A Contextual Analysis of Factors Influencing Employee Performance in the Public Sector: The Case of Bahrain

Abstract

This study examines key drivers of employee performance in Bahrain's public sector, thereby addressing a significant research gap concerning the understanding of culture-based and technologically influenced factors that affect performance in public sector organizations. A mixed-method approach was employed, involving a systematic literature review of 108 peer-reviewed studies, 22 expert interviews, and 23 participants divided into four focus group discussions (FGDs) of 4–6 individuals each. A thematic analysis of these qualitative data was conducted using NVivo, achieving high inter-coder reliability (Cohen's kappa of 0.83 for interviews; 0.86 for FGDs). This process identified 46 distinct drivers of employee performance, with leadership, digital competence, hybrid work models, motivation, and organizational culture emerging as dominant themes. The findings offer practical insights for human resources policy and performance management, providing an evidence-based framework to enhance employee performance in Bahrain's public sector.