REMOTE WORKING AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN KERICHO REFERRAL HOSPITAL, KENYA

Kigen Leonard Kibet, Williter Rop, Willy Rugut

Abstract


The world’s rapid changes have forced organizations to adapt their work arrangements to remain competitive and effective. As traditional systems were disrupted, managers now need to reconsider work structures to boost employee motivation, collaboration and satisfaction. Redesigning workspaces and adopting flexible work arrangements are essential for maintaining productivity and meeting changing employee expectations. Therefore, the study examined the relationship between remote work arrangements and employee performance at Kericho Referral Hospital, Kenya. A descriptive research design, stratified sampling, and census sampling were employed to identify departments and select respondents. The population of the study was 152, consisting of staff working in various departments within Kericho Referral Hospital, Kenya. Qualitative data were analyzed through content and thematic analysis, while quantitative data were examined using descriptive and inferential statistical using SPSS Version 27. The findings, as reflected by the average mean of 3.65 (SD = 0.66), suggest that telecommuting and technology-supported work practices positively influence the performance of employees. The relatively high mean scores for flexibility, timely task completion, communication, and decision-making demonstrate the potential of telecommuting technologies to enhance employee efficiency and organizational performance. The outcome of the study may be crucial to both National and County Governments in developing the appropriate policies to improve work arrangement practices in the health sector.

Keywords


remote working, employee performance

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdirahman, A. S., & Sagwa, E. V. (2020). Influence of resource mobilization on sustainability of universal health coverage in vulnerable livelihoods in Wajir County, Kenya. JOPEA, 4, 18-33. Retrieved from https://kenyasocialscienceforum.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/pdf-abdullahi-sagwa-influence-of-resource-mobilization-on-sustainability-of-universal-health-coverage-in-in-wajir-county-kenya.pdf

Altindag, E., & Siller, F. (2014). Effects of flexible working method on employee performance: an empirical study in Turkey. Business and Economics Journal 5(3). https://doi.org/10.4172/2151-6219.1000104

Anaja, E. O., & Peter, J. T. (2022). Effect of Workplace Flexibility on Employee Performance: A Case Study of Al Babello Trading Company, Zaria, Nigeria. International Journal of Research Publications 110(1). https://doi.org/10.47119/IJRP10011011020223989

Atoko, S. R. (2021). The impact of remote working on employee performance during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 9(2).

Aziz-Ur-Rehman, M., & Siddiqui, D. A. (2019). Relationship between flexible working arrangements and job satisfaction mediated by work-life balance: Evidence from public sector university employees of Pakistan. Available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3510918. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3510918

Barker, G. S., & Christensen, A. (2020). Remote work and employee productivity: A look at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Research, 127, 267-276.

Bett, F., Sang, H., & Chepkwony, P. (2022). Flexible Work Arrangement and Employee Performance: An Evidence of Work-life Balance Practices. East African Journal of Business and Economics, 5(1), 80-89. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajbe.5.1.557

Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., & Ying, Z. J. (2021). Does working from home work? Evidence from a Chinese experiment. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 136(1), 165-218. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjz019

Catherine, M. (2018). Evaluation of job design and its effect on employee engagement in a private outpatient healthcare provider in Kenya: A case of AAR Healthcare Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Strathmore University). Retrieved from https://su-plus.strathmore.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/99ee2a28-b4ce-4171-bbec-b12c9874cd9b/content

Chakraborty, I., & Maity, P. (2020). COVID-19 outbreak: Migration, effects on society, global environment and prevention. Science of the Total Environment, 728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138882

Chenangat, D., & Makokha, E. N. (2023). Job Satisfaction on Organizational Performance in County Government of West Pokot. International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (IJRRSSH), 10(3). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8199034

Dhéret, C., Guagliardo, S., & Palimariciuc, M. (2019). The future of work: Towards a progressive agenda for all. EPC Issue, Paper 9, December 2019. Retrieved from https://www.epc.eu/publication/The-future-of-work-Towards-a-progressive-agenda-for-all-2d8840/

Elshaiekh, N. E. M., Hassan, Y. A. A., & Abdallah, A. A. A. (2018, November). The impacts of remote working on workers' performance. In 2018 International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT) (pp. 1-5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACIT.2018.8672704

Estanio, Mariene and Losbanes, Mary Grace and Vigonte, Florinda and Abante, Marmelo V., Flexible Work Arrangement: Its Significance to Employees' Performance and Productivity (October 14, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4602059 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4602059).

