The Influence of Organisational Communication on Employee Performance at County Governments in Kenya: a Case Study of the County Government of Laikipia

Abstract

Organisational communication has become increasingly complex and varied, significantly impacting employee morale, motivation, and performance, making it a crucial factor in overall organizational functioning and success. The study purposed at establishing the impact of organisational communication on the performance of employees at county government of Laikipia(CGL). The study aimed to investigate the impact of leadership communication, organisational information flow, and information sharing on employee performance at the CGL. The study utilized social exchange and organizational control theories to analyze 267 appointed employees and 23 elected members of Laikipia County Assembly. The sample size was 168 respondents. The quantitative data was collected from subordinate employees and supervisors through the use of semi-structured questionnaires. To collect qualitative data from CEC members and MCAs, an interview guide was used. The researcher conducted a pilot study to ensure the study's goals were met which involved 17 staff at CGL representing 10% of the sample size. The study utilized SPSS Version 24 for a multiple regression analysis in determining the correlation between the two study variables. Percentages and frequencies were used in presenting the descriptive statistics. Qualitative data which was collected via the interviews were used in giving a detailed explanation on various aspects of the subject matter. To analyze the qualitative data content analysis was used. From the findings a change in leadership communication significantly improved employee performance by 0.680 times, with a p value of.002. Based on the findings, the hypothesis is not rejected hence the conclusion that leadership communication significantly influences employee performance in CGL. Based on the outcome it can be stated that with a unit change in organizational flow, employee performance is improved significantly by .736 times other factors kept constant. The statistical analysis, with a p-value of .001, confirms that the organizational flow of information significantly impacts employee performance. The outcome shows that a unit change in information sharing leads to a significant change in the performance of the employees’ other things kept constant. The hypothesis is not rejected since the p value obtained was .009 which is below .05 meaning that information sharing has a significant and positive influence on employee performance. The study recommends future study be done to focus on other factors accounting for 26.2% that influences employee performance at Laikipia County. Similar studies may also be done to focus on other counties for comparison purposes.