Human resource incompetence in sports institutions in Kenya

Professionalism in national institutions is always an assumed component of the most cherished identity of organizations. Most institutions have some artefacts that are presumed to communicate their projected imagery. The often visible ensembles are: vision, mission statement and core values. From a philosophical viewpoint, these brief statements are organic constructions whose meanings signify perceived futuristic and immeasurable continuum pegged on a set of assumed subjective principles termed core values. While visions are brief and succinct statements indicative of the direction of an institutional growth, its mission statement is the operational component towards the achievement of the coveted vision. The character of the organization is reflected from its core values. Among the predetermined core values in any organization is professionalism. Whatever is meant professionalism is the huge elephant found in the organization's boardrooms. Ideally, professionalism is defined as the behaviors exhibited in the workplace that result in positive organizational relationships. However, when one samples the correlation of the tenets of professionalism and performances within sports institutions, the expected behaviors are questionable. The correlations show that there are negative relationships between them. When one carries out an audit of Kenya's sports performances across sports there is sufficient evidence that the county has great mismatch between quality performances in sports occasioned by ill-prepared human resource personnel and ill-informed policy systems. The sports sector of our economy is relegated under the auspices of culture and social services. While the government may have good reasons for considering sports as emblems of cultural mechanisms for socialization in society, the desire for elite performances in national and international competitions is a constant beckoning. Therefore, the call for appropriate policy direction and effective management practices from the ministry of Sport, Culture and Arts is necessary in order to reap accrued benefits of sports performance. The new Cabinet Secretary should prioritize urgently his promised revolutionary agenda to improve the sports industry. Public participation mechanisms and reevaluation of the ministry's strategic plan to capture the critical values of sports and sports economics in Kenya. Most of the sports organizations require the contribution of expert management. The current management of sports institutions require an overhaul from the top to the grassroots if sports performances have to be achieved.