Participatory Management initiatives, Employees Commitment and Employees’ Performance: An Empirical Study among Employees in Water Service Providers in Kenya

Vol. Abstract The aim of the study was to evaluate mediating influence of employees commitment on participatory management and employees’ performance in water service providers in M urang’a County. The study was guided by the following objectives; a) To evaluate mediating effect of employees commitment on relationship between participatory management and employees’ performance in selected water service providers in Murang’a County, (b) To assess the mediating effect of employee commitment on the relationship between Participatory Management; Predicting Employees’ Performance. The study embraced an exploratory research design. A sample of 206 employees was selected from five water service providers namely: Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company Limited, Murang’a South Water and Sanitation Company Limited, Gatanga Water and Sanitation Company Limited, Gatamathi Water and Sanitation Company Limited and Kahuti Water and Sanitation Company Limited. Random sampling was applied in picking the respondents for the study. Self-administered questionnaires aided in collecting primary data and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. A pilot study was steered on data collection tool to pre- test it’s validity prior to the main survey. Data reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used to aid in coding, entry and analysis of data. conclusions and recommendations based on the findings were finally outlined. The study concludes that participatory management through consultative management, quality circles, representative participation and delegation is vital and significantly affects performance of employe es in water service providers in Murang’a County, Kenya. However, commitment therefore played insignificant part in enhancing effectiveness of participatory management to enhance employees’ performance. Suggestion that employees commitment partially mediates the relationship between participatory management and employees’ performance is a call to the management of water service providers i n Murang’a County, Kenya to institute programmes that will ensure employees are committed to the job and organization as this is vital in enhancing effectiveness of participatory management. Frequencies, mean, standard were used to analyze descriptive data. The inferential pointers aided on how to qualitative figures with regression scrutiny being applied. The presentation of the findings was largely done using tables and figures to indicate frequency and percentage


Introduction
Employees commitment is an elementary matter of the proprietors of establishments and administration. It has direct relation with job performance influencing employees competitiveness. As commitment straight effect the employee performance it has massive importance. Employees commitment has engrossed the various practitioners and scholars of human resource management for it influences the organizational and employees' performance. Commitment is the kind of oath between an institution and employees where he is working (Kashefi 2013). This research will find the relation of commitment with other factors. Employee performance is a mutual perception, ability, and effort for tasks. Organizational objectives can be achieved due to good performance. Although, more efforts are required for enhancement of organizational performance. Employees' commitment improves the organizational competitiveness and employees' performance.

Literature Review Employees Commitment
Globally employees commitment is viewed as a belief that connects feelings of organizational values and objectives with individual standards and objectives (Hakim, 2015). Employees commitment to a business entails creating a psychological bond between the employee and the organization (Lau, 2011). Employees commitment occasions three components: continuance commitment, normative commitment and affective commitment (Lambert & Keena, 2015). Conferring with Kashefi (2013) employees passionate affection remains the worker's pillar to affectively offer commitment in resonating and engrossing in a firm. Normative commitment is a sentiment of compulsion to remain in an organization categorized as universal value of reliability and obligation. Continuance commitment is the preparedness to endure in an organization because of special venture such as close operational interactions with co-workers, superannuation and profession reserves. Kiiza and Picho (2015) argues that affective commitment originates after a demonstrative linking to the group and is regularly complex to job practices. It evolves when an worker is tangled in pinpointing the importance of his or her identity from the establishment.

Participatory Management
Participatory management is outlined as a human right in the United Nations 1986 affirmation of right to progress which is based on a number of principles including consultative management, delegated power and its implication on job execution and the process of representation (Hamm, 2011). Employees participation is categorized as direct and indirect. Direct participation may take place through goal-setting plans by individuals, consultations, forming employees into quality circles, and delegating to others. Indirect involvement includes use of employee's selected agents or shop stewards (Noah, 2008).
As witnessed by Robert, (2011) participatory management help to advance an accomplishing philosophy that boosts extraordinary performance in ranges for example production and effectiveness of employees and ultimately influence toward shareholder value. Employees form groups such as unions and quality circles to decide objectives to be achieved by developing joint actions (Aronowitz et al., 2015). According to Bryson and Freeman (2012) participating in management takes stratagem to attain a more vigorous and competent management by dividing responsibilities between leaders and the resource users. According to Pritchard (2008); Osman (2011) and cited in Boeddeker (2011) participatory management can be classified in the following categories: consultative management, delegation and team based representation. Chen and Tjosvold (2011) asserts that participatory management enhances team work and increase decision making that it is accomplished by group participation. Thus study embraced the following participatory management initiatives: consultative management, quality circles. representative participation and delegation.

