Attitude of Kenya revenue authority employees towards telecommuting

Abstract

The objectives of the study were three. The first was to establish the attitude of the Kenya Revenue Authority employees towards embracing telecommuting practices. The second was to establish the variation in attitude of Kenya Revenue Authority employees towards telecommuting considering their functions and managerial levels in the organisational hierarchy. The third objective was to establish the attitude of Kenya Revenue Authority supervisors towards allowing the staff they supervise to telecommute. The need for the study arose from the fact that though telecommuting could be considered as a flexible work practise suitable for KRA, the attitude of employees is not known. In respect of the objectives of the study, data were collected, using questionnaires, from a sample of 147 staff of the Kenya Revenue Authority. The members of staff were drawn across all levels; from top management to subordinate support staff. The data were analysed with the use of descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The findings of the study indicated that over 60% of the Kenya Revenue Authority employees would prefer to telecommute. Some of the respondents did not prefer telecommuting due to the following considerations: difficulty in balancing work, leisure and other activities; possible lack of social interactions, possible increase in household conflicts, and possible interference from family members on telecommuting. Though majority of the respondents preferred to telecommute, the above issues would need to be effectively addressed for a much greater acceptance.

The findings further indicated that the level of preference for telecommuting varied with managerial levels and functions. The highest level of preference came from the middle management and the technical officers; the lowest level was from the subordinate members of staff followed by top management. The findings indicated that the level of preference varied with the level of education, with the highest coming from those who have attained University level. Additionally, the findings indicated that over two thirds of the supervisors support telecommuting by the staff that work under them. With a high level of preference and given the potential benefits to employees, organisation and the government, it is prudent for telecommuting to be considered for implementation in the Kenyan public sector. Its implementation can be piloted with a single department within the organisation or ministry and expanded to others in subsequent phases. Amenability to telecommuting and low level of interaction with other departments could be used as a deciding factor in identification of the department to be used in piloting. It is further recommended that telecommuting be considered for implementation in the Kenya Revenue Authority given the favourable response by the employees and management towards the adoption of the practice.