Thesis:

Influence of emerging trends in human resource management on employee performance of Nandi county government, Nandi County, Kenya

There has been rise of many emerging trends and issues in all sectors and organizations globally and human resource management field is not an exemption, therefore this study seeks to establish the influence of emerging trends in human resource management on employee performance of Nandi County government. The study will be guided by the following objectives: to assess the influence of professional development, to determine the influence of information technology, to establish the influence of work ethics and to examine the influence of remote working on employee performance as the research objectives, the findings of the study will enable the county government to understand how emerging trends influence the performance of their employees as well as act as reference point for prospective researchers. The study will be anchored on the theory of performance and resource-based theory. The study will adopt both quantitative and qualitative research approach. The design of the study will be descriptive research design and the target population will be 222. The sampling adopted will be stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The sample size of the study will be 143, arrived at by the use of Yamane method. Structured questionnaire and interview guide will be used to collect data which will be analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics including mean, standard deviation and linear regression in addition to narrative analysis. The analyzed data will be presented by tables. The study found that professional development emerged as a significant influencer, with a coefficient of 0.402 and a standardized coefficient of 0.421, suggesting a positive influence on employee performance through investments in professional growth. This influence is supported by a high tvalue of 4.612 and a p-value of .000. Information technology similarly demonstrates a notable influence, with a coefficient of 0.383 and a standardized coefficient of 0.392. The statistical significance is reinforced by a t-value of 3.286 and a p-value of .000. The study concluded that employees perceived training programs related to the management information system positively. Further, the study concluded that there is a strong commitment among employees to pursue higher academic qualifications, indicating a culture of continuous learning within the Nandi County Government. The study recommended that comprehensive continuous learning programs be developed and implemented to encourage and support employees in pursuing higher academic qualifications and professional certifications. It also recommended that customized managerial training programs should be created to align with the specific competencies needed in the Nandi County Government Enhancing the IT infrastructure and accessibility in the County Government.