Employees' Performance
According to Hitt (2011) insubstantial assets are further likely than noticeable resources to yield a competitive advantage to promote employees' performance. This was supported by David (2014) that a firms' employees' performance is influenced by its capacity to protect and use the intangible resources it generates which could be productivity, effectiveness and timeliness of output. Companies are forced to compete and act professionally to have capable employees to help them create competitive advantage in service delivery (Mwita, 2012). Jena and Rautaray (2010) argues that performance of employees is about the results obtained from employees after being allocated a certain task within the organisations. Frese(2011) contends that employees' performance indicators involve effective service provision, high output, service value, and aptness of output. Yang (2008) on individual performance proclaims success by accomplishing the prospects of the shareholders. In line with Memari (2013) employees' performance is greatly felt where reward of performance is practiced through participation. Productivity of employees is highly influenced by attendance, which is significant to guarantee justifiable performance to complete the obligatory responsibilities and evade administration conflict and reduced performance value of employees participation in the system (Ruokalanien, 2011). According to Cardy (2014) performance is essentially the result of how input is well and timely transformed into output to demonstrate the ultimate efficiency in front of superiors, consumers, proprietors and co-workers. Tohidi (2010) argues that service effectiveness is the capacity of workforce to meet the estimated intentions or target. Timeliness of output is the characteristic of services with aptitude to gratify the quantified or inferred needs (Armstrong, 2010). Employees outcomes as well as behaviour that enhances effectiveness are some of the measures that Allen and Collins (2013) proposed that can measure performance of employees. They further argues that individuals skills, knowledge and work experience contributes significant on employees' performance. According to Kagaari et al (2010) employees' performance narrows down to productivity, speed of delivery and effectiveness. Employees remain a central reserve therefore imperative to augment the involvement of employees to the business and to understand determinants of employees' performance (Elnaga & Imran 2013). Employees' performance is aimed to enhance institutional capacity through desirable results and give direction to any firm or organization growth creating room for expansion (Mwita, 2012).

Statement of the Problem
To clearly articulate vision twenty thirty(2030) GoK has acknowledged employees to be key in fast tracking the realization of the vision by improving access to clean and reliable water. Commitment, motivates employees to work for the good of the organization. There are various studies that discuss organizational commitment, and employees' performance, yet it is hardly to see the research done on interrelationship between employess commitment and employees' performance specifically in Kenya context. Thus, the paper is an attempt to fill this gap in the literature. The GoK through WASREB (Water Services Regulatory Board) has implemented several reforms. They include the Water Act (2002) and the Water Act (2016) which calls for inclusion of employees in articulating this goal. Despite these initiatives by the government water service providers in Murang'a County have faced employees' performance related challenges (Njanja & Njagi, 2013). According to Mawia (2017) the focus of the study on commitment explored the understanding of commitment's antecedents, processes, and its consequences. Antecedents of commitment may be explained in various situations in the workplace such as affective commitment. This paper intends to explore more on this phenomenon. Water services regulatory impact report (2018) specified that the administration might be excluding employees as associates of the firms by failing to promote their commitment affecting their performance. This study aims to cover this gap by clearly using commitment as a mediating variable in the study. A study by (Wasreb, 2017) on mediating effect of organizational commitment in water sector in Kenya, dwelt so much on leadership type but failed to articulate clearly effects of commitment on employees' performance. A gap this study aims to bridge . Consequently, it is important for this research to appreciate the relationship between participatory management initiatives, employees' commitment and employees' performance.

Research Objectives
i. To evaluate mediating effects of employees commitment on relationship between participatory management and employees' performance in selected water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya. ii. To assess the mediating effect of employee commitment on the relationship between Participatory Management; Predicting Employees' Performance.

H01:
Employees commitment causes no significant mediating influence on the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance in selected water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya.

