EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA
Abstract
The study aimed at assessing the influence of employee empowerment on performance of Public Universities in Kenya. A review of extant conceptual and empirical literature was done and hypotheses formulated. A positivist paradigm using descriptive research design was used. The population comprised the staff of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya 2013. Proportionate random stratified sampling and multi stage sampling was used. A sample size of 1,011 staff was selected from employees of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya. The literature review revealed that a number of studies have been conducted on the predictors and antecedents of employee empowerment and performance however, these studies are inconclusive. A structured questionnaire with Likert-type interval scale anchored on a five-point scale was used to collect primary data. Descriptive statistics were computed for organizational data and the main characteristics of the study variable. Hypotheses were tested using Pearson’s product moment, simple linear regression, and change statistics for data analysis and tests. The results revealed that employee empowerment have a positive relationship with the performance. Using ANOVA and F-test the study showed that the influence of employee empowerment on organizational performance was linear and was statistically significant. This study contributes to the understanding of the link between employee empowerment and organizational performance. Involvement in decision-making and autonomy coupled with enabling structures and leadership should be considered if employees are to be empowered and their contributions to count.
Key Words: employee empowerment, autonomy, decision making, psychological and structural empowerment, and organizational performance
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v4i3.521
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