Work Environmental Factors Affecting Employee Job Satisfaction in Public Institutions in the Energy Sector in Kenya: A Case of Rural Electrification Authority, Nairobi
Abstract
Work environmental factors affect the employee's comfort and the ease to perform at the work places. This can no longer be ignored in order to achieve employee's full potential and to address any factors that may endanger their lives. However, despite Rural Electrification Authority having been in place for more than thirty years, only about 4% of the rural population in Kenya had electricity supply in their homes. The low level of connectivity raises more questions on the nature of workers who were under the program. With the consideration of the situation, the study established the work environmental factors affecting employee job satisfaction in public institutions in the energy sector in Kenya. The study targeted employees of Rural Electrification Authority in Nairobi who were 174 in total. Descriptive research design was used and a sample of 174 employees was selected for the study with the respondents drawn using stratified and simple random sampling. Findings indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between training, diversity and inclusion, safety and security and employee job satisfaction in public institutions in the energy sector in Kenya. However, physical work environment was positively but not significantly related to employee job satisfaction in public institutions in the energy sector in Kenya. The study concluded that training improves employee commitment in development and thus better performance. Gender balance, diverse professionals and with human resource practices that supports the creation of a work force with diverse skills and experience and diverse age groups are likely to impact job satisfaction. Employees' value work conditions as essential ingredients to their satisfaction; requiring regular surveys to determine and improve on variables that are critical to improving job satisfaction. Job insecurity acts as a clear source of job dissatisfaction. The study recommended that organization should pay special attention to training, diversity and inclusion, safety and security and physical work environment for job satisfaction to be enhanced.
Keywords: Training, Diversity and inclusion, Physical work environment, Safety and security, and employee job satisfaction.
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