Internal Communication and Employee Engagement in Technical Training Institutions in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to establish the effect of internal communication on employee engagement. Studies on this subject have been done elsewhere but there is a dearth of researches that have concentrated solely on the mentioned subjects in the Kenyan context. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of internal communication on employee engagement in technical training institutions in Kenya. The specific objectives were: to find out the effect of the communication mode on employee engagement in technical training institutions in Kenya, to establish the effect of communication quality on employee engagement in technical training institutions Kenya, to determine the effect of the communication direction in technical training institutions Kenya, and to investigate the moderating effect of management style on the relationship between internal communication and employee engagement in technical training institutions in Kenya. The study used social exchange theory, media richness theory and leader member exchange theory. The study was conducted using descriptive survey research design. Study population was all the 3780 trainers in the 102 technical training institutions in Kenya out of which a sample of 360 respondents was used. Stratified random sampling, random sampling and stratified proportionate random sampling technique design were employed. A pilot test was conducted so as to correct weaknesses in design and instrumentation. Data was collected using a questionnaire which had both closed-ended (Likert type scale 1-5) questions and open ended questions. Questionnaires were distributed to 360 respondents out of which 322 completed the questionnaires giving a response rate of 89.4%. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test for internal reliability of each variable used in the study. Data analysis was done by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The indicators of internal communication were communication mode, communication quality and communication direction. The findings of the study supported that internal communication has a significant effect on employee engagement and hence, it is a predictor of employee engagement among the trainers of technical training institutions in Kenya. Communication mode independently did not have a significant effect on employee engagement. However, communication quality and communication direction independently had a significant effect on employee engagement in technical training institutions in Kenya. Further, the study established that management style had a moderating effect on the relationship between internal communication and employee engagement. Hence, the current study recommends that there is need to improve internal communication as it significantly affects employee engagement in technical training institutions. This can be done by embracing modern methods of communications. Again, technical training institutions should enhance their horizontal communication practices to enable them play their rightful role in improving employee engagement. Furthermore, the study recommends that the leadership in these institutions should embrace favourable leadership practices such as training those in positions of leadership on best practices in communication. The current study concentrated on internal communication. There is need to do further research on the effect of external communication and its components on employee engagement. Future research should also focus on other educational institutions as well as other sectors outside the education sector in order to establish whether there is an effect of internal communication on their employee engagement.