EFFECT OF REWARD SYSTEM ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION OF BOARD OF MANAGEMENT TEACHERS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NAKURU TOWN EAST AND WEST SUB-COUNTIES

Abstract

More BOM teachers are leaving the profession for alternative career. This may be a sign of dissatisfaction among teachers thus the need to learn the factors affecting teachers job satisfaction. According to TSC, 2016 records at least 1000 teachers left for other fields. The study sought to establish the effect of reward system on employee‟s retention among teachers in Nakuru Town East and West Sub-County. Specifically the study sought to determine the influence of recognition, pay-for-performance on BOM teacher‟s retention in public primary schools in Nakuru Town East and West Sub-County. The research will be of great importance to education sector by identifying effective ways of improving teacher‟s job satisfaction through implementation of accepted standards of quality work life. The study was guided by equity theory and agency theory. The study adopted descriptive research design. The unit of analysis was public primary schools in Nakuru Town East and West Sub County while the unit of observation was BOM teachers within the schools. According to BOM in the targeted schools there are 85 BOM teachers. Since the target population was small the researcher adopted census technique to incorporate all the targeted population. Questionnaires were used as primary data collection instruments. A pilot study was conducted on 9 respondents who were drawn from Naivasha primary school in Naivasha Sub-County. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 24 statistical software. The study adopted both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics constituted of means and standard deviations. The inferential statistics was scrutinized using the principal of multiple linear regressions. The study found out that the relationship between recognition and teachers` retention in public primary schools was moderately strong and statistically significant. The relationship between pay for performance and teachers` retention was established to be positive statistically significant. The researcher recommended that primary schools wishing to adopt a pay for performance system should have clear objectives for it. The objectives should be clearly spelt out and discussed with employees in an integrative and positive way. The researcher further recommended that BOM members should use effective communication in making BOM teachers understand the compensation system in schools. This will ensure that teachers are properly informed on the methods and reasons for compensation at any particular point in time; this will build the needed confidence and trust in the system and hence adequate support from the teachers. The researcher suggested that further studies should be conducted on factors influencing the quality of work life balance among public primary schools.