Relationship of Parties to Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations Environment in Public Universities in Kenya

Abstract

This article examines the effect of relationship of parties to collective bargaining on industrial relations environment in public universities in Kenya. The data used in analysis is based mainly on stratified probability sample of 322 respondents interviewed in 2012 in the three public universities in Kenya. Expert judgment was used to determine the validity while Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to determine reliability of research instruments. Qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to reduce large number of variables for further analysis. Linear regression analysis was employed to determine the effect of relationship of parties to collective bargaining on industrial relations environment. The result revealed that relation of parties to collective bargaining had a significant effect on industrial relations environment ( =0.531, p<0.05). The study recommends that parties to collective bargaining should reconsider their strategies for engagement in order to enhance their relationship.