Employees’ perception of the factors influencing staff promotion decisions at the cooperative bank of Kenya headquarters

Abstract

Promotion decisions in an organization are not only an expression of gratitude and reward for effort, but also a chance for self-fulfillment and career advancement, satisfying an individual's need for achievement and success (Burns, 1992). Promotion communicates on what assets the organization values most. It raises employee status and is a visible sign of esteem from the employer. It is a form of employee recognition for achieving significant and effective work contributions in the institution; therefore it must be available to employees who play any role in the contribution of work and value in organizations. Employees who feel little opportunity for growth and no reward for their hard work usually don't feel motivated to continue to perform to the best of their abilities. According to Laurie (2005), Employers who don't recognize employee talent and performance through promotion may risk losing a hard-working employee. The objective of the study was to identify various perceived factors that influence promotion of employees at cooperative bank of Kenya headquarters. The study was carried out in one of the Local Banks namely Cooperative Bank of Kenya, which has a population of 92 staff at the Back office support department at the headquarters. A sample of 75 employees was chosen randomly from the five job groups using stratified sampling. The study utilized both inferential and descriptive design employing both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The data was collected mainly through the use of questionnaires. The research revealed that education and experience of employees highly influences promotion decisions in the organization. The study recommends that the Cooperative bank of Kenya and the banking industry in general must review their promotion policies to enable their employees to advance career wise in order to retain and motivate employees to perform better