Abstract:
Health is vital for the survival of any human beings. Health service delivery is of
paramount importance for a healthy citizenry. Employee unrest has been witnessed in
health care facilities and this has affected service delivery in public hospitals. In most
cases, the public health workers strike is aggravated by lack of implementation of
collective bargaining agreement signed in 2013 and the key issue raised was
compensation and working environment. The stakeholders involved seems to be doing
very little to arrest the situation that has jeopardized service delivery in public hospitals
across the country. The purpose of this study was to establish the mediating effect of
employee voice on the relationship between compensation management and quality
service delivery in county referral hospitals in North Rift Counties. The specific
objectives of the study were to: determine the effect of direct compensation on service
delivery; examine the effect of indirect compensation on service delivery; identify the
influence of non-financial compensation on service delivery and to assess the mediating
effect of employee voice on the relationship between compensation management and
quality service delivery in County Referral Hospitals in North Rift region. This study
was informed by Expectancy Theory, Social Exchange Theory and Goal Setting Theory.
The study was guided by pragmatist paradigm and explanatory research design. The
target population comprise of 481 health staff working in the eight North Rift County
referral hospitals. The sample size was 218 health staff. Stratified, purposive and simple
random sampling techniques was used to select the respondents. Data was collected
using questionnaire and interview schedule. Questionnaire were analyzed using
descriptive and inferential statistics, while interviews schedule analyzed through
content analysis. Linear regression model and Process macro procedure was used to
test hypotheses. The findings of the study were presented in form of tables. The results
indicated that there was significant effect of direct compensation (β 1 =0.162, p<0.05),
indirect compensation (β 2 =0.262, p <0.05) and non-financial compensation (β 3 =0.285,
p <0.05) on service delivery. The effect of compensation management on service
delivery in health facilities controlling for employee voice was significant, [β = 0.279,
p = <.000]. Controlling for the employee voice (mediator), compensation management
was significant predictor of service delivery in health facilities, [c’ = 0.279, t (198) =
6.55] and this confirmed the presence of partial mediation. The study concluded that
direct compensation, indirect compensation and non-financial compensation had a
significant influence on service delivery. The employee voice partially mediates the
relationship between compensation management and quality service delivery in county
referral public hospitals in North Rift Counties. The study recommends that county
government should consider reviewing the salary pay of their employees and promoting
them by changing their job roles. The study recommends that management provides job
training for their employees. The study will be significant to the County and National
Government in streamlining policies and legislations on compensation management
and provision of quality service delivery in the health sector.