Industrial conflict resolution approaches and their effects organizational performance : a case of export processing zones-Mombasa

Abstract

The problem of industrial unrest is a common phenomenon in the EPZ companies countrywide. This may have been necessitated by the employee getting to know their rights and lacking a proper mechanism to air their grievances. The government of Kenya through the ministry of labour has spent a lot of time and effort to solve these problems that have rocked the EPZ companies. The concern has been great on the donors who have invested heavily in these companies. A lasting solution in this area is bound to be a relief for the government who earn substantial revenue from these companies. The research study was carried out at two EPZ companies in Mombasa , California Links EPZ Company and Blue Bird EPZ Company, a large and a medium sized Epz respectively. The population of the study was the management team who are well versed with industrial conflict issues affecting EPZ. The trade union representative at EPZ and the EPZ authority officials who are the regulatory organ for the EPZ companies were also studied. The researcher also included the ministry of labour officers in the study who gave the government's stand on the issue of industrial conflict resolution at the EPZ companies. The sample for the study was drawn from these populations in order to get a fair representation of members and it entailed stratified random sampling technique. The researcher also purposively selected the ministry of labour officials. Data was collected by the use of questionnaires and structured interviews. This data was then analyzed by the use of SPSS and the results provided in chapter five of the project. The researcher has also provided some recommendations and suggested possible areas for further research