The Relationship Between Performance Appraisal and Employee Productivity in the State Department for Correctional Services in Kwale County

Abstract

Increase in performance appraisal leads to employee productivity since employees are stimulated to put more effort to increase productivity. This is not always the case in the Kenyan situation and this study therefore used descriptive research design to determine the relationship between performance appraisal and employee productivity in the State Department for Correctional Services in Kwale County with the main focus being the Prisons Department. The objectives of the study were; to determine the relationship between self-evaluation and employee productivity in the State Department for Correctional Services-Prisons Department in Kwale County; to investigate the relationship between task based evaluation assessment and employee productivity in State Department for Correctional Services-Prisons Department in Kwale County, to find out the relationship between 360 degree feedback and employee productivity in the State Department for Correctional Services-Prisons Department in Kwale County and to establish the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between performance appraisal and employee productivity. The study was founded on two main theories ; Goal Setting Theory and Expectancy Theory. The study used inferential statistics (ANOVA) for data analysis. Stepwise regression analysis was employed to establish the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between performance appraisal and employee productivity. Primary data was used in the analysis which was collected from the employees of the State Department for Correctional Services-Prisons Department in Kwale County. Pearson correlation coefficient between 360-degree evaluation and employee productivity was found to be 0.90 hence positive and statistically significant relationship between the two variables. The effect of self-evaluation, task-based evaluation and 360-degree feedback on employee productivity was also found to be positive and statistically significant. The p-value was less than 0.05 units in each case and the regression coefficients of selfevaluation, task based evaluation and 360 degree feedback were 0.334, 0.437 and 0.591 respectively. The analysis was carried out at 95% level of significance. The study recommends that organizations need to carry out performance appraisal since it is positively and significantly related to employee productivity. The study also recommends that the same study be done in other Government institutions in different Counties and gender to be considered as a siginificant factor towards employee productivity.