Thesis:

Assessment of the role of team building in service delivery in co-operate organizations: A case of Safaricom Kenya Limited, Kitale branch.

Service-oriented organizations are facing stiff competition due to challenges associated with team building and service delivery. As such, organizations are compelled to employ all means possible to offer better services so as to win and retain clients. One of the ways to offer better services is to build work teams for their employees. This thesis presents an assessment into the role of team building in service delivery within corporate organizations. Specifically, the study focused on Safaricom Company Limited, Kitale branch. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the role of team building in service delivery within corporate organizations. The study formulated research objectives which centre around the theme of this study. Likewise, research questions were formulated to guide the study. Frank LaFasto’s Theory of Team Building was used to guide the study while a conceptual framework was also developed to expose the author’s input. Relevant literature related to team work, team building and service delivery both in Kenyan and foreign organizations was reviewed. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The location of the study was Safaricom Kenya Ltd, Kitale Sub Branch with the target population comprising of both the clients (about 832,000) and the employees (both managers – 1, Heads of Departments – 4 and regular employees - 242). A sample size of 561 was drawn using the Morgan & Krejcie (1970) Table for sample size determination. Both purposive and non-purposive sampling techniques were used to get the respondents. Questionnaires, interview schedules and observation checklists were used to collect data from the respondents. A pilot study was conducted at Airtel Ltd, Eldoret sub-branch offices to ensure that the data collection tools were appropriate and relevant. Validity and reliability of the tools was also conducted to ensure that the tools were accurate, meaningful and consistent. Relevant permission from the school, National Commission for Science and Technology and Safaricom was sought before embarking on data collection. Data was coded and entered into the SPSS program . Qualitative data was categorized into groups, coded and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Ethical considerations were made to ensure that the respondents were treated with utmost confidentiality and their responses held in privacy. The findings of the study indicated that employees at Safaricom Ltd, Kitale branch worked in good environment and were provided with good working equipment. Their team leaders’ leadership style was accepted by their team members while the team members’ qualifications were found to influence the ability to form teams as well as service delivery. The job description for each employee was also found to affect the ability to form teams and consequently service delivery. Finally, the study established that job satisfaction at Safaricom Ltd, Kitale branch greatly influenced team formation and consequently service delivery. In recommendation, the study recommends that other service oriented corporate organizations should ensure that their employees were working is conducive and safer environments for team formation and team building as this would influence positive service delivery. Likewise, they should put mechanisms in place to improve their leaders’ leadership styles so as to improve team performance, satisfaction and service delivery. Organizations should also ensure that employees are provided with appropriate but concise and clear job descriptions for them to be able to know the scope of their responsibilities and therefore be able to prepare for them in advance.