TRADE PROJECT

TITLE: IMPACTS OF COMMUNICATION TO EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN

PAPER NO :

PRESENTED BY : KAWIRA ESTHER

INDEX NO. :

CENTER CODE :

CENTER NAME : OL’LESSOS TECHNICAL TRAINING

INSTITUTE.

RESENTED TO : THE KENYA NATIONAL

EXAMINATION THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINAITION COUNCIL (KNEC) IN

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF AWARD IN

DIPLOMA FOOD AND BEVERAGE

SUPERVISOR : MR. KOECH

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 DECLARATION
Declaration by the Candidate
This research project is my original work and has not been presented to any other examination
body. No part of this research should be reproduced without my consent or that of OL’LESSOS
TECHNICAL.

NAME: KAWIRA ESTHER

SIGN………………DATE…………………………..

Declaration by the Supervisor

This research project has been submitted with my approval as the OL’LESSOS TECHNICAL.

Supervisor.

NAME: MR KOECH

SIGN ………………………DATE……………………

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 DEDICATION
I dedicate this research project to my beloved parents and my beloved friends for their financial
and moral support throughout my study.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge the efforts made by my research supervisor Mr. Koech for his
guidance. I also acknowledge my classmates.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................i
DEDICATION................................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................viii
CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem...........................................................................................................2
1.3 Objectives of the Study..............................................................................................................2
1.4 Research Questions....................................................................................................................3
1.5 Significance of the Study...........................................................................................................3
1.6 Scope of the Study.....................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
2.1 Internal Communication............................................................................................................5
2.2External communication: Client-centered communication........................................................7
2.3 Positivism, Modernization & Behavior Change Communication.............................................8
2.4Towards a New Paradigm.........................................................................................................10
2.5Constructivism, Sustainability and Empowerment Communication........................................11
2.5 Communication for Social Change..........................................................................................15
2.7Criticisms of Participation and Emerging Approaches............................................................16
2.7Capacity Development..............................................................................................................17
2.8The Nature of Organizations....................................................................................................18
2.9Individual Learning..................................................................................................................18
2.10Power, Knowledge and Mental Models..................................................................................20
CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................22
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY.........................................................................22
3.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................22
3.2 Research Design......................................................................................................................22
3.3 Target Population.....................................................................................................................22
Table 3.1: The Target Population..............................................................................................22

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3.4 Sample Size and Sample Design.............................................................................................23
3.5 Data collection Instruments.....................................................................................................23
3.5.1 Questionnaires......................................................................................................................23
3.5.2 Interview Schedules..............................................................................................................23
3.6 Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments....................................................................23
3.7 Administration of Research Instrument...................................................................................24
3.8 Data Analysis...........................................................................................................................24
CHAPTER FOUR.........................................................................................................................25
DATA ANALYSIS PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION............................................25
4.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................25
4.2 Return Rate..............................................................................................................................25
4.3.0 Demographic Information....................................................................................................25
4.3.1 Gender of Respondents.........................................................................................................25
Table 4.1 Gender of the Respondents........................................................................................26
4.3.2 Age Bracket of the Respondents...........................................................................................26
Customers......................................................................................................................................27
4.3.3 Respondents Level of Education..........................................................................................27
4.3.4 Employee Job Designation in the Company.........................................................................28
4.3.5 Working Experience of the Respondents and Period of being Employees..........................29
4.4 Specific Information................................................................................................................31
4.4.2 Employees Attitude Variable................................................................................................32
4.4.3 Implementation Frequency of New Communication..........................................................32
4.4.4 Response on how Employees Attitude has influenced or Affected Communication..........33

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4.4.5 Effects of Employee’s Attitudes towards implementation of Communication Performance
.......................................................................................................................................................34
4.4.6 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards
implementation of effective Communication...............................................................................35
Table 4.11 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards
Communication..........................................................................................................................36
4.4.8 Analysis of the Interview Schedules.....................................................................................38
CHAPTER FIVE...........................................................................................................................40
5.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS....................40
5.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................40
5.2 Summary of the Findings.........................................................................................................40
5.2.2 Bio-data of the Respondents.................................................................................................40
5.2.2 Elements of Employees Attitude..........................................................................................41
5.2.3 Features or Factors Associated With Employees Attitude on implementation of
communication..............................................................................................................................42
5.2.4 Implementation Frequency of New Communication..........................................................42
5.2.5 Response on how Employees Attitude has influenced or Affected New Communication. .42
5.2.6 Effects of Employees Attitudes on Communication Performance.......................................42
5.2.7 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards
Communication..............................................................................................................................42
5.2.8 Strategies of Marketing Communication in areas with Employees Attitude towards
Communication..............................................................................................................................43
5.2.9 Employees Response............................................................................................................43
5.3 Conclusions..............................................................................................................................43
5.4 Recommendations....................................................................................................................44
5.5 Suggestions for Further Study.................................................................................................44
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................45
APPENDIX I.................................................................................................................................47
QUESTIONNAIRE.......................................................................................................................47
APPENDIX III...............................................................................................................................50
BUDGETING................................................................................................................................50

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viii
 ABSTRACT
Communication has crucial impacts within or among workgroups in that organization
communication can be a channel to flow information, resources, and even policies. Given the
importance of organization communication and its managerial impacts, further research is
needed to explore this topic as it relates to the public administration field. The study focused on
the effects of non monetary incentives on Employees performance in Imenti North. The
objectives of the study were, to identify the types on effective communication used at Imenti
North West District Headquarters, to establish the contribution of communication on employee
motivation in Imenti North , to determine the effects of effective communication on Employees
performance at Imenti District and to explore the challenges faced by Imenti North District in
using non monetary incentives. The study adopted a case study in collecting data. The study
target 60 a total population of 60 employees. The researcher used simple and stratified sampling
techniques. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive
statistics. Data was presented in frequency tables and percentages. The study established that the
major types of communication used in the Kenya power company. The benefits of effective
communication is motivating employees, provide immediate recognition to the employees, it
recognizes employee contributions and it develop one’s full potential. The major effects include
it enhances improved organization performance by employees since employees tend to like their
jobs, it increases employee trust and thus enabling the public receive services without bribing, it
leads to organizational unity and corporate responsibility towards customer service and it
enhances employee job satisfaction hence reducing cases of favourism. The major challenges
faced by Kenya power management on effective communication are some employees do not
have positive attitudes towards effective communication. It is difficult to establishing
performance standards thus applying effective communication is difficult and it may be
expensive for the organization to apply it. Based on the findings the researcher recommended
that there is need to adopt effective communication in order to effectively improve employees
performance hence increase their productivity. Further study should be carried out to determine
the effects of effects of effective communication on employee performance.

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x
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction
Communication has crucial impacts within or among work groups in that organizational
communication is a channel to flow information, resources, and even policies. Organizational
communication can be broadly defined as communication with one another in the context of an
organization (Eisenberg & Goodall, 1997; Shockley-Zalabak, 2006).

This type of communication, in turn, includes activities of sending and receiving messages
through various layers of authority, using various message systems, and discussing various topics
of interest to the group we belong to or the company we work for. Organizational
communication research has mainly been conducted both in the business management field and
in the communication field; however, researchers in the public administration field have
provided little knowledge about organizational communication and its roles and effects. Several
studies emphasize that effective communication can enhance organizational outcomes (Garnett,
Marlowe, & Pandey, 2008; Pandey & Garnett, 2006).

