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Research Article
Explaining Organizational Pride Among Public Utility Employees
Mark Ellickson*
,
Terry Stone
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
183-189
Received:
4 June 2026
Accepted:
17 June 2026
Published:
8 July 2026
Abstract: Organizational pride—the emotional and attitudinal attachment employees feel toward their organization—is an important yet understudied driver of job satisfaction, retention, and performance. In public utilities, where employees deliver essential services vital to community health, safety, and economic stability, organizational pride may be particularly valuable amid widespread workforce challenges, including large-scale Baby Boomer retirements and skilled-labor shortages. Drawing on social identity theory, social exchange theory, and ethical climate perspectives, this study develops and tests a model of six hypothesized antecedents of organizational pride. Using survey data from 406 employees (43% response rate) at one of the largest publicly owned utilities in the United States, the analysis uses OLS regression while controlling for supervisory status, tenure, and union membership. All six antecedents—perceived service quality, trust in top leadership, adequacy of resources and equipment, feeling valued at work, compensation satisfaction, and ethical climate—emerged as statistically significant predictors in the expected direction. The model explained 57% of the variance in organizational pride (R2 = .573). Compensation satisfaction exerted the strongest influence, followed closely by perceived service quality. These findings provide strong support for the integrated theoretical framework and yield actionable implications for public utility leaders seeking to strengthen employee attachment, improve retention, and enhance organizational performance.
Abstract: Organizational pride—the emotional and attitudinal attachment employees feel toward their organization—is an important yet understudied driver of job satisfaction, retention, and performance. In public utilities, where employees deliver essential services vital to community health, safety, and economic stability, organizational pride may be particu...
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Research Article
Effects of Cash Transfer Program Attributes on the Wellbeing of the Elderly
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
190-198
Received:
8 July 2026
Accepted:
24 July 2026
Published:
10 August 2026
Abstract: This study examined the effect of cash transfer programme accessibility on the wellbeing of elderly beneficiaries in Kawangware informal settlement, Nairobi County, Kenya. Despite the implementation of the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) programme under the Inua Jamii initiative, many elderly beneficiaries continue to experience barriers in accessing cash transfer services, limiting the programme's potential to improve their wellbeing. The study adopted a descriptive research design guided by the pragmatist research philosophy and employed a mixed-methods approach. The target population comprised 989 OPCT beneficiaries aged 60 years and above. A sample of 285 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling for the quantitative survey, while 25 key informants were purposively selected for qualitative interviews, of which 17 participated. A total of 224 questionnaires were successfully completed, representing a response rate of 80.6%. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were collected through interview guides and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that accessibility to cash transfer services had a statistically significant positive relationship with elderly wellbeing (p <.001). Easy access to payment points, manageable travel time, reasonable travel distance, affordable transport costs, convenient payment methods, and the ability to collect cash independently were associated with better wellbeing among beneficiaries. Qualitative findings further revealed that long travel distances, congestion at payment centres, high transport costs, and technological challenges reduced the effectiveness of the programme despite its contribution to beneficiaries' livelihoods. The study concludes that improving accessibility to cash transfer services is essential for enhancing the wellbeing of older persons living in urban informal settlements. The study recommends decentralizing payment points, expanding elderly-friendly digital payment systems, strengthening digital literacy support, and reducing transport and administrative barriers to improve the effectiveness of the OPCT programme.
Abstract: This study examined the effect of cash transfer programme accessibility on the wellbeing of elderly beneficiaries in Kawangware informal settlement, Nairobi County, Kenya. Despite the implementation of the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) programme under the Inua Jamii initiative, many elderly beneficiaries continue to experience barriers in acce...
