International Journal of Management and Leadership Studies
2025; 6(i): 677-692
ISSN:
2311 7575
ON-THE-JOB LEARNING AS A CATALYST FOR IMPROVED EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN DEVOLVED GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS. A CASE OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF MURANG’A
Noah Gachanja and Dr. Angeline Wambugu
Published:
01 December, 2025
Volume:
6
Issue:
i
Keywords:
employee performance, experiential learning, on-the-job learning, public sector, service delivery
This paper examined on-the-Job Learning as a Catalyst for Improved Employee
Performance in Devolved Government Systems. A Case Study of County Government of
Murang’a, Kenya. A descriptive research design was used, targeting 1,022 managementlevel employees. A sample of 287 respondents was selected using stratified random
sampling, and data were collected through structured questionnaires. Descriptive
statistics and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS (Version 25). The results
indicated that on-the-job learning significantly enhanced employee performance, with an
overall composite mean of 3.64. Employees reported that on-the-job learning improved
proactive communication (M = 4.46, SD = 0.92), skill utilization (M = 4.37, SD = 0.95), and
problem-solving ability (M = 4.26, SD = 1.00). Correlation analysis showed a positive
relationship between on-the-job learning and performance (r = 0.543, p < 0.01), while
regression results revealed that on-the-job learning explained 29% of the variance in
employee performance. The study concludes that structured on-the-job learning fosters
adaptability, innovation, and efficiency in devolved government systems. It recommends
institutionalizing workplace learning through formal programs, reflection workshops,
and feedback mechanisms to enhance public sector service delivery. Future research
should adopt longitudinal and comparative designs to assess the sustainability of on-thejob learning outcomes across counties and sectors