THE ROLE OF GRIEVANCE HANDLING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN KENYA: A CASE OF LONGISA REFERRAL HOSPITAL, BOMET COUNTY

Abstract

Organizations inevitably face grievances from dissatisfied employees or groups due to current working conditions or interactions with colleagues. Since Kenya's health sector underwent devolution following the 2010 constitution, addressing employee concerns has become more complex. This study aimed to assess how grievance handling impacts staff performance at Kenyan public hospitals, focusing on Longisa Referral Hospital in Bomet County. The objectives were to evaluate the influence of grievance handling procedures, styles, and prevention strategies on employee performance. Using a case study design, the study surveyed 307 employees at Longisa Referral Hospital, employing a census approach due to the accessible and manageable population size. Questionnaires were used to gather primary data, which was then analyzed using descriptive statistics to calculate percentages and frequencies, Pearson correlation to evaluate relationships, and Chi-square analysis to identify linkages. Frequency tables were used to present the data. The outcomes showed that employee performance at Longisa Referral Hospital and grievance management procedures had a high positive connection (r = 0.820, P-value = 0.000). In a similar vein, employee performance and grievance management techniques showed a strong positive association (r = 0.547, P-value = 0.000), and employee performance and grievance prevention strategies showed a noteworthy correlation (r = 0.616, P-value = 0.000). Chi- square analysis revealed that all three of the null hypotheses were rejected, indicating that respondents thought grievance management practices, approaches, and preventative measures were essential to worker performance. The study recommended that organizations implement effective grievance handling protocols, adopt proactive grievance management methods, and establish robust grievance prevention strategies to enhance employee performance. These findings are anticipated to improve grievance management practices across public health facilities in Kenya. Key Words: Grievance handling, grievance handling procedure, grievance handling styles, grievance prevention strategies, employee’s performance and referral hospital.