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Research Article | Volume 2 Issue 2 (July-Dec, 2022) | Pages 1 - 7
Effect of Culture Levels on Service Delivery in County Governments Western Region, Kenya
 ,
 ,
1
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Keneya
Under a Creative Commons license
Open Access
Received
July 3, 2022
Revised
Aug. 9, 2022
Accepted
Sept. 19, 2022
Published
Oct. 30, 2022
Abstract

Devolution is a kind of public governance that brought government services closer to the people. Many jurisdictions supported it since it brought development challenges and fund distribution closer to the people, unlike centralized governance. The county governments themselves had also undergone a process of devolution, with the goals of bettering service delivery, enhancing governance, increasing accountability and expanding equity. Since Kenya's constitution was passed in 2010, the country has used a decentralized form of government. Because of this, not only have government services been more accessible to the general public but the development and social welfare of people in many different locations have been revolutionized. Abuse of public privileges by some public servants, as reported by the Ethics and Anticorruption Commission and Auditor General, suggests a disturbing culture that may hinder service performance. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to determine the impact of culture levels on service delivery in county governments of Kenya's Western Region. Organizational Culture Theory weas utilized to validate the study's theoretical assumptions. This study would use a descriptive cross sectional survey research design method by employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population of the study was 1,692 with a sample size of 313 employees who serve in Western counties economic block.

Keywords
INTRODUCTION

Kenyans adopted a new constitution in 2010 that created a decentralized government structure consisting of 47 county governments. After the county governors, deputy governors and representatives were elected in March 2013, county government operations began shortly thereafter. Formerly handled by the central government in Nairobi, the 47 newly formed counties in Kenya are now accountable for services like healthcare, elementary and secondary education and local road maintenance. The federal government provides these county governments with a financial allocation. In addition to property and sales taxes, county governments will be responsible for generating money from various sources within their jurisdictions. According to Sarkar, devolution can be seen from an administrative perspective as a means through which governments provide more effective self-governance while also reducing central regulatory constraints and increasing responsiveness, receptiveness and competition. This is achieved through increasing people's investment in fundamentals of leadership, which in turn empowers important stakeholders including the public and private sectors and local communities. Authorities in the decentralized service delivery sector, according to Ahmad [1], must ensure there are strong lines of communication and mutual accountability among the industry's creative professionals. Clients, in their capacity as residents, are expected to take into account engaging government authorities accountable for providing resources towards administrations as part of these service delivery arrangements.

 

People's actions inside an organization are governed by a set of norms established by the group's common assumptions, values and beliefs. Employees' appearance, demeanor and productivity in the workplace are all strongly influenced by the organization's core principles. The members of any given organization are expected to adhere to certain standards and norms established by the organization's culture. He defined organizational culture as the set of norms, assumptions and assumptions that are held in common by those who work for a company. It reflects the values, ideas and standards employees adopt to give meaning to experiences and it can impact the attitudes and behaviors of the personnel. The study's focus in cultural concerns stems from the researcher's conviction that familiarity with an organization's guiding principles might help mitigate potential for strife within the workforce. Chebet argues that the functionalist perspective demonstrates the significant impact of organizational culture in enhancing performance. Due to its ubiquitous nature, managers must be aware of its underlying characteristics and impact on employee-related variables like service delivery, leadership style and cultural preferences. According to Daulatram, there is a dearth of studies examining the connection between an organization's culture and the quality of the services it provides.

 

Counties and national governments use a wide variety of methods and policies to provide citizens with essential services. It is the government's responsibility to provide its residents with efficient, effective and high-quality services at reasonable prices. The government's ability to meet the demands of its constituents in a timely fashion is improved by devolving service delivery to the county level. Success stories on devolution and its benefits to political stability and development may be found in places as diverse as the United States, several European countries, India and some African countries. According to Chebet, service delivery at the enterprise level is defined as the ability of an organization to consistently deliver high-quality goods and services, to outperform the competition, to win new customers, to expand its market share and to sign contracts that generate profits and fuel the company's strategic expansion. Quantity, quality, task completion and goal achievement are all indicators of successful service delivery. This investigation will analyze how the cultures of the Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia County Governments in Kenya's Western Region affect their abilities to provide services to their constituents.

