Employee commitment and organizational performance in local governments in Uganda. A case study of Wakiso district local government.

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between employee commitment and organizational Performance in Local governments in reference to Wakiso District Local Government. The Objectives of the study were; to establish the effect of task autonomy on organizational performance in Wakiso District Local Government, to assess the effect of support leadership on organizational performance in Wakiso District Local Government and to examine the effect of job security on organizational performance in Wakiso District Local Government. This study adopted a mixed method approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods within a cross-sectional research design to examine the relationship between employee commitment and organizational performance in Wakiso District Local Government. A sample of 103 respondents was drawn from a target population of 140 using purposive and random sampling techniques. Data was collected from both primary sources (questionnaires, interviews, observations, and documentary review) and secondary sources (journals, reports, and books). Data validity and reliability were tested using Content Validity Index (CVI) and Cronbach’s Alpha, while analysis employed descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and content analysis to establish the strength and direction of relationships between variables. The study of 95 respondents in Wakiso District Local Government revealed that task autonomy, supportive leadership, and job security all had statistically significant but weak positive effects on organizational performance. Task autonomy showed the highest influence (r = 0.122, p = 0.003), supportive leadership had a minimal impact (r = 0.043, p = 0.002), while job security had the weakest effect (r = 0.005, p = 0.004). The study found that task autonomy, supportive leadership, and job security each have a statistically significant but weak positive effect on organizational performance in Wakiso District Local Government. Task autonomy showed the strongest influence, though still modest, while supportive leadership and job security had minimal practical impact. The findings suggest that while empowering employees, supportive leadership, and job security contribute slightly to performance, they are insufficient on their own to drive substantial organizational success. Therefore, management should adopt a comprehensive strategy that combines autonomy, leadership development, employee motivation, and effective resource management to enhance productivity and achieve sustainable performance improvements.