Ferrara, B., Pansini, M., De Vincenzi, C., Buonomo, I., & Benevene, P. (2022). Investigating the role of remote working on employees’ performance and well-being: an evidence-based systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912373

Gartner. (2020). How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the future of work. Gartner Research.

Govender, L., Migiro, S. O., & Kyule, A. K. (2018). Flexible work arrangements, job satisfaction and performance. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 10(3 (J)), 268-277. https://doi.org/10.22610/jebs.v10i3.2333

Hasan, N., Rana, R. U., Chowdhury, S., Dola, A. J., & Rony, M. K. K. (2021). Ethical considerations in research. Journal of Nursing Research, Patient Safety and Practice (JNRPSP) 2799-1210, 1(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.55529/jnrpsp11.1.4

Huremović, D. (2019). Brief history of pandemics (pandemics throughout history). Psychiatry of pandemics: a mental health response to infection outbreak, 7-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15346-5_2

Idowu, S. A. (2020). Role of flexible working hours’ arrangement on employee job performance and retention in manufacturing industries in Agbara, Nigeria. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343853755_Role_of_Flexible_Working_Hours'_Arrangement_on_Employee_Job_Performance_and_Retention_in_Manufacturing_Industries_in_Agbara_Nigeria

Ilma, L. N., Dinar, D. E., & Hendriana, E. (2022). The Effect of Flexible Working Arrangement on Organizational Commitment. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 5(1). Retrieved from https://www.bircu-journal.com/index.php/birci/article/download/4296/pdf

Inayat, W., & Jahanzeb Khan, M. (2021). A study of job satisfaction and its effect on the performance of employees working in private sector organizations, Peshawar. Education Research International, 2021, 1-9. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1751495?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle

Isabwa, N. A., Egessa, R., & Isaac, O. (2016). Job sharing and employees’ performance in selected manufacturing companies in Kakamega County, Kenya: A case of West Kenya Sugar Company Limited. International journal of multidisciplinary and current research, 4. Retrieved from https://ijmcr.com/index.php/ijmcr/article/view/04.05.24

Kamaldeen, M. (2014). What is the difference between literature review, theoretical analysis and conceptual analysis? International Journal, 3 (2), 1.

Kangogo, J., & Wanambiro, V. (2019). Influence of flexible working schedules on organizational commitment of employees in hospitals in Nakuru town, Kenya. International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(2), 62-77.

Kimondo, E. W. (2022). Effects of Remote Working on Employee Productivity at Absa Bank Plc (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi). Retrieved from https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/items/1d253168-6885-483c-a609-ecbf16a3a394

Kurdy, D. M., Al-Malkawi, H. A. N., & Rizwan, S. (2023). The impact of remote working on employee productivity during COVID-19 in the UAE: the moderating role of job level. Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.1108/JBSED-09-2022-0104

Lohr, S. L. (2021). Sampling: design and analysis. Chapman and Hall/CRC. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429298899

Lucianetti, L., Battista, V., & Koufteros, X. (2019). Comprehensive performance measurement systems design and organizational effectiveness. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 39(2), 326-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-07-2017-0412

Ludidi, F. (2020). Flexible working arrangements and employee performance: Manager and employee perspectives (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria). Retrieved from https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/79603

Ludvigson, S. & Ma, S. (2020). COVID-19 and the Macroeconomic Effects of Costly Disasters, NBER Working Paper No. 26987 (2020). Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/papers/w26987

Mekuri-Ndimele, J. A. (2020). Work flexibility and employee performance in deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 7(2), 359-371. https://doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v7i2.1635

Mudegu, M. V., & Kamaara, M. (2022). Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic on Employees’ Performance in Architectural Companies in Nairobi City County, Kenya. International Journal of Social Sciences Management and Entrepreneurship (IJSSME), 6(2). Retrieved from https://www.sagepublishers.com/index.php/ijssme/article/view/167

Mugenda, M.O., & Mugenda, G.A. (2013). Research methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Nairobi: African Centre for Technology Statistics (ACTs).