 

According to Baqir and Iyer [2], governments around the world have struggled with administration and service delivery issues because of rising citizen demand and expectations. According to Mosud and Irene [3], good governance requires a service delivery framework developed by the administration in accordance with public goals and needs and informed by existing management policies. The structures used to provide these services to the public should reflect the administrative culture that is currently in place. According to Solomon and Zeleke [4], it is important that it lays out the obligations of the government, the general public and development partners in order to guarantee efficient service delivery. As a general rule, private companies in the United States of America have more autonomy in terms of organizational structure and leadership style than their public sector counterparts. State and local governments are responsible for powers not granted to the federal government but rather based on individual state constitutions and municipal policy. The federal government is comprised of the legislative, executive and judicial branches and they are tasked with interpreting, defending, enacting, enforcing and developing the laws of a given country. According to Drumm, hierarchical structures breed risk-averse societies that put an emphasis on established norms and practices rather than exploring novel approaches. Since the public sector typically has fewer resources at its disposal than private companies and since efficiency is often an issue that slows down the pace at which operations and changes are implemented, there are several important factors to take into account when tackling culture change initiatives in the public sector. According to research, governmental entities are under greater stress for both process and outcome goals as a result of public scrutiny and the need to boost efficiency. Goals and expectations in the public sector are shaped by a variety of factors, both internal and external, including policy and appointed leadership.

 

The concept of good governance has been implemented in the public sector in many countries throughout the world. There are three primary reasons why Thailand stands out as an intriguing case among developing countries. To begin, the program has been hailed as the most extensive overhaul of the public sector ever undertaken and its goal has always been the promotion of good governance by means of PA. In addition, the country's culture is distinct from that of any other nation because it was never colonized by a European power. Buddhism and a mash-up of cultural influences from other countries, such as India, China and Cambodia, give Thailand its distinctive flavor (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, 2013). Thirdly, studying the Thai public sector can help bring attention to the connection between organizational culture and service delivery in the public sector by examining the ways in which attitudes, values and assumptions are manifested in the workplace. There must be proper structures to manage the relationship between the national government, the counties and the devolved entities to ensure no tasks and responsibilities are overlooked or duplicated as devolution transforms the structure of good governance and effective service delivery in Africa. Mchrorta found that efficient service delivery is directly related to a better health care system as a whole. Some West African states and Mozambique found that by devolving authority over primary healthcare decisions, they were able to significantly increase the quality, availability and reliability of essential medical services like immunizations, leading to a significant decrease in infant mortality and morbidity. Both Olowu and Wunsch and Majekodunmi, who conducted research in Nigeria, came to the same conclusion: devolution's major function is to increase the public sector's capacity and expertise through training and educating its human resources. Therefore, there is a requirement for well-defined plans of action, as well as the creation of policies and frameworks that will promote increased learning and, in turn, enhance the effectiveness of service delivery.

 

The way employees are handled in firms, for instance in South Africa, has prompted the need to take employees as key stakeholders in organizations. At a time when workers everywhere are seen as a major source of economic advantage, South Africa is nevertheless mired in a labor crisis marked by industrial activities. Voss and Gruber found that public sector workers were more likely to give high-quality services to people if they have abilities in areas such as knowledge, organization, positivity, assistance, concern for customers, openness, experience, friendliness and communication. According to research conducted in Kenya, most companies have begun using the Balanced Score Card (BSC) to boost employee productivity. Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, more businesses are showing interest in implementing the BSC with the help of the government. Sharma concluded that in Botswana, proper management of public funds was necessary for devolved units to increase public trust and involvement and to prevent the corruption that undermines trust and participation. Kauzya stated that the enormous number of individuals at the grassroots who felt abandoned by the central government led to devolution in Uganda seeking to empower people at the basic governance unit and the local councils. Decentralization of authority in Tanzania provided access to high-quality services that fostered civic engagement and goodwill.

