The Moderating Effect of Organizational Culture on the Relationship Between Reward System and Retention of Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

Aim: The Kenyan government has been losing secondary school teachers to other sectors for reasons related to reward systems. This study aimed to examine how organizational culture moderates the relationship between reward systems and teacher retention in public secondary schools in Kenya. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. Targeting teachers employed by the Teachers' Service Commission in sub-county schools in five purposively selected counties. A probabilistic sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 384 teachers using the Cochran equation for choosing a sample from a large population. Self-administered semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers while an interview guide was used for principals. A pilot study was conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of the research instruments. Reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha to measure internal consistency across the questions while content validity was used to ensure that items in the questionnaires were sufficient to answer the research questions. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24 software. Results: The study findings revealed that teacher retention was influenced by the type of reward system in a school with a Beta value of 0.66 and p= 0.000. Schools that had a strong emphasis on teamwork and collaboration amongst staff and where an open, honest dialogue between teachers and management was encouraged besides having a reward had higher retention rates. While reward systems play an important role in teacher retention, their effectiveness is significantly moderated by organizational culture. The study found that organizational culture had a significant influence on the relationship between reward system and teacher retention in public secondary schools in Kenya with a Beta value of 0.506 and p= 0.000. Conclusions: Teacher retention is driven by a combination of effective reward systems and a supportive organizational culture. Teacher retention is shaped by the balance between tangible rewards and the school's cultural environment. Prioritizing competitive benefits alongside fostering a supportive, inclusive, and empowering culture is key to retaining educators. Recommendations: School management should promote a strong positive culture by celebrating teacher achievements through initiatives such as annual award ceremonies or hosting appreciation events. Additionally, recognizing the value of teachers could include providing personalized thank-you notes from leadership, creating mentorship opportunities to highlight expertise, or establishing professional development funds to invest in their growth. Such efforts foster a sense of belonging and appreciation, improving teacher retention. A longitudinal study to explore how changes in organizational culture over time could impact the effectiveness of reward systems in teacher retention is hereby recommended. Geographical locations such as urban vis-a-vis rural settings in which schools are located would be an area worth exploring due to the different contexts found there.