Relationship between Workplace Stressors and Organizational Performance in Kenya’s Flower Industry

Abstract

Employee counseling helps the employee and the employer organization to identify weaknesses, and formulate strategies to improve performance through which the organization meets its goals and objectives. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between workplace stressors and organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of employee’s financial stress on organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry, to examine the influence of employee’s workplace relationships on organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry, to determine the influence of employee’s working conditions on organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry and determine the moderating effect of counseling on organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry. The research adopted cross section survey research design and the target population were organizations in the flower industry in Kenya. The instrument of data collection was semi-structured questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and presented in the form of frequency distribution tables, pie charts, graphs, means, modes and percentages, SPSS was used to achieve this. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis was the main tool to test relationships among variables. The study established that there existed an average level of financial stress within the organization that was associated with the overall organizational performance. The study also found out that, there was average level of workplace relationship, and working conditions within the flower sector were fair which contributed to organizational performance. The employees perceived themselves as always timely in performing their duties with high proportion always achieving their targets. The study concluded that counseling had a moderating effect on the relationship between workplace stressors and organizational performance in Kenya’s flower industry. The study recommended that flower organizations should base evaluation of their employees’ performance on their accomplishments and identify the reasons affecting the performance. Organizations should work hard to improve the workers financial situations through balanced payment and training. Organizations need to xx maximize the use of counseling in their respective managerial systems, in order to correct the behaviour of employees with low performance and make them more efficient and effective. It also recommended that the Agricultural Employer’s Association of which flower organizations are part of should develop a Workplace Counseling Policy for their employees to ensure their wellness as well as maximize on their performance.