 

Adek explained the concept of devolution by noting that numerous project implementations in the devolved Governments have been the sole means to bring activities that serve the people positively, leading to greater co-existence in the society. Every county administration, new or old, is responsible for a wide range of services, including infrastructure development, education, mining, water, small and medium enterprise programs and general industrialization. However, these services will only be achieved if factors like county government legislative processes lead to improvements in the county's ability and capability to utilize its revenue collections and management of money from the federal government and devolved government to fuel local growth. Several counties in Kenya fail to provide their inhabitants with easy access to the services they have promised, hence Ayuso focused on the accountability of county leaders as a key factor in improving service delivery. The study also indicated that citizen engagement in meetings and the speed at which money was transferred had a significant impact on the quality of services provided by counties. The impact of decentralized government on service provision has only been somewhat studied locally. Savange and Lumbasi's research left several unanswered questions because it only looked at two counties' worth of data (in terms of education and health care), whereas the current investigation is focused on four counties. This research aspires to fill in the blanks left by earlier investigations on how organizational culture affects service provision in the county governments of Kenya's Western Region.

 

Kenya is one of several developing countries that has adopted a decentralized form of administration in an effort to improve the quality of life for its population. According to Mosud and Irene [3], since the introduction of the devolved system in 2013, Kenyan service delivery has greatly advanced in the public domain since basic services are offered by the County Governments. This has attracted the attention of local and international stakeholders such as investors and policy developers. As a result, people's living conditions have improved, they are able to travel more freely, obtain food and water with less difficulty, benefit from enhanced medical care and actively participate in the planning and execution of projects. Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia are just a few of the 47 Counties created by the devolved system in the Kenyan Constitution of 2010. Counties in Kenya are governed in accordance with the principles and processes outlined in the County Government Act of 2012. Before assigning available resources to the projects, the County administration undertakes public participation in all villages during each fiscal year to learn about the people's priorities using the need-based method.

 

Public participation in project execution, government collaboration and stable conditions all contributed to smooth service delivery. Poor administrative structures, harmful cultural habits, political meddling and climatic changes are just a few of the difficulties that have hindered service delivery. The County has made access to healthcare, food and water, economic development, youth education and empowerment and the advancement of women its top service delivery priorities.

 

Organizational Culture Theory

The ideas behind this theory can be traced back to the research of scholars like Clifford Geertz, Michael Pacanowsky and Nick O'Donnell-Trujillo. The theory's central tenet was that cultures inside organizations are dynamic and change over time as established members indoctrinate newcomers with the prevailing values and practices. The approach proposes studying organizations through a "culture lens" because organizations are sufficiently complex to merit it. It argues that culture is a way of life in an organization and that it develops as people spin webs of ties among themselves within the organization.

 

The idea was based on the following assumptions: first, organizational members build and preserve a shared sense of organizational reality, leading to a better grasp of the organization's principles; second, the usage and interpretation of symbols are crucial to an organization's culture; and third, cultures differ among organizations and the interpretation of acts within these cultures is variable. Organizational culture is the primary emphasis of this theory because evolution and complexity are constants in any company's existence. Such upheaval might result in bewilderment, worry, dissatisfaction and excitement. The mental and emotional climate within an organization is just as much a part of its culture.

 

In this idea, essential activities, known as performances, are uncovered through the application of ethnographic methods. Its flexibility and scope of application are two of its strongest points. Since it is grounded on empirical research, the idea can be put to good use by any and all of an organization's workers. The cultural approach has been called into question due to its lack of internal consistency, which stems from its reliance on a common language within a company (Eisenberg & Goodall, 2004). It is not possible to make predictions using this theory. Its large confines provide room for extensiveness and ambiguity. This theory's viability rested on its key tenets, which are as follows: organizational cultures differ, cultures are formed by their members, cultures are enacted by their symbols and cultures endure because their members indoctrinate newcomers with their values and practices. Use of this theory will aid in examining the impact of various forms of corporate culture on the provision of services by the county governments in Kenya's Western Region. 

 

Organizational Culture

A company's culture is its own social and psychological climate, which is shaped by the people who work there and the decisions they make. When a company begins a process to align its values and vision to achieve its cultural objectives, it is engaging in cultural development. Members' perceptions of themselves, their inner workings, their relationships with the outside world and their hopes and dreams for the future are all manifestations of the organization's culture. The cultural norms of a group are the same ones that its members have accepted over time. Vision, values, conventions, systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs and habits are all elements of an organization's culture. The extent to which individuals and teams interact within an organization and how invested those individuals and teams feel in the success of that organization are both influenced by the culture of that organization.

