Influence Of Performance Appraisal On Duty Performance Of Provincial Administration Officers: A Case Of Selected Districts In Kitui

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of performance appraisal on duty performance of provincial administration officers in selected districts in Kitui. The study aimed at finding out if the current appraisal system within the provincial administration is competent enough and hence responsive to the unique nature of work of these administrators and their subsequent environment. The following were the objectives of the study: To establish the extent to which training of personnel on performance appraisal influenced duty performance by provincial administration officers; To establish the extent to which procedural justice influenced duty performance by provincial administration officers; To evaluate the influence of goal setting on duty performance by provincial administrators; To establish the extent to which performance feedback influenced duty performance by provincial administration officers. Moreover, based on the following objectives, the study tested several hypotheses on the linkages of the above stated objectives and duty performance by provincial administration officers. An overview of comprehensive factual and historical research as reviewed literature relevant to performance appraisal systems was presented in this proposal in relation to the study objectives. The research adopted a survey research design in the acquisition of factual, accurate, and systematic data, which was used in averages, frequencies, and similar statistical calculations. A total of 76 respondents were included in the study, which employed the use of Interviews and questionnaires which were admitted personally by the researcher. The respondents were picked randomly across six selected districts in Kitui County. The validity of the instruments was ascertained by checking whether the questions were indeed measuring what they were supposed to and was determined by colleagues and experts in research, while reliability was determined using Pearson – moment co-relation co-efficient and resubmitted to spearman rank co-relation co-efficient. The study findings confirmed that performance contract appraisal had a significant influence in the duty performance of provincial administration officers. The respondents did indeed confirm that training, procedural justice, goal setting and feedback in PCA influenced their duty performance. From the study however, It was established that training on PCA had not been given serious the attention it deserved. It also emerged that consultation during goal setting was not up to the respondents expectations. The findings also discovered that, the feedback system was not well executed. The study therefore recommended adequate training on performance appraisal to all officers irrespective of rank, comprehensive consultation during goal setting and improvement on the feedback structures and promptness. Quantitative data analysis was done using descriptive statistics where percentages and mean values of the five point likert scale were generated. All the respondents were assured of confidentiality and a permit was sought from the national council for science and technology for the collection of the data. A copy of the same was submitted to all the DC’s, DO’s, Chiefs and assistant Chiefs selected for the proposed study from Kitui Central, Kitui East and Kitui rural Constituency.