Employee Participation In Policymaking And Performance Among Private Universities In Kenya

Abstract

The study sought to establish the relationship between employee participation in policymaking and performance among private universities in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the link between inclusive decision-making, representative participation, feedback mechanisms in policymaking and collaborative platforms in policymaking on performance among private universities in Kenya. The study was grounded on shared leadership theory, stakeholder theory and organizational justice theory. The study employed an explanatory research design and the target population was employees from private chartered universities in Kenya. A two stage cluster sampling procedure was utilized for the selection of participants in the study. At stage one, five private universities were selected, two representing those sponsored by faith based organisations, two sponsored by non faith based organisations and one sponsored by a professional body. At stage two, a stratified random sampling of participants from the selected institutions was conducted while paying attention to the representation of the lower, middle and upper management from academic and non-academic staff. This yielded a total sample size of 251. Appropriate descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations and illustrative charts were used to explore the quantitative data in the study. The multiple linear regression model were used to betermine the extent to which levels of employee participation can predict performance. The study found that there exists a positive and significant link between inclusive decision-making and performance among private universities in Kenya. The study also found that there exists a positive and significant link between representative participation and performance among private universities in Kenya. In addition, the study established that there exists a positive and significant link between feedback mechanisms in policymaking and performance among private universities in Kenya. Further, the study established that there exists a positive and significant link between collaborative platforms in policymaking and performance among private universities in Kenya. The study recommends that the universities should enhance their practices by establishing structured feedback channels to ensure consistent employee input in decision-making. In addition, pirvate universities should ensure representatives are granted appropriate authority and receive adequate support and resources. Further, private universities should have a systematic, inclusive approach to collecting and transparently managing feedback from diverse stakeholders is essential. Also, private universities should continue to leverage digital platforms to efficiently gather stakeholder input and feedback, enhancing ease of participation in policymaking.