Corporate Governance and Service Delivery in National Government Administration: A Case of Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Abstract

Corporate governance is vital in ensuring ethical operations and stakeholder interests in companies, preventing fraud, misconduct, and conflicts of interest, leading to a more sustainable and profitable business. Concerns around corporate governance practices in government agencies can hinder their effectiveness and ultimately impact the quality of services delivered to citizens. This study aimed to examine the influence of corporate governance practices on service quality in the national government administration, case of Kirinyaga County. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the influence of organizational structure, stakeholder participation, ethical issues, and legal framework/policies on the service delivery of Kirinyaga County's national government administration. Concerning the theoretical aspect, the study was anchored by agency theory, resource dependency theory, stakeholder theory, and the SERVQUAL model. This study utilized a descriptive research design. The target population was from all the administrative units of Kirinyaga County, namely: Kerugoya Central, Kerugoya East, Kerugoya West, Mwea East and Mwea West, which formed the unit of analysis. The unit of observation was 143 officials from each of those units. The study adopted a stratified random sampling technique to select the study participants. Primary data was obtained by using a semi-structured questionnaire. To validate the questionnaire, content, construct and face validity were used. The study instrument's reliability was measured using the Test-Retest method, and Cronbach's Alpha was utilized as the reliability measure. A Cronbach's alpha equal to or greater than 0.7 was set as the threshold for reliability. As a result, the study instrument was found to be reliable. Data collected were coded and entered into the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences, which was used to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize the observed data, which included frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Additionally, inferential statistics were carried out using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that all variables had a positive linear correlation. Regarding the impact of corporate governance measures on performance, the regression analysis indicated that the organizational structure and ethical issues variables had a strong positive relationship with national government service delivery. However, the stakeholder participation and legal and policy framework variables had a negative effect on the quality of service delivery. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that maintaining an appropriate organizational structure and applying the appropriate ethical standards are key factors in determining positive service delivery. National government administration units that employ these two initiatives are likely to provide better quality service. In light of this, National government administration units should prioritize maintaining an appropriate organizational structure and implementing ethical standards to improve the quality of service delivery. Additionally, further research should be conducted on the negative impact of stakeholders' participation and legal and policies framework on service delivery to better understand how to mitigate these effects. By considering these recommendations, national government administration units can improve their service delivery and better serve their constituents.