Employee Engagement, Demographic Characteristics and Performance of State Research and Training Corporations in Kenya

Abstract

Research and training are very important drivers of economic development and account for differences in development levels between and among countries. In Africa and most Third World countries, research and training are mostly carried out by state entities specifically formed for the purpose. However, the performance of the public service has been criticized due to unpredictable and unsatisfactory performance. As the population increases and the demand on meager resources is also on the rise, the role of research and training becomes more critical. However, there is only scanty empirical research on the performance of state corporations in research and training. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the influence of employee engagement on the performance of research and training state corporations in Kenya. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics on the relationship between employee engagement and the performance of research and training state corporations in Kenya. The study found that employee engagement has a significant influence on organizational performance and that the relationship between them is moderated by age, education and tenure. The study concluded that employers should pay attention to the demographic composition of their workforce while providing safe and secure work environment that lowers staff turnover.