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ISSN 2320-8848 (Online)

ISSN 2321-0362 (Print)

International Journal for Management Science and

Technology (IJMST)

Management Science and Technology

Journal

International Journal for Management Science and Technology (IJMST) Vol. 1; Issue 4

ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 2 June, 2013

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ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 3 June, 2013

Persons Associated Editorial Board Mrs. Vaijayanti Mala (India) PhD (Cont.), D.ed, B.ed, M.Com, BCom Dr. IBEM, Eziyi Offia (Nigeria)

PhD (Architecture), Full Registration by ARCON, MSC

(Architecture), BSC (Architecture)

Dr. K.K.Patra (India)

FDPM-IIMA, PhD, PGDM, PGDFM, MBA, LL.B, M.Com.

Muhammad Usman (Islamabad) Doctorate BA - Global Business and Leadership (Continued), M.Sc (Software Engineering), B.Sc (Computer Science) Dr. K.Sudarsan (India) PhD, M.Com, MBA, BA Sandeep Aggarwal (India) MBA (Marketing & Finance), BBA Muqeem Ahmed (India) PhD (Computer Science), MCA, BSc Dr. Muhammad Reza Iravani (Iran) Ph.D. (Social work), M.A. (Sociology), B.A. (Social Sciences) Dr. Muhammad Sabbir Rahman (Malaysia) Ph.D (Business Administration), MBA (Marketing & Human Resource Management), BBA (Marketing)

Advisory Body Ms. Rachna Ingle (India) PhD (Microbiology) (Cont.), B.Ed, MSc (Microbiology), BSc (Microbiology) Er. Rajesh Ojha, Muscat (Oman) Bachlor Of Engineering (Computer Science)

Reviewers Ms. Mamta Yadav (India) PhD (Cont.), MBA, BCom Dr. Asiamah Yeboah (Ghana) PhD (Marketing), Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, MBA-Marketing, Bachelor of Education (Social Studies). Dr. Alexander Ayogyam (Ghana) PhD (Marketing), M.A Industrial Management, B.sc (Mathematics) Mr. W.M.R.B.Weerasooriya (Sri-Lanka) PhD (Reading) (Management and Science University– MSU Malaysia), M.Com (University of Kelaniya), CCSD, MAAT, LICA, SP (RUSL), B.Sc (Business Management) Mr. MD. Zakir Hosen (Bangladesh) MBA & BBA (Accounting & Information Systems) Mr. Oteri Malack Omae (Kenya) PhD (cont.), MSc (Electrical Engineering), BSc (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) Dr. P.M.B. Jayathilake (Sri Lanka) PhD, M.Com, B.Sc (Business Management) Dr. Jaidev S. Tomar (India) PhD, Master of Industrial Relations & Personnel Management, M.A


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 4 June, 2013

Investigation of Human Resource Management Challenges Experienced by

Head teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kaka mega County Mr. Charles Lung’atso Lunalo, Mr. Kennedy Machacha,Gerishom Wafula Manase, Dr.Musiega Dougluas, Dr. Kimani Chege

5

The Role of Training and Development On Employee Performance. A Study

of Commercial Banks in Kisumu City Rahma C. Magut.

29

The Role of Communication in Enhancing Kenyan Public University

Performance: A Case Study of Masinde Muliro University of Science and

Technology Brian Sisa Khaemba, Gerishom Wafula Manase, Dr.Musiega Dougluas, Dr. Kimani Chege

39

TABLE OF CONTENT


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 5 June, 2013

Investigation of Human Resource Management Challenges Experienced by Head teachers in Public

Secondary Schools in Kaka mega County

Mr. Charles Lung’atso Lunalo

Msc Human Resources

Management Student –

JKUAT/Principal St. Paul’s

Emulakha Secondary School

Mr. Kennedy Machacha

Lecturer,

Shamberere Technical Training

Institute

Gerishom Wafula Manase

MBA Student/ Mount Kenya

University-Kakamega Campus

MD/CEO Rural Urban

Management (RUM) Ltd

Dr. Musiega Douglas

Director

Jomo Kenyatta University of

Agriculture and Technology

Kakamega campus

Dr. Kimani Chege

Lecturer- Jomo Kenyatta

University of Agriculture and

Technology

Abstract Human resource management is critical to organizational ability to achieve its goals.

However, management of human resources in public secondary schools has raised serious

concerns, leading to some being rejected, redeployed, penalized or physically harmed. The

purpose of this study was to establish the challenges the head teachers face in human resource

management. The objective of this study was to investigate the human resource challenges

head teachers face. The findings may give insights into the challenges of human resource

management in public secondary schools and help to design appropriate in-service courses

for headteachers and staff. The study will also enlighten the head teachers on effective human

resource management. The research question was: what challenges do secondary school head

teachers face in managing human resources? The study design was a descriptive survey. The

study population consisted of 291 head teachers. Qualitative data from interviews and

documents was organized into themes and sub-themes as they emerged. The challenges

include lack of adequate funds, lack of adequate staff, lack of sufficient time and lack of clear

schemes of service for Board of Governors employees. The Ministry of Education should

provide adequate funds for head teachers to effectively carry out human resource

management functions.

Key Words: Human Resources, Human Resource Management, Appraisal, Training,

Discipline, Challenges, Reward system, Staffing

I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The question of human resource management in education has posed a great challenge to the

whole world. In the United Kingdom, according to Lingdale (2007) succession planning is

embedded in the local authority‟s overall approach to the training and development of all

staff in schools. It is emphasized that leadership development should be a series of well

connected activities both in school and offsite; leadership development combines a common

core of personal competencies of leadership with customization according to the role and

context; and that leadership development is clearly focused upon developing the

characteristics of exceptional leadership.

Lingdale (2007) gives four stages of the journey to leadership: developing exceptional

practice, learning about exceptional leadership, developing the skills of exceptional


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leadership and finally, embedding exceptional leadership within institutions and across

networks.

In Minnesota, USA, Feritzgerald (2007) describes the Growing Gap: Minnesota‟s Teacher

Recruitment and Retention Crises. Minnesotans expect an excellent public education system

comprising of top flight teachers, administrators and staff, outstanding curriculum and nation-

leading graduation rates. It is an expectation as old as Minnesota; rooted in our immigrant

tradition of hard work, sacrifice and the drive to get ahead. Here mentoring in school

leadership is highly emphasized.

The Kenya Education Management Capacity Assessment (KEMACA) report (2008) states

that, the problem of leadership in education in Kenya is that it currently suffers from an

extreme lack of commitment. Since mid-level ranks are relatively unable to translate top-

level vision into clear plans and strategies, the top level leadership has to over-invest time in

re-stating, re-confirming and communicating the vision. Written statements of the vision and

mission as well as of the strategy, lack the clarity that is evident in verbal expression of the

top leadership.

The students‟ academic outcome is greatly influenced by leadership in the schools. Wekesa

(1993) noted that what is required for head teachers is to set a clear vision for their schools ,

communicate this vision to students and staff, support it by giving instructional leadership,

resources and being visible in every part of the institution that account for students

performance. The formulation and communication of the vision should involve the students,

all staff members and stakeholders to avoid conflicts and make them own it.

