Influence of workplace diversity on employee engagement at International Rescue Committee Kenya
Date
2021
Authors
Muthee, Lucy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Globally employee engagement has been of immense interest among scholars and human resource managers due to the critical role it plays in enhancing employee productivity and firm performance. The majority of studies on employee engagement have, however, focused on commercial corporations with little examination of engagement within humanitarian organizations. The current study sought to examine the influence of workplace diversity on employee engagement within the International Rescue Committee. The study is of interest owing to the diverse personnel working within the organization hence examining how this affects employee engagement was crucial for enhancing the available empirical evidence. The study examined how demographic diversity, education diversity, and cultural diversity affects employee engagement. The research was grounded on social exchange theory and social identity theory. The study adopted a descriptive research approach, focussing on the population of 334 personnel working for the International Rescue Committee in Kenya. The sample size for the study was 182 personnel from the same organization. The study adopted a structured questionnaire in data collection then applied descriptive and inferential analysis on the data. The analyzed data is presented graphically. The research obtained a response rate of 70%. The findings indicate a positive association between demographic factors, education, cultural diversity, and employee engagement at IRC Kenya. The study found that 45% of variations in employee engagement are determined by workplace diversity practices. The research recommends that the organization should foster the development of policies that can focus on raising awareness of workplace diversity and enhance inclusivity within the firm. The study further suggests that the management should seek to build diverse, balanced work teams to promote commitment level, job satisfaction, motivate employees, and encourage productivity.
Description
A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Masters of Business Administration at Strathmore University Business School
Keywords
Demographic diversity, Education diversity, Cultural diversity, Working environment, Employee engagement