| dc.description.abstract | Performance management has been adopted as a strategic response to competition and market demands by both private and public enterprises. In public management literature, performance management has focused on contribution of employees to improved service delivery. Performance contracting is a broader sector reform aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness while reducing costs. Performance contracting includes a range of management instruments used to define responsibilities and expectations between parties to achieve mutually agreed results. This study sought to establish perception of staff towards performance contracting in the Ministry of Trade and the factors influencing the perception. The study adopted a case study design, the target population was Ministry of Trade employees in the headquarters in Nairobi from which a sample size of 180 staff were chosen using simple random stratified sampling technique. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data. Findings of the study were; that salary disparities, employees empowerment and senior management commitment affect employee perception towards performance contracting and that staff participation in setting performance targets contributed to negative perception towards performance contracting.
The finding therefore concluded that salary disparities, empowering of employees, senior management commitment and appreciation of staff needs contributed to negative perception of staff towards performance contracting. It was further concluded that staff participation in setting performance targets, staff cooperation, commitment by senior management, morale of staff and teamwork are factors that contributed greatly to negative perception of staff towards performance a contracting.
The study recommended that the ministry should adequately address issues which contributed to negative perception of staff towards performance contracting and also address factors that negatively influenced their perception towards performance contracting. Finally it is suggested for further research that studies be conducted on effectiveness on performance in enhancing the performance of the ministry and government departments in Kenya | en_US |