According to the County Statistician, Kakamega County, 63 head teachers have been

penalized for various reasons over the last five years. Quite a number of them have been

transferred to other stations after being rejected by the community. Among those penalized

for reasons relating to human resource management, 15 cases have been reported in

Kakamega County over the last three years as shown in Table 1.1

YEAR

2010 2009 2008 TOTAL

Number of headteachers 6 5 4 15

Source: C.H.R.O- Kakamega County

Table 1.1: Yearly estimates of penalized headteachers in Kakamega County

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As already described in the background, there seems to exist a problem in the education

sector with respect to human resource management. According to the the County Human

Resource Officer (C.H.R.O), 15 head teachers had been penalized because of disputes

relating to staff management in Kakamega County over the last three years. These are human

resource problems experienced by the head teachers. They present challenges to the head

teacher, for instance, disputes between the head teacher and support staff ending up in court,

disputes between parents and teachers going beyond manageable levels, among others.

According to the C.H.R.O, some of the strategies used by head teachers in coping with the

challenges had aggravated the situation prompting the entire community to be involved in

these disputes. The reasons for these disputes could not be discerned without a focused


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investigation. Therefore, the task of this study was to investigate the challenges for

headteachers in human resource management in public secondary schools in Kakamega

County.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges for head teachers in human

resource management in Kakamega County.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What challenges do head teachers in human resource management in Kakamega County.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of the study will be significant in various ways:

i. They may contribute greater insights into the challenges of human resource management in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, which may enable the

Ministry of Education through K.E.M.I to design appropriate in-service courses for

headteachers.

ii. They may enlighten the head teachers on proper human resource management practices and the coping strategies to the challenges of human resource management

in Kakamega County.

1.6 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY

This study was guided by the following assumptions:

i. The head teachers are trained and qualified persons in management of human resource.

ii. The teaching and support staff have well defined roles.

iii. Head teachers make decisions in consultation with all the stakeholders and involve staff as a team.

Chapter Two

Literature Review 2.1 INTRODUCTION

This section reviews the related literature as follows: conceptual framework, challenges in

recruitment, selection and appraisal of teaching and support staff in public secondary schools;

challenges in motivation of teaching and support staff in secondary schools; challenges in

maintenance of teaching and support staff discipline in secondary schools; and, the coping

strategies to the challenges faced by head teachers in human resource management in

secondary schools.

2.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The study was conceptualized on the basis of the variables to be used in the study. In this

case the study assumed that effective Human Resource management is influenced by a

number of variables including: recruitment, training, remuneration, motivation, discipline and

appraisal. Figure 2.1 presents a diagrammatic depiction of these variables.

Effective human resource management involves proper coordination of the functions of

human resource by the head teacher. Whenever these functions are not properly coordinated,


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 8 June, 2013

they present inefficiency in public secondary schools, constituting the challenges faced by the

head teachers. According to Armstrong (2005), the key functions of human resource

management which require proper coordination include: recruitment, selection, and appraisal,

motivation through recognition, training and remuneration and maintenance of staff

discipline.

The conceptual framework will help the researcher to focus on the challenges faced by head

teachers in human resource management.

Independent Variable Intervening Variables Dependent Variable

Figure2.1: A conceptual framework showing challenges faced by Head teachers in the

management of human resource in schools.

RECRUITMENT,

SELECTION &

APPRAISAL

Challenges

Incompetent panel

Inadequate funds

Lack of qualifications on

the part of the

applicant

HUMAN

RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

Competent staff

Motivated staff

Disciplined staff Reduced

disputes

Good results

HEADTEACHER

Workload

Qualification

Leadership style

Personal attributes

Interpersonal relationships

Networking

Competence

MOTIVATION,

TRAINING &

DEVELOPMENT

Challenges

Lack of funds

Insufficient time

Age

Lack of trainer headteachers in

human resource

management

DICIPLINE

Challenges

Fear of victimization

Lack of capacity to

investigate

Interference from

interested parties


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 9 June, 2013

2.2.1 CHALLENGES IN STAFFING

Armstrong (2005) says that the overall aim of recruitment and selection process should be to

obtain at minimum cost the number and quality of employees required to satisfy Human

Resource needs of the school. The number and categories of people required should be

specified in the recruitment programme. A person specification, also known as recruitment,

personnel or job specification, defines the education, training, qualifications, experience and

competencies required by the job holder.

Bolton and Houlihan (2008) report that the nature of skilled and deskilled labour, the impact

on the work of „new‟ soft skills and personal qualities, working with and through emotions

and knowledge work are central to any discussion of employment but are never reviewed

from the perspective of the human.

According to Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005), it is important that employers consider the

recruitment continuous during the short listing and interviewing stages and is only complete

when an offer is made and accepted. Until that time, there is an ongoing need to ensure that a

favourable impression of the organization as an employer is maintained in the minds of those

whose services it wishes to secure.

The problem with most appraisal systems is that by their very nature they tend to collect all

the functions of people management into one key activity: the appraisal interview. This

creates three kinds of difficulty for the manager: overload, conflict and rigidity. It is for these

three difficulties that most people, head teachers and staff alike, do not like appraisals.

Appraisals will always be difficult because one of their functions is to make decisions about

pay and rewards. These decisions are confronting: they force you to evaluate people, compare

them, make distinctions, decide that some people are more valuable than others and tell

others that they are less valuable (Williams, 1994).

Performance evaluation should not be an intuitive, subjective and potentially biased process.

The issue is how best to carry it out analytically, fairly, systematically, consistently,

transparently, and as far as possible objectively, without being bureaucratic, inflexible or

resource intensive. There are four ways to deal with these: use a tested and relevant job

evaluation scheme; computerize job evaluation to a greater or lesser degree; recognize that

thorough training and continuing guidance for evaluators are essential; and review the

operation of the scheme regularly (Armstrong, 2005).

Specific methods of linking ratings with behavior at work have been developed such as

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARs) and Behavioral Observation Scales (BOs)

although evidence suggests that these are not widely used. Another method of making

appraisal more objective is to use the process to set job objectives over the coming year and,

a year later, to measure the extent to which these objectives have been met. Many appraisal

systems combine competency assessment against objectives or job accountabilities

(Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2005).

Sang and Otunga (2005) carried out a survey on the challenges and experiences of the

decentralization of teacher recruitment in urban secondary schools in Uasin Gishu District.

The sample included the Board of Governors (B.O.G), head teachers and teachers. Data were

derived from the sample by questionnaires and interview schedules. It was found out that

B.O.G members‟ knowledge base on educational matters was subject to manipulation. Based

on the findings, it was concluded that the general management of urban secondary schools in

Uasin Gishu District was weak due to lack of management capabilities of the B.O.Gs.


