Does Autonomy Affect Employee Performance Of Nurses In A Hospital? Case Of Moi Teaching And Referral Hospital Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The main objectives of this study were to determine the role of autonomy as a predictor of employee performance in a hospital setting in Kenya.

Approach/Methodology/Design: The study was an explanatory study which offers a profile to describe relevant aspects of the phenomenon of interest to the researcher. The target population was 2000 nurses who work in Moi teaching and referral hospital Eldoret. A sample of 330 nurses was selected using simple random sampling. The research instrument used was a 5 point likert scale questionnaire. The study used questionnaires as a tool of collecting data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as tables, pie charts, One-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis.

Findings: From the findings, the null hypothesis that states that there is no relationship between autonomy and employee performance is rejected. This is because the results of the study showed that the level of autonomy in the hospital had a high influence on employee performance (β₄=0.443, P Value =0.000).

Originality/value: The study findings brings out the importance of  a nation’s largest group of health professionals, nurses as they play an important role in the delivery of quality and cost effective health care. As a result of focusing on the need for nurses to work to their full potential, health care system efficiency will be optimized and retained through autonomy. This study therefore came up with autonomy strategies that can assist the leadership of the hospital to harvest to their full potential of nurses hence employee performance.