BENEFITS MANAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT MANAGERIAL STAFF IN MANDERA COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
This research ascertained the connection between benefits management and the motivation of county government managerial staff in Mandera County, Kenya. The research employed a descriptive survey research design and targeted all 86 managerial staff working in the county government of Mandera through a census approach. Data collection was conducted utilizing a structured questionnaire designed to capture relevant information on benefits management and staff motivation. Obtained data was analyzed utilizing both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The SPSS was utilized for data analysis. Regression analysis was done to establish the effect of various benefits management strategies on employee motivation. It is anticipated that the study's conclusions would offer insightful information to policy-makers and county government administrators in designing effective benefits management strategies to enhance the motivation and performance of managerial staff in Mandera County. The study came to the conclusion that the total rewards package that combines all aspects offered by the Mandera County government consisting of salaries, bonuses, retirement provisions, and medical insurance is a strong and dependable indicator of the motivation of managerial staff. This conclusion is reached after thorough statistical analysis which involved multiple linear regression. The null hypothesis that stated there is no effect of the benefits package on motivation that is significant from the statistical viewpoint is now firmly rejected. The analysis by the statistical method not only reveals that there is a big and a significant relationship but also states that these four elements make a large part of the variability in motivation levels of the management team. The research recommended that the County Government of Mandera has to take the performance-based reward system of the county to the next level by giving it the utmost priority. The psychological impact of the compensatory package on the employees should be the main concern of the county government. The absolute level of the salary package is one thing, but the employees' discontent with the fairness of the process of determining the increases undermines trust and creates internal equity issues; therefore, the county must develop a fully transparent and consistently applied metrics that will connect individual managerial performance to tangible financial outcomes.
References
Adewale, O. (2019). Public sector pension management and employee motivation in Nigeria. Journal of Public Administration, 52(4), 276-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpad.2019.04.002
Aftab, S. (2020). Benefits management and employee retention in public organizations: A global perspective. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(3), 1021-1044. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1780214
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
Bratun, U., Asaba, E., & Zurc, J. (2022). Motives of retirement-aged workers and the importance of doing, being, becoming, and belonging: A systematic review of qualitative studies. Journal of Occupational Science, 30(3), 420–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2022.2057574
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). (2020). Public sector benefits and employee motivation in Canada: A review. Retrieved from https://www.cupe.ca
Care sector in Kenya: a case of Kakamega County. Kenyatta University
Chumbe, A. L., ArvinLucy, A., & Onyango, M. (2024). The impact of employee benefits administration, specifically retirement benefits, on employee performance at Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) in Kenya.
Chumbe.E, ArvinLucy.O and Onyango.M (2024). The effect of employee benefits administration, specifically retirement benefits, on employee performance at the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) in Kenya. International Journal of Social Sciences and Information Technology. Vol X Issue VI, July 2024
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Gitau.A., Chepkilot.R., Kipchumba.S. (2024). The Effect of Employees’ Health Benefits on the Performance of Commercial State Corporations in Kenya. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship (JBE). 3. 15-24. 10.51317/jbe.v3i1.521.
Karaferis, D., Aletras, V., Raikou, M., & Niakas, D. (2022). Factors Influencing Motivation and Work Engagement of Healthcare Professionals. Materia socio-medica, 34(3), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2022.34.216-224
Karaferis, E., Aletras, V., Raikou, M., & Niakas, D. (2022). Factors Influencing Motivation and Work Engagement of Healthcare Professionals. Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory.
Karia, S., & Wijayanti, D. (2019). Employee benefits and motivation in decentralized public administration: A comparative analysis. Public Administration Review, 39(1), 60-75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2019.00128.x
Kipkebut, D. J. (2019). Employee motivation and job satisfaction in Kenyan county governments: The role of benefits administration. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(5), 432-448.
Kothari, C. R. (2014). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Age International Publishers.
Kuria, P. W., & Omondi, M. A. (2020). Effects of salary and benefits on employee performance in county governments in Kenya. African Journal of Management Studies, 8(3), 214-229.