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Wanjala and Okinda (2009) researched on the implications of Decentralized Teacher

Recruitment in Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu District. The study utilized information

gathered from head teachers, senior education officials and trade union officials at the

district. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. Data

were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The findings indicated that decentralization reduces

the work load of T.S.C while satisfying the needs of the schools. However, the respondents

were dissatisfied with the current staffing trends and were in agreement that the recruitment

panel members‟ capacity to be enhanced to enable them carry out the tasks bestowed upon

them effectively and efficiently.

Unlike the studies above, the current study seeks to establish the challenges head teachers

face in recruitment of teaching and support staff in secondary schools in Kakamega county.

The sample will include support staff who are missing in the above studies. In addition to the

instruments for data collection in the above studies, document analysis will be used.

Odhiambo (2005) carried out research on the experiences of Kenyan Secondary School

teachers in Appraisal. The study adopted a qualitatively-oriented case study using multiple

cases and drawing on multiple methods of Data Collection. The findings indicated that

teacher appraisal policies and practices in Kenyan secondary schools exhibit weakness, which

need to be urgently addressed if teacher appraisal is to be used to improve the quality of

teaching and education in Kenya. The current study seeks to establish the challenges head

teachers face in appraising teaching and support staff in public secondary schools in

Kakamega County.

2.3 CHALLENGES IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF

Armstrong (2005) says that new starters will be concerned about who they are going to work

with, what work they are going to do on their first day, and the geographical layout of their

place of work. It is through the first training, that is, induction that a more personal touch is

provided and queries can be answered. The new employee can also be sent to induction

school as soon as possible.

According to Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005) training which is paid for by the employer is

a good deal less likely to raise job mobility than that paid for by the employee or the

government. Whatever the form of training an employer can develop a work force which is

both capable and committed by combining training interventions with other forms of

retention initiative.

Knowledge, expertise, experience, job design or social status that confers some sort of power

in the labour market and that they may make work more human, are changing and these

changes have consequences on employees. Hence, continuous training is inevitable (Bolton

& Houlihan, 2008).

The total reward concept emphasizes the importance of considering all aspects of reward as

an integrated and coherent whole. All the elements of total reward- base pay, pay contingent

on performance, competence or contribution, employee benefits and non-financial rewards-

are deliberately linked together so that they are mutually supportive. Remuneration should be

considered in terms of total rewards which are all the employers‟ available tools that may be

used to attract, retain, motivate and satisfy employees (Armstrong, 2005).

The extent to which organizations can impose payment arrangements which serve their

objectives is limited by the equally important need to recruit, retain and motivate staff to


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carry out the work. Whatever methods are used to determine pay levels and to decide what

elements make up the individual pay package, employers must ensure that they are perceived

by employees to operate equitably (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2005).

In the UK, pay policy now increasingly underpins employer objectives and promotes change

by rewarding results and behavior consistent with the key goals of the organization

(Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2005).

Because employees are assumed to be career oriented, salary arrangements are based on that

assumption, so each salary group has several ladders within it and each ladder has a number

of steps (often referred to as „ scales and points‟) (Torrington, Hall & Taylor, 2005).

Bolton and Houlihan (2008), report that individuals‟ motives and evaluations are generally

mixed and complex, but a major concern is recognition, in terms of respect, esteem and

approval of others. People continually seek the approval of others, and regulate their behavior

in terms of the views of imagined or real others; ignorance or contempt have serious

consequences for their well-being. Workers in low paid and low status jobs who experience

disrespect and racism often complain more about these than their pay; they know when they

agree to take on the job that the pay will be low and tolerate it because there are no better

alternatives, but they do not expect to be disrespected.

Recognition is of two kinds: first, unconditional recognition of people as persons; and

secondly, recognition which is conditional on their character, behavior and performance.

Motivation at work can take two ways: first, people can motivate themselves by seeking,

finding and carrying out work (or being given work) that satisfies their needs or at least leads

them to expect that their goals will be achieved. Secondly, people can be motivated by

management through such methods as pay, promotion, praise and punishments such as

disciplinary action, withholding pay or criticism. Intrinsic motivations, which are concerned

with the quality of working life, are likely to have a deeper and long term effect because they

are inherent in individuals and not imposed from outside (Armstrong, 2005).

According to Harsey, Blanchard and Johnson (1996) managers have to know their people to

understand what motivates them; they cannot just make assumption if they really want to

increase their effectiveness.

The head teacher should have the required skills to enable him/her maintain team working.

According to Wambui (2008) Team work can loosely mean that people work together

towards a common goal whether in an informal group or in an entire corporate division.

However, there are a few skills that distinguish one as a team player. One has to know how:

to build relationships; be collaborative; to network; be empathetic and be a good listener.

Schools of today require a new leadership style. The leadership style must allow for timely,

knowledge-based decisions. Needs of a diverse student population and the rapid pace of

change require decision makers to function in a complex, dynamic environment (Short &

Greer, 1997). Diverse circumstances and the vast amounts of information available prohibit

one person from making all the decisions (Benin, 1999). The headteacher, therefore, can no

longer serve as a decision maker and holder of power. He or she will instead be a facilitator

and resource for teachers. The leader‟s focus should shift from making decisions and taking

action to “ coaching, mentoring and being a role model for responsibility and accountability”


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( Somerville & Mroz, 1997, p.70).Teaming that extends from leadership into classroom will

provide students with important skills for the future.

Students will need to be able to demonstrate teamwork, interpersonal and oral

communication skills when they enter the work force (Barth, 2001). Because students spend

most of their time in school they can learn these skills most effectively by observing

educators and practicing the skills learned. “They watch all the time. The students, that is.

They listen to us sometimes” (Sizer & Sizer, 1999, p.18). Therefore, principals, teachers and

other staff help students develop these valuable traits when they collaborate efficiently in

teams.

Successful teaming in schools requires principal‟s support, team member‟s commitment to

purpose and a collaborative performance and a system that supports teaming. The

headteacher‟s ability to facilitate and support teaming requires a knowledge base of practice

and theory.

Bacon and Blyton (2003) investigated the impact of team working in a range of different

teams at British Steels‟ (now Corus) Shoton Mill. They compared evidence from an attitude

survey a number of years prior to team working and a similar survey after team working had

been introduced. Follow-up interviews were also carried out. They found that team

participants, overall, reported that there was greater development of skills, greater variety and

job satisfaction, although work had been intensified. However, they also identified a

differential effect depending on previous occupation and job group. Previous craft workers

reported increased training, freedom to choose own method of working and involvement in

decisions to a (statistically) significantly greater extent than previous production workers.

Those on a lower job grade were Central likely to report increased job satisfaction due to

team working with aspects such as job variety, freedom to chose own working methods,

amount of training and opportunity to use abilities.

Maranya (2001) carried out a research on the supervisory roles of secondary schools head

teachers in curriculum implementation in Machakos district. He found out that head teachers

in the sample used techniques to motivate their staff in a bid to effectively implement the

curriculum in their schools. Motivation of teachers was found to be a very significant

predictor of effective curriculum implementation. A conducive environment in the school

should involve good relationship that exists between head teachers and students, support

staff, parents and all parties working towards achieving one goal.

