Mogaka, Cynthia Bonareri2026-02-122026-02-122025-11https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32391A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration of Kenyatta University. November, 2025 Supervisor Jane NjorogeCorrectional institutions in Kenya face persistent challenges in achieving sustainable inmate rehabilitation, particularly within urban counties such as Nairobi City County. Organizational cultural inconsistencies, lack of innovation, rigid hierarchical structures, and weak interdepartmental collaboration hinder effective behavior change among inmates. These institutional challenges limit the effect of rehabilitation programs and contribute to high recidivism rates. This study sought to examine the effect of organizational culture practices on inmate behaviour change in correctional facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The primary aim was to assess how adaptive culture, teamwork culture, hierarchical culture, and adhocracy culture influence inmate rehabilitation outcomes. The study was guided by the Competing Values Framework and Social Learning Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted, targeting correctional officers in five major facilities within Nairobi City County. The target population comprised 1,060 prison officers from three major correctional facilities in Nairobi County: Kamiti Maximum Security Prison (585 officers), Lang’ata women’s maximum security prison (396 officers), and Nairobi remand and allocation maximum security prison (79 officers). Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 291 respondents. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS Version 26, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant positive relationships between all four organizational culture dimensions and inmate behaviour change. Multiple regression results showed that the four culture variables collectively explained 62.7% of the variance in behaviour change. Teamwork culture and adaptive culture were the strongest predictors, while hierarchical culture had the weakest yet significant influence. The findings highlight that collaborative, flexible, and innovative cultural environments significantly enhance rehabilitation outcomes. However, the study also identified challenges, including limited institutional support for innovation, rigid command structures, and weak post-release follow-up mechanisms. The study concludes that internal organizational culture practices strongly influence inmate rehabilitation. It recommends fostering teamwork, adaptive practices, and innovation, alongside reforms to hierarchical systems to enhance staff empowerment and program responsiveness. These insights offer a framework for strengthening rehabilitation strategies in Kenya’s correctional institutions. The study adhered to all ethical requirements, including obtaining NACOSTI authorization, securing informed consent from participants, ensuring confidentiality and anonymity, and guaranteeing voluntary participation throughout the data collection process.enThesis