Employee perception of the influence of human relations on job satisfaction at the ministry of foreign affairs and international trade

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the importance of Human Relations and job satisfaction at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Internal Trade. The research was conducted through a descriptive survey design. The population of the study consisted of 520 employees who are locally based at the Ministry. Random sampling design was used on 104 respondents. The study used primary data. The data was collected using a semistructured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the findings presented using Central Tendency (mean, median and mode), Chi-square test and dispersion (variance and standard deviation). The Pearson negative moment of correlation shows negative correlation. From the study findings, it was observed that the employees were satisfied with their relationship with the supervisors but said a lot more could be done to improve the situation. The employees had no problem with the remuneration package, however the employees suggested that there was need for better mechanisms to be put in place as to when remuneration should be considered. On Career growth, more of the employees felt that there was room for improvement. The study finding also shows that the employees are neutral about satisfaction with the level of Human Relations policies. This means they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their work and with their supervisors. The study shows that employees are dissatisfied with advancement and prompt feedback from management in the Ministry. Although there is communication, it is not always and when it is done, the method used is verbal and this is not as effective as it is meant to be. Employees do not get the right message in time and this affects their response to whatever feedback is required. The employees suggested that participatory Human relations leadership style should be embraced and mainstreamed in the system. The study also shows that employees have a positive perception of the level of satisfaction occasioned by Human relations policies. Employees said that there was trust amongst themselves and had promoted the issue of spirit of teamwork. Trust amongst the employees and the employers had led to many interventions like the door of the manager always being open for the employees. On the side of self awareness, the employees were satisfied with their personality assessment which was rated highly and were concerned about the removal of all the distractions at the work place surroundings. From the study findings, it was found out that there was a relationship between human relations and level of job satisfaction in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was also evident in the study that pay and promotion opportunities are major dissatisfaction factors among the employees which in turn influences their perception of the Human Relations policies. This implies that if employees are paid well for their services and are given opportunities for career development, then their level of job satisfaction was likely to improve and their perception of the influence of Human Relations on job satisfaction at the Ministry of foreign affairs and international trade will definitely improve for the betterment of the organization.