Ngala (1997) researched on management of teachers by head teachers and its influence on

pupil academic achievement in Eldoret municipality. The study revealed that the most

significant predictor of high pupil academic achievement among the selected independent

variables was the motivation of teachers. The study concluded that proper management of

teachers was important in the achievement of pupils‟ academic achievement in the

municipality. Unlike Ngala‟s study, this study will focus on motivation of the teachers and

support staff with regard to service delivery in schools.

2.4 CHALLENGES IN MAINTENANCE OF STAFF DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS Some organizations have communicated to employees the message that attendance levels are

a measure of performance so they are included in manual assessments. Some organizations

pay bonuses direct to employees on the basis of their attendance records. Employees with

unacceptable absence levels would not be put for transfers or promotion. Absence record is

considered as an indication of reliability (Armstrong, 2005).


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 13 June, 2013

Different countries have enacted legislation in respect of sickness absence. For example, in

Sweden, employers must ensure that they have assessed rehabilitation needs at an early stage,

and are then obliged to put any relevant rehabilitation measures in place. In Netherlands,

employers must submit a report on any employee who is unable to work within 13 weeks of

the start of absence. They are required to submit to social security agency and must produce a

work resumption plan. In New South Wales, Australia, where workers have been absent for

12 weeks, employers must establish a work rehabilitation programme and if there are more

than 20 people employed, they must appoint a rehabilitation coordinator and prepare plans for

return to work (James, Cunningham & Dibben, 2002).

Discipline should be avoided if possible. Too often management views it as the first, rather

than the last step. The need for discipline can be minimized by: avoiding introduction of too

many rules especially rules that seem unrelated to the job at hand; make every effort to

convince the employees that the rules introduced are reasonable; failure on the job is due to

poor assignment, the employees skills and interests do not match the job and this may be

corrected by better training or transfer and at times problem arises from the failure of the

management to explain what the job requires or to be sufficiently alert to employee progress.

Inflicting discipline puts the manager in a dilemma. How can he or she expect his/her juniors

to continue to regard him/her as a source of help, when discipline is by nature painful? Can

he/she impose discipline without generating resentment? (Strauss & Sayles, 1980).

Kiganya, (1992) indicated that harmonious relations between the head teacher and teachers

enhance discipline among students hence the possibility of better performance. This study

will consider the relationship between the head teacher and the teachers.

Muya & Mwai, (1991) carried out a research on the 8-4-4 system of education and on

interviewing the women organization representatives, they cited the appointment of very

young and inexperienced teachers without accumulated management and professional skills

as a key problem in high schools. This has generally resulted in mismanagement and

negative effects in the overall performance and expectations.

2.5 COPING STRATEGIES FOR HEAD TEACHERS TO CHALLENGES IN HUMAN RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

According to the World Bank working paper No. 99(2007), the reality of school

administration, management and leadership frequently falls short of the ideal. This paper

notes that education systems nearly everywhere are managed poorly and administered

inefficiently. Despite the enormous expectations of the head teachers, many are poorly

prepared for the task. A 1990 study of 31 African countries concluded that only three of them

had comprehensive training programs in educational planning, administration and

management. Where training programs are provided, they are sometimes criticized for being

unsystematic and inadequate in content and coverage, lacking follow up, and failing to

address the real needs of supervision. Moreover, the training has tended to be focused on

skills: how to budget, analyze data, or design an evaluation. However, much of the need is for

strategic thinking, analysis of cross-impacts, and the ability to work with constituent groups.

The more profound problem in the preparation of head teachers is that, even if they have

strategic planning skills, they lack firm understanding of the education process. They do not

know what inputs and processes can reasonably be expected to contribute to increased

performance of the staff. Lacking this, the head teachers are left to react to daily events and

ongoing political pressures.


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The above paper gives the following as some of the coping strategies for head teachers to the

challenges faced in Human Resource Management in secondary schools in sub-Saharan

Africa: Improving school buildings and teachers accommodation; increasing teacher

responsibility for educational decisions; reducing class sizes, increasing parental and

community support; promoting collegial relationships among teachers and administrators;

providing teacher support and recognition; and providing teacher counseling and medical

care.

The above study focuses on teaching staff while the current study will involve support staff in

addition to teaching staff. This study seeks to establish the coping strategies for head teachers

in dealing with challenges in Human Resource management in public secondary schools in

Kakamega County.

Research Methodology 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

A descriptive survey design was used in this study. Surveys are useful in establishing the

existing conditions of a phenomenon on a wide scale (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1993). A

descriptive survey was employed

3.2 STUDY POPULATION

The study involved 291 headteachers, drawn from 291 secondary schools in Kakamega

County.

3.3 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

One hundred and forty five head teachers were selected by simple random sampling. The

sample frame is shown in Table 3.1.

Category of

respondents

Study Population

Number

Sample Size

Number Percentage

Head teachers 291 145 49.83 %

(Source: Author 2013)

Table 3.1: Study Population and Sample

3.4 INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION

The data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The

questionnaires were prepared for headteachers. Document analysis focused on observable

relevant documents such as staff attendance registers, remuneration records for support staff,

promotion records if available and discipline files were obtained from the head teacher‟s

office with a view of obtaining information on challenges for head teachers in Human

Resource management.

3.4.1 Head teachers’ Questionnaire (HTQ)

This had two sections; Section A comprised of background information from public

secondary schools in Kakamega County: Section B comprised of ended statements related to


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 15 June, 2013

the challenges head teachers face in Human Resource management. The questions included

the head teacher‟s ability to carry out professional staffing, training and development, reward

system management, performance appraisal, and discipline of staff.

3.4.2 Document Analysis Guide

School documents included master roll for support staff, employment files, and attendance

registers for teachers, assignment and delegation of duty and responsibility were examined.

Documents relating to discipline of staff members were also examined to provide information

on challenges in maintaining these records and to confirm the details of staff members.

3.5 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENTS

Validity is the degree to which results obtained from the analysis of the data represents the

phenomenon under study (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003). Reliability is a measure of the

degree to which a research instrument yields constant results after repeated trials (Arg et al.

2006).

3.5.1 Validity

Content validity of the instruments was established by submitting them to 3 authorities in

research methods in the Department of Human Resource Development, Jomo Kenyatta

University of Agriculture and Technology whose views were used in redrafting the

instruments.

3.5.2 Reliability

Reliability of the instruments was established by administering them in three secondary

schools (10٪) in Kakamega County. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined

using Cronbach‟s alpha formula which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.81 which was

beyond the minimum recommended threshold of 0.75.

3.6 DATA COLLECTION

The researcher sought permission from the National council of Science and Technology

through the School of Graduate Studies, Jomo Kentatta University of Agriculture, and then

informed the Director-Kakamega County, of the intention to conduct the research in public

secondary schools in Kakamega County and the period the research was in progress. Once

the permit was obtained, the researcher collected data from all the sampled schools.