Communication can influence on the perceptions and opinions about persons, communities,
organizations, governments, and even society. One of the outcomes of administrative
communication is related to the flow of information, regulations, policies, and procedures. As a
managerial tool, communication is frequently expected to share information with members, to
coordinate activities, to reduce unnecessary managerial burdens and rules, and ultimately to
improve organizational performance. While the literature is contributing to establishing an
understanding of how the context of the organization influences communication processes and
how the nature of communication differentiates it from other forms of organizational behavior,
theoretical and empirical work still remains to be done to answer how organizational
communication operates in public and nonprofit organizations and how it influences managerial
issues and outcomes. The goal of this study is to develop and test an exploratory model of
communication and its impact on red tape, one of managerial issues, in public and nonprofit

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sector. The next section explores organizational communication in more detail and summarizes
the current state of knowledge about it.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Effective Communication should form one important part of a complete employee recognition
program along with organization performance.  Effective Communication can be used for either
individual or a team. The desired outcome of rewards and recognition programs is to improve
performance. Communication recognition can be very motivating, helping to build feelings of
confidence and satisfaction. Many a time’s employees are advised to use communication but it
will remain a very short term source of motivation, (Armstrong 2000).

In the contrary, effective communication remains a leader in motivating employees to improve

on Employees performance in the organization. Many organizations are opting to use effective
communication so as to improve service delivery. This has been realized even in the public
sector. In most parastatals in Kenya today management has come up with effective
communication which ranges from retreats, scholarships and even schemes. The scope of effects
of these effective communication on Employees performance has not been realized.. However,
there is hardly any study regarding its use in public sector organizations. This study tried to shed
light on this issue and explore the potential effects of communication on Employees performance
in Kenya Power Company.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study was to evaluate effective communication and their effects on
employees performances in the public sector a case study of Royal Prince Hotels Limited.
However the specific objectives were

a) To identify the types of communication used at Royal Prince Hotels Limited.

b) To establish the contribution of effective communication on employee performance in

Royal Prince Hotels Limited.

c) To determine the effects of effective communication on employees performance at Royal

Prince Hotels Limited

d) To identify out the challenges faced by Royal Prince Hotels Limited in implementation of

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 effective communication.

e) To identify strategies for addressing the challenges related to communication

1.4 Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions

a) What are the types of communication used at Royal Prince Hotels Limited ?

b) What is the contribution of communication on employee performance in Royal Prince

Hotels Limited?

c) What are the effects of effective communication on Employees performance at Royal

Prince Hotels Limited?

d) What are the challenges faced by Royal Prince Hotels Limited in using non monetary
incentives?

e) What are the strategies of addressing challenges related to communication?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to Royal Prince Hotels Limited as it will use the findings on
formulating policies which will govern in initiating and using communication. The findings of
this study is also significant to any other organization which wishes to know more about
effective communication as it will know the benefits that accrue in using effective
communication and also the challenges encountered.

On the other hand, there is a growing interest and attention on the use of communication.
Especially in private sector organizations, it starts to be pronounced louder and there is a wide
literature on their incredible influence in obtaining highly motivated employees. Despite the
overwhelming research on the effects of communication in private organizations, few researchers
have investigated the case for public organizations. Particularly in Royal Prince Hotels Limited,
the literature on the motivation of public employees as well as the effects of communication is
quite inadequate.

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There is hardly any research on these topics. Thus, the significance of this study is that it sheds
light on what kinds of communication the public employees in Royal Prince Hotels Limited
value most and it tries to explore the attitudes of employees towards communication incentives.

The findings of this study will also be of great importance to other scholars who wish to extend
their study in the topic of effective communication in the organization it will provide a very
useful source of literature review

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study evaluated the effects of effective communication in Employees performance in Royal
Prince Hotels Limited. The study adopted a case study in getting the information and targeted the
employees of Royal Prince Hotels Limited in getting their views in relation to the topic under
study. The study targeted a population of 50 employees and derived a sample of 50 using simple
random and stratified sampling techniques this was because the target population was
manageable thus all were used. The researcher used questionnaires to collect data. The study was
carried out between August 2013 and November 2013 in Imenti North District.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Internal Communication

Many authors have attempted to offer their conceptualization of organizational communication
within one organization (Foltz, 1981; Greenbaum, 1971; Knapp, 1969; Redding & Sanborn,
1964; Thayer, 1968). According to the direction of information flow, communication has been
trichotomized into downward, upward, and horizontal directions, which depends upon who
initiated the communication and who received it. The boss-subordinate transaction through
downward or upward communication is probably the most common communicative situation
within a work organization.

First, downward communication means the flow of information from superiors to subordinates
and it is a dominant channel in accordance with formal communication networks.
Garnett (1992) identified four roles of downward communication: conveying a vision,
communicating to motivate subordinates, providing feedback on subordinates’ performance, and
assigning tasks and conveying task-related information. Likewise, Katz and Kahn (1966)
indicate five types of downward communication, including job instruction, job rationale,
procedures and practices, feedback, and indoctrination of goals. In most cases, task-related
messages, such as goals, disciplines, orders, policies, and directions, are dominant. Goldhaber
(1993) indicates two intriguing points of downward communication: message overload and
filtering.

He mentioned “in one organization most of the employees, after eight months of receiving
countless messages every day, began to throw every message into the wastebasket before reading
it” (p.156). Thus, downward communication can cause message overload to individuals,
especially subordinates who usually receive messages, and it leads them to avoid receiving
messages from supervisors, senders. O’Reilly (1980) has empirically proved the relationship
between information overload and organizational satisfaction and performance. He found that
perceived information overload is associated with lower performance but higher job satisfaction.
On the other hand, filtering means that messages have chances to be changed or distorted during

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their travel from top to down within an organization due to “number of links in a network,
perceptual differences among employees, and lack of trust in a supervisor” (p.157). Managerial
over control results in internal rules and red tape, as Bozeman (2000) mentioned: “Managers’
responsibilities for obtaining organizationally sanctioned objectives necessitate developing tasks
and rules ensuring that subordinates will take coordinated action to achieve the objectives”
(Bozeman, 2000, p. 95).

The second type of communication within an organization is upward communication, which

flows from subordinates to superiors. Upward communication is a channel to know “how work is
processing, what problems and opportunities subordinates see, what ideas subordinates have for
improving performance, what intelligence subordinates gather about what clients and other
organizations are doing and what subordinates feel about the agency, their superiors, and their
jobs” (Garnett, 1992, p. 115).

Finally, horizontal communication indicates the lateral exchange of information, which flows in
accordance with the functional principle among people on the same level within an organization.
Upward and horizontal communication is emphasized for employee satisfaction (Miller, 1999).
However, upward communication could be another instrument to control and regulate
subordinates, as Shermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn (2005, p. 298) mentioned: “upward
communication keeps higher levels informed about what lower level workers are doing, what
their problems are, what suggestions they have for improvements, and how they feel about the
organization and their jobs.” When the upward communication channel is formalized and
becomes a mandatory burden that employees should do, upward communication can cause
administrative delay of the subordinate’s job duties and make them perceive more red tape.

With this in mind, Internal communication usually occurs in the context of internal processes
where most rules, regulations, procedures, and constraints emerge, develop, and exist. In this
context, downward and upward communication within the organization could make employees
feel so many burdens on the job that they may want to throw emails into a wastebasket. Thus, I
hypothesize that internal communication is likely to be positively associated with the red tape
perception.

