Influence of Employee Relations Practices on Organizational Performance in Public Universities in Mt. Kenya Region

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of employee engagement on organizational performance in public Universities in the Mt. Kenya Region. The study targeted all the public universities in Mt. Kenya Region.  Data was gathered by use of a questionnaire which was subjected to pre-test to ensure its reliability and validity. The study adopted descriptive survey research design.  The target population for the study was 2984 and a sample size of 271 respondents was drawn from both teaching and non-teaching staff. Stratified random and purposive sampling procedures were employed by the study. The study adopted basic descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentage. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data which adopted the use of likert scales, measures of central tendency and use of multiple regressions analysis. The data was presented through the use of tables, charts and figures. All the questionnaires were termed as valid with 88.6% response rate.  Correlation and regression analysis were adopted to establish the relationship between the variables.  The study results indicated that there was a positive and significant and positive relationship between employee engagement and organizational performance.  The study concluded that high engagement and involvement of workers creates a sense of belonging hence leading to low employee turnover as well as improving role performance. The study recommended the need for the management to strive to highly engage workers and cultivate participatory supervisory support by putting in place proper delegation mechanisms in place. This will harness the employees to their full-selves in active and complete work roles.  The study also recommended other areas of employee engagement like flexible working arrangements, reward and recognition, continuous training, work place health and safety as well as work life balance to be further researched on.