Relationship between perceived Participation in decision making and job Satisfaction in private universities in Kenya: A case study of Strathmore University

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived participation in decision making and job satisfaction in private universities in Kenya. The study specifically looked at Strathmore University staff. A descriptive survey research design was used. The sample of study constituted staff from three staff categories: academic staff, administrative staff and support staff. Both full-time and part-time employees were included in the survey but those in senior management ranks such as the vice chancellor were excluded. Stratified sampling was used to determine the size of each stratum while simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for each stratum. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and excel. The results revealed that the general job attitude was positive that is; overall the respondents were generally satisfied working for the organization. A large proportion of the respondents felt that they participated in decision making through involvement, control over certain aspects of their work, teamwork, delegation, and consultation. However, most of the respondents did not feel that they had an input in the development of the departmental as well as the organisation's policies and strategic plan. Pearson's product-moment correlation index computed at 0.05 confidence level (two-tailed) resulted in moderate correlations. The strongest correlation was between teamwork and job stress (r = -0.443; P = 0.011) while the weakest was between creativity and innovation and recognition (r = +0.336 p = 0.048).) The conclusion drawn from this study is that there is a relationship between perceived participation in decision making and job satisfaction. For employees to achieve job satisfaction through participation in decision making there must be a fair chance for everyone to participate in the decision making process. Pay and benefits do not significantly change job attitude.