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2.2 External communication: Client-centered communication
External communication processes link multiple organizations and connect the organization to its
environment. Organizations exist amidst a complex web of relationships among multiple
audiences, which Grunig and Hunts (1984) described as components enabling the environmental
sector that controls the allocation of authority (governments, regulatory agencies); the functional
sector (suppliers, employees, employees); the normative sector (trade association, professional
organizations); and the diffused sector (local community, media). Thus, at the inter
organizational level of research, communication is understood in the network relationship.

The network property of strength refers to the frequency and length of interactions among linked
individuals. Strong links communicate more frequently than weak links and usually have longer
periods of interaction. External communication can also be divided into several types in
accordance with the target groups. There are, for instance, external communication types with
clients, with private companies, with political parties, with nonprofits, with government
agencies, and so on. Among them, this paper focuses on client-centered communication in terms
of increased emphasis on improving citizen-centered public service delivery. In light of the
interest in the public and nonprofit sectors, a starting point pertains to the concept of client. For
the public organization, client means its publics, particularly the clients who are recipients or
targets of policy programs and other stakeholder citizens. Nonprofits in the United States,
defined under the federal tax code, serve a broad public purpose. Charitable and religious 501(c)
(3) organizations and the social welfare 501(c)(4) organizations make up the majority of the
nonprofit sector. Other types of tax exempt organizations such as business leagues 501(c)(6), and
social and recreational clubs 501(c)(7) primarily serve their members. Thus, client for the
nonprofit sector means mainly the general public, particularly their members of the organization.
Farace, Monge, and Russell (1977),

All kinds of external communication can actualize through individual organizational members’
activity. In general, the boundary spanners who serve to link an organization with its
environment and transfer information across organizational boundaries , play meaningful roles
for both their own organization and external organizations, (Miller, 1999; Tushman
& Katz, 1980).

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Boundary spanners can be both filters and facilitators by selecting, transmitting, and interpreting
information. Thus, peripheral public or nonprofit managers frequently contact clients, answer
their requests, exchange representative information with them, collect their feedback, and
transmit it to the core, Aldrich and Herker (1977).

Miller (1999, p. 258) also attempts to provide three major functions of external communication:
coordinating inter organizational relationships; creating and maintaining organizational images;
and providing employees services.

Boundary activity, which can be understood as one of activities of client-centered

communicators, contributes to the increase of variation within the organization because
information from peripheral managers could be the foundation for responding to the external
environments and make it possible to build various adaptive plans for them. The characteristics
of boundary jobs are relatively responsive, innovative, and vigorous in that they need to open
and adapt the kaleidoscope of organizational ecology. With this in mind, managers who are
frequently communicating with clients at the boundary of the organization can be regarded as
information deliverers or gatekeepers. Moreover, they might relatively feel less burdened by red
tape in the organization. Thus, it is hypothesized that client-oriented communication is likely to
be negatively associated with the red tape perception, Aldrich and Herker (1977).

2.3 Positivism, Modernization & Behavior Change Communication

Scientific research is employeesly based on values dating back to Aristotle and the
Enlightenment, namely reasoning, rationality and objectivity (Melkote 2003). Such research is
grounded in the positivist belief that there is a single truth, separate from any human observer,
which can be uncovered through a rigorous application of the scientific method. Scientists from
this background hold that experimental techniques yield results that can then be generalized into
models and theories and applied to other situations. This way of looking at the world leads to the
idea that the only factor necessary for development to occur in a given area is the simple transfer
of new information and technologies to the intended end users (Jiggins & Röling 1997).

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Dominant in academic circles between 1945 and 1965, the modernization theory of development,
which has grown out of positivist thinking, is based on the idea that employees cultures, often
characterized by authoritarianism, in-fighting, low levels of individualism, resistance to
innovation, limited control over their environment, and a lack of formal institutions, are at the
root of underdevelopment (Rogers 1969).

The answer then, is the application of Western neoclassical economic development models to
help post-colonial states to “catch up” with Western progress in their economic growth, political
systems, education levels, and life expectancy (Rostow 1960; Huntington 1971). Because of this
context, communication for development interventions have their roots in post-World War II
international aid programs as a way to get the necessary modern information to developing
country populations in order to change their attitudes, ideas and values and therefore their
behavior (Melkote 2003). Information was seen as the basis for development and crucial to
creating the necessary social environment for development to succeed. At this time it was
thought that a country’s level of development could be measured not only through gross national
product (GNP) but also in part through the depth of mass media penetration (Waisbord 2001).

This view of development has, in turn, informed several communication theories: diffusion of
innovation (Rogers 1969, 1995), social marketing (Kotler & Roberto 1989, Walsh et al. 1993)
and “edutainment” (Bandura 1977). In their early forms and in many cases into the present, these
strategies are delivered as a mass one-way transfer of information from those who have it to
those who do not. They are often delivered as organized communication campaigns directed at a
selected audience for a period of time in order to reach a specific set goal (Snyder 2001). This
“transmission” model assumes that unless there is something wrong with the channel (poor radio
reception, bad printing, noise, etc) that the person receiving the message will get the exact
information that the communicator intended them to have (Leeuwis 2004).

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2.4 Towards a New Paradigm
As dominant development theories began to receive widespread criticism for their Western
biases and top-down approaches (Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation 1975; Frank 1966; Haq 1976),
in the mid-1970s several of the main thinkers from the modernization school of communication,
such as Rogers (1976), began to publicly recognize the cultural biases that had shaped early
thinking in diffusion of innovations, social marketing and edutainment theories (Huesca 2003).

This shift in thinking was in large part due to the poor results and lack of change that both
development in general and behavior change campaigns in particular were bringing about
(Waisbord 2001). In particular, communication practitioners began to notice that even in cases
where the message appeared to be received by the target populations without any problems, often
the intended meanings were not conveyed and the expected changes in conduct did not occur
(Leeuwis 2004).

Because of this, some of the basic guiding premises of the modernization theory began to be re-
examined (Dube 1988; Spybey 1992). One idea that faced reexamination was that societies are
fair in their distribution of resources to all individuals and groups and that all people, with just a
little help and their own effort, can share in these resources. This assumption led to the idea that
people who do not possess the resources or the proper attitudes to participate fully in society
need to be helped and taught news skills. This “victims blame hypothesis” fell apart as large
sections of the world continued to experience a state of underdevelopment in spite of receiving
much aid (Melkote 2003). Similarly, critics in Latin America noted that the outcomes of
development projects often coincide with interests of the elites, indicating that development
cannot be attained through simply helping the individual without addressing societal power
structures (Huesca 2003).

Power imbalances were also linked to ownership of the communication channels. As mass media
become more prevalent in most countries around the world, the impact of communication
messages should be increasing. However, as Gumucio Dagrón points out, in Latin America, “the
higher concentration of media houses in fewer hands has resulted in a loss of diversity and
quality programming…local programming on social issues has disappeared from private

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television, leaving room for all kinds of low level and bad taste entertainment that sells well”
(2003; 2). This results in a dearth of socially positive messages and an abundance of simplistic
content that often contains violence, stereotyping, racism and sexually promiscuous behavior
(Waisbord 2001).
Researchers such as Buchanan et al. (1994) and Röling (1988) began to advocate for a renewed
focus on the process of communication and for using the specific local socio cultural context as
the basis for designing intervention strategies. Because of these shifts in thought, modernization
theory-based communication models are slowly being adapted to become more compatible with
communication theories that focus on participation, social change, learning and empowerment.

