ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA
Rose Wangari Mwangi - Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management Option), Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Paul Waithaka - School of Business, Department of Business Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Higher educational institutions have increasingly faced complex and changing environments and the key to success of these institutions is the development of a particular culture. Organizational culture has been assumed to have important implications, not only for the individual's behavior in the organization but also for organizational effectiveness. It is a critical factor in enhancing the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Organizational culture as a social phenomenon has therefore been affirmed as enhancing and sustaining performance. This research therefore attempts to find out the relationship between organizational culture and the performance of Public Universities in Mount Kenya Region. The specific objectives of the study are; to identify the relationship between power culture, task culture, person culture and role culture and performance of public universities in Mount Kenya Region. The study was conducted in the Mount Kenya Region, as a region where higher education has undisputedly gained popularity over the recent years, where a descriptive research design was adopted and the study population consisted of eight public of students associations of public universities in Mount Kenya Region. The data was collected using questionnaires, which were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The target population constituted of 66 deans of schools, 172 heads of departments and 28 leaders computed and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS). Quantitative data was interpreted and inferences were made and presented using charts, tables and percentages, while qualitative data was organized into thematic categories according to the objectives of the study. The study established that organizational culture had a significant and a positive effect on the performance of public universities in the Mount Kenya Region. The study established that many of the officers in the universities in exercising their powers makes what they feel is the appropriate decision and emphasizes that the workers have no choice but to comply. It was established that majority of officers and supervisors tries to find some sort of common ground and attempts to please everyone in carrying their day to day operations. However, majority of the officers organize a meeting of all interested parties providing them with an opportunity to work out their differences. The study established that administrators emphasizes on teamwork in all the university’s departments. However, some of the officers were accused of treating students unfairly especially when under pressure. The study established that employees in the university have a strong creative and innovative skills in their work place thus translating to improved performance of the university. The study found that employees are upraised regularly in terms of qualification and potential and rewarded fairly by the university management. The study established that employees understand the core values of the university and practices them at all times and that they believed that the administration is reliable in handling personal employee’s matters. The study concluded that, power culture, task culture, role culture and person culture influences the performance of public universities in Kenya. For effective performance of the university, the management should invest in improving the organizational culture. The study recommends that the university should have a clear policy on communication procedures and minimum credentials for one to occupy a certain university office and that departments should be harmonized and structured properly for effective communication. The study also recommended that teamwork and periodic review of the employees’ role should be encouraged.
