Re-engineering Local Government Performance in Uganda: Evidence from Change Management Strategies and Employee Performance in Kasese and Kabarole Districts- A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Design

Abstract

Background Public sector organisations operating under decentralised governance systems increasingly rely on change management strategies to enhance employee performance. Limited empirical evidence explains how specific change management strategies influence employee performance within local governments in developing country contexts. This study examined the relationship between change management strategies and employee performance in Kasese and Kabarole District Local Governments in Western Uganda, drawing on Complexity Theory and Public Policy Theory to conceptualise performance as an outcome of interacting behavioural, motivational, and systemic forces within public institutions. Methods The study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design that integrated descriptive and correlational quantitative approaches with qualitative case study and phenomenological inquiry. The target population comprised 252 permanent district employees, from whom a sample of 155 respondents was selected using Yamane’s formula. Quantitative data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 28. Qualitative data were generated through unstructured interviews. Pilot testing was conducted in Mitooma District to ensure instrument validity and reliability. Results Regression analysis demonstrated that change management strategies had a statistically significant positive effect on employee performance (B = 0.262, Beta = 0.441, t = 6.080, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, revealing that leadership support, flexible organisational rules, and enhanced staff motivation played a critical role in improving employee performance within the district local governments. Conclusions The study concludes that effective change management strategies are central to improving employee performance in decentralised public institutions. Policy and practice implications include strengthening staff motivation and performance appraisal systems, promoting equitable employment opportunities, enhancing institutional flexibility, reducing excessive central government interference, and increasing fiscal support to local governments. The study contributes to public administration scholarship by extending the application of Complexity Theory and Public Policy Theory to decentralised governance contexts and advancing empirical evidence on the role of change management strategies in shaping employee performance outcomes within Sub-Saharan African local governments.