2.5Constructivism, Sustainability and Empowerment Communication

In contrast to the positivist worldview, an alternative paradigm has evolved that recognizes that
what we call truth is constructed through social interaction. This new paradigm is known as
constructivism, and it holds that reality itself is made up of the stories we tell each other and
ourselves and that communication and dialogue are the methods we use to bring our internal
world and the external world into alignment. They are the means by which new ideas and
versions of reality are jointly created, agreed upon, and transmitted to others (Jiggins & Röling
1997).

In this view communication serves to actively construct meaning rather than merely convey it.
Since there are multiple versions of reality depending on who is asking, observing and
interpreting, people often have conflicting goals, attitudes, values, aspirations and standards, the
negotiation of which can be observed in the interactions between people in any community,
organization or household. Human contact and communication are therefore continuous
opportunities for any combination of struggle, negotiation, accommodation or agreement (Röling
1994). Because of this, new theories of development and communication hold that there are no
universal approaches to creating change that can work in all situations (Huesca 2003).

While both development and communication theories were undergoing changes before the
constructivist paradigm became wide-spread, this paradigm has contributed to the shift in the

11
goals of development that has occurred over the past thirty years. Dependency theories that
emerged from Latin America in the mid 1960s, argued by authors such as Baran (1957), Frank
(1966) and Escobar (1995), posit that the source of the problems lies in the very concept of
development that uses the West as its de facto model, the history of global and local politics,
colonial relationships, and the manner in which colonized countries were integrated into the
world economy. Dependency theorists do not believe that lack of information is at the root of
development problems, but rather that underdevelopment is a direct consequence of the level of
development in the Western world (Hornik 1988).

In development theories in general, there is growing recognition that the focus must shift to
meeting human needs and fostering environmental sustainability rather than securing rapid
economic growth or blindly following a Western model of development. According to Engel
(1997), this type of development can only be achieved where people have worked out ways to
live with each other; in fact, adequate social organization maybe a prerequisite for sustainable
development. Many new road maps for development including the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goals call for a restructuring of political and economic systems for a more
equitable distribution of benefits, personal and communal freedom from oppression, and
empowerment (Melkote 2003).

The new focus on learning and social and structural change began to evolve into a branch of
development theory in the 1970s that called for participation of the people in defining, analyzing
and coming up with tactics for addressing their problems. Development planning processes
underwent a transition from a reliance on blue-prints designed in a central office or implemented
in another part of the world to more process orientated situation-specific approaches (Korten
1980). Some development workers began to claim that participation in decision-making is a
basic human right and one that can only be carried out through on-going communication
(Melkote 2003).

Participation theorists such as Beltrán (1976), Díaz Bordenave (1977), and White et al. (1994)
also criticized modernization approaches for confining local people to the role of passive
receivers of messages telling them what to do rather than active participants capable

12
of shaping their destinies using their own knowledge. This lack of participation is seen as the
principal reason behind the failure of many communication interventions, which has led to some
measure to the abandonment of communication for persuasion models.

Empowerment communication is another school of thought born of dependency development

theory. It acknowledges that while knowledge is generated collectively, the knowledge of those
with more power is often perceived as more legitimate than the knowledge of those with less
power (Melkote 2003).

The emphasis on media penetration as an indicator of development ignored questions about who
owned the channels of information and controlled access to what could be said on them. These
critiques imply that what is necessary in development is not more information but rather social
and structural changes in order to redistribute access to power and resources (Waisbord 2001).

Paulo Freire (1921-1997), an educator who worked on literacy projects in slum areas of Brazil
during the 1960s and 1970s, has been one of the most influential thinkers in the areas of popular,
informal empowerment communication, with what he calls conscientization: the development of
a critical consciousness that has the power to transform reality. Freire viewed most development
projects as superficial, authoritarian and in opposition to the interpersonal communication
processes that can help people to develop a critical perspective on their situation, resulting in a
sense of ownership over their lives and collective responsibility for their own liberation from
oppression. He believed that the distance between teacher and student, expert and community
member, researcher and researched should be narrowed so that all parties can begin to reflect on
their roles and co-learn (Huesca 2003).

According to Freire (1970), communication should be used to provide a space for dialogue;
exchanging views, identifying common problems, exploring solutions, reflecting on community
issues and mobilizing resources. The concept of dialogue is based on repeated and reciprocal
information exchange between people; it involves not only the physical acts of speaking and

13
listening but also is embodied in the relationship between the participants. And, unlike mass-
mediated dissemination messages, dialogue is generally oral, live, immediate and bound to a
physical context (Peters 1999).

Several studies have shown that members of marginal groups in society actually prefer faceto-
face or small group dialogue rather than mass or one-way communication (Waisbord,2001).

These ideas have led to a surge in small community-based projects using theater, music,
storytelling, video, photography, and radio to share ideas among local people without the need
for external experts (Gumucio Dagrón 2001a).

While communication proponents have become aware of the importance of planning and
implementing well-designed communication interventions to support development goals, often
there has not been a corresponding increase in support from funders, project planners and other
development workers. So in an effort to garner support, as well as to reflect the shifts in thinking
from behavior change to empowerment theories of communication, a plethora of names for
communication efforts have appeared, from media advocacy, to strategic communication,
development support communication, communication for human development, participatory
communication, and communication for sustainable agriculture (Bessette 2004; Waisbord 2005).

While the field is broadly known as communication for development now, there is a new
movement towards communication that fosters social change (Riaño 1994; Servaes et al. 1996;
Wilkins 2000).

Communication for Social (and Environmental) Change, while clearly based on participatory and
empowerment communication theories, is a “distinct way of doing communications- and one of
the few that can be sustained…largely due to the fact that ownership of both the message and the
medium- the content and the process- resides with the individuals or communities affected”
(Deane & Gray-Felder 1999; 4). This model prioritizes local content and media ownership so
that the voices of those previously unheard can be amplified and channeled into existing public

14
and political debates, thereby allowing them to set their own agendas and make them known in
regard to political, economic and social development.

2.5 Communication for Social Change

Communication for Social Change is a process of public and private dialogue in which people
define who they are, what they want, and how they can get it. Social change is defined as change
in people’s lives as they themselves define such change. This work seeks to improve the lives of
the politically and economically marginalized, and is informed by principles of tolerance, self-
determination, equity, social justice and active participation for all. This approach attempts to
rebalance approaches to communication and change by shifting the emphasis… Away from
people as objects of change… and towards people and communities as agents of their own
Change, Away from designing, testing and delivering message… and towards supporting
dialogue and debate, Away from the conveying of information by technical experts… and
towards sensitively placing new information into the dialogue and debate, Away from a focus on
individual behaviors… and towards an emphasis on social norms, policies, culture
and a supportive environment, Away from persuading others to do something… and towards
negotiating the best way forward in a partnership process”, (Deane & Gray-Felder 1999; 14).

2.6Models and Functions of Communication

Two models for visualizing the flow of communication have been developed based on
participation and empowerment theories. The original modernization-based one-way flow of
information from sender to receiver model was later modified to include the pre-existing
knowledge that both the sender and receiver possess from their personal histories and life
contexts. Because of this, the sender should study the receivers’ frame of reference in order to
anticipate how to attune the messages to them. While this “subjective” model is an improvement
over the one-way linear model it still does not explain why receivers may still ignore or refuse to
accept the meanings conveyed in the messages (Leeuwis 2004).

