Compensation management, employee voice and quality service delivery in county referral hospitals in north rift region, Kenya

Abstract

Health is vital for the survival of any human beings. Health service delivery is of paramount importance for a healthy citizenry. Employee unrest has been witnessed in health care facilities and this has affected service delivery in public hospitals. In most cases, the public health workers strike is aggravated by lack of implementation of collective bargaining agreement signed in 2013 and the key issue raised was compensation and working environment. The stakeholders involved seems to be doing very little to arrest the situation that has jeopardized service delivery in public hospitals across the country. The purpose of this study was to establish the mediating effect of employee voice on the relationship between compensation management and quality service delivery in county referral hospitals in North Rift Counties. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine the effect of direct compensation on service delivery; examine the effect of indirect compensation on service delivery; identify the influence of non-financial compensation on service delivery and to assess the mediating effect of employee voice on the relationship between compensation management and quality service delivery in County Referral Hospitals in North Rift region. This study was informed by Expectancy Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Goal Setting Theory. The study was guided by pragmatist paradigm and explanatory research design. The target population comprise of 481 health staff working in the eight North Rift County referral hospitals. The sample size was 218 health staff. Stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques was used to select the respondents. Data was collected using questionnaire and interview schedule. Questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while interviews schedule analyzed through content analysis. Linear regression model and Process macro procedure was used to test hypotheses. The findings of the study were presented in form of tables. The results indicated that there was significant effect of direct compensation (β 1 =0.162, p<0.05), indirect compensation (β 2 =0.262, p <0.05) and non-financial compensation (β 3 =0.285, p <0.05) on service delivery. The effect of compensation management on service delivery in health facilities controlling for employee voice was significant, [β = 0.279, p = <.000]. Controlling for the employee voice (mediator), compensation management was significant predictor of service delivery in health facilities, [c’ = 0.279, t (198) = 6.55] and this confirmed the presence of partial mediation. The study concluded that direct compensation, indirect compensation and non-financial compensation had a significant influence on service delivery. The employee voice partially mediates the relationship between compensation management and quality service delivery in county referral public hospitals in North Rift Counties. The study recommends that county government should consider reviewing the salary pay of their employees and promoting them by changing their job roles. The study recommends that management provides job training for their employees. The study will be significant to the County and National Government in streamlining policies and legislations on compensation management and provision of quality service delivery in the health sector.