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Interagency collaboration for
graduate employment
opportunities in Uganda
Gaps in the structure of organizations
Peter Ntale
Directorate of Doctoral Training, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research,
Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda
Jude Ssempebwa
East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development,
Makerere University College of Education and External Studies, Kampala, Uganda
Badiru Musisi
College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Muhammed Ngoma
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Makerere University Business School,
Kampala, Uganda
Gyaviira Musoke Genza
Foundations and Curriculum Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Joseph Kimoga and Christopher Byalusaago Mugimu
College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi
Faculty of Economics, Energy and Management Sciences,
Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda, and
Wasswa Balunywa
Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to identify gaps in the structure of organizations that hinder
collaboration of organizations involved in the creation of graduate employment opportunities in Uganda.
Design/methodology/approach –Data was collected from staff and leaders of 14 organizations that were
purposely selected to represent government, private, and civil society organizations. These organizations were
selected based on their mandates, which touch on the employability of university graduates in the country in
very direct ways. This was a cross-sectional survey design—based on a self-administered questionnaire, key
informant interviews, and documentary analysis.
Findings –Organizations were found to have “Tell”/directive decision-making, high power distance between
employees, and jobs were not coded in a way that gives employees freedoms to interact and build collaborative
relationships. Finally, rules and regulations were very restrictive, disorienting employee’s abilities to
collaborate.
Research limitations/implication –This research concentrated on the gaps that exist in the structure of
organizations from which the results point to inadequate relational, interactional, inclusive, and democratic
space among different stakeholders. It would be useful for future research to examine the extent to which the
structure of organizations not only impacts collaboration but also measures the level to which it affects
organizational performance.
Practical implications –The knowledge economy of the twenty-first century demands for collaborative
engagements with different stakeholders if they are to survive the competitive business environment.
Collaborative engagement helps in the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and resources, development of more
Interagency
collaboration
for graduate
employment
271
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Received 31 August 2019
Revised 14 December 2019
2 January 2020
5 January 2020
Accepted 5 January 2020
Education þTraining
Vol. 62 No. 3, 2020
pp. 271-291
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0040-0912
DOI 10.1108/ET-08-2019-0193