Permission was obtained from head teachers of the selected schools through written letters

three weeks in advance. The researcher visited all the sampled schools and administered the

questionnaires to respective respondents and clarified the points of difficulty. An

appointment was made for interviews with the individual headteachers. Interview responses

were collected by note taking and later classified into sub-themes. Documents such as the

master roll, attendance register, and personal files, and discipline files were looked at in the

Head teachers‟ office.

3.7 DATA ANALYSIS

Quantitative data based on questionnaires was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics in

form of percentages and frequencies. Qualitative data from interviews and documents was

organized into themes and sub-themes as they emerged. The researcher used this information

to interpret the respondents‟ views and made judgment accordingly

Results And Discussion


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4.1 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents The respondents involved in the study were Head teachers. The demographic characteristics

of these respondents were as shown in Tables 4.1.

4.2.1 Headteachers’ Demographic characteristics

Headteachers demographic characteristics were as shown in Table 4.1

Demographic Characteristics f %

Gender

Male 97 66.9

Female 48 33.1

Number of Teachers

No response 21 14.5

9 and below 32 22.1

10-15 38 26.2

16-20 19 13.1

21-30 27 18.6

31 and above 8 5.5

Headteacher’s Academic Qualification

S1/DED 4 2.8

BED 87 60.0

MED/MBA 54 37.2

Headship experience in the current and other

schools

1-5 years 4 29.7

6-10 years 50 34.5

11-15 years 40 27.6

16 and above years 12 8.3

Teaching Experience

No response 4 2.8

17-21years 58 40.0

22 and above years 83 57.2

INSET

Attended 132 91.0

Not Attended 13 9.0

Key: n=Number of respondents in the sample, f=frequency, %=Percentage

Table 4.1a Headteachers’ Demographic Characteristics as reported by Headteachers

(n=145)

As shown in Table 4.1, out of the 145 respondents that form the study sample 97(66.9%)

were male while 48(33.1%) were female. Twenty one (14.5%) of the respondents did not

give their opinion about the number of teaching staff they had, 32 (22.1%) had a teaching

staff of 9 and below, 38(26.2%) had between 10 and 15 teachers, 19(13.1%) had between 16

and 20, 27(18.6%) had between 21 and 30 teachers while only 8(5.5%) had over 30 teaching

staff. Only 4(2.8%) were holders of S1 certificate or diploma in education with 87(60.0%)

holding a Bachelors degree in education. Fifty four (37.5%) were holders of a masters degree

in Education or Business Administration. Forty three (29.7%) respondents had an experience


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 17 June, 2013

of less than 5 years in headship, 50(34.5%) had an experience of between 6 and 10 years,

40(27.6%) had between 11 and 15 years while only 12(8.3%) had 16 and above years of

headship experience. Four (2.8%) of the respondents did not respond to teaching experience.

Fifty eight (40.0%) respondents indicated that they had a teaching experience of between 17-

21 years while 83(57.2%) had a teaching experience of more than 22 years. One hundred and

thirty two of the respondents had attended in service training in human resource management

while 13(9.0%) had not yet attended any in service training in human resource management.

Fig. 2: Pie Chart Showing Respondents’ Gender (Source: Author 2013)

SEX

HEADSHIP EXPERIENCE

Total

5

YEARS

AND

BELOW

6-10

YEARS

11-15

YEARS

16 AND

ABOVE

MALE HEADTEACHER'S

QUALIFICATION

BED 13 27 18 4 62

MED/

MBA

8 14 13 0 35

Total 21 41 31 4 97

FEMAL

E

HEADTEACHER'S

QUALIFICATION

S1/DE

D

4 0 0 0 4

BED 4 4 9 8 25

MED/

MBA

14 5 0 0 19

Total 22 9 9 8 48


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As shown in Table 4.1 b, none of the male headteachers was an S1/DED certificate holder.

Most of the headteachers with MED/MBA degree were male. Most of the headteachers with

6-10 years of headship experience were male while majority of the female headteachers were

still new in headship as they had only 5 years and below of headship experience. More male

headteachers preferred to go for further studies than female.

Fig 3: Pie chart showing Respondents Qualification

4.3 Challenges for Headteachers in Staffing

Headteachers were asked in the questionnaire to indicate the challenges for headteachers in

staffing. The responses were as shown in Tables 4.2.

SA A UD D SD

Challenges f % f % f % f % f %

Competent selection panels 48 33.1 77 53.1 10 6.9 10 6.9 0 0

Adequate funds for staffing 5 3.4 5 3.4 0 0 83 57.2 52 35.9

Sufficient time for

recruitment

16 11.0 56 38.5 0 0 67 46.2 6 4.1

Involve stakeholders in

recruitment

46 31.7 94 64.8 5 3.4 0 0 0 0


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Clear guidelines 71 49.0 63 43.4 5 3.4 6 4.1 0 0

Only competent staff

recruited

30 20.7 61 42.1 0 0 44 30.3 10 6.9

Table 4.2: Challenges for Headteachers in Staffing (n=145)

As shown in Table 4.2, the greatest challenge for headteachers in staffing was inadequate

funds for staffing as 135(93.1%) disagreed that they had adequate funds for staffing purposes.

4.4 Challenges in Training and Development of Staff


Training and Development of staff. The responses were as shown in Tables 4.3.

SA A UD D SD

Challenges F % f % f % f % f %

Limited training

opportunities

15 10.3 73 50.3 5 3.4 47 32.4 5 3.4

Adequate funds for training 0 0 11 7.6 0 0 67 46.2 67 46.2

Sufficient time for training 0 0 16 11.0 0 0 94 64.8 35 24.1

Clear guidelines on training

and development

10 6.9 67 46.2 5 3.4 48 33.1 15 10.3

Adequate staff 0 0 6 4.1 0 0 56 38.6 83 57.2

Staff allowed to go for

further training

21 14.5 109 75.2 5 3.4 10 6.9 0 0

Organize in-service training 11 7.6 78 53.8 21 14.4 25 17.2 10 6.9

KEY: SA=Strongly Agree A=Agree UD=Undecided D=Disagree SD=Strongly Disagree

f=frequency %=Percentage


Table 4.3: Challenges for Headteachers in Training and Development of Staff (n=145)

As shown in Table 4.3, the greatest challenge in staff Training and development was

inadequate staff as 139(95.4%) disagreed. This was followed by lack of adequate funds for

training and 134(92.4%) lack of sufficient time for training as indicated by 129 (88.9%).

4.5 Challenges for headteachers in Reward System Management


reward system management. The responses were as shown in Tables 4.4.


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SA A UD D SD


Adequate funds to pay staff 0 0 6 4.1 0 0 81 55.9 58 40.0

Staff paid regularly 0 0 48 33.1 0 0 76 52.4 21 14.5

Clear scheme of service 5 3.4 42 29.0 5 3.4 72 49.7 21 14.5

Hardworking staff

recommended for salary

increment

6 4.1 62 42.8 11 7.5 61 42.1 5 3.4

Sometimes staff is paid in

kind

6 4.1 57 39.3 5 3.4 67 46.2 10 6.9

Very little to do with staff

remuneration

18 12.4 10 6.9 6 4.1 81 55.9 30 20.0




Table 4.4: Challenges for Headteachers in Reward System Management (n=145)

As shown in Table 4.4, the greatest challenge for headteachers in reward system management

was inadequate funds to pay staff as indicated by 139(95.9%) respondents. Other challenges

were having very little to do with staff remuneration 111(75.9%) and lack of a clear scheme

of service as indicated by 93(64.2%) of the respondents.

