An assessment of motivation factors that influence employee performance in the Kenyan insurance industry

Abstract

Employee performance is an essential requirement if an organization is to maintain its efforts towards the realization of pre-designed goals. The entire human resource needs to be redirected unto a common understanding on how to maximize the use available resources. This research study was particularly concerned with assessing salient factors that collectively or individually influenced employee performance, On the basis of this research's findings, players in the insurance industry would reliably access fundamental opinions towards the formulation of viable performance policies. In the quest of meeting the study's objectives, the researcher focused on a group of employees representatively selected from the forty four (44) registered and active Kenyan insurers. The respondents involved one human resource manager from each sampled unit, two supervisors and two subordinates who were randomly sampled. Generalizations were based on sample findingswhich the researcher consider valid. Ultimately, it was found out that motivation of employees towards enhancing performance was highly dependent on compensational programmes, training and development and nature of work environments. Employees who had access to formal training progammes were highly motivated to work for their companies unlike those who had no access. Additionally, training and career development played a crucial role in modeling employee behaviour, which in turn caused influence on performance. Finally, the overall nature of work environment signified the extent to which management valued the contributions by the employees.