The influence of contextual and cognitive factors on the relationship between employee characteristics and employee outcomes in Kenyan Public Corporations

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing the relationship between employee characteristics and employee outcomes and the influence of contextual and cognitive factors on these relationships. The study was carried out in a background of change in the public sector in Kenya which is a major employer in the Kenyan economy and shifts in the management systems affect its employees.

The research objective of the study was to establish the nature of the relationship between employee characteristics and employee outcomes and to determine the moderating role of contextual and cognitive factors in this relationship. Review of extant conceptual and empirical literature was done and at the end of it a conceptual framework was developed along with the research hypotheses. A positivist paradigm using descriptive research design was used.

The population comprised all the employees of public corporations. Proportionate random stratified sampling was used. The sample size was 384 selected from thirteen public sector organizations. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires measured on Likert type interval scales. The study yielded a 48 percent response rate. Descriptive statistics comprising means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data. Hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product Moment correlations and stepwise multiple regression.

The findings indicate that most employees surveyed have a diploma or higher level of education, 29.7% of them were women and 79% of the respondents were employed on permanent terms. All the hypotheses except two were confirmed with the joint effect of the independent and moderating variables acting on each employee outcome being greater than the effect of the individual variables. Job satisfaction was influenced by human resource practices, size, attribution and justice while commitment was influenced by locus of control and psychological contract. Trust was influenced by human resource practices and OCB was influenced by size and psychological contract. Age did not have any significant relationships with employee outcomes.

Conclusions drawn from the research findings suggest that age should be given less weight in matters of employment as it was a weak predictor of employee outcomes; that locus of control has more relevance for employee outcomes than age in organizations. Organization size, human resource practices and organizational justice have more influence on employee outcomes and they need to be implemented and managed well in organizations.