The “social network” model on the other hand, tries to capture the myriad of prior and
simultaneous communication that is occurring for both the sender and the receiver. Meaning,
therefore, is not just constructed between the sender and the receiver but also in dialogue with

15
the broader social context. The social network model also takes power into account by
acknowledging how political interests, personal aspirations, social status and interpersonal
relationships influence the construction of meaning. In practice all three models (one-way flow,
subjective and social network) are implicitly or explicitly still in use to some extent in
communication for development interventions (Leeuwis 2004).

Several authors (Calvelo Ríos 2003; Díaz Bordenave 1977; Leeuwis 2004; Ramírez & Quarry
2004; Rosengren 2000) have explored the “function” or intention that underlie communication
action. This reason for communicating is different from the actual content of any single message

Communication functions that seek to persuade, control or simply transmit information may
have their roots in the behavior change paradigm. On the other hand, efforts to explore views,
facilitate social bonds or raise consciousness may be based on empowerment communication
models. Often one or two functions tend to dominate the thinking or overall motive behind a
communication effort.

2.7Criticisms of Participation and Emerging Approaches

Overall, participation, empowerment and social change theories hold that effective
communication takes place on the interpersonal (rather than mass media) level as a two-way
exchange of knowledge and learning. Rogers (1995) describes communication as a process
through which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a
mutual understanding. This definition implies that communication is a process of convergence
(or divergence) as two or more individuals exchange information in order to move toward each
other (or apart) in the meanings they ascribe to certain events.

However, critics of participatory models such as Cooke & Kothari (2001) contend that there is
no universal definition for participation, nor do the expected outcomes of empowerment, equity
and social change have operational definitions (Morris 2003). Additionally, opportunities for
participation can be co-opted by local elites thereby maintaining or even deepening power
inequities.

16
Additionally, there are different ways in which people can participate in a project for an example
of different levels of community participation in water management) and some are more
participatory than others (Arnstein 1969; Pretty 1994).

Participation is more relevant at some stages of development projects than at others.

Furthermore, some people maintain that the concept of participation itself comes from outside of
local cultures and can therefore be seen as a top-down approach that pushes for certain goals that
the community itself did not define and prioritize (Waisbord 2001).

2.7Capacity Development
Despite the concept of capacity development holding a central place in many development
projects, “people everywhere struggle to explain exactly what capacity is or what it comprises.
Virtually all discussions about the subject begin with an effort to agree on a definition” (Morgan
et al. 2005: 8).

However, as Gumucio Dagrón points out, “it is better to use wide definitions that enable [us] to
add experiences, rather than tricky straight and narrow concepts that only contribute to
mexcluding many interesting… processes”. In that spirit, the common features among several
definitions of capacity development that have been identified by Horton et al. (2003) will be
used as a guide for this discussion; that it is an on-going process; that its goal is to increase an
organization’s ability to perform its functions and achieve its objectives; that it increases the
ability of an organization to learn and solve problems; and that it aims to create the ability to
manage current challenges and perform well into the future. Since capacity development
involves changes in roles, power, access to resources and shifts in relationships at all levels from
the individual to the societal, it is not surprising that politics often feature prominently.

Capacity development can be viewed as a means, a process and an end in itself. As a means it
serves to strengthen the ability of an organization to carry out specific activities related to its
mission. As a process it enables the organization to continually reflect and adapt its purpose in

17
response to change and learning. And finally as an end it strengthens an organization’s ability to
become self-sustaining, survive and fulfill its purpose (Gubbels & Koss 2000;
Morgan et al. 2005).

Horton et al. (2003), identify four main areas that determine an organization’s overall capacity:
organizational performance, internal capacity, internal operating environment and the external
operating environment. Organizational performance is related to how effective and efficient the
organization is at delivering programming, how relevant the activities they choose to do are to
the mission and stated goals, and the degree of financial stability experienced by the
organization. Organizational capacity is made up of the resources, knowledge, and processes
used by the organization. The internal operating environment is composed of communicationand
rewards, organizational culture, history and traditions, leadership and management styles,
acceptance of organizational mission by all stakeholders, and the organizational structure. And
finally, the external environment is made up of the administrative and legal system, national and
local policies and political systems, economic trends, and the overall social and cultural milieu.
Many authors have broken down the idea of capacity into different areas, (Morgan et al. 2005;
Horton et al. 2003).

2.8The Nature of Organizations

Bolman & Deal (2003), Morgan (1997) and Morgan (2005) have each identified metaphors that
can be used to conceptualize and understand organizations. Metaphors provide insight into
certain areas of an organization. However, they can also distort and limit what is perceived, and
because of this the metaphors are not mutually exclusive and there is no ‘correct’ metaphor for
an organization. Those highlighted here and woven through out the rest of this chapter conceive
of organizations as structures, as systems, as human resources, and as political arenas; their
characteristics are summarized in Table 2.4.

2.9Individual Learning
Since organizations are made up of individuals, the manner in which people learn to create and
adapt to change in an organizational context is important. For most managers throughout the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the key to effective organizations lay in bureaucracy,
hierarchy and a strict division of labor (Weber 1958). At this time, employers focused only on

18
training workers what they needed to know in order to accomplish the specific tasks set out for
them and only a relatively small number of people in skilled positions were given more training
(Jarvis et al. 1998).

In the 1960s the idea of what an organization should look like began to break down as it became
more and more difficult to control external conditions and to foresee what skills would be needed
to react appropriately to them. The clear dividing line between managers who have all the
answers and give orders, and workers who do as they are told also started to blur as training for
workers shifted to ‘human resource development.’ This change reflected the amount of
knowledge and autonomy employees need in order to make quick decisions in the best interest of
the organization (Jarvis et al. 1998).

Merriam and Caffarella (1991) outline four main orientations to adult learning theories
behaviorist, cognitive, humanist and social learning. Behaviorists (e.g. Thorndike 1913; Pavlov
1927; Watson 1998; Guthrie 1956; Hull 1943; Skinner 1974) view learning as producing more or
less permanent behavior change in a desired direction. Cognitivists (e.g. Köhler,1959; Lewin
1948; Kohlberg 1986; Gagne 1985; Mezirow 1991) view learning as an internal mental process
that relies on individual memory and perception to create meaning and insight. Humanists (e.g.
Maslow 1954; Rogers 1961; Knowles 1978) regard learning as an individual act to fulfill
personal potentials for growth. Social learning theorists (e.g. Bandura 2001; Rotter 1973; Jarvis
1987) believe that learning occurs through interaction with, observation of and feedback from
others in a social context. Workplace learning is now seen more holistically as many of these
theories have been integrated. Kim defines learning as “increasing one’s capacity to take
effective action”(1993; 38).

This definition encompasses two meanings: the acquisition of skills and knowhow which include
the physical ability to take certain actions, and the acquisition of know why which includes the
mental ability to conceptualize an experience and know how and when to apply lessons from it.
Both of these processes are affected by personal and collective memory, which determines what
will be retained and remain available for recall in new situations.

19
A new way of looking at adult learning that is now a common perspective in work place learning
is situated learning theory. Lave & Wenger explain, “It concerns the process by which
newcomers become part of a community of practice. A person’s intentions to learn are engaged
and the meaning of learning is configured through the process of becoming a full participant in a
socio-cultural practice. This social process includes, indeed it subsumes, the learning of
knowledgeable skills” (1991; 29).

Because of this, situated learning theory blurs the line between individual and collective learning
(Sun 2003). Situated learning theory holds that learning is located within everyday work
practices that coincide with processes of identity formation, both of which are embedded in
individual and group power dynamics. These power relations are what constrain and enable
access to positions of potential mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary within each
context (Contu & Willmott 2003). Since information and knowledge are acquired, maintained,
and transformed through social interaction, within this framework, the acquisition of skills is not
what is most valued, but rather it is the ability to read the context and act in a way that is
recognized and valued by other organizational members that is crucial.

