Effects of Occupational Health Management Practices on Employee Productivity Among Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

The food and beverage manufacturing industry contribute significantly to global socioeconomic development. The purpose of the study aimed to determine the effects of occupational health management practices on employee productivity of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County. The research questions include; how do safety training practices, hazard control practices, workplace safety inspection, safety records affect employee productivity in beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County? Does organization culture moderate the relationship between occupational health and safety practices and employee productivity in beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County? The study was hinged by four theories which include; Social Exchange Theory, distraction theory, goal setting theory and accident proneness theory. The study used a cross-sectional research design with the target population being 14 food and beverage companies in Uasin Gishu county. A total sample size of 236 respondents was determined using stratified random sampling. This included 37 human resource managers, 48 operations managers, and 493 factory floor staff. Data collection involved self-administered questionnaires for the HR and operations managers along with interviews of floor staff. Pilot testing of the instruments helped refine and enhance validity. Quantitative survey data was analyzed statistically in SPSS while qualitative interviews underwent content analysis to identify themes. The study found that there are positive and significant associations between occupational health management practices and employee productivity. The regression analysis showed that these practices can explain 83% of the variation in employee productivity. The study also found that organizational culture moderates the influence of occupational health practices on productivity.