 

Organizational culture is helpful in both internal integration and external adaptation, both of which are essential to achieving successful performance results. Especially in fast-growing sectors like microfinance, where companies often have fewer resources to devote to R&D, organizational culture has been largely ignored. Research has been done to see if company culture affects the quality of service provided but the results have been mixed. While several studies show that outward-focused cultures have a beneficial effect on performance, some have found the opposite to be true. Consequently, it is not possible to draw a firm conclusion that results are independent of context, despite the fact that empirical data is cited in literature connecting organizational culture with service provision. Without various evidences across diverse contexts and over time, it is difficult to definitively establish the nature and degree of the influence organizational culture has on service delivery because of the lingering clouds of discrepancies. The study investigates the impact of various organizational cultures on service delivery in Kenya's county governments.

 

As stated by various authors, a company's culture acts as a form of management that molds the beliefs and actions of its personnel. Culture is the "operating system" or "organizational DNA" of a company, as stated by Belias, Koustelios, Vairaktarakis, Sdrolias. Involvement, stability, flexibility and commitment are the four criteria along which research has categorized organizational culture. Employee dedication and pride in their work are emphasized through involvement. Organizational structures and processes that encourage the same manner of doing things are said to be consistent. Organizational adaptability refers to how well it handles change. How well an organization articulates its purpose and future goals is a measure of its sense of mission.

 

Organizational culture can be broken down into two distinct types: "negative" and "positive," as defined by research. There are specific circumstances that mandate the presence of either a positive or bad culture within an organization. The following characteristics characterize companies with a positive culture, whereas the converse is true of those with a negative culture. Such terms and conditions include: Having everyone in an organization on the same page means that everyone understands the organization's aims. Definitions: a set of rules that must be adhered to. Responsibility is the experience of having some control over one's work life. Employees' perception of the company's openness to change and implementation of new ideas. Collaboration and dedication within a team.

 

A survey of the literature on organizational culture demonstrates that the majority of authors. Panagiotis, Alexandros, George agree that a strong culture in the company is highly useful for enhancing the performance of the employees, which leads to goal achievement and improves the organization's overall performance. Additionally, customer satisfaction is a precursor of service quality. The research cited above tested the hypothesis that a strong corporate culture would lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction.

 

Artifacts 

In a business context, artifacts are anything that can be seen, touched or even just described. Architecture, workplace decoration, thoughtful design, layout, fitting and maintenance, built-in space for movement (space, sound and acoustics), functionality, attractive visuals, elegance, furniture, etc. are all part of what makes a space feel good to be in. Explicit dress regulations reveal a lot about the values of an organization and might be seen as artifacts. They range from the corporate to the creative. The first step in developing and establishing a dress code, it varies depending on the character of the company. Professional appearances, such as an I-Card and a tidy uniform, say a lot about any given company. Members of staff serve as the company's first and foremost brand advocates. Work at a law firm is not the same as working in an IT firm, a hospital is not the same as working in the hotel industry, a factory is not the same as working in a store and so on. Artifacts of a company's culture include things like dress codes, languages spoken, polite words to use and even office humor. Artifacts are the outward manifestations of a culture and often serve as the first point of contact between an alien culture and its inhabitants. Employees that are lazy, poorly dressed and messy damage the company's reputation. We lose interest in doing business with a company when we see personnel who are chatting, ignoring consumers and stuck in the past. 

 

Espoused Values

A company's espoused values are its fundamental principles. They're the company's guiding principles, articulated in the form of a set of rules. Essentially, the company's actions are guided by these principles. The stated values of an organization are usually easy to adopt by its staff because they are in line with the company's overall goals. An overarching goal of the stated values is to establish a norm of conduct for all employees. To guarantee that workers make decisions based on business values rather than their own, this measure has been put in place. The principles serve as a constant deterrent to improper actions. These beliefs serve as the cornerstone of our company's culture. After being made aware of these standards, workers may add to but generally respect the gist of them. The desired result is a deeply ingrained culture that serves as effectively, if not more so, as a set of rules for all employees to follow. In most cases, an organization will need to deploy more than one strategy to educate its personnel about its stated values to the extent necessary for them to be effective. While it's important for companies to write down their values and distribute them to employees, it's even more effective to design policies and procedures that are based on those values and encourage employee adherence to them. Putting words into actions is one of the most effective methods to establish values in your staff. Executives, managers and supervisors have this duty since they set the tone for employee conduct. Both the written materials of the company and interactions with other workers provide new hires with opportunities to directly and indirectly assimilate these beliefs. This is why it's helpful to provide new hires with ample opportunities for social interaction with established staff members so that they can begin to absorb the prevailing company culture.

