Relationship between Reward Management Practices and Job Satisfaction among Teachers in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Igembe North Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Reward practices are geared towards rewarding employees depending on their duties and responsibilities assigned to them. Job satisfaction is viewed as a catalyst of improving performance and commitment in a workplace. The rationale of the study was based on the relationship between reward management practices and job satisfaction relating to secondary school teachers confined in Igembe North sub-county. Various independent variables which included remuneration, working conditions, promotion and career advancement were used in coming up with the specific objectives of the study as well as formulating hypotheses. The relationship of these predictor variables with the dependent variable job satisfaction among teachers was statistically established. The study would be useful to the following interested parties; TSC, BOM and heads of public secondary schools and to scholars. The three theories which were relevant to the study were analysed to determine their relevance, strengths and weaknesses. They included equity, dual factor and hierarchy of needs theories of motivation. A descriptive survey design was applied as it was appropriate in obtaining quantitative data from the sampled respondents which was analysed quantitatively to describe the variables of the study. The study targeted 427 teachers who formed the total population of the study. Secondary schools were classified as boarding schools and day secondary schools in the sub-county through the application of a stratified technique of random sampling. A sample size equivalent to 129 teachers was selected representing thirty per cent of the target population. A five Likert scale closed-ended questionnaire was utilised to gather quantitative data from the selected teachers. To assess how the questionnaire was reliable and valid in accomplishing its intended task, seven teachers from Igembe South sub-county were selected for piloting purposes. This was achieved by applying a test and re-test technique. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.794 was obtained which was above the recommended value of atleast 0.7. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were applied in analysing the data. Regression analysis was utilised to establish the extent to which the predictor variables could cause on the response variable while the variance for analysis (ANOVA) on its part used to compare the variables’ means. For easier interpretation of the data, pie charts and tables of distributions were deemed appropriate. The study findings revealed that remuneration, working conditions, promotion and career advancement had a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction. Further, remuneration had a strong positive correlation with job satisfaction. The study established that the reward management practices had positive and statistically significant results supporting their relationship. Therefore, it recommends a similar study be replicated among private secondary schools in Igembe North in order to compare the findings. The researchers should also carry out a similar study in Meru County to capture a wider picture of the researched phenomenon.