ASSESSMENT OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN NAKURU COUNTY

Abstract

Every organization desires to achieve competitive advantages more than others and employee engagement is the best instrument for it. For the past 5 years the manufacturing industry has experienced a significant growth; however the sector has done a poor job of properly engaging its expanded workforce. The level of employee engagement in the manufacturing industry is quite low. According to Kenya Association of Manufacturers in the manufacturing industry the level of employee engagement is at an estimated. The sector trails other small sectors such as the telecommunication sector. Therefore, the study sought to investigate the influence of employee engagement on organizational performance among manufacturing companies in Kenya. More specifically the study sought to investigate the influence of communication and fair opportunities on organizational performance of manufacturing companies in Nakuru town. Theories underpinning this study includeexpectancy theory and social exchange theory. The study employed a descriptive research design which assisted the researcher to obtain results which are relevant to the study. The target population of this study included all the permanent employees working in the 20 selected KAM registered manufacturing firms in Nakuru County. There are a total of 450 permanent employees in the targeted manufacturing firms in Nakuru town. Sampling technique was employed where 153 employees from the 20 companies were selected to be the target population of the study. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Questionnaires were tested for validity and reliability. Data collected was analyzed by both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Descriptive analysis was involved frequencies and percentages mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics involved correlations and multiple regression analyses. The finding of the study was then presented in form of tables followed by relevant discussions. From the findings the researcher further found out that a positive, moderately strong and statistically significant relationship exists between communication and performance of manufacturing companies. The study also established that manufacturing companies are fundamentally important in improving the performance of manufacturing companies. From the conclusion the researcher recommended that there is a need for an organization to ensure that there is work balance between employee work and their life daily activities. Organization should organize for training programs that tend not to feel value for them. The researcher suggested that further studies should be conducted to determine the effect of pay-for performance on employee performance of manufacturing firms.