The impact of talent management on employee performance in the town planning and survey department of the United Arab Emirates: the mediator role of motivation

In today’s competitive public sector environment, many organizations struggle to attract, develop, and retain skilled employees capable of sustaining high performance. This challenge is particularly evident in government departments in the UAE, where limited attention has been given to how talent management practices influence employees’ motivation and performance. Hence, this study examined the relationship between talent management (talent acquisition, talent development, and talent retention) and motivation on employees’ performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. The study employed a cross-sectional survey method with 325 questionnaires distributed to the Directorate of Town Planning and Survey (DTPS) in Sharjah. However, only 208 of the questionnaires were usable for further analysis. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was used to test the direct and mediating hypotheses. The results of this study showed that there was no significant effect of talent acquisition and talent retention on employee performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department. In contrast, the study found a positive and significant relationship between talent development and employee performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. On the other hand, it was found that talent management has a positive and significant impact on motivation in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. Alongside, the findings showed a positive and significant impact of motivation on employee performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. Furthermore, the present study indicated the importance of motivation as a mediator in the relationship between talent management and employee performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. Theoretically, this study contributed to the use of Resource-Based Theory and Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory in studying the context of talent management factors and motivation in improving the employees’ performance in the Town Planning and Survey Department in the UAE. From a practical point of view, this study revealed that developing employees’ skills and motivation mechanisms can substantially improve performance outcomes in the public sector. Therefore, the study will help managers, practitioners and decision makers to implement practices and strategies to improve the employees’ performance.