Liu, W., & Liu, Y. (2022). The Impact of Incentives on Job Performance, Business Cycle, and Population Health in Emerging Economies. Frontiers in public health, 9, 778101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.778101
Mokhniuk, A. and Yushchyshyna, L. (2018). The Impact of Monetary and Non-Monetary Factors of Motivation on Employee Productivity. Economic journal of Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University. 13. 94-101. 10.29038/2411-4014-2018-01-94-101.
Muema, E.., & Ng’eno, W. (2022). Effects of Retirement Benefits on Organisational Performance in Kenya: A Case of Makueni County. Journal of Public Policy & Governance, 6(2), 115–124. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4099
Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Acts Press.
Muguchu, A. (2019). The effectiveness of non-monetary incentives in motivating employees in NGO sector in Kenya. Kenyatta University
Mutsoli, P. (2018). The effect of devolution on employee performance in the healthcare sector in Kakamega County Referral Hospital, Kenya.
Mutunga, F. M., & Gachunga, H. (2020). Influence of non-monetary benefits on employee motivation in public sector institutions in Kenya. Journal of Human Resource Management Research, 7(1), 89-105.
Mwangi, G., & Wanjiru, N. (2021). Challenges in employee motivation and benefits management in Kenyan county governments. Journal of East African Public Administration, 17(2), 101-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/jepa.2021.01702
National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI). (2023). Guidelines for ethical research in Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: NACOSTI.
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2020). Employee benefits in state and local governments. Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/
Odhiambo, O and Iravo, M. (2019). Role of Non-Monetary Incentives on Employee Performance in Public Chartered Universities in Kenya. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research. Vol. 7, Issue 4, pp: (475-494),
Oghojafor, B. E., Ojo, M. S., & Nwachukwu, C. (2020). Employee motivation and benefits management in the Nigerian public sector. African Journal of Management Studies, 9(2), 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJMS-08-2020-0215
Ogunmakin, A. A., & Sunday, O. A. (2023). Effect of Financial Incentives on Employee Morale and Motivation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Ekiti State. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 13,465-484
Ogunmakin, A., & Sunday, A. (2023). The effect of financial incentives on employee morale and motivation of SMEs in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Okoye, S and Abdol, F. (2024). A Study on the Impact of Financial Incentives and Work Environment on Employee Motivation to Work: A Case Study of Employees of Paradise Estate Management Company. International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting. 5. 1-25. 10.33093/ijomfa.2024.5.2.1.
Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step-by-step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (7th ed.). Routledge.
Public Service Commission. (2019). Public sector motivation and performance in South Africa. Government Printing Press.
Rahma, M. (2019). Compensation Programs and Employee Performance in Agricultural Development Corporation in Kenya. Kenyatta University
Rahma, M. (2019). The influence of compensation programs on employee performance in Agricultural Development Corporation in Kenya.
Shafi, M. (2022). Healthcare Benefits Impact on Employee Motivation in Post Pandemic Era. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Vol 3, Issue 7, pp 3446-3461.
Smith, J., & Brown, K. (2021). The impact of pension schemes on employee motivation in the public sector: A global perspective. Public Sector Review, 15(2), 150-168. https://doi.org/xxxx
Statistics Canada. (2021). Public sector employee benefits in Canada: An overview. Retrieved from https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start
Sureephong.P., Dahlan.W., Chernbumroong.S., Tongpaeng.Y. (2020). The Effect of Non-Monetary Rewards on Employee Performance in Massive Open Online Courses. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET). 15. 88. 10.3991/ijet.v15i01.11470.
Van Dijk, C., & Thornhill, C. (2019). The role of benefits management in public sector employee motivation in South Africa. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(4), 220-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2019.1611078
Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and Motivation. Wiley.
Wambua, J. M. (2018). Challenges of employee motivation in Kenyan county governments: A case study of Nairobi City County. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 6(4), 99-115.
Wangari, M., & Thuo, M. (2020). Challenges in public sector benefits management in Kenya's counties. Journal of Governance and Policy, 22(3), 112-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgp.2020.09.004
Yeji, K. and Cho, Y. (2019). Impact Of Retirement System on Job Satisfaction and Loyalty: A Case of the Salary Peak System. International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER). 15. 10.19030/iber. v15i1.9582.
Zurc, D., Asaba, A., & Bratun, I. (2022). Why people who could retire continue to work: Exploring prolonged participation in work.