 

Basic Assumptions

It is the underlying assumptions that give rise to a culture's values and that motivate employees to take action. Assumptions inside an organization are commonly known but rarely discussed, documented or readily accessible. They are made up of things like assumptions, biases, biases and emotions that don't even register in one's conscious mind. Assumptions cannot be addressed or modified if they are not discussed or dealt with openly. Because of this, issues inside the organization may occur, indicating the need for adjustment. Most of our unquestioned beliefs and assumptions are founded on what we have been taught in the past. Assumptions are a fundamental aspect of our worldview and they inform our evaluations, interpretations and inferences about the world around us and the minds of the people in it. They fill in the blanks in our stories as necessary. Organizational existence relies heavily on assumptions. They are the unspoken norms and assumptions that shape an organization's culture and have an effect on its performance. Organizational culture is a pattern of shared basic beliefs that a group working together for a common objective has formed in learning to cope with the issues of external adaptation and internal integration, as stated by Edgar Schein. To put it another way, it's about the appropriate ways to think, say, perceive, feel and act in specific circumstances. In order to grasp a company's true culture, one must delve into its most fundamental assumptions. This is a challenging undertaking that needs everyone's help. Leaders of organizations typically need to initiate action by articulating the group's guiding principles and the expected behaviors that result from them in order to tackle the toughest internal and external problems. If the proposed course of action by the leader is effective and is maintained, it may come to be accepted without more debate. Through the formation of common assumptions, the organization gains the necessary steadiness and significance. Disparities appear when people's preconceived notions don't line up with their actual beliefs. If this isn't fixed, it will have repercussions throughout the company.

 

Research Design

A descriptive cross-sectional survey is employed whenever information is gathered with the aim of characterizing people, groups, places or things and was adopted by this study This design ensures maximum reliability and robustness in the face of bias (Kothari, 2008). The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between organizational culture and service delivery in the County Governments of the Western Region of Kenya. 

 

The sample size for the study was 313 participants to whom questionnaires and interview schedule were provided. This included the Directors, Sub-county Administrators, Supervisors and Office Administrators who will fill the questionnaires but the interview schedule will be administered to the top level management and the clients.

 

Questionnaires, prearranged interviews and casual observations were the main sources of information. Respondents were provided the questionnaires and an introduction letter from the institution in a questionnaire-forwarding letter. Respondents were properly identified, the researcher introduced herself and arrangements were made for the researcher to drop off questionnaires and pick up completed instruments at mutually agreeable times and places. Due to its low cost and little intrusion, the questionnaire approach was chosen. The secondary data set was compiled from scholarly articles, textbooks, Google Scholar and other online resources.

 

Cronbach's alpha coefficients for culture levels α = 0.71 and service delivery α = 0.70 indicate that the measuring scales employed in the study exceeded the 0.6 lower level of acceptability and were within the 0.70 and above as recommended by Nunnally [5]. This proved that the measured variables were accurate and suitable for further study.

RESULTS

A total of 20 interview schedules were conducted to the sample population of governors, deputy Governors and County Executive Committee Member (CECM). Only 14 out of the targeted responders actually took the time to complete the interview schedule. There was a 70% return rate overall, with the highest rates in Bungoma and Kakamega counties (both 80%). A response rate of 60 percent or higher is regarded good and one of 70 percent or higher is exceptional. Therefore, considering that the research used face-to-face interviews despite the constraints posed by COVID-19, the overall response rate for the interview schedule of 70% was quite good. Consequently, the information gleaned from the interview schedule was fit for further examination.

 

Culture Levels

The study established the level of agreement from the respondents on the four statements related to culture levels: Artifacts, Espoused Values and Basic Assumptions. The questions were put on a Likert Scale of 1-5: Strongly Disagree (SD = 1), Disagree (D = 2), Not Sure (NS = 3), Agree (A = 4) and Strongly Agreed (SA = 5). The results are as shown in Table 1.