4.6 Challenges for Headteachers in Performance Appraisal


performance appraisal. The responses were as shown in Tables 4.5.

SA A UD D SD


Clear performance appraisal

system

22 15.2 56 38.6 16 11.0 41 28.3 10 6.9

Wait until need arises 16 11.0 67 46.2 10 6.8 31 21.4 21 14.5

Have sufficient knowledge

on appraisal

17 11.7 72 49.7 11 7.6 40 27.6 5 3.4

Negotiate freely with staff

on their performance

6 4.1 93 64.1 15 10.3 31 21.4 0 0

Use rating scales to

evaluate staff

6 4.1 57 39.3 26 17.9 51 35.2 5 3.4


f=frequency %=Percentage (Source: Author 2013)

Table 4.5: Challenges for Headteachers in Performance Appraisal (n=145)


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As shown in Table 4.5, the greatest challenge for headteachers in performance appraisal was

determining the appropriate time for appraisal as 83(57.2%) agreed that they wait until an

opportunity arises for them to carry out staff appraisal.

4.7 Challenges for Headteachers in Maintenance of Staff Discipline


maintenance of staff discipline. The responses were as shown in Table 4.6.

SA A UD D SD

Challenges f % f % F % f % F %

Clear performance appraisal

system

22 15.2 56 38.6 16 11.0 41 28.3 10 6.9

Wait until need arises 16 11.0 67 46.2 10 6.8 31 21.4 21 14.5

Have sufficient knowledge

on appraisal

17 11.7 72 49.7 11 7.6 40 27.6 5 3.4

Negotiate freely with staff

on their performance

6 4.1 93 64.1 15 10.3 31 21.4 0 0

Use rating scales to

evaluate staff

6 4.1 57 39.3 26 17.9 51 35.2 5 3.4




Table 4.6: Challenges for Headteachers in maintenance of Staff Discipline (n=145)

As shown in Table 4.6, there was no challenge for headteachers in maintaining staff

discipline as indicated by the respondents.

SA A UD D SD

Strategies f % f % F % f % f %

Seek assistance from

education offices

73 50.3 46 31.7 10 6.9 16 11.0 0 0

Attending INSET on

recruitment and selection

37 25.5 36 24.8 16 11.0 36 24.8 20 13.8

Source for funds for

recruitment

5 3.4 46 31.7 28 19.3 46 31.7 15 10.3

Hire experts 10 6.9 28 19.3 0 0 76 52.4 31 21.4

Compromise with interested

parties

0 0 26 17.9 16 11.0 66 45.5 37 25.5



Table 4.7a: Coping Strategies for Headteachers to Challenges in Staffing (n=145)


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As shown in Table 4.7a, the greatest coping strategy for headteachers to challenges in staffing

was seeking assistance from education offices as indicated by 119(82.0%) of the respondents

followed by attending in service Training on recruitment and selection of staff as indicated by

73(50.3%) of the respondents.

Fig 4: Bar Graph Showing the Greatest Coping Strategy to Challenges in Staffing



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4.7b Headship Experience * Headteacher's Qualification * Assistance From Education

Offices Cross Tabulation

As shown in Table 4.7 b, majority of the headteachers who seek assistance from the

education offices were holders of MED/MBA degree and had headship experience of

between 6 and 10 years. This could be attributed to the fact that through further training and

ASSISTANCE FROM EDUCATION OFFICES HEADTEACHER'S

QUALIFICATION

Total

S1/DE

D

BED MED/

MBA

DISAGREE HEADSHIP

EXPERIENCE

5 YEARS

AND

BELOW

4 1 5

6-10 YEARS 1 3 4

11-15

YEARS

5 0 5

16 AND

ABOVE

2 0 2

Total 12 4 16

UNDECIDED HEADSHIP

EXPERIENCE

5 YEARS

AND

BELOW

1 1 0 2

6-10 YEARS 0 4 0 4

11-15

YEARS

0 2 1 3

16 AND

ABOVE

0 1 0 1

Total 1 8 1 10

AGREE HEADSHIP

EXPERIENCE

5 YEARS

AND

BELOW

3 12 15

6-10 YEARS 10 6 16

11-15

YEARS

6 5 11

16 AND

ABOVE

4 0 4

Total 23 23 46

STRONGLY

AGREE

HEADSHIP

EXPERIENCE

5 YEARS

AND

BELOW

3 9 9 21

6-10 YEARS 0 16 10 26

11-15

YEARS

0 14 7 21

16 AND

ABOVE

0 5 0 5

Total 3 44 26 73


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more experience, the headteachers are more informed on policy matters hence need to

involve other stakeholders in their decisions. Exposure makes these headteachers to

appreciate the need to consult more sources of information and help.

SA A UD D SD

Strategies f % F % f % f % f %

Wait until a training

opportunity arises

41 28.3 84 57.9 0 0 20 13.8 0 0

Seek sponsor intervention 10 6.9 57 39.3 21 14.4 46 31.7 11 7.6

Develop a clear training

programme for staff

16 11.0 20 13.8 16 11.0 68 46.9 25 17.2

Recommend staff for

further training

26 17.9 94 64.8 5 3.4 15 10.3 5 3.4

Seek alternative funding

for staff training and

development

16 11.0 41 28.3 27 18.6 41 28.3 20 13.8



Table 4.8: Coping Strategies for Headteachers to Challenges in Training and

Development of Staff (n=145)

As shown in Table 4.8, the greatest coping strategy for heateachers to challenges in Training

and Development of staff was to wait until an opportunity arises as indicated by 125(86.2%)

of the respondents.

SA A UD D SD


Seek funds from other

sources to pay staff

27 18.6 82 56.6 6 4.1 25 17.2 5 3.4

Develop a clear reward

system for hardworking

staff

15 10.3 57 39.3 22 15.2 51 35.2 0 0

Recommend hardworking

staff for promotion

16 11.0 118 81.4 6 4.1 5 3.4 0 0

Borrow from other vote

heads to pay staff

48 33.1 87 60.0 5 3.4 5 3.4 0 0

Trim staff during hard

economic times

5 3.4 83 57.2 11 7.6 36 24.8 10 6.9

Rely heavily on casual

labour

10 6.9 63 43.4 5 3.4 46 31.7 21 14.5

Table 4.9: Coping Strategies for Headteachers to Challenges in Reward System

Management (n=145)


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As shown in Table 4.9, the greatest coping strategy for heateachers to challenges in reward

system management was borrowing from other vote heads to pay the staff as indicated by

135(93.1%) of the respondents followed by recommending hard working staff for promotion

as indicated by 134(92.4%) of the respondents.

