Stakeholder Management Practices and Customer Satisfaction in the Public Sector in Rwanda: A Case of Rwanda Water and Sanitation Corporation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2141Abstract
Stakeholder management plays an important role in organizational management. The study examined the influence of stakeholder management practices on customer satisfaction in the public sector in Rwanda. The specific objectives included to establish the influence of stakeholder mapping on customer satisfaction, to examine the influence of defensive stakeholder management practice on customer satisfaction and lastly to ascertain the influence of offensive stakeholder management practice on customer satisfaction in public sector in Rwanda case of WASAC. This study employed a case study and descriptive research design to explore issues of stakeholder management and how it influences customer satisfaction. The population size was 172,184 people constituting of external customers and internal customers of WASAC mainly employees, heads of directorates and board of Directors. A sample size of 399 respondents was computed using Yamane’s formula though 324 respondents are the ones who returned questionnaires. The sampling technique used in identifying respondents was stratified, purposive and simple random sampling. Data was collected through interviews and structured questionnaires and analysed using IBM SPSS Version 22. The data was presented in tables. Descriptive statistics findings did indicate 55%-100% of respondents in support of implementation of stakeholder mapping and defensive stakeholder management practices at WASAC. However, 20% and below supported the implementation of offensive stakeholder management practice at WASAC. Pearson correlation coefficient was found to be 0.560, 0.685 and -0.620 for stakeholder mapping, defensive stakeholder management practice and offensive stakeholder management practice respectively. Additionally, beta coefficients were 0.132, 0.235 and -0.211 with corresponding p values of 0.038, 0.001 and 0.024. The study therefore concluded that stakeholder mapping and defensive stakeholder management practices positively and significantly influence customer satisfaction while offensive stakeholder management practice negatively and significantly influence customer satisfaction. The study recommended managers of WASAC to conduct stakeholder analysis to identify all stakeholders, their characteristics and how they relate with the company, companies to adopt transparency and fairness in decision making process involving selection and recruitment, and lastly democracy and inclusivity should be practiced by companies and avoid any form of corrupt deals and practices for better performance and customer satisfaction.
Keywords: Stakeholder management practices, customer satisfaction, public sector, stakeholder mapping, defensive stakeholder management, offensive stakeholder management
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