AN ASSESSMENT ON THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF MERU KENYA

Abstract

The devolution process led to a large number of staff being transferred from the national government to county governments. However, human resource management became a major challenge for most counties due to limited capacity. Consequently, there has been widespread job dissatisfaction among county government employees, which could negatively impact both employee and overall county assembly performance. Thus, there is a need to implement motivational strategies to improve employee performance and achieve desired outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between psychosocial environment and employee performance in the Meru County Assembly in Kenya. Theoretical framework used was Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Additionally, this research will utilize a descriptive research method. The study will target 118 employees in human resources, finance/accounting, marketing, operations, research/development, and information/communication technology departments at the county assembly. A census method will be used to select respondents, making the sample size 118 participants. Data collection will utilize a structured questionnaire. A pilot test will evaluate the questionnaire's validity and reliability. Using SPSS version 28.0, descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, standard deviations, and frequencies will analyze the quantitative data. Information from open-ended questions will be examined via narrative analysis. Also, correlation analysis will assess the strength of association between variables.

Keywords: Psychosocial environment, Performance, Maslow’s theory.