EMPLOYEE RELATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AMONG MEDICAL DOCTORS IN COUNTY REFERRAL HOSPITALS WITHIN WESTERN REGION, KENYA

Abstract

Report from the Health Sector Working Group done in 2018-2019, 2020-2021 and 2022 2023 have indicated a lack of harmonious and committed workforce in hospitals with the witnessed unending medical doctors’ strikes and poor service delivery across the county referral hospitals. This is despite the hospitals’ management working round the clock to ensure the welfare of the medical doctors is managed and their utmost commitment realized. The study focused on Employee Relations Management and its effect on Organizational Commitment among medical doctors in County Referral hospitals within Western Region, Kenya. Employee welfare management, organizational trust and employee grievance management were constructs of Employee relations management with organizational commitment measured through affective, continuance and normative commitment. Specific study objectives were to determine the effect of employee welfare management practices on organizational commitment, organizational trust on organizational commitment, grievance management practices on organizational commitment and the moderating role of management style on the interaction between employee relations management practices and organizational commitment among medical doctors in County Referral hospitals in Western Region, Kenya. Social Exchange, strategic choice and acceptance theories supported the research. Descriptive and correlational research design was used. The study used stratified and simple random sampling technique. Sample size was computed using Yamane’s formula yielding a sample size of 116 medical doctors drawn from Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga and Busia County Referral hospitals. Structured questionnaires aided data collection. Validity was tested using face, construct and content validity. Piloting of the 12 questionnaires at Kisumu County Teaching and Referral Hospital using Cronbach’s Alpha test aided reliability testing. Data was analyzed using descriptive like mean, frequencies, standard deviation, percentage and inferential statistical tools like simple, multiple regression, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression. The regression coefficient results indicated that employee welfare management (β0=0.502, t=6.148, P=0.000), organizational trust (β0=0.749, t=10.039, P=0.000) and employee grievance management (β0=0.570, t=6.630, P=0.000) had a positive and significant influence on organizational commitment. The hierarchical regression results showed that management style had a positive and significant moderating effect on the interaction between employee relations management and organizational commitment (β0=0.146, t=3.299, P=0.001). The study concluded that Employee welfare management practices, organizational trust and employee grievance management have a positive and significant effect on organizational commitment; and that management style moderates the relationship between employee relations management and organizational commitment. The study recommends that County Referral Hospitals should ensure proper institutionalization of statutory welfare, extra-mural facilities and intra-mural facilities; enhancement of organizational trust; timely addressing of employee discontentment and concerns, discipline and reward management; and that a management style that unlocks employees’ full potentials and enhances their emotional attachment with the hospitals be used. Further research can enlarge the scope to include all medical practitioners, use other research design like experimental and diagnostic analytic design and comparison on the findings done.