Effect of Devolution on Employee Perfomance in Public Hospitals in Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to establish the effects of devolution on employee performance in the Public Hospitals' in Kenya and the specific objectives were to establish the influence of Devolved structures on employee performance, establish the influence of Devolved Human Resource system on employee performance and establish the influence of Devolved Culture on employee perfomance in Public Hospitals in Kenya. Devolution and Motivation theories were explored to establish whether there exists any relationship between them. The study adopted a descriptive survey design where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected in order to minimize and maximize the reliability of the data. The target population in this study was the health personnel working in the (10) ten Level Fourand Five Hospitals' in Meru County who included; medical Doctors, Nurses, Clinical Officers, Pharmacists and Lab Technologists where a sample of 144 employees was drawn through simple random sampling of which 140 responded. Questionnaires' were used to generate data from the respondents which were then analyzed by e of frequencies and then presented in form of frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. Logistic regression was used to correlate the independent variables (Devolved Administrative structures, Devolved Human Resources Management Systems and Devolved Organizational Culture) and the dependent variable (Employee Performance).The study found out that there is no significant relationship between devolved administrative structures and employees performance, there is no significant relationship between devolved human resource management systems and employees performance there is a significant relationship between devolved norms values and believes and employee performance. One major challenge facing the devolved County health services is the serious shortage of resources, human and material, especially due to financial and human capital limitations. Currently the public health sector is in dire need of health personnel since most of them are exiting to the private sector. The sector is seriously under-funded and is generally operating on shoe-string budgets, inadequate infrastructure and lack of essential supplies. Although better distribution and deployment of health personnel may somewhat alleviate current acute shortages in some counties, still more will need to be done. Many Counties, Meru included, will especially require strengthening in health planning, employee motivation and monitoring in order to improve employee performance, improve service delivery and maintain a motivated work force.