2.10Power, Knowledge and Mental Models

Giddens looked at power from two perspectives; one of domination and the other of
transformative capacity. The common view of power is as the ability to influence or control the
actions of others. The second type of power, known as “human agency,” is the capability of a
person “to intervene in a series of events so as to alter their course” (1976; 111). The power of
domination therefore, involves influencing other people to use their personal agency to achieve
outcomes. A person with power can do this by imposing his or her definition of a situation on
other people and making them act based on a certain viewpoint about it (Leewuis 2004).

O’Dell et al. describe knowledge as “information in action” (1998; 5), and distinguish it from
data as raw sensory input; information which is interpreted data; and knowledge which according
to Leewis is, “the body of mental inferences and conclusions that people build from different
elements of information, which allows them to take action in a given context” (2004; 95).

20
Access to relevant and timely information and knowledge influences the ability of each person to
make informed choices about how to exercise their personal agency. So, in this sense, access to
information is empowering while inadequate information is disempowering.

2.11 Conceptual Framework

The research will use conceptual framework as a means of finding its data, and effective
communication will be used as an independent variable while organizational performance as a
dependent variable.

Figure 2.11: Conceptual Framework

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Effective Communication Employees Performance

- Channels - Expansion

- Meeting and conference - Profitability

1
- Message services - participation

- Training employee

2
4

Organizational factors

- organisational policy

- financial capacity

- availability of communication
devices management style

21
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction
This chapter describes the research design, and the research methodology employed in this study,
this is set out in this sections under sub-headings containing research design study site, target
population, sampling for study, data collection instruments and data procedures, and finally the
data analysis and presentation methods used in this study.

3.2 Research Design

The study applied a case study research design; as such it was an intensive descriptive and
holistic analysis of Royal Prince Hotels Limited as a single entity. It was an investigation of
single entity in order to gain insight into the larger cases. According to Oso (2005) in a case
where the number of organizations that can be investigated are few, a small sample is available
and an in-depth analysis is necessary, a case study is the most appropriate.

3.3 Target Population

The study targeted a population of respondents who constituted of, 1 branch manager, 3 section
heads, 7 field employees and 40 employees after every one hour. The following table shows how
the target population was drawn.

Table 3.1: The Target Population

Category Frequency

General manager 1

Section heads 3

Employees 36

Total 40

Source: (Survey Data 2010)

22
3.4 Sample Size and Sample Design
Given the nature of the population that is small and manageable, all the population was included
in the sample. Census was used to select general manager, section heads and employees.
Convenient sampling was employed in selecting employees.

3.5 Data collection Instruments

3.5.1 Questionnaires
In pursuit of this study and achieve its objectives, the research instrument used was
questionnaires. The questionnaire was pre-tested with ten employees from the sample size in
order to check and ensure that no irrelevant question was present in the questionnaire and hence
assesses the content validity. Their suggestions were incorporated. The use of questionnaire was
considered most appropriate so that consistency can be maintained in all the respondents. The
research instrument was divided into two sections. Part I comprised of demographic information,
Part II, comprised of specific objectives.

3.5.2 Interview Schedules

The researcher also employed structured and non-structured interview schedule for employees.
This tool was appropriate as it provided an opportunity to collect data from employees who were
not in a position to effectively respond to the questionnaire. Since the employees didn’t have
adequate time to respond to the questionnaires, the researcher interviewed them.

3.6 Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments

Reliability is the consistency with which research instrument measure what it purports to
measure. The test –retest technique was used to test the reliability of the research instruments;
the test involves administering the same instrument twice to the same group of subjects with time
interval of one week. The researcher observed that the instrument measure the research
phenomena consistently i.e. the questionnaire was stable over time hence reliable.

Mugenda (1999) defines validity as the accuracy and meaningfulness of inferences, which are
based on research results. Validity was assured by peers and supervisor cross check the
questionnaire to ensure it was according to the objective.

23
3.7 Data Analysis
The data obtained from the questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive analysis. The analyzed
data was presented and interpreted in through simple frequency tables. These methods ensure
easy understanding of presented data and information.

24
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the findings from the study. Data from the field was coded and edited for
completeness. It was then analyzed in form of percentages and presented in form of frequency
distribution tables.

In analyzing the data, the responses to the items in the questionnaire, the researcher assigned
each response a number. The data collected were then analyzed by use of descriptive statistics
where frequency distributions and percentages were calculated and displayed in tabular form.

4.2 Return Rate

The researcher distributed 50 questionnaires to the respondents. All the questionnaires were
returned indicating that the respondents positively respondents to the questionnaires.

4.3.0 Demographic Information

Since the research topic was a sensitive issue, the researcher found it necessary to establish the
background information of the respondents. The demographic information includes, gender, age,
education level, working experience of the respondents, which formed the basis of knowing what
kind of individuals the researcher was dealing with.

4.3.1 Gender of Respondents

Gender of the respondents was sought out. This was also important as masculinity and femininity
affects the interpretation of issues in relation to employees attitudes towards marketing of
communication in a new region. It was also meant to determine whether company provides equal
opportunities for both men and women. The information also sought to determine who among

25
employees frequently use the company’s communication. The results for these findings are
indicated on table 4.1 below.

Table 4.1 Gender of the Respondents

Gender Employees Customer

Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

Male 12 54 58 58

Female 10 46 42 42

Total 22 100 100 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

The results shown in table 4.1 indicate that 12 or 54 % of the respondents among employees are
males and only 10 or 46% were female. Among employees, 58 representing 58% are male and
the remaining 42 or 42% are female. These findings show that there is gender imbalance in the
company and that majority of the employees of the company are male.

4.3.2 Age Bracket of the Respondents

The researcher found it important to collect data on the age of the respondents since age plays a
critical role in understanding effects of employees attitudes, to a larger extend older employees
are more experienced and are likely to relate issues more directly than relatively younger
employees. Employees who are mature enough are at a better position of distinguishing attitude
and product performance. The responses of this item were tabulated as indicated below.

Table 4.2 Age of the Respondents

26
Age brackets (in Employees
Customers
years)
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

18-25 4 40 4 40

26-35 3 30 12 30

36-45 2 20 16 10

Over 45 1 10 8 20

Total 10 100 40 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

From the findings in table 4.2, 2 employees representing 40% are aged between 18-25 years, 3 or
30% of the employees are in the age brackets of between 26-35 years, 2 employees or 20% are
aged between 36-45 years and the remaining 1 or 10% are in aged over 45 years . This is an
indication that majority of the employees are in their prime age of between 18 and 25 thus are
more productive and that they can work for long hours tirelessly. Also majority of the employees
are well educated to understand the role of communication as opposed to their employees
attitudes.

4.3.3 Employee Job Designation in the Company

The researcher sought to determine the position employees hold in the company since to some
extent, this determined the type of questions to ask different groups of employees. It also meant
to determine whether there is balance of employees in all departments of the company. The
findings were tabulated as indicated below.

Table 4.4 Employee Job Designation in the Company

Cadre Frequency Percentage

27
Branch manager 1 10

Section heads 3 30

Employees 36 60

Total 40 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

The findings indicate that majority of the employees are employees as indicated by 36 or 60%,
some 3 employees representing 30% are section heads and the remaining 1 or 10% is a manager.
This is an indication that the establishment is young thus has a few employees.

