 71 participants using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, and inferential analysis using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Prior to correlation analysis, normality was assessed using skewness and kurtosis statistics, confirming that both variables were approximately normally distributed and suitable for Pearson correlation. Findings revealed that favouritism primarily manifests through unequal access to training opportunities, perceived unfairness in promotion practices, and inconsistencies in performance evaluation systems. Promotion practices emerged as the most significant concern, with 62.0 percent of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with fairness. Descriptive results further showed that 80.3 percent of respondents agreed that equitable access enhances motivation, while 91.6 percent indicated that perceived fairness improves employee performance. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative and statistically significant relationship between favouritism and employee performance (r = -0.682, p