| Pub. Date | : Jan, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJOB31901 |
| Author Name | : Stephen G Cheche, Stephen M A Muathe and Samuel M Maina |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Management |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 16 |
Research and training are very important drivers of economic development and account for differences in development levels between and among countries. In Africa and most Third World countries, research and training are mostly carried out by state entities specifically formed for the purpose. However, the performance of the public service has been criticized due to unpredictable and unsatisfactory performance. As the population increases and the demand on meager resources is also on the rise, the role of research and training becomes more critical. However, there is only scanty empirical research on the performance of state corporations in research and training. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the influence of employee engagement on the performance of research and training state corporations in Kenya. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics on the relationship between employee engagement and the performance of research and training state corporations in Kenya. The study found that employee engagement has a significant influence on organizational performance and that the relationship between them is moderated by age, education and tenure. The study concluded that employers should pay attention to the demographic composition of their workforce while providing safe and secure work environment that lowers staff turnover.
Investment in research and higher education has been cited as major determinants in disparities in economic growth among and between countries (Sterlacchini, 2008). Consequently, adoption of knowledge-based economy is seen as a cure to under development in Third World countries. In Kenya, the critical role that research, technology and innovation are expected to play in moving the country from underdeveloped to a middle income status has been aptly captured in the country's economic blue print, Vision 2030 (Republic of Kenya (RoK), 2007). The Government of Kenya implements its research and training agenda through specialized state agencies. However, the performance of the public service has been a matter of great concern to the government and the general public (RoK, 2013 and 2017). With a rapidly growing population against non-increasing and at times diminishing resources, the pressure to improve the performance of the public service in general and that of state corporations in particular continues to dominate public debate.