Influence of Accommodating Strategy on Improving Employees' Performance in Insurance Companies in Homa Bay County, Kenya

Abstract

Though conflict is a term having negative connotation, organizations are trying to understand it's functionalities as not all conflicts are bad. Research in organizational conflict and its management is gaining much currency in contemporary times. Accordingly, this study establishes the frequency of organizational conflict in insurance companies in Homa Bay County,  identifies causes of organizational conflict in insurance companies in Homa Bay County, Kenya and Kenya evaluates the influence of accommodating strategy on improving employees' performance in insurance companies in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The study was anchored in the Group Conflict Process Theory developed by Robbins.  which postulates that most organizational conflicts are managed through approaches to Descriptive research design was adopted. The target population consisted of 49 insurance companies in Kenya with 50,000 employees; the study population consisted of 4 branch manager, 4 branch administrator 29 unit managers and 282 financial advisors. Stratified sampling was used to group employees into branch manager, branch administrator, unit managers and financial advisors. Census sampling was then used to select 4 branch manager, 4 branch administrator, and 29 unit managers. Simple random sampling was used to select 140 financial advisors. Self- administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentage) and inferential statistics (correlation and linear regressions). Qualitative data was analyzed using emerging themes and narration. Based on the findings the study concluded that there was a positive relationship between accommodating strategy and employee performance. Accommodating strategy had the most influence (β 0.482). The study recommends that managers should apply accommodating strategies such as working with subordinates and bringing all concerns in the open to enhance performance. It is hoped that the findings of the study will be helpful in reducing conflict not only in insurance companies Homa Bay but also in the other branches country wide.