Assessment of Strategic Communication and Medical Employees’ Performance of County Referral Hospitals in Central Region Economic Bloc, Kenya

Abstract

Employees play a critical role in achieving firms’ objectives. However, most Kenyan hospitals are suffering from low medical employee performance due to communication failure. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of strategic communication on medical employees’ performance in county referral hospitals in the central region economic bloc, of Kenya. Explanatory research design was used to collect data from a target population of 10 referral hospitals in Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Nyeri, Meru, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Laikipia, and Kirinyaga. The respondents were 1,804 medical employees including medical officers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, specialists, and therapists. A sample size of 327 medical staff was selected using a simple random method, who were issued with closed. Piloting was conducted at Machakos County referral hospital whereby 33 medical officers took part in answering the questionnaires. In relation to reliability, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was used to determine the suitability of the research instruments. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, mean, and standard deviation. An inferential statistic like Pearson correlation was determined and the results presented using tables and explanations. The study established that strategic communication optimizes the performance of medical employees in county referral hospitals. Therefore, the study concluded that by encouraging employees to adopt innovative work practices, healthcare organizations can enhance individual performance and maximize the overall impact of strategic communication. The recommendations are that hospital leaders should provide timely feedback, foster effective vertical communication channels, and utilize various communication channels and technology.