Employee Motivation and Staff Turnover in the Textile and Apparel Sector in Kenya. A Survey of Firms in the Export Processing Zones in Athi River, Machakos County

This research examined how incentive affects employee turnover in the textile and apparel sector. A descriptive survey design was employed. Firms in the textile and apparel sector comprised the unit observation in this study. Employees of the firms were the unit of analysis. The research used a sample size of 224 participants. Data was gathered via the use of a self-administered questionnaire. A preliminary investigation was conducted at two companies operating in the textile and apparel industry inside the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) located in Athi River. The research included a subset of 22 individuals employed within these enterprises. The collected data was subjected to analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, rates, means, and standard deviations were used to provide a comprehensive summary of the data. In contrast, inferential analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression to draw conclusions and make predictions based on the observed relationships between variables. The confidence interval for the regression study will be set at 95%. The results of the study were presented in form tables and figures. The study found a strong positive correlation (r=0.852) between the predictors (leadership, compensation, training, and promotions) and the dependent variable (staff turnover). According to the results, 72.6% of the variance in staff turnover can be explained by the combined influence of leadership, compensation, training, and promotions. The regression model was statistically significant, as evidenced by the low p-value of .000.Training (p<0.001), compensation (p=0.016) and leadership (p<0.001) were all significant. Compensation had the highest beta coefficient -0.452 indicating that it was the most important of the four variables while promotions (β =.001) was the least important. The study concluded that motivation significantly influenced turnover. Training, compensation, promotions, and leadership all play a role in determining staff turnover, with compensation being the most influential factor. To reduce staff turnover in the textile and apparel sector it was recommended that organizations ensure that they provide competitive compensation packages to their employees. Companies in the textile and apparel sector also ought to implement promotions as a way of motivating employees in order to lower turnover rates. Key Words: Training, Compensation, Promotions, Leadership, Staff Turnover, Textile and Apparel CITATION: Mulwa, G. N., & Muli, J. (2024). Employee motivation and staff turnover in the textile and apparel sector in Kenya. A survey of firms in the export processing zones in Athi River, Machakos County. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 11 (1), 487 – 505. http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v11i1.2865