EFFECTS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR IN KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF GETRUDES CHILDREN HOSPITAL IN NAIROBI

The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of performance appraisal on employee performance in the healthcare sector in Kenya a case study of Gertrude’s children hospital, with the objectives being to determine how performance appraisal feedback affects employee performance at Gertrude’s Children hospital; to establish how performance appraisal process affects employee performance at Gertrude’s Children hospital; to determine how performance appraisal goals affects employee performance at Gertrude’s Children hospital; To find out how performance appraisal methods affects employee performance at Gertrude’s Children hospital. The results obtained from this study will generate insight that will assist organizations in developing effective performance measurement strategies for it will enable the organization to identify and develop guidelines that will enhance effective staff appraisal that will improve staff performance and for academicians and scholars, the study findings was beneficial to forming the basis for future research on the subject, providing a critical examination of the field. This study was anchored on expectancy theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory. The research design adopted was a descriptive research design that is cross sectional in nature. The study target populations were 250 staff of Gertrude’s Children hospital with the sample population of 100 employees. The researcher used questionnaires as the main data collection instrument that was pilot tested using the questionnaire on 25 staff based at Gertrude’s Pangani Clinic. The data was analysed by use of descriptive statistics. Specifically, means, averages and percentages was employed by the researcher. The data analysis tools were simple tabulations and presentations of the report using spreadsheets. The data is presented using tables, charts and graphs. Data was first coded and organized into concepts from which generalization was made of entire population. The study has established that performance appraisal feedback are critically important because the process offers organizations a valuable opportunity to measure how each staff in relations to previously established standards and expectations. The findings indicate that performance appraisal and performance appraisal feedback are critically important because the process offers organizations a valuable opportunity to measure how each staff in relations to previously established standards and expectations. The study also established that performance appraisal goals are critically important the purpose of the effective performance appraisal lead to important outcomes such as job satisfaction, employee productivity, quality work and employee trust and commitment. The study recommends that the management and the human resource department at Gertrude’s children hospital should clearly explain the purpose and the need for the assessment and they should train staff on how to give and receive feedback. Managers, supervisors and employees should be involved in the planning process of performance appraisal and the Performance appraisal policy should be easily accessible to all members of the staff and performance appraisal process in the organization should be more transparent and rational and finally the human resource manager at Gertrude’s children hospital should ensure that performance appraisal goals are able to identify training needs and it should be structured in such a way that it will identify the relevant and necessary trainings which when specified will ensure a better employee performance