Abstract

The objective of the study was to establish the role of employee commitment in the relationship between employee work values orientation and employee job performance in the motor vehicle industry in Kenya. This relationships was tested using corresponding null hypothesis. The motivation for the study arose from the observation of employee performance challenges that were witnessed in the motor vehicle industry in Kenya. Literature has shown that work values orientation has been associated with employee job performance. This study was based on the social exchange theory. The objective of the study was to eastablish the mediating role of employee commitment in the relationship between employee work values orieontation and employee performance. Descriptive cross sectional survey was used in the study. The study had a population of 2,895 employees out of which a sample of 351 respondents were randomly chosen for data collection. Data was collected by use of structured questionnaires that were dropped and picked back while others were scanned and emailed back. Data was analyzed using regression models. Test findings showed that employee commitment partially mediates the ralationship between work values orientation and employee job performance. The significant findings implied that the hypothesis that the relationship between work values orientation and employee job performance is not mediated by employee commitment was rejected, and the study objective to examine the effect of employee commitment in the relationship between work values orientation and employee job performance in the motor vehicle industry in Kenya positively determined. The study outcomes significantly contributed to theory, policy and practice of work values orientation and its influence on employee job performance. The limitation of the study comprised respondents’ attitude and subjectivity that may have crept in due to bias in choosing suitable responses, however the use of structured questionnaires and supervisor responses was meant to corroborate and reduce personal or subjective ways of responding to statements posed. It was also suggested that a further study be done using similar variables on a longitudinal design for generalizability of results. Further, the study recommended that the motor vehicle industry adopts work values orientation, employee commitment and employee competence as joint factors that significantly improve employee job performance.

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