The macro talent management, decent work and national well-being nexus: a cross-country and panel data analysis

Purpose There is a paucity of research on the causal relationships between talent management (TM), decent work and national well-being. Hence, this study examines the nexus between macro talent management (MTM) practices, decent work and national well-being. Design/methodology/approach The authors employed longitudinal data from 77 developing countries across the globe and also utilised panel data estimators and the bootstrapping mediation method for the analyses. Findings The results indicated that macro-level TM strategies can have a positive impact on decent work. Decent work also significantly improves national well-being (both subjective and economic well-being) over time as it shows a significant positive impact on change in national well-being measures. Furthermore, decent work serves as a mechanism that links MTM to improved national well-being at the macro level. Practical implications TM investments by governments can empower citizens to escape the tragedy of vulnerable and low-quality employment and well-being deficit as it has the potential to improve decent work and national well-being as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Originality/value Beyond the myopic organisational and managerialist view, the authors show that TM can have a positive spillover impact on people and the general society across time by enhancing decent work opportunities to improve both subjective and economic well-being of citizens in a country. Additionally, because decent work has psychosocial and economic dimensions, this study has revealed a complex and compelling conduit for translating the gains of macro-level TM strategies to improve national well-being. Moreover, it provides original empirical evidence to expand the limited longitudinal TM literature. Lastly, it adds to knowledge in the developing countries' context.