Determinants of organizational performance in public sector: a case of media council of Kenya
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Date
2024-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Determinants of public sector performance have attracted significant volumes of literature. However, little guidance and scant empirical evidence exist on critical determinants such as communication among partners, innovation, staff competence, and independence, particularly regarding their operational impact on public sector organizations in less developed countries. Against the backdrop of the alarming performance of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the identified gaps, the current study sought to establish the determinants and organizational performance of the Media Council of Kenya. The study's objectives were to determine the effects of innovation, transparency and accountability, communication, and staff competence on the organizational performance of the Media Council of Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design, targeting 76 respondents who were employees in various divisions of the Media Council of Kenya. A census survey was used since the number of respondents was small and manageable. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The analysis was conducted in two stages: first, descriptive statistics of each construct were used to describe the characteristics of the study population, and second, inferential statistics were used to test the null hypothesis. A Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program, version 24, was used for the entire analysis. A series of multiple regression analyses (standard and stepwise) were conducted to provide estimates of net effects and explanatory power. The study results indicated that the Media Council supports employees with creative skills that contribute to common objectives. The results also showed that the innovation process was closely linked to an individual's level of success. The majority of respondents indicated that technological capability has propelled the parastatal in fulfilling future desires. Respondents agreed that self-assessment helps employees identify areas of success and areas needing improvement, particularly in transparency and creating a culture that upholds a drive for excellence. The Media Council allows feedback from staff during work engagement, and leaders pay close attention to their followers' needs, guiding them through challenging situations and developing them along the way. Consequently, employees were more likely to come up with unique solutions to common problems. The study concluded that innovation, communication, transparency, and accountability significantly affected the performance of the Media Council of Kenya, with a p-value of less than 5%. However, staff competence had an insignificant effect on organizational performance (sig>0.05). The study recommends that the implementation of process innovation projects can benefit from establishing focus groups, which can aid in the strategic planning and execution of the innovation process. Additionally, the study recommends that the principle of accountability should be deeply ingrained in all official documents pertaining to public service management, including development plans, policies, regulations, and legislation. It is essential to engage in consultation that encompasses both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Furthermore, it is imperative to administer professionally planned training programs aimed at boosting staff competencies, considering the current and future competencies required by the Media Council of Kenya
Description
A research project submitted to the department of public policy and administration in the school of law, social sciences and humanities for the partial fulfillment for the award of master of public policy and administration of Kenyatta University, May, 2024
Supervisor: David Minja