JOB SATISFACTION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR

JOB SATISFACTION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE

TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR IN KENYA: A CASE OF TELKOM KENYA

LTD.

BUSI 240-Organizational Behavior 1

Liberty University

Job satisfaction and employee performance in the telecommunication sector in

Kenya: a case of telkom Kenya ltd.

firm-specific skills as part of the human capital in order to attain and sustain competitive

advantage. Firm-specific human capital is advantageous to an organization as it reduces

mobility of employee’s hence lowers turnover (Coff & Raffiee, 2015). On the other hand,

organizations still require having employees with general human capital. This mixture of

human capital is integral in the productivity and efficiency of an organization. In order to

maximize on the human capital mix available in an organization it is imperative that the

management endeavor to motivate the workforce and heighten the level of job satisfaction

(Collings & Mellahi, 2009).

Job satisfaction is a manifestation of an employee’s attitude towards their position in the firm

and this affects the level of performance. Scholarly studies have previously been conducted

by viewing human capital as inputs in the system rather than human assets (Werner &

DeSimone, 2011). Subsequently the welfare of employees fails to be given enough attention

as required. This has led to increased labor turnover in organizations in different sectors

including the telecommunication sector. It is imperative that the top management of every

organization ensure employee job satisfaction in order to increase the performance and

effectiveness in the organization. Sonnentag et al. (2008) have described Employee

Performance as a multi-dimensional concept that describes how an individual completes a

particular task with the focus being on skills, initiatives, efficiency and the utilized resources.

Bhat and Beri (2016) further posit that motivation, opportunity in the organization and the

capacity to perform significantly affect Employee Performance in the workplace.

2017). There is extensive empirical evidence linking intrinsic motivation to better Employee

Performance among employees. Intrinsic motivation correlates with improved Employee

Performance as the employee’s are more industrious and smarter in terms of how they handle

different tasks (Menges et al., 2017).

Consequently, improved productivity leads to an increase in the profitability of the

organization. Employee Performance can be measured through assessment by supervisors or

through objective performance data such as sales volume (Xiaojun, 2017). Measuring

fully the skills and competencies of the employees.

Employee Performance includes aspects such as core task behaviours, counterproductive

behaviours and citizenship behaviours (Ng, & Feldman, 2009). Core task performance

defines basic duties that are required in a particular job while citizenship performance defines

employees are characterized by increased rate of errors in their work, poor concentration and

planning. These exacerbate the negative performance of the employees in the organizations.

Ng, and Feldman (2009), on the other hand, asserts that education level is negatively related

with absenteeism and on-the-job substance abuse. The study recommended that organization

management seek having a highly educated workforce as it correlates with better Employee

Performance.

Heidemeier and Bittner, (2012) assert that goal orientations in the workplace predict

employee Performance. Goal orientation determines the skills acquisition for an employee

which further predicts the level of Employee Performance. Skilled employees have better

performance in the workplace as their levels of errors are significantly reduced. Employees

The Job satisfaction refers to the employee’s individual feelings towards their job positions

(Sajid & Siddiqui, 2017). Employees will at times have moments of happiness towards their

jobs or frustration and this may last for an extended period depending on the job environment

existing in the organization. Job satisfaction relies on a combination of factors including

environmental circumstances in the organization, and psychological aspects such as

interpersonal relations existing in the organization (Sajid & Siddiqui, 2017). An employee’s

individual cognitive, affective and evaluative reactions towards their particular jobs in the

organization determine their job satisfaction (Grujičić et al., 2016). The cognitive aspects

include the employee’s personal beliefs and assumptions towards the work they handle;

affective aspects refer to the emotions the employee’s have about the work while evaluative

reliant on aspects such interpersonal relations, financial reward, organizational commitment

and personal fulfillment.

and actions of an employee in the workplace. Previous studies on job satisfaction have mostly

focused on motivation (Octaviannand et al., 2017; Stankovska et al., 2017; Asgari et al.,

2017). The specific Job Satisfaction Dimensions have not been studied comprehensively.

Subsequently, aspects such as economic rewards for employees, interpersonal relationship in

the workplace, personal fulfillment and organizational commitment are the specific Job

study since they focus on the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of job satisfaction.

Economic rewards for employees are integral in heightening their motivation and Employee

Performance. Economic rewards include bonus payouts, overtime and salary increments.

Every company should set-up reward systems that would benefit employees (Choma &

the Employee Performance levels. Interpersonal relations in the workplace can bring about

co-operation, unity or conflict (Emilova, 2014). Interpersonal relations are dependent on the

social environment that is established in the workplace. Employees who work in a favorable

environment are able to maximize on their abilities and perform much better hence their

Employee Performance is greater (Mandhanya, 2015). On the other hand, interpersonal

is integral in the process of alleviating stress levels. This leads to increased personal

fulfillment and increased attachment to the organization. The employee’s commitment to the

organization significantly affects the performance of such individuals. Organizational

commitment binds the employee to the objectives and vision of the organization and this

impact on their Employee Performance (Sajid & Siddiqui, 2017).Employees that are

targets. Moreover, such employees have increased emotional attachment to the organization

and this increases their levels of retention and involvement in tasks.

The telecommunication sector in Kenya has exhibited a high growth rate in the recent past

and has been impacted by cross-sector competitive relationships. Subsequently, companies in

the sector have evolved to provide a variety of services including money transfer services,

internet services and mobile telephone services in order to have competitive advantage. One

integrated telecommunications solutions to SMEs, large corporate, individuals and the

government. Telkom Kenya Ltd boasts of being a business enabler through the provision of

world class solutions for the modern day business customer. The company is founded on

robust and consumer-centric ethos and is committed to the provision of innovative and

accessible communication solutions. The company strategy involves the continuous

development of its product portfolio with a view of renewing growth. Telkom Kenya Ltd has

a robust presence in the 47 counties that form the republic of Kenya where it covers both data

and voice channels (Telkom, 2017).

Telkom Ltd strategy focuses on expanding its network coverage in Kenya through an

investment of $ 50 million with a view of growing its market share and growing its corporate

between Organizational Commitment and Leadership Style on

Paramedical Personnel in Kolkata. International Journal Of

Business Insights & Transformation, 11(1), 80-84.

performance in the Banking Industry of Pakistan.

International Journal of Business and Social Sciences