Effects of Training Methods on Employee Performance in Devolved Governments: A Case of County Government of Nyeri, Kenya

Abstract

Employees should be the most valued and critical asset in any county as they individually and collectively contribute to achievement of County objectives. Employee performance in the County has been deteriorating since devolution in 2013 with 43% of the employees in 2014, 41% of the employees in 2015,47% of the employees in 2016, 48% of the employees in 2017 and 51% of the employees in 2018 working in Nyeri County government did not achieve the set individual and departmental targets. The objectives of the study were to identify the effect of internships, mentorship and team training on employee performance in County Government of Nyeri. The study was carried out in Nyeri County and the study primary data was collected by use of questionnaire. Secondary data for 2014 to 2018 on employee performance was retrieved from county records. The study was anchored on human capital theory and social learning theory. Descriptive research design was used. The target population focused on 3877 employees working in the County Government of Nyeri. The sample size was365 employees arrived through stratified random sampling and simple random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Validity of more than 0.7 test score was arrived using Cronbach Alpha. The data collected was analyzed by quantitative and qualitative analysis method.  The findings presented that the county has considered internship as a major contributor to the improved employee performance. The findings show that inexperienced workers are attached for skill development purposes to more experienced employees. The study indicated that knowledge in the Nyeri County government is acquired, disseminated and shared through mentoring training. It was concluded that sufficient support and guidance to less experienced employees are always offered by the county governments. The study recommended the county directors should encourage employees to adhere to policies and training programs.