4.3.5 Working Experience of the Respondents and Period of being Employees

Employees with longer period of service are more experienced and can explain the effects of
employees performance in the industry. More clearly Employees with longer working period are
more experienced based on effective communication which enhances performance. The
researcher therefore set out to determine how long the respondents had worked in the Hotel
industry. The findings are presented in Table 4.5

Table 4.5 Working Experience of the Respondents and Period of being Employees

Employees Customers

28
Working Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage
experience

1-5 years 3 30 12 30

6-10 years 4 40 20 50

11-15 years 3 30 8 20

Over 16 years 0 0 0 0

Total 10 100 40 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

From the data in table 4.5, majority of the employees as indicated by 4 or 40% have been
employees in the Catering Establishment for a period ranging from 6-10 years, 3 or 30% have
served in the Catering industry for a period of 1-5 years and some 3 employees representing 30%
have a working experience ranging from 11-15 years. Majority of the employees have been
served or sought the services of the Catering industry for a period of 6-10 years as depicted by 20
or 50%, 12 or 30% have been employees of the catering industry for a period ranging from 1-5
years, and the remaining 8 or 20% of the employees have been served by the industry for a
period of 11-15 years. This implies that most of the employees are quite experienced and thus are
able to indicate or relate how employees attitudes have affected marketing or performance of
communication in the Hotel industry.

4.4 Specific Information

This section deals with effects attitude towards marketing of communication in a in a catering
industry .

29
4.4.1 Elements of Employees Attitude
Attitude comprises of various elements. The researcher sought to determine from the respondents
the components or elements that constitute of employees attitudes. The results of this concern
were tabulated as indicated below.

Table 4.6 Elements of Employees Attitude

Elements Frequency Percentage

Beliefs 3 30

Values 3 30

Perception 2 20

Assumptions 2 20

Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

The results above indicate that 3 or 30% of the respondents cited beliefs as one of the elements
that constitute employees attitudes, 3 respondents representing 30% cited values, some 2 or 20%
of the respondents indicated perception as another element of employees attitude affecting
marketing of communication in a catering industry while the remaining 2 or 20% felt assumption
is an element of employees attitude. The findings clearly indicate that employees attitude
comprises of four elements.

4.4.2 Employees Attitude Variable

The researcher found it paramount to determine features or factors of employees attitudes
associated with communication. The responses of this item were indicated as tabulated in the
table below.

Table 4.7 Employees Attitude Variable

30
Features/factors Frequency Percentage

Colour 4 40

Packaging 3 30

Price 3 30

Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

Majority of the respondents as depicted by 4 or 40% cited colour as a main factor in employees
attitude towards communication, 3 respondents representing 30% cited packaging and the
remaining 3 respondents or 30% indicated price as another factor when it comes to employees
attitude.

4.4.3 Implementation Frequency of Communication

Employees attitude largely affect the frequency or rate at which employees adopt or implement
communication. From the employees’ point of view, the researcher sought their opinions on the
frequency to which employees implement communication and the feedback was tabulated as
shown below.

Table 4.8 Implementation Frequency of New Communication

Features/factors Frequency Percentage

Never 5 50

Rarely 3 30

31
Sometimes 2 20

Often 0 0

Always 0 0

Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

The findings above indicate that 5 employees representing 50% cited that when communications
launched or offered, employees never buy it, 3 or 30% of the employees indicated that
employees rarely implementation communication and the remaining 2 employees or 20% of
them indicated that employees sometimes implement new communication. None of the
respondents who cited often or always options. The findings indicate that there is low rate of
employees’ adoption or implementation of effective communication.

4.4.4 Response on how Employees Attitude has influenced or Affected Communication

The researcher sought to determine how employees attitude has affected the implementation and
adoption of communication in the catering industry. The responses were shown as tabulated
below.

Table 4.9 Response on how Employees Attitude has influenced or Affected Communication

Response Frequency Percentage

Increased implementation 0 0

decreased implementation 10 100

No effect 0 0
32
Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

The entire group of the respondents indicated that employees attitude reduce or decrease
employees implementation of communication.

4.4.5 Effects of Employee’s Attitudes towards implementation of Communication and

Performance
The researcher sought to determine the effects of employees’ attitude on implementation of
communication in the industry. The results of this item were presented as indicated in the table
below.

Table 4.10 Effects of Employees Attitudes on Communication and Performance

Effects Frequency Percentage

Poor communication 2 20

Rejection of new rules and regulations 4 40

Difficulties in implementation 2 20

Leads to temporary withdrawal of the strategy 2 20

33
Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2010)

The findings in the above table show that majority of the respondents as depicted by 4 or 40%
felt that employees attitude towards communication in most cases leads to poor communication,
2 or 20% of the respondents indicated that the attitude of employees on implementation of
effective communication is usually low due to employees attitude, 2 employees representing
20% cited employees attitude leads difficulties in implementation of the communication as an
incentive to an organisation, the remaining 2 respondents or 20% indicated that employees
attitude leads to temporary withdrawal of the strategies put in place.

4.4.6 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards

implementation of effective Communication
The researcher sought the opinions of the employees on the major challenges facing the
organization in managing employees attitudes towards communication. The responses from the
employees were tabulated as shown below.

Table 4.11 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards
Communication

Challenges Frequency Percentage

Employees illiteracy 3 30

Employees preferences 3 30

Employees used to certain media 4 40

Total 10 100

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

34
Figure 4.11: Bar graph

The results above indicate that 3 employees representing 30% felt that employees illiteracy is
challenge that hinder the organization in handling employees attitude towards effective
communication, another 3 respondents or 30% cited employees preferences and the remaining 4
or 40% of the respondents indicated that some employees are used to certain media or
communication and their perception is that there is no other better media than this.

4.4. 7 Benefits of Effective Communication On Employees Performance

The researcher sought to determine the benefits of effective communication on employees

performance. The results were tabulated in the table below;

Table 4.12: Benefits of effective communication

Parameter Strongly Agreed Neutral Disagreed Strongly

disagreed disagreed

Better public relation 15 10 10 1 2

Creates unity 10 10 5 2 1

35
Increase in 10 5 5 2 1
productivity

Creates awareness 5 5 - - 1

Total 40 30 20 5 5

Figure 4.12: bar graph

36
4.4.8 Analysis of the Interview Schedules
This section deals with the analysis of interview schedules that were distributed to employees.
Here linker scale was used which included SA=Strongly Agree, A=Agree, SD=Strongly
disagree, D=Disagree and UD=Undecided

Table 4.13 Analysis of the Interview Schedules

Statement SA A SD D UD Total

I prefer the communication am used 40 60 0 0 0 100

to rather than new ones

I think communication are of higher 0 0 30 70 0 100

quality than what am used to

I think communication are more 50 50 0 0 0 100

strenuous than what am used to

I do not like the idea about having 30 70 0 0 0 100

communication because they are
bound to fail

(Source: Survey Data 2013)

Majority of the employees as depicted by 60% agreed with the statement that I prefer the
communication am used to rather than new ones and 40% of them strongly agreed with this
statement. The table further indicates that 30% of the respondents strongly disagreed with the
statement that I think communication are of higher quality than the ones am used to and the
remaining 70% disagreed with the statement. Half of the respondents as depicted by 50%
strongly agreed with the statement that I think communication are more expensive than the ones
am used to while the other 50% agreed with this statement. Some 30% of the respondents
strongly agreed with the statement which read that I do not like the idea about having
communication because they are bound to fail and the majority lot as depicted by 70% agreed
with the statement.

