Work Environment and Job Satisfaction at National Police Service, Kenya

Abstract

Poor work environment causes major risk to the well-being and quality of staff and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is crucial to the organizational performance which can be affected by the environmental concerns. This research sought to evaluate the role of work environment on job satisfaction at National Police Service with reference to Directorate of Criminal Investigations Department. The specific objectives of the study included: to determine the effect of organizational justice on employee job satisfaction at National Police Service, to establish the effect of interpersonal conflict on employee job satisfaction at National Police Service, to establish the effect of organizational constraints on employee job satisfaction at National Police Service and to assess the effect of physical environment on employee job satisfaction at National Police Service. The research made use of descriptive research design. The strata included; Chief Inspectors of police, Inspector of police, Police corporal, Police sergeant and Police Constables.  The research used the approach of stratified sampling. The target population was 2000 workers, 322 respondents made up the final sample size collected. Primary data was used in the analysis. As part of the primary source, the questionnaires were used as a method of data collection. Content validity was used to determine whether the study questionnaire content contained representative samples of the field to be evaluated. The internal accuracy of the test instrument was calculated using the reliability value of the Cronbach Alpha system of 0.7 and above. The quantitative information gathered was analysed utilizing Descriptive statistics using version 21 of the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS). The study established that that organizational justice, interpersonal conflict, organizational constraints and physical environment was positively related to employee job satisfaction. The study concluded on organizational justice that favorable results are likely to happen when employees perceives organizational justice, meaning that they think their business is fair to them. The research concludes on interpersonal conflict that interpersonal conflict is something that often happens in a group of staff, particularly in a high-pressure scenario such as the workplace. Interpersonal conflict inspires employees’ members to compete. The research concludes that elevated levels of human resources and infrastructure constraints influence job satisfaction of employees on organisational constraints. On the physical environment, the research concludes that an appropriate workplace climate assists to lower the absenteeism rate and can therefore boost the job satisfaction of the staff. The research advises on organizational justice that comprehension of the organization is important to the behavior and decision-making operations of its staff that affect organizational justice. The research recommends that the national police service create measures to control conflict so as to eliminate adverse effects of interpersonal conflict. It can be important for better organizational progress to maintain a good level of interpersonal disagreement. Organizational constraints it is recommended that the National Police Service know how to respond to this constantly changing environment by learning how to manage the dynamics of varied uncertainties, advocating fresh learning and leadership technologies that are both innovative and flexible, and easier to enforce. In the physical environment, the research proposes that the national police department develop a favorable job climate, pay its staff according to industry norms, use suitable reward and recognition programs to demonstrate the organization to its staff, provide training and development possibilities and offer their staff the opportunity to be creative and innovative.