Role of Organizational Reward System in Promoting Discretionary Work Behaviour in the Public Service of Kenya

Abstract

Discretionary work behaviour is an upcoming and interesting topic that requires research.Empirical evidences available have not given a clear explanation of the role of reward in promoting discretionary work behavior among employees. This has left a major gap on the influence reward has in the promotion of discretionary work behavior in the Kenyan public service.This study focused on the role of reward in promoting discretionary work behavior in the Kenyan public service, with specific reference to the government Ministries in Kenya. The Competitive Pay, Employee Benefits, Learning and Development and Work Environment were independent variables while DiscretionaryWork Behavior was the Independent variable. Employee engagement was considered as well as mediating variable on effect of reward on discretionary behavior. An explanatory research design was used in this study. The target population of the study was the civil service in Kenya numbering 217,000. The study population was 26,000 employees based at the Nairobi County 18 ministry Headquarters. A sample size of 379 respondents was selected using simple random sampling method since the population is homogeneous. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data while secondary data was gathered through reviews of both theoretical and empirical literatures. Pilot testing was conducted to obtain some assessment of questions validity and the likely reliability of the data. Reliability of the pretest observation schedule was tested using internal consistency technique. The data obtained was analyzed using the qualitative and quantitative analysis. The research results were positive. The model was confirmed and the mediating variable was confirmed as having mediated the independent variables. The overall findings show that when Total Rewards (Competitive Pay, Employee Benefits, Learning and Development, Work Environment) are bundled together, they have a synergistic link so that the impact of each on Discretionary Work Behaviour is enhanced when the others are present.