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Research Article
Community-Based Neighbourhood Surveillance and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention in Likoni Informal Settlements in Mombasa County, Kenya
Okoth Geoffrey Abongo*,
Japheth Mbihi Lumadede,
Mosoti Dennis,
Monica Butaysi Oundo
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
199-215
Received:
19 July 2026
Accepted:
28 July 2026
Published:
18 August 2026
Abstract: In an informal settlement, where weak institutional structures and limited surveillance persist, violent crimes such as Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) has remained a public safety and human right concern. These are often exacerbated by numerous infractions that increases the resident’s vulnerability to victimization. In such setting, community-based surveillance has often been used as a dual participatory community policing strategy that not only strengthens informal social security but also encourages the information sharing and proactive crime prevention. However, the empirical evidence on its relationship with SGBV prevention remains limited. This study examined the relationship between community-based neighborhood surveillance and SGBV prevention in the informal settlement of Likoni Mombasa County. The study adopted correlation research design and was guided by both Routine Activity Theory and Brocken Window Theory. The research data were collected from 359 respondents randomly selected from a sample of 399 residents using structured questionnaires, complemented by 10 key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed through Pearson correlation descriptive statistics, and through simple linear regression while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Due to the emotional and personal nature of SGBV issues, some respondents were reluctant to disclose information effectively, however, the researcher maintained the anonymity of respondents and confidentiality of data collected. The results revealed a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between community-based neighborhood surveillance and SGBV prevention (r =.803, p <.001; R2 =.644; F = 646.855, p <.001). The analysis showed that neighborhood surveillance explained 64.4% of the variation in SGBV prevention indicating that strengthened community watch groups, information-sharing networks, and mutual social control substantially enhanced SGBV prevention. The study concludes that community-based neighborhood surveillance is an effective community policing strategy for preventing SGBV within informal settlements. It recommends strengthening community watch structures, institutionalizing community-police information-sharing mechanisms, and promoting collaborative neighborhood surveillance initiatives to improve public safety and reduce SGBV in vulnerable urban communities.
Abstract: In an informal settlement, where weak institutional structures and limited surveillance persist, violent crimes such as Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) has remained a public safety and human right concern. These are often exacerbated by numerous infractions that increases the resident’s vulnerability to victimization. In such setting, commu...
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Research Article
Feeling Capable, Remaining Demotivated: Revisiting Vroom's Expectancy Theory in a Public Service Organization
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
216-227
Received:
19 July 2026
Accepted:
27 July 2026
Published:
18 August 2026
Abstract: Employee demotivation remains insufficiently understood in public service organizations operating under persistent structural and financial constraints. In the Tunisian public transport sector, little is known about how employees experience motivation despite the sector's well-documented operational difficulties. This study aims to explore the determinants of employee demotivation and assess the explanatory power of Vroom's expectancy theory in this organizational context. A qualitative case study was conducted within a Tunisian public transport company using twelve semi-structured interviews involving three categories of employees. The interview data were analyzed through thematic analysis informed by expectancy theory and interpreted in conjunction with self-determination theory, perceived organizational support, and the Job Demands-Resources model. The findings reveal that employees generally reported feeling competent while simultaneously expressing widespread demotivation, highlighting a tension between perceived self-efficacy and motivational outcomes. Instrumentality emerged as the weakest component of the expectancy process, as participants consistently referred to promotion opportunities whose allocation criteria were perceived as unclear or inconsistently applied. Promotion and professional recognition were valued more strongly than financial rewards, although this preference appeared to be influenced by the institutional constraints governing remuneration. Overall, the results indicate that expectancy theory provides a useful but incomplete explanation of employee motivation in this setting, as organizational support, autonomy, and working conditions also shaped employees' motivational experiences. The study therefore suggests that employee motivation in public organizations facing structural constraints should be understood from a multidimensional perspective rather than through expectancy theory alone. Although the findings are based on a small non-probability sample from a single organization and should not be generalized, they offer practical implications for human resource management by emphasizing the importance of transparent promotion systems, stronger organizational support, and improved communication to enhance employee motivation in public service organizations.
Abstract: Employee demotivation remains insufficiently understood in public service organizations operating under persistent structural and financial constraints. In the Tunisian public transport sector, little is known about how employees experience motivation despite the sector's well-documented operational difficulties. This study aims to explore the dete...
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