Strategic Social Practices and Performance in the Kenya National Police Service: Central Police Division, Nairobi - Kenya
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Date
2023-11
Authors
Tenai, Isack
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Kenya’s National Police Service has undergone numerous changes in an effort to improve its efficiency and strategic alignment with the requirements of the Kenyan people. As part of its reform, the institution was renamed from the Kenya Police Force (KPF) to the NPS. This signifies reaffirmation of its commitment to provide services to the public within a supportive social environment. However, little research has been done to determine whether the strategic social practices realignment within the police service has any implications on the institution’s performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the Kenya National Police Service performs with the introduction of strategic social practices such as leadership style, organizational structure, professionalism, and organizational politics in its management and operations. The four aspects were the study's independent variables. To provide the current investigations with solid theoretical and empirical underpinnings, practice and system theories as well as pertinent sources of empirical literatures were reviewed. The collection, processing, and interpretation of the research data were all governed by a descriptive research design. One hundred and fifty (150) law enforcement personnel were purposively sampled from a target population of 750 police personnel at the Central Police Division in Nairobi County. Semi-structured questionnaire was then formulated and tested for validity and reliability during a pilot study, using 10% of the study’s sample size. The study involved gathering of quantitative and qualitative data which were then subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis by the use of Statistical Package for Social Science and the findings presented accordingly. According to the study, respondents agreed with claims about four institutional strategic social aspects: professionalism, leadership style, organizational politics, and organizational structure. Professionalism and leadership style yielded the lowest and biggest impacts respectively, (0.093; p=0.000) and (0.300; p=0.000). Inversely, organizational politics significantly undermined the NPS's performance (-0.254; p=0.001). According to the study's findings, the primary attitude or belief that affects leadership style is how employees see their roles as managers as opposed to subordinates. Other findings include that decentralization enhances effective decision-making that a tiny locus of control and efficiency are positively correlated, and that job repetition has both positive and negative effects on productivity. Professionalism ensures proper handling of problems, fostering a culture of respect. The report suggests that the national police agency employs transactional and transformative leadership to help unlock the potential of its employees.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School Of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management Option) of Kenyatta University, November 2023.
Keywords
Strategic Social Practices, Performance, Kenya National Police Service, Central Police Division, Nairobi