EFFECT OF HUMAN RESOURCE AUDIT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AMONG COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN WESTERN KENYA – International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

EFFECT OF HUMAN RESOURCE AUDIT ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AMONG COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN WESTERN KENYA

Author: Josiah Roman Aketch

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of Human Resource Audit (HRA) practices, particularly compliance with legal requirements and the implementation of HR policies and procedures, on employee performance in county governments in Western Kenya. Globally, research indicates that organizations with structured HR audits report up to 15% higher employee productivity. In Western Kenya, however, counties face severe challenges, with staff turnover rates exceeding 30%, absenteeism rates above 20%, and resource mismanagement impacting service delivery. Despite the critical role of HR audits in improving public sector performance, limited research has explored their effectiveness, especially in rural areas. For instance, Western Kenya’s counties, with their weaker HR infrastructure, often struggle with underdeveloped HR practices, making this study particularly important. The main objective of the study wass to assess how HR audit practices affect employee performance in county governments in Western Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to: evaluate the relationship between HR compliance and employee performance, assess the influence of HR policies and procedures on employee performance, and examine the overall impact of HR audit practices on employee performance. To achieve these objectives, the study employed a quantitative research methodology, using regression analysis to analyze data collected from HR officers in several county governments in the region. The findings reveal that HR audit practices have a significant positive effect on employee performance. The regression analysis indicates a strong positive correlation between the predictors (compliance with legal requirements and HR policies) and employee performance, with an R-square value of 0.497. This means that approximately 49.7% of the variance in employee performance is explained by these practices. The beta values from the coefficients table show that HR policies and procedures (β = 0.560) have a stronger impact on employee performance than compliance with legal requirements (β = 0.371), underlining the importance of clear, structured HR policies in fostering motivation and productivity among employees. The findings are statistically significant with p-values less than 0.001, confirming the robustness of the model. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that HR audit practices, particularly well-defined policies and compliance with legal standards, are essential in enhancing employee performance in county governments in Western Kenya. The study recommends improving HR policy implementation, training HR officers, and ensuring adequate resources for effective HR audits. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding how HR audits can be adapted to the unique challenges of rural county governments, offering insights that can inform policy and practice in public sector HR management.

Keywords: Human Resource Audit (HRA), Employee Performance, Compliance with Legal Requirements, HR Policies and Procedures, County Governments, Western Kenya,

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