Effect of work-family conflict on organizational commitment among police officers in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The situation of insecurity in Kenya has triggered this research in unravelling how police officers are faced with various challenges while fulfilling their work and family roles. A considerable number of police officers experience work overload, burn out, and are often posted to work in areas, sometimes highly dangerous locations thus leading to stress resulting from work/family conflict. This has been prompted by lack of balance between the pressures of their profession and family responsibilities, which may have a negative effect on their organizational commitment in this context; the main aim of this study was to determine the effect of work/family conflict on organizational commitment among the police officers in Nakuru, County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behaviour-based conflict on organizational commitment of police officers at Nakuru County; and to determine the combined effect of work/family conflict on organizational commitment of police officer at Nakuru County. The population of the study consisted of 973 police officers from nine (9) police divisions. The sample size of the study was 275 police officers. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data while descriptive and inferential statistics were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 and presented using graphs, charts and tables. The results of correlation analysis showed that strain-based work/family conflict and behaviour-based work/family conflict had significant weak negative correlations with organizational commitment. Multiple regression analysis was done to test the study hypotheses. H01 was accepted since time-based conflict did not have a significant effect on organizational commitment. H02 and H03 were partially rejected since the results showed that strain-based work/family conflict and behaviour-based work/family conflict had a significant negative effect on organizational commitment. H04 which determined the combined effect of time-based, strain-based and behaviour-based conflict on orga nizational commitment found that work/family conflict (behaviour-based) was the only significant predictor. The findings of the study proved that time spent at work did not significantly affect police officers stress levels thus no meaningful effect on their organizational commitment. The study recommended that National Police Service Commission to embrace employee friendly policies which supports parental leave, ability to take time off, and flexible work arrangements which gives police officers the ability to balance work/family life that touches employee‘s welfare. It was also recommended that Organizations come up with employee assistantship programs (EAP) to provide capacity and team building, flexible working hours, encourage team spirit, cohesiveness, stress management training and friendly work environment.