 

Culture levels impacted service delivery, as shown in Table 1, with a mean of 3.37 (between unsure and agree) and a standard error of 0.077. When the standard deviation is 1.30, there is a sizable discrepancy between the data and the mean. Workers reported high levels of engagement and teamwork on artifacts (mean = 3.01, SE = 0.067), while managers reported high levels of participation and job satisfaction (mean = 3.12, SE = 0.070). The findings also showed that workers believed that innovations were changing at a fast rate (mean score: 3.39, SE: 0.059), while they believed that establishment and creativity were changing at a similar rate (mean score: 3.45, SE: 0.052).

 

Those who believed that leadership styles were in place had a mean of 3.40 and a standard error of 0.069, assuming some fundamental assumptions. Results also indicated that there was dedicated leadership (mean = 3.46, SE = 0.065) and that there was a structure in place to keep things running smoothly (mean = 3.58, SE = 0.156). Results indicated the presence of structures that facilitated coordination (mean = 3.54, SE = 0.064). Except for the fundamental premise, where employees reported feeling there existed structures that permitted control of activities that generated stability and efficiency on service delivery (skewness = 12.65), all of the sub-constructs had a negative skewness ranging from -0.834 to -0.083. Kurtosis, on average, was -23.958, although there was a wide range of values; few constructs had positive kurtosis while most had negative kurtosis.

 

Service delivery in county government was found to be affected by organizational culture. Tsai argues that a healthy company culture promotes productive personnel and this finding is in agreement with that argument. The context in which a company operates has a significant impact on the culture that develops there. When an organization has a strong and supportive culture, workers are motivated to do their best, leading to greater productivity and success in meeting corporate goals. On the other hand, if an organization has a negative and weak culture, its personnel will not be motivated to achieve its goals.

 

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Culture Levels

Culture types

n

Mean

SE

SD

Skewness

Kurtosis

Artifacts

There is employee involvement and teamwork that improves service delivery

285

3.01

0.068

1.15

-0.083

-1.223

 

There is employee participation and job satisfaction that improves service delivery

283

3.12

0.070

1.18

-0.332

-1.089

Espoused Values

There is rapid change associated with innovation and dynamism that improves service delivery

283

3.39

0.059

 0.99

-0.724

-0.183

 

There is rapid change associated creativity and risk taking that improves service delivery

285

3.45

0.062

1.06

-0.609

-0.372

Basic Assumption

The leadership styles in place are supportive

281

3.40

0.069

1.17

-0.528

-0.688

 

There exists committed leadership that improves service delivery

281

3.46

0.065

1.10

-0.505

-0.678

 

There exist structures that enable control of activities that generate stability and efficiency on service delivery

285

3.58

0.156

2.64

12.65

194.716

 

Existing structures in Counties make coordination easier hence efficiency and service delivery

284

3.54

0.064

1.08

-0.834

0.066

Overrall

 

285

3.37

0.07

1.30

1.139

23.958

Source: Field Data (2022)

 

Culture Levels

Only two respondents were satisfied with the artifacts and they ascribed their contentment to a scholarship that benefited poor students, as well as the fact that the services are excellent and a robust system is present. Only two respondents expressed complete or partial satisfaction, while seven said the county administration should improve in various ways. In conclusion, most people are unhappy with the quality of service they receive in their own counties. Respondents' stated beliefs included observations of a lack of innovative techniques in counties, a lack of quick change in the majority of counties, slow development rates and difficulties adapting to new circumstances. As a whole, counties lacked competitiveness. To summarize the respondents' varying opinions on leadership, five said that good leadership was linked to better infrastructure like roads and bridges, two said that counties benefited from a practical governor, three said that leadership was about average and two said that poor and bad leadership was linked to political affiliations. In conclusion, while some counties have made progress on infrastructure like highways, the vast majority of regions suffered from mediocre to terrible leadership. The majority of respondents reported having access to good and promising buildings that were well utilized, ensured good service delivery and made their counties competitive. However, those who said their counties had no such structures believed that this stifled development.

 

Citizens should be involved at all levels for openness, especially when it comes to the allocation of cash. In addition, county governments should enhance teamwork among employees and encourage them not to take political sides in order to achieve their goals and objectives.

