FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF KRONES EAST AFRICA LIMITED

Abstract

Kenya‟s manufacturing sector that is considered the most vibrant in the East African region has been growing at a slower rate than the economy on average .This kind of growth can be cascaded to firms in the sector among them Krones East Africa Limited whose production dropped from 300 million worth of sales in 2016 to 290million worth of sales in 2017.This study therefore sought to establish if this kind of drop is associated with employee satisfaction. In doing so, the study set out to establish the effect of management style, communication, remuneration and working conditions on employee satisfaction in the manufacturing sector in Kenya with a focus on Krones East Africa Limited. The study utilized descriptive research design in examining the factors affecting employee satisfaction in the manufacturing sector in Kenya. The target population for this study was 450 employees of Krones East Africa Limited categorized into Top Management, Middle Management and Operational staff. The study selected 10% of the target population giving a total sample of 45 respondents for the study. The study utilized structured questionnaires as a data collection tool which comprised both open and closed ended questions. A pilot study was done on five employees not included in the sampled population. The results of the pilot study were used to test the validity and reliability of the research instrument. Primary data was used in this study. Once collected, the data was edited, coded, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). This study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature giving rise to the use of descriptive statistics. The descriptive statistics used in the study included frequencies and mean. The computed frequencies and mean was presented in form of tables, pie charts and bar charts to give a clear picture of the research findings at glance. The study revealed that the management rarely invites employees to participate in the decisionmaking process and that upward communication helps employees to interact with their seniors which improve their level of satisfaction with their job. The study also revealed that adequate pay is the main source of satisfaction for the employees of the firm and that relationship between supervisor and employees is crucial in ensuring employee job satisfaction. The study recommended that themanagement of Krones East Africa limited to embrace participative leadership style and the need to train supervisors and managers on aspects of delegation and communication. The study concluded that concluded that management style, level of remuneration, communication and working environment affect employee job satisfaction at Krones East Africa Limite