Influence of Character Oriented Leadership on Employee Job Satisfaction in Public Development Finance Institutions in Kenya

Abstract

This research study sought to determine how character-oriented leadership  influences employee job satisfaction  in public development finance institutions in Kenya. This study had the following research questions: What is the influence of integrity on employee job satisfaction in public development finance institutions in Kenya? To what extent does humility influence employee job satisfaction in public development finance institutions in Kenya? How does servanthood influence employee job satisfaction in public development finance institutions in Kenya? To what extent does internal environment moderate the relationship between character-oriented leadership and employee job satisfaction in public development finance institutions in Kenya? This study employed a positivism research philosophy and utilized cause and effect  research design. A sample size of 326 was drawn using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The study results demonstrated that integrity had a positive and statistically insignificant influence on employee job satisfaction (β = 0.222, p-value =0.088). The study findings further revealed that humility positively and significantly influenced employee job satisfaction (β=0.982, p-value = 0.000). Additionally, the findings demonstrated that servanthood had a positive and significant influence on employee job satisfaction (β= 0.423, p-value = 0.000). Internal environment moderates the relationship between the relationship between character-oriented leadership and employee job satisfaction (β = 0.139, p-value = 0.022). This study concluded that character-oriented leadership  enhances employee job satisfaction  in public development finance institutions in Kenya and therefore recommends that to achieve enhanced employee job satisfaction, character of leaders should be embedded in leadership development initiatives. In addition, behavioral modeling training intervention should be adopted in public development institutions to improve the leaders’ interpersonal skills.