Workforce diversity management and employee performance in national biosafety authority, Kenya
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Date
2017
Authors
Muthiora, Doreen Muthoni
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Workforce diversity management has been shown to directly influence performance of
employees in organizations. In Kenya however, this concept has not been adopted in many
organizations. The study was conducted at the National Biosafety Authority in Nairobi,
Kenya. The general objectives of this study were to determine if performance of employees
was impacted by managing different aspects of workforce diversity such as age, gender,
marital status and educational background. The specific objectives determined the effects of
education background, gender diversity, marital status and age diversity while the dependent
variable was employee performance. Descriptive research design was adopted in the study.
The target population was 38 employees of National Biosafety Authority who included the
senior management, middle management, and general staff. Since the population was small, a
census study was adopted whereby the entire population was considered for the study. The
study collected primary data through the use of a questionnaire which had both closed and
open-ended questions. The questionnaire was pilot tested prior to being administered to the
selected sample to test for validity and reliability. Validity of the questionnaire was
established by the researcher and supervisor reviewing and discussing the items on the
instruments while reliability was checked by the use of test-retest reliability. The
questionnaire wasthen be administered to the respondents for data collection of both
qualitative and quantitative data. The data collected was then be analysed using the SPSS
software and some values were exported to excel for generation of charts and tables.
Descriptive and regression analysis revealed that employee performance was influenced
significantly by age diversity. Analysis indicated that 82% of employees had the perception
that education influenced the performance of employees at the workplace. 92% of employees
indicated that gender diversity increased performance of staff. Marital status did not have an
effect of performance of employees. Age diversity also proved to have an impact on
performance with 82% of respondents believing that it improved performance. Regression
analysis also showed that performance was positively influenced by three independent
variables namely education, gender and age diversity.
The qualitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics which included frequency
distribution tables and the mean, standard deviation and measures of relative frequencies
while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis and reported in narrative form
along with quantitative presentation. Inferential statistics included use of a regression analysis
to establish the form of relationship between the dependent variable and the independent
variables. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences software aided in the analysis. Data
was presented in tables and graphs. The study found out that workforce diversity
management such as education background, gender diversity, marital status and age diversity
affect employee performance. However, marital status did not influence employee
performance in the organization. The study concludes that education background, gender
diversity, marital status and age diversityare critical workforce diversity management that
determines employee performance in an organization. The study recommends that there is
need for creating awareness and conducting trainings touching on workplace diversity since
most of the staff did not think the organization has invested enough in sensitizing
employees.The study should focus on assigning tasks to employees possessing relevant skills
and trainings to enhance performance. The study should also organize team building
activities to ensure that the staff who are unsure of the effect of age diversity on lack of
bonding are engaged with staff of different age groups both at a professional and a social level.
Description
A research project submitted to the school of business in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master in business administration (human resource management). November 2017