Effect of Change Management Practices on Productivity of Transport Sector in Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

Change management is an emerging tool and is increasingly being seen as a working tool that provides solutions to various problems which may be affecting the organization today. It compasses the organizational tools that can be used to assist people to make successful personnel changeover and acceptance of change. Past studies have talked about change management in organizations by looking at various types of change majorly the strategic change and operational change within the organization. Consequently, the effect of change management practices on productivity particularly on transport sector within Migori County is not known. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of change management practices on productivity of transport sector in Migori County. Specifically, the study: Established the effect of adoption of Information Technology on the productivity of transport sector; examined the effect of structural change on productivity of transport sector and determined the effect of self-regulatory culture through transport SACCO bodies on productivity of transport sector in Migori County by the transport service providers and other workers. The study was guided by Socio-technical theory in correlation study design. The study population constituted 127 employees of the Ministry of public works, roads, transport and energy and was categorized into three; Transport service regulators 80, Transport service providers 27 and other transport service workers50.From two Sub-Counties, 20 respondents who are majorly in the transport sector within the County were conveniently chosen for pilot study. Primary data was obtained direct from the respondents using questionnaires and structured personal interview while Secondary data was obtained from published materials and unpublished academic reports. Furthermore, validity of research instrument was ensured through expert review while reliability was established by Chronbach’s alpha test which revealed an alpha value of 0.836 that was above the threshold value hence instrument was reliable. Data was analyzed by use of inferential and descriptive statistical methods. The researcher gathered information from Finance division, ICT division, Tendering division and Human Resource management division. The study findings revealed that adoption of information technology, structural and cultural changes had significant and positive effect on productivity of the transport sector ((β=.205; p=.025, β=.253; p=.009, β=.256, p=.005) respectively. Adoption of information technology, structural and cultural changes accounted for 4.2%, 6.4% and 6.6% change in the transport sector in Migori County respectively. In overall, change management (technological, structural and cultural changes) accounted for 32.8% change in transport productivity (R2=.328). The study concluded that adoption of information technology had an effect on productivity, structural change has an effect on productivity and cultural change has an effect on productivity of transport sector in Migori County. The study recommended improvement in adoption of information technology, change in structure to be more accommodative, and cultural diversification in transport sector. The results might be useful for the County officials in charge of Transport who might have to implement change for a proper productivity of transport sector within Migori County. To the researcher, the study will add new knowledge by providing new empirical evidence on the nature and extent of change management on productivity of transport sector especially in Migori County which has been grossly overlooked by the past studies.