Academic Staff Development Practices’ Influence on Job Performance in Selected Public Universities in Kenya

Abstract

Academic staff development (S-D) enhances job performance in educational institutions universities inclusive. In this regard, there has been noted a shortfall of adequately qualified staff, PhD holders, in Maseno University (MSU) and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST). This denotes a skills, knowledge and attitudinal deficiency which demands counteractive S-D steps. However, despite continued PhD–S-D activities, there are still public and stakeholder complaints of poor service delivery besides claims by certain authorities that universities engage in some retrogressive work-based or in-built-study S-D practices, as opposed to study leave option, hence the need to examine the influence of S-D practices on job performance. For this study, on-the-job PhD-S-D and off-the-job PhD-S-D practices output were compared. Job performance indicators that were measured were categorized into 3; Research, Publication and Community Service, Actual Teaching Activity and Departmental Teamwork. The study used saturated sampling technique to select 6 University Management Personnel (UMP), 11 Deans of Faculties and Directors of Studies (DFDS), 48 Chairmen of Departments (CoD), 88 academic staff who underwent off-the-job PhD-S-D, 66 on On-the-job PhD-S-D practices and 19 former MSU/MMUST academic staff. Actual response rate was 92%. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed thematically, quantitative data by mean rating, frequencies and percentages whereas inferential data using T-test. There was coincidence of job performance output with regard to statistical significance or insignificance based on set alpha at 0.05 for 10/11 parameters that were considered in the 3 identified categories. This led to the conclusion that outcome from on-the-job and off-the-job PhD-S-D practice is 90.9% equivalent, thus disapproved allegations of comparative inferior academic opportunity for on-the-job PhD-S-D practice academic staff that was alleged to translate into inferior job performance output. Universities may therefore adopt either on-the-job or off-the-job PhD-S-D practice based on their S-D policies, their financial, their manpower, or their circumstantial conveniences.