Multigenerational Strategies, Organizational Culture and Organizational Performance of Kenya Defence Forces

Abstract

In a dynamic organizational environment, institutions such as the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are increasingly composed of multigenerational workforces, ranging from Baby Boomers to Generation Z. However, the KDF lacks a well-defined multigenerational strategy that aligns this workforce diversity with its Organizational performance goals. This absence has contributed to observable breakdowns in communication, reduced cohesion, leadership friction, and declining morale, particularly during intergenerational handovers and operational deployments. This study sought to examine the effect of multigenerational strategies and organizational culture on the Organizational performance of the Kenya Defence Forces. The study’s specific objectives were to examine the effect of open communication on Organizational performance in the Kenya Defence Forces; assess the effect of flexible work arrangement on Organizational performance in the Kenya Defence Forces; evaluate the effect of reciprocal mentoring on Organizational performance in the Kenya Defence Forces; establish the effect of training development on Organizational performance in the Kenya Defence Forces; determine how rganizational culture moderates the relationship between multigenerational strategies and Organizational performance in the Kenya Defence Forces. The study was guided by the Social Learning Theory and Cohort Theory, which collectively explain how generational characteristics affect work, communication, collaboration learning, behavior, and institutional alignment. Adopting a mixed methods research design grounded in the pragmatist paradigm, the study collected both quantitative and qualitative data through structured questionnaires and interviews. All constructs were reliable, scoring a Cronbach Alpha value of more than 0.7. Additionally, the Composite Reliability score of 0.861 revealed the research instrument had internal consistency and was therefore valid. The target population comprised 763 personnel at Isiolo Barracks, which included Top-Level Leadership, Middle-Level Leadership, Tactical-Level Leadership and servicemen. A stratified random sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample of 262 respondents, where 229 filled questionnaires and 33 comprising of middle-leadership were interviewed. The questionnaire response rate was 193 participants, translating to 74% of the sample. Additionally, 20 individuals were interviewed, which was a response rate of 60%. All constructs had a significant effect on organizational performance. Open communication was very significant at 0.463 (p-value < 0.001), flexible work arrangement had a coefficient of 0.329 coefficient (p-value < 0.001), reciprocal mentoring coefficient of 0.468 (p-value < 0.001), and training and development a coefficient of 0.737 (p-value < 0.001). Additionally, the p-value of 0.001872, which was less than 0.005 revealed its moderating influence of organizational culture on the relationship between multigenerational strategies and Organizational performance. Qualitative analysis revealed that Kenya Defence Forces is addressing generational workforce challenges through a mentorship program and strong institutional culture, aiming to integrate new technology and flexible leadership styles. This strategy fosters a synergy where experience and innovation complement each other, leading to gradual improvements in mission readiness, unit cohesiveness, and organizational performance. The study recommended a training program on psychological safety and structured communication, leader-endorsed flexible work arrangement program, formalized structured reciprocal mentoring program, integrated knowledge fusion training initiative and aligning institutional cultural transmission.