Determinants Of Organizational Learning In The Kenyan Government Institutions: A Case Study Of National Social Security Fund (Nssf)

ABSTRACT

Organizational learning(OL) is increasingly being adopted by many organizations in today's fast-paced, highly competitive work world to explore ways to design organizations so that they fulfill their functions effectively, encourage people to reach their full potential, and, at the same time, give their organizations the edge it needs to survive thereby keep fulfilling their purpose. The main objective of the study was to research on the determinants of organizational learning in Kenyan government institutions with specific reference to National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to determine the role of leaders in organizational learning in the Kenyan government institutions, to examine the effects of organizational culture on organizational learning, to find out how the management of human resources affects organizational learning and to establish the impact of politics on organizational learning in the Kenyan government institutions. The study reviewed thetheories of organizational learning focusing mainly on the Greve‟s theory, single and double-loop learning theory, learning theories as well the empirical literature relevant to the study. Descriptive design was used in collecting the data from respondents because it ensures complete description of the situation, making sure that there is minimum bias in the collection of data. A sample of one hundred and twenty one (121) respondents consisting of senior management, departmental and operational staff of the organization from the two NSSF branches in Nairobi City was chosen. Questionnaires was used for collecting datacontaining mainly closed ended questions to the sample respondents thus ensuring that each respondent received the same set of questions in exactly the same way. The study used mainly primary data collected from the questionnaires. The data collected was first checked for errors, coded and then analyzed using Ms Excel and SPSS. Data collected and analyzed were presented in various formats such as charts, graphs and tables. The findings indicate that all the variables, that is, leadership, organizational culture, management of human resources and politics despite their level of influence or effect on organizational learning, are significant. It is also established that the organization does not conduct continual evaluation of knowledge and it lacks knowledge repository which are strategic resources for any organization. The study also established that mentoring programs are not fully established in the organization. Hence, it recommends that top management in NSSF and other government institutions are required to provide the right organizational environment that allows the development of individuals, groups and teams to learn. Also the organizational structure should allow systems and procedures to direct and motivate behaviour towards organizational learning. In addition, there is need to invest in knowledge management and development of mentoring programs guided by a clear vision and strategy in order to enhance organizational learning in the institution.