Factors influencing the performance of public servants in Kenya: a case of Machakos county

Abstract

The study investigated the factors influencing the performance of public servants, in Machakos County. The legitimacy of any public service draws its breath from the capacity of responding to the needs of citizens in a way that is economically efficient. An emerging consensus among public sector experts is that in as much as public sector performance involves efficiency and outputs, it also involves the effectiveness of outcomes. The two major questions which are under consideration when it comes to public sector performance include: are citizens getting what they need and in what optimal way are public sector organizations using the resources under their disposal. The study was guided by the following objectives: to determine the impact of management practices on the performance of public servants, to assess the influence of work environment on the performance of public servants, to explore the influence of equipment and tools on the performance of public servants and finally to establish the influence of motivation on the performance of public servants. The research design used for the study was descriptive survey research. The target population was 1000 public servants working in the county government of Machakos. Through stratified random sampling, the study selected 10% of the study population which is 100 respondents who were issued with questionnaires for data collection. Afterwards the data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20 and results presented in form of tables, figures and charts. Work performance among civil servants stands at the center of meeting the economic and developmental goals of a nation or state thus factors such as management, morale, resources and motivation among civil servants in state owned corporations or organizations should be treated as a an important factor just like any other. The management in an organization should be visionary and ambitious thus ensuring that the various structures of management that are put in place will ensure performance at optimal levels and also the people in the management level are rightly qualified for the job. The motivation of employees should be an important job for the organizations and that every incentive possible should be used to ensure that the morale of workers is kept at peak always. The study recommends that work performance among civil servants should be given the seriousness it deserves by the management and also the factors that affect it; the management should dedicate enough resources in terms of time and finances to ensure optimal performance