Perceived Effect of Cross-cultural Differences on the Service Delivery at International Committee of the Red Cross in Kenya

Abstract

The research was designed to establish the perceived effects of cross-cultural differences on the service delivery at international humanitarian agencies in Kenya. The study used a descriptive design through an in-depth study design of a group of individuals. The study population comprised of employees working with International Committee of the Red Cross, where a sample of 185 employees was targeted. Data collection was facilitated with the help of research questionnaires. The collected data were then descriptively analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) after which regression analysis was done to determine the relationship between service delivery at the International Committee of the Red Cross and the four independent variables investigated in this case. The analysis presents that taking all other independent variables at zero, a unit increase in cross-cultural differences in conflict management will lead to a 0.169 increase in service delivery. A unit increase in cross-cultural differences in decision making will lead to a 0.156 increase in service delivery; a unit increase in cross-cultural differences in motivation will lead to a 0.205 increase in service delivery while a unit increase in cross-cultural differences in ethics will lead to a 0.128 increase in service delivery meaning cross-cultural differences in motivation had the highest effect on service delivery at the International Committee of the Red Cross. The study recommends that organizations should let all employees, both local and foreign appreciate their different backgrounds and resolve differences that may occur so that conflict management can be made easier in order to enhance service delivery. Organizations should also look into the reason why most of the employees are not self-motivated. It is recommended that the organization invests more on employee development to enhance self-motivation and hence enhance service delivery.