 

Effect of Culture Levels on Service Delivery 

The primary purpose of the research was to identify the ways in which local culture influenced service provision in County Governments in Western Kenya. The goal of this study was to determine whether or not "H01: Culture does not have a substantial effect on service delivery in County Governments Western Region, Kenya" was true. In order to determine the extent to which service delivery accounts for variation in cultural levels, a Pearson correlation was performed to establish the significance of the relationship using the R coefficient and simple linear regression was then used, if the relationship was found to be significant (R2).

 

Correlation Results of Culture Levels and Service Delivery

The association between cultural adequacy and service quality was determined using a Pearson correlation analysis. Cohen [6] decision rules were used to make sense of the correlation strengths, where values between 0.1 and 0.3 suggest a weak correlation, 0.31 and 0.5 indicate a moderate correlation and values larger than 0.5 indicate a strong correlation. Results are shown in Table 2.

 

The study found a coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.544** between cultural influences and service quality.

 

The fact that it was greater than 0.5 indicates a significant relationship between culture and service quality [6]. Since this is the case, H01 should be disregarded. From what we can tell, there is a positive and statistically significant connection between cultural categories and service quality. Conclusion: H01 should be discounted. This indicated that better cultural artifacts, professed values and fundamental assumptions lead to better service delivery.

 

Table 2: Correlation Results of Culture Levels and Service Delivery

 

 

 

1

2

Inference

1

Culture Levels

Pearson Correlation

1

-

Reject H01

2

Service Delivery

Pearson Correlation

0.544**

1

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed), Source: Field Data (2022)

 

Table 3: Assumptions of Linear Regression

 

Threshold if Assumption is met

CL

CD

OF

Normality test (S-W)

p>0.05

0.000

0.000

0.000

Linearity 

p<0.05

0.000a

0.000a

0.000a

Test of independence

1.5-2.5

1.658

2.261

2.290

Tolerance (VIF)

VIF Max 10

0.699 (1.431)

0.520 (1.925)

0.541 (1.847)

S-W = Shapiro-Wilk; CT = Cultural Types; CD = Cultural Dimensions; OF = Organization Factors, Source: Researcher (2022)

 

Regression analysis for Culture Levels and Service Delivery

The multiple regression equation took the form:

 

Yi= βο + β1x1+ β2x+…………. βn x

 

where, Y= Level of service delivery, β = is the constant, β - βn = are the regression coefficient or change induced in Y by X, X1-βn = culture types, cultural dimensions, organizational factors, ε = Standard error term.

 

Assumptions of Linear Regression

Assumptions of linear regression are presented in Table 3.

 

Summary of Findings

The objective of the study was to establish the effect of culture levels on service delivery in County Governments Western Region, Kenya. This objective sought to approve or disapprove the null hypothesis: “H01: Culture levels do not have a significant effect on service delivery in County Governments Western Region, Kenya.” This was achieved by conducting Pearson Correlation in order to establish the significance of the relationship using R coefficient and if significant, simple linear regression to find out the variation in culture levels that is accounted for by service delivery (R2). Descriptive statistics revealed that on overall culture levels influenced service delivery with a mean of 3.38 (between unsure and agree) and a standard error of 0.077. A standard deviation of 1.30 indicated that there is substantial deviation from mean. Pearson Correlation results showed a strong relationship between culture levels and service delivery as shown by a coefficient of correlation (r) as 0.544** which was more than the table value of 0.155 and hence H01 was rejected. Linear regression analysis indicated that culture levels significantly accounted up to 42.0% of variance in service delivery of western region counties in Kenya. Multiple regression analysis revealed that when other variables are controlled in the model, a unit change in cultural levels would results to a significant change in service delivery by 0.396 in the same direction. Results from interview schedule showed that apart from infrastructures such as roads that have been constructed in some counties, most counties suffered from average to poor leadership.

 

On the culture levels, it is recommended that the managers should ensure that their counties have good infrastructure place to improve service delivery and also motivate the staff working in county governments for ease coordination and hence efficiency.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that organizational factors had significant effect on service delivery in the counties of western region in Kenya. An increase in organizational factors in relation to culture levels and cultural dimension would result to significant increase in service delivery in the counties of the western region in Kenya. 

 

Recommendation

It is recommended that the managers should ensure that their counties have good infrastructure place to improve service delivery and also motivate the staff working in county governments for ease coordination and hence efficiency.

REFERENCE
  1. Ahmad, J.K. et al. Decentralization and Service Delivery. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 3603, 2005.

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