Mugisha, R. (2013). The relationship between shift work and employee performance at Abacus Parenterals Drugs Limited, Uganda (Doctoral Dissertation, Uganda Management Institute). Retrieved from https://umispace.umi.ac.ug/items/e8e33694-c39d-4b0c-9374-947b5e9cda42

Mungania, A. K., & Mwiti, M. K. (2022). Influence of teleworking on employee performance of public universities in the Mount Kenya region. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 10(2), 189–193. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7323267

Murugami, R. W. (2014). Challenges of implementing Kenya quality model for health strategy in Kiambu County, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi). Retrieved from https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/server/api/core/bitstreams/195467a1-4444-4015-883a-0eecfecd8ff3/content

Ramakrishnan, S., & Arokiasamy, L. (2019). Flexible working arrangements in Malaysia: A study of employee's performance on white collar employees. Global Business and Management Research, 11(1), 551-559. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/openview/577b6827a3b7a00bb7cd9c6f0431daed/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=696409

Selviana, L., Afgani, M. W., & Siroj, R. A. (2024). Correlational research. INNOVATIVE: Journal of Social Science Research, 4(1), 5118-5128. https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v4i1.7841

Sokolić, D. (2022). Remote work and hybrid work organizations. In Economic and Social Development (pp. 202-213). Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency and University North. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359056200_REMOTE_WORK_AND_HYBRID_WORK_ORGANIZATIONS

Sürücü, L., & Maslakci, A. (2020). Validity and reliability in quantitative research. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 8(3), 2694-2726. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v8i3.1540

Too, J. C., Mbuthia, G., & Mwangi, E. (2022). The Status of Occupational Health and Safety among Nurses in Kapkatet Sub County Hospital in Kericho County. African Journal of Health Sciences, 35(4), 485-495. Retrieved from https://ojs.ajhsjournal.or.ke/index.php/home/article/download/256/180/781

Vokó, Z., & Pitter, J. G. (2020). The effect of social distance measures on COVID-19 pandemics in Europe: an interrupted time series analysis. GeroScience, 42(4), 1075-1082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-020-00205-0

Whyman, P. B., Baimbridge, M. J., Buraimo, B. A., & Petrescu, A. I. (2015). Workplace flexibility practices and corporate performance: evidence from the British private sector. British Journal of Management, 26(3), 347-364. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12051

Yamin, R. A., & Pusparini, E. S. (2022, July). The Effect of Flexible Work Arrangement and Perceived Organizational Support on Employee Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement. In 6th Global Conference on Business, Management, and Entrepreneurship (GCBME 2021) (pp. 436-441). Atlantis Press. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.220701.081

Yusuf, H. P. (2021). Remote work and employee performance: examining problem-solving ability, quality of work, time management, and productivity in the fintech industry in Nigeria during COVID-19 (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin, National College of Ireland). Retrieved from https://norma.ncirl.ie/5358/




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejhrms.v10i3.2312

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 European Journal of Human Resource Management Studies

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The research works published in this journal are free to be accessed. They can be shared (copied and redistributed in any medium or format) and\or adapted (remixed, transformed, and built upon the material for any purpose, commercially and\or not commercially) under the following terms: attribution (appropriate credit must be given indicating original authors, research work name and publication name mentioning if changes were made) and without adding additional restrictions (without restricting others from doing anything the actual license permits). Authors retain the full copyright of their published research works and cannot revoke these freedoms as long as the license terms are followed.

Copyright © 2017-2026. European Journal Of Human Resource Management Studies (ISSN 2601-1972) is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library. All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and standards formulated by Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002), the Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing (2003) and  Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003) and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Copyrights of the published research works are retained by authors.