SA A UD D SD


Attend INSET in appraisal 20 13.8 53 36.6 11 7.6 51 35.2 10 6.9

Contract experts to evaluate

staff

11 7.6 0 0 16 11.0 82 56.6 36 24.8

Carry out staff appraisal in

secrecy

11 7.6 25 17.2 21 14.4 67 46.2 21 14.5

Rely on confidential report

forms provided by

employer

11 7.6 49 33.8 15 10.3 50 34.5 20 13.8

Nothing is done about staff

appraisal

0 0 20 13.8 5 3.4 79 54.5 41 28.3




Table 4.10: Coping Strategies for Headteachers to Challenges in Performance Appraisal

(n=145)

As shown in Table 4.10, the greatest coping strategy for headteachers to challenges in

performance appraisal attending in service training in performance appraisal as indicated by

73(50.4) of the respondents.

SA A UD D SD

Strategies f % f % f % f % f %

Forward indisciplined staff

to employer for action

20 13.8 88 60.7 5 3.4 32 22.1 0 0

Withdraw benefits 5 3.4 62 42.8 22 15.2 46 31.7 10 6.8

Recommend indisciplined

staff for transfer

15 10.3 83 57.2 6 4.1 36 24.8 5 3.4

Seek intervention from

stakeholders

26 17.9 92 63.4 6 4.1 16 11.0 5 3.4

Recommend indisciplined

staff for rehabilitation

16 11.0 93 64.1 5 3.4 31 21.4 0 0



Table 4.11: Coping Strategies for Headteachers to Challenges in Maintenance of Staff

Discipline (n=145)


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As shown in Table 4.11, the greatest coping strategy for headteachers to challenges in

maintenance of staff discipline was seeking intervention from stakeholders as indicated by

118(81.3%) of the respondents followed by recommending indisciplined staff for

rehabilitation as indicated by 109(75.1%) of the respondents, forwarding indisciplined staff to

the employer for action as indicated by 108(74.5%) of the respondents and recommending

indiscipilined staff for transfer as indicated by 95(67.5%) of the respondents.

Summary, Conclusions And Recommendations 5.1 Summary of the Findings

The study established that 135(93.1%) of the headteachers in had inadequate funds for

staffing; inadequate staff 139(95.4%), inadequate funds for training 134(92.4%) insufficient

time for training 129 (88.9%). 139(95.9%) had very little to do with staff remuneration

111(75.9%) and 93(64.2%) lacked a clear scheme of service. 83(57.2%) could only wait for

an opportunity to arise to appraise. There was no major challenge in establishing discipline.

5.2. Coping Strategies

The study established that the coping strategies for headteachers in human resource

management were: seeking assistance from education offices 119(82.0%), attending in

service Training 73(50.3%), waiting until an opportunity arises to train staff 125(86.2%),

borrowing from other vote heads to pay the staff 135(93.1%), recommending hard working

staff for promotion 134(92.4%), seeking intervention from stakeholders 118(81.3%),

recommending indisciplined staff for rehabilitation 109(75.1%), forwarding indisciplined

staff to the employer for action 108(74.5%) and recommending indisciplined staff for transfer

95(67.5%).

5.3 Conclusions

i. The challenges faced by the heateachers are staffing, training and development, reward system management and performance based.

ii. The most cross cutting challenge was lack of adequate funds to carry out the human resource management functions in public secondary schools in Kakamega County.

5.4 Recommendations i. The Ministry of Education should provide adequate funds for recruitment of adequate

staff;

ii. The T.S.C should avail funds for use during the selection of the teaching staff after advertisement of the job vacancies.

iii. The T.S.C should reduce the work load for headteachers to have enough time to attend to human resource management matters.

iv. The Ministry of labour in conjunction with the Mnistry of Education should provide training opportunities.

v. The Ministry of Education should take up the role of paying B.O.G employed staff. vi. The Ministry of Education should provide clear guidelines on how appraisal of

performance should be done at the school level;

vii. The T.S.C should consider using other strategies in appraising the headteachers and teachers to enable them to be promoted.

viii. The Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour should take up the full training of headteachers,

ix. The Headteachers should network and consult the stakeholders whenever they are in doubt in order to minimize the challenges in human resource management.


ISSN: 2320-8848(O.)/2321-0362(P.) Page 27 June, 2013

5.5 Suggestions for further Research

The study did not exhaust all issues in management of human resource. Other issues

emanated from the study that require further investigation are as follows:

A study should be undertaken to find out whether headteachers are adequately prepared to

take up headship roles which is a gap from the current study.

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The Role of Training and Development On Employee

Performance. A Study of Commercial Banks

In Kisumu City

Rahma C. Magut HD 312-C008-2531/2011

ABSTRACT

Much effort has been put in by scholars and researchers in understanding the nature,

dimension and consequences of employee training. Also theoretical as well as practical

solutions have been suggested; specially designed projects and programmes have been put in

place by organizations to tackle the problem of staff capacity building as well. However, the

relationship between employee training and the effect on employee performance has received

very little or no attention in the capacity building literature. As a way of mainstreaming

development in staff response and effectiveness, this study examines the role of training and

development in enhancing employee‟s improvement in Kenya, taking banks within Kisumu

City as a case study. Using a strong methodological approach which focuses on descriptive

survey technique, this study found out that training and development is essential in

commercial banks and other organizations. The commonly used strategy was on the job

training. On the whole though, the findings show that the main hindrance to employee

training and development is inadequate finances. The study recommends among others that

that organization should spend more time and money on training and development of their

employees.

Introduction It is important that workers of an organization should be adequately educated and trained

(Pylee & George, 1999). As such, no employee should be put on the job unless he has the

necessary information about his job and sufficient training and capacity to perform it.

Organizations in today‟s business environment operates on a very dynamic and highly

competitive world characterized by cut throat product and service competition, high cost of

production, emergence of technological advancement and the application of such

technologies in the daily operation of organizations across the globe. In regard to such

developments, training of the work force to handle challenges posed by the inevitable

changes in the industry is very necessary if organizations are to live up to their strategic

objectives and to survive the test of time. The present study investigated the role that training

and employee development plays in organizational performance. As such, equipping

employees to be responsive takes nothing short of relevant training on conceptual and

technical skills particularly to the operational cadre employees because they directly handle

the bulk of work in the process of executing the policy implementation. This can be achieved

by modification of attitudes and behavior through learning experience (Armstrong, 2000).

Training and development enhances efficiency and effectiveness that guarantees continuity

and competitive advantage of an organization- a prerequisite for survival.

Economic variables like inflation, political uncertainty and the contemporary global trends

calls for personnel that are highly trained to not only predict but also provide the way out of


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challenging circumstances. Managers move from one level to another and as they do so they

require more skills both human and conceptual to handle the problems they face at those

higher levels (Balunywa, 2004). According to Flippo (1984), no organization has a choice of

whether to develop employees or not; the only option is that of the method. Therefore there

was need to examine the role of training and development in organizations by unlocking the

chains of inadequate and sometimes irrelevant personnel training. This can only be done

objectively by making a thorough assessment on what effects training and development has

on employee performance.