37
 CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusions, recommendations and
suggestion for further studies. The chapter is guided by the findings of the preceding chapter
objectives of the study and the questions that were to be answered by the study.

5.2 Summary of the Findings

5.2.2 Bio-data of the Respondents

(a) Gender of Respondents

The results indicated that 54 % of the respondents among employees are males and only 46%
were female. Among employees, 58% of them are male and the remaining 42% are female.
These findings show that there is gender imbalance in the catering industry and that majority of
the employees of the company are male.

38
(b) Age Bracket of the Respondents

From the findings 40% of the employees are aged between 18-25 years, 30% of the employees
are in the age brackets of between 26-35 years, 20% are aged between 36-45 years and th,
remaining 10% are in aged over 45 years.This is an indication that majority of the employees are
in the age of between 18 and 25 thus are more productive and that they work tirelessly for long
hours.Also majority of the employees are well educated to understand the role of communication
as opposed to their employees’ attitudes.

(c) Employee Job Designation in the Company

The findings indicated that majority of the employees are as indicated by 70%, some 20% are
section heads and the remaining 10% is a general manager. This is an indication that the
organization is young thus has a few employees.

(d) Working Experience of the Respondents and Period of being Employees

The results indicated that majority of the employees as indicated by 40% have been employees in
the catering industry for a period ranging from 6-10 years, 30% have served in the industry for a
period of 1-5 years and some 20% have a working experience ranging from 11-15 years.
Majority of the employees have been served or sought the services of the industry for a period of
6-10 years as depicted by 50%, some 30% have been employees of the industry for a period
ranging from 1-5 years, and the remaining 20% of the employees have been served by the
industry for a period of 11-15 years. This implies that most of the employees are quite
experienced and thus are able to indicate or relate how employees attitudes have affect
performance of communication in the catering industry.

5.2.2 Elements of Employees Attitude

The results indicated that 30% of the respondents cited beliefs as one of the elements that
constitute employees attitudes, 30% cited values, some 20% of the respondents indicated
perception as another element of employee’s attitude towards communication in a catering

39
industry while the remaining 20% felt assumption is an element of employees attitude. The
findings clearly indicate that employee’s attitude comprises of four elements.

5.2.3 Features or Factors Associated With Employees Attitude on implementation of

communication
Majority of the respondents as depicted by 40% cited color as a main factor in employees
attitude towards communication, 30% cited packaging and the remaining 30% indicated price as
another factor when it comes to employees attitude.

5.2.4 Implementation Frequency of effective Communication

The findings indicated that 50% of the employees cited that when communication is launched or
offered, employees never buy it, 30% of the employees indicated that employees rarely
implementation communication and the remaining 20% of them indicated that employees
sometimes implement communication. None of the respondents who cited often or always
options. The findings indicate that there is low rate of employees’ adoption or implementation of
effective communication.

5.2.5 Response on how Employees Attitude has influenced or affected communication

The entire group of the respondents indicated that employees attitude reduce or decrease
employees implementation towards effective communication.

5.2.6 Effects of Employees Attitudes on Communication Performance

The findings showed that majority of the respondents as depicted by 40% felt that employees
attitude towards communication in most cases leads to employees rejecting the new
communication, 20% of the respondents indicated that the implementation of the
communications is usually low due to employees attitude, 20% cited employees attitude leads
lowered prices of the communication as an incentive to persuade them in implementation of
communication and the remaining 20% indicated that employees attitude leads to temporary
withdrawal of the product.

40
5.2.7 Challenges Facing the Organization in Managing Employees Attitude towards
Communication
The results indicated that 30% of the employees felt that employees illiteracy is a challenge that
hamper the industry in handling employees attitude towards effective communication, another
30% cited employees preferences and the remaining 40% of the respondents indicated that some
employees are used to certain media or communication and their perception is that there is no
other better media than this.

5.2.8 Strategies of Marketing Communication in areas with Employees Attitude towards

Communication
Majority of the respondents as depicted by 40% indicated that intense advertisement should be
carried out to promote effective communication, 20% cited that free samples should be given to
encourage employees to implement effective communication, 20% of the respondents indicated
that demonstration on the use and performance of the communication to be done to convince
employees implementation and the remaining 20% of the respondents indicated that the
communication to be sold at discounts to encourage the employees to implement
communication..

5.2.9 Employees Response

Majority of the employees as depicted by 60% agreed with the statement that I prefer the
communication am used to rather than new ones and 40% of them strongly agreed with this
statement. The table further indicates that 30% of the respondents strongly disagreed with the
statement that I think communication are of higher quality than the ones am used to and the
remaining 70% disagreed with the statement. Half of the respondents as depicted by 50%
strongly agreed with the statement that I think communication are more expensive than the ones
am used to while the other 50% agreed with this statement. Some 30% of the respondents
strongly agreed with the statement which read that I do not like the idea about having
communication because they are bound to fail and the majority lot as depicted by 70% agreed
with the statement.

5.3 Conclusions
Based on the findings of the study, the researcher made the following conclusions.

41
The researcher concludes that the major elements of employees attitude are beliefs values,
perception as assumption is an element of employees attitude.

The effects of employees attitudes on communication performance include employees rejecting

the communication, low implementation of effective communication and low prices of the
communication.

The major challenges facing employees performance in the organization in managing

employee’s attitude towards communication include employees illiteracy, employees preferences
some employees are used to certain media or communication and level of education.

The researcher concluded that strategies of marketing communication in areas with employees
attitude towards communication are carrying out free samples demonstration on the use and
performance of the communication and the communication to be sold at discounts to encourage
the employees to implement communication.

5.4 Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study and the conclusions made, the researcher made the following
recommendations to improve the performance of communication in catering industry. Much
emphasis should be put on employee’s education to enable them change their employees attitude
and adopt new communication. A health communication between the organization and the
employees should be fostered to facilitate quick adoption by the employees.

5.5 Suggestions for Further Study

The researcher suggested that further research to be carried out on following field.

Further study should be carried out to ascertain factors that lead to communication failure in an
organisation. Further research should be carried out to determine the effects of employees
perception on effective communication implementation in an organization.

42
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 APPENDIX I

QUESTIONNAIRE
SECTION A

1. What is your age bracket?

0-20 ( )

20-40 ( )

40-60 ( )

Above 60 ( )

2. What is your gender?

Male ( )

Female ( )

3. What is your level of Education

Primary ( )

Secondary ( )

45
 College ( )

4. Which department do you work in?

Administration ( )

Loans ( )

Marketing ( )

Personnel ( )

Enquiries ( )

5. How long have you worked in this organization

0-1 Years ( )

5-10 Years ( )

10-15 Years ( )

Over 15 Years ( )

SECTION B

6. What are the Causes of effective communication on employees’ performance at Kenya

Power Company?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. What are the Benefits of Adopting of effective communication on employee’s

performance at Kenya Power Company?

Parameter Strongly Agreed Neutral Disagreed Strongly

disagreed disagreed

46
Better public relation

Creates unity

Increase in
productivity

Creates awareness

Total

8. What are the Consequences of effective communication onEmployees performanceat

Kenya power company?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. What are the strategies adopted by the organization to mitigate the challenges
experienced?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

47
 APPENDIX III

BUDGETING
The research include the following experiences during the development and the preparation
periodic

Details Amount

Printing 1000

Photocopy 500

Book review 200

Transport 500

Lunch 200

Total 3,000

48