Determinants of Teamwork Among Public Servants in County Governments; A Case Study of Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

Teamwork is a key component for effective public service delivery and organizational performance, particularly within the decentralized governance structures of county governments in Kenya. The shift to a devolved system of government in Kenya, ushered in by the 2010 Constitution, aimed to bring services closer to the people and enhance accountability. This devolution necessitates robust inter-departmental and intra-departmental collaboration among public servants to achieve common goals, optimize resource utilization, and ensure efficient service provision to citizens. However, many county governments in Kenya often grapple with issues such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, political interference, limited resources, and inconsistent leadership styles all of which affects cohesive team functioning and underachievement of developmental targets outlined in the County Integrated Development Plans. Against this backdrop, the present study sought to investigate the key determinants of teamwork among public servants in Baringo County. The study was guided by The Big Five of Teamwork Model, developed by Salas, Sims, and Burke (2005), outlines five essential components that contribute to effective teamwork in organizations: team leadership, mutual performance monitoring, backup behavior, adaptability and team orientation. An explanatory research design was adopted to explore the causal relationships between variables. The target population comprised 458 public servants, from which a sample of 214 respondents was selected using Yamane’s (1967) formula. A stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure fair representation across different departments. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and a pilot study involving 10% of the sample was conducted to assess the tool’s validity and reliability. Content validity was reviewed by experts, while internal consistency was confirmed through Cronbach’s Alpha, with a threshold of 0.7. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics summarized respondent characteristics and key variables, while inferential techniques including correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to test the study hypotheses. The findings revealed a strong and positive correlation between organizational culture and teamwork performance (r = 0.800, ρ < 0.01), and between leadership style and teamwork (r = 0.745, ρ < 0.01). Further analysis showed that organizational culture (β = 0.271, p = 0.000) and leadership style (β = 0.231, p = 0.000) both had significant positive effects on team performance. In conclusion, the study established that organizational culture and leadership style are critical determinants of effective teamwork in county governments. Based on these findings, the study recommends that Baringo County and other counties should focus on building a strong, inclusive organizational culture that encourages shared values, mutual trust and collaboration. Additionally, leadership development programs should be prioritized to promote participative and transformational leadership styles that align teams toward common goals and enhance service delivery.