Objectives of the study

1. To find out the employee training and development strategies used by banks in Kisumu

city.

2. To investigate the role of training and development on bank employees‟ job output in

Kisumu city.

3. To determine the role of training and development on bank employees‟ efficiency on the

job in Kisumu city.

4. To establish the role of training and development on bank employees‟ quality of work in

Kisumu city.

5. To find out the training and development challenges faced/experienced by commercial

banks in Kisumu city.

Limitations of the study

The study was limited to the responses obtained from the questionnaires and the interviews

conducted. The researcher had no control over the exact information employees of banks in

Kisumu city chose to give or withhold. Moreover, the findings of the study may not be

applicable to other financial institutions which are not yet fully fledged commercial banks.

Methodology

The research was carried out using the descriptive survey design. According to Kothari

(2005), a descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds.

The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at

present. Orodho and Kombo (2002) say that descriptive survey is a method of collecting

information by interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals.

Mugenda and Mugenda (1999) are of the view that a descriptive research design aides the

researcher to formulate a more precise problem statement. A descriptive study establishes

only associations between variables, an independent and dependent variable in a population

and since the main aim of this study was to investigate the role of training and development

on employees descriptive survey design was found to be the most suitable design/method.

This study was carried out in Kisumu city of Nyanza Province. The researcher chose this area

because of the researchers‟ prior knowledge in the field and familiarity with many

commercial banks in the city.Almost all banks in Kenya are represented in Kisumu and

therefore a wide range of choice was available. This increased the chances of generalization

of the research findings.


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A sample size of 200 respondents of both the staff and the management was selected who

have in one way or another experienced or benefited from the bank‟s training and

development activities and programs. According to Kothari (2005), an optimum sample is

one in which it fulfills the requirements of efficiency, representativeness, reliability and

flexibility. Costs too indicate the size of the sample that can be drawn. Budgetary constraint

was also taken into consideration when deciding the sample size. The sample shall comprise

of management and other staff members.

The population of the study was employees of commercial banks, both the management and

other members of staff of the 22 banks in Kisumu City. Preliminary investigation revealed

that, the banks in the city had approximately 450 employees; a target population of 400

employees was selected. The respondents included the senior management staff and other

bank staff. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 200 respondents from the two

strata of the population namely; management staff and the other staff members.

In collecting data two instruments were used, questionnaires and structured interview

questions because the questionnaires alone would not elicit exact data required. The

researcher adopted a method of drop-and-pick where she dropped the questionnaires and

collected them later in person after having been filled by the respondents. The researcher also

used structured interview schedule. The representation of the content on the dependent and

independent variables through relevant questions were checked using the expert judgment

method. According to Mugenda and Mugenda (1999), a stability coefficient of 0.80 or more

is acceptable as it implies that there is high degree of reliability.

The validity of the research instruments was ascertained by consultations with supervisors,

they analyzed the contents of the questionnaire and interview questions to ascertain the items

in the two data collection instruments suited the purpose for which they were intended/set.

Before actual data collection process the researcher was armed with a reference letter from

Jomo Kenyatta University which acted as an introduction. The researcher dropped the

questionnaires to the respondents, requested them to fill and collected them in person after

one week to enhance employee confidentiality. The researcher left her contacts to enable the

respondents to seek clarifications or for collection of the questionnaires once they were ready.

The researcher analyzed data using Statistical Package for Social Scientists; descriptive

statistics to meaningfully describe a distribution of scores using a few indices or statistics.

Measures of central tendency and measures of variability were also used to enable the

description of scores be more detailed. The presentation of data was done using tables.

Some of the problems encountered while administering the questionnaire include respondents

taking too long to complete the questionnaires; difficulty in conducting interviews and some

staff members being too busy to engage. Ethical considerations were factored in throughout

the interview process.

Results and Analysis

Table 4.1 Ages of the Respondents

The study sought to establish the age of the respondents. Table 4.1 below shows the

responses obtained.


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Age bracket Frequency %Proportion

18-25 years 30 16.7

26-33 years 70 38.9

34-41 years 42 23.3

42-49 years 25 13.9

50 years and above 13 7.2

Total 180 100

From the table, it can be noted that 30 (16.7%) of the respondents are in the age bracket of

18-25 years, 70 (38.9%) are between 26-33 years, 42 (23.3%) are in the range of 34-41years,

25 (13.9%) are in the range of 42-49 years while the remaining 13 (7.2%) are 50 years and

above. This shows that majority of the employees are below 35 years and hence young

enough to attend training.

Table 4.2 Gender of the respondents

Question two sought to establish the gender of respondents. The table below shows the

gender of respondents.

Gender category Frequency Percentage

Male 102 57

Female 78 43

From the above table, it can be noted that 102 (57%) of the respondents were male while

78(43%) were female. This shows that there are slightly more male employees in commercial

banks in Kisumu city than female ones.

Table 4.3 The levels of education of the respondents

The study also sought to establish the levels of education of the respondents in commercial

banks found in Kisumu city. The responses are presented in the table below;

Academic qualification Frequency Percentage

Certificate 30 16.7

Diploma 45 25

Degree 85 47.2

Masters 20 11.1

The study found out that 30(16.7%) of the respondents have certificate trainings, 45(25%)

had diploma training, 85(47.2%) had degree qualifications while 20(11.1%) had masters


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degree. It can therefore be noted that majority of workers in commercial banks in Kisumu

city have attained degrees and diploma training, only a few have certificates and masters

degree. This shows that for one to be a bank employee in the current world one has to have a

degree and also bank employees are going for further studies and this percentage (11.1%)

will be increasing with time.

Table 4.5 Working Experience of the Respondents

The length of time the employees have worked in the banks was considered important since

the longer the period of time that one has worked, the higher the likelihood that he or she has

attended some form of training. The responses were as shown below.

Experience Frequency Percentage

1-3 years 86 47.8

4-6 year 49 27.2

7-10 years 30 16.7

11 years and above 15 8.3

Total 180 100

From the table, it can be noted that 86 (47.8 %) of the respondents have worked for 3 years

and below in the banking institutions, 49 (27.2%) have worked for between 4-6 years, 30

(16.7%) have worked for between 7 and 10 years while 15 (8.3%) have worked for 11 year

and more. This shows that majority of the employees in commercial banks under area of

study have less that 11years working experience.

Table 4.6 Positions held by the respondents

It was important to know the positions held by the respondents to be able to know who to

give the questionnaire and who to interview. The respondents‟ position is as in the table

below;

Rank Frequency Percentage

Operations Officer 160 88.9

Management 20 11.1

It is clear from the table that majority of the respondents 160(88.9%) were operations staff

comprising of tellers, back officers and customer service personnel, while only 20(11.1%)

were members of management comprising of branch managers, operations manager,

relationship officers in credit and supervisors.

Table 4.7 Presence of Training Policy in Commercial Banks

The respondents were asked whether they have a tr