Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences: Home

Abstract:
Employee absenteeism is a persistent problem in many countries; it tends to reduce the quality of education and results in poor performance of students. Despite the extensive research on the subject of personal characteristic and absenteeism, little has be done in schools in spite of its importance. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of personal characteristics on employee absenteeism in Transnzoia County. The specific objectives of the study was; to determine the relationship between gender and employee absenteeism, to determine the relationship between age and employee absenteeism, to establish the relationship between educational level and employee absenteeism, and to establish the relationship between marital status and employee absenteeism. Social exchange theory grounded the study. A survey research design was used for this study. The institutions studied were selected using stratified random sampling technique. The two strata considered are public and private secondary schools. A linear regression model was constructed to establish the relationship between employee absenteeism and personal characteristics from each institution that was sampled, the respondents was the head of the institution and employees. The personal characteristics was identified as the independent variable, while absenteeism as the dependent variable. Data was analyzed statistically using SPSS version 19. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used to test the hypotheses. The study found that age had a positive significant effect on absenteeism, educational level of the employee has no significant effect absenteeism and marital status had a positive significant effect on absenteeism .The results of the study form the basis for better management of institutions. The findings of this research is important to management of academic institutions who will find vital direction when making decisions related to recruitment, selection training and staff development processes.. These institutions should consider personal factors when selecting and recruiting staff as the results suggest that personals factors plays a role in employees absenteeism. The study suggests that future research could consider ways of reducing bias by controlling for the contribution of other factors to the employees absenteeism and use of longitudinal design is recommended to adequately examine the causal status of personal factors on absenteeism.

Keywords: age, absenteeism, recruitment, personal characteristics, employee

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