Workforce Diversity And Employee Performance: A Case Of African Banking Corporation (Abc Bank) Head Office, Kenya

ABSTRACT Performance of employees in banks among other institutions, has numerous human resource related issues. Workforce diversity has been a very critical issue in human resources due to increasing globalization. Organizations that want to remain competitive recognize that employing people with very diverse backgrounds and different capacities of thinking boosts their ability to stay ahead of the competition. Some of these key diverse characteristics in human resources includes age, race, social status, ethnicity, gender, education level, ability, religion, norms and believes. This project discussed in detail all the aspects that affect organizations in terms of workforce diversity. The general purpose of the study was to investigate workforce diversity and its effects on the performance of the employees in ABC Bank. The specific objectives of the study are; to investigate how education, gender, ethical and socio-cultural diversity and its influence on employees’ performance in ABC Bank Westlands Head office. The study used Social Identity Theory, Social Categorization Theory and Blau’s Theory of Heterogeneity, group process theory. This research problem was solved through the use of a descriptive research design. The study focused on the middle and lower level management of ABC Bank Westlands. The target population was 71 employees where census of 71 respondents was utilized. This was done using stratified sampling technique. Data was collected using questionnaires. Data reliability was ensured through analysis of Cronbach Alpha while data validity was ensured through review of the instrument by supervisor. This study collected both qualitative and quantitative data using self-administered questionnaires. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential which used mean, standard deviation, percentages and multiple regression analysis model. The findings indicate that education diversity through diverse level of education, types of the course done and education institution attended affected service delivery. Diversity in gender through gender equality, respect and role has affected efficiency in employee. Ethnic diversity through language, cultural diversity, norms and believe affected the accountability of service delivery. It also found that social classes, work group and age socio-cultural have affected the number of customers served. The study concluded that work diversity through diversity in education, gender, ethnic and socio-cultural affected the employee performance. The study recommended that education diversity should be encouraged to increase performance of employees. It also recommends that gender and ethnic equality should be encouraged by the government to ensure high employee performance. Further studies should be done on the diversity and strategic consensus as well as issues of group process and group thinking.