Influence of Strategic Communication on Performance of State Corporations in Kenya

Abstract

State corporations are government-owned companies, boards, or organizations which help the government to deliver some essential functions of the government. Many government programs are delivered through them and a substantial budget is allocated to them. However, in recent times though, reports indicate massive losses and failure of some state corporations in Kenya. Hence, as a contribution to the better performance of state corporations, this study sought to establish the influence of strategic communication on performance of state corporations in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the influence of open communication, clarity of ideas/communication and clear channels of communications on performance of State Corporations in Kenya. The descriptive research design was used. The target population was 187 State Corporations in Kenya. The study used a sample of 66 State Corporations with a total of 264 respondents (4 from each sampled state corporation). The data was collected using questionnaires. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that strategic communication (open communication, clarity of ideas/communication and clear channels of communication) are significant in explaining performance of state corporations in Kenya. It was found that open communication, clarity of ideas/communication and clear channels of communication can explain 52.9% of the variations in the performance of state corporations in Kenya. The study recommended that state corporations in Kenya should embrace strategic communication such as open communication, clarity of ideas/communication and clear communication channels since it influences performance significantly. The state corporations need to ensure equal information sharing, develop communication feedback mechanisms and encourage employees to express their feedback and thoughts. State corporations in Kenya need to embrace the clarity of ideas before communicating and ensure concise communication. The state corporations in Kenya should enhance the accessibility of communication channels, use top-down and bottom-up communication channels and use modern technologies for communication. Keywords: Strategic communication, performance, state corporations, Kenya