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of participatory management initiatives, employess commitment on employees' performance in selected water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya. The study aim was to identify the level of commitment and non-commitment employees of the water service providers and also advise on inspiration approaches according to their commitment echelons. This study's findings indicated that if well implemented, commitment together with other variables can have effect on performance of employees. Furthermore, through the findings the companies identify the training needs for workers exhibiting low commitment on their occupations as necessary. The need to conduct the study was to evaluate how commitment can influence performance as an important factor towards improvement of performance among water company employees. The results show that commitment jointly with other variables influence the employees' performance in water sector. The purpose also presented the need to show how employees are willing to devote and stay in water companies to accomplish the objectives of job performance because they have same goals and values.

Theoretical Review
The study was anchored on the following theories: Role theory and Resource-Based View supported by two other models which include: Servqual Model and Collegial Model.
The Role Theory Katz and Kahn (1966) are credited in articulating this theory which positions and indicate that the part personalities inhabit at work and in different place occurs relatively to additional individuals. Consequently, society partake prospects about the individuals' duty ones they honor these projections have capably performed the role. According to Hopkins (2011) the role theory is often used to scrutinize numerous characteristics of employees' performance. In any enactment of a role, performance becomes the creation of the form individuals for instance the operational framework or influence applied from high to low level or elsewhere in the organization and their own services, competencies and assertiveness (Devaro, 2008).

Resource -Based View
The perspective is initiated and primed through (Penrose, 1959) work. Barney (2007) postulates by arguing about institution improving reasonable plus by not solitary obtaining but likewise mounting, tapping together, and excellently positioning its bodily, social, and organizational possessions. In practice this always put in exceptional worth and challenges the opponents to imitate. Wernerfelt (2004) asserts that the perspective conditions create modest benefit originates within inward possessions a corporate preserve. Resource based view perspective speculates that corporations accomplish justifiable competitive benefit if by holding vital resources by commendably position these possessions in their selected arcades (Barney, 2007). The theory hypothesizes that an organizations' performance hang on its precise capitals and competences (Fotopoulos,Kafetzopoulos & Psomas, 2012).

Servqual Model
This model remain the work of Zeithml, Valarie and Berry (1985) a team of academic researchers to measure quality of service and productivity in the service sector. The Servqual model assumes that an unswerving affiliation occurs between service aptness, service delivery and service effectiveness According to Kumar (2009) the model is tagged and anchored on the following scopes: Tangibility which is physical facilities; apparatus, and attendance of personnel. Reliability encompassing capacity to realize service consistently and precisely. Responsiveness which involves the willingness towards assisting customers and staff in rendering timely services. Assurance which stands for employees courtesy plus the talent to motivate self-assurance and empathy comprising of considerate personalized attention the establishment delivers.

The Collegial Model
The theory is initiated through the work of (Davis, 1967). The term 'collegial' refers to a decision-making framework with structures designed to achieve specific goals in a predictable manner with working together cooperatively (Newsrom, 2011). This model comprises all those supports emphasizing that influence and policymaking ought to be collective or among all members of an organization. The autonomous component of official representation rests on the commitment shown by members to their population (Bush, 2007). This model symbolizes a crew notion. Additionally, its valuable in participatory situation, imaginative effort and substantial work liberty. It involves the organization shaping a sensation of partnership with workers.

Empirical Literature
Participatory management is outlined as a human right in the United Nations 1986 affirmation of right to progress which is based on a number of principles including consultative management, delegated power and its implication on job execution and the process of representation (Hamm, 2011). Employees participation is categorized as direct and indirect. Direct participation may take place through goal-setting plans by individuals, consultations, forming employees into quality circles, and delegating to others. Indirect involvement includes use of employee's selected agents or shop stewards (Noah, 2008). In this journal the participatory management initiatives are outlined and the results shown as captured by the study are: consultative management, quality circles, representative participation and delegation whereas employees' performance will be measured by the use of employees productivity, timeliness of output and effectiveness.

Research Methodology
The research design adopted was a mixture of explanatory and exploratory designs. The combination is key since it delivers a precise and binding illustration of the variables pertaining or applicable providing the answers to the main research questions. According to Cooper and Schindler (2011) explanatory research focuses on why questions. In answering the why questions, the study involved developing causal effect explanations. The target population included 357 employees in the water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya.
The study focused on the management and non-management employees. These employees included top management, middle level staff and lower cadre staff. The distribution of target population of the study is shown in Table 1.

Sample Design and Size
The research used randomly selected sample size since it's easy in application and taken as the accurate representation of the larger population. According to Kasomo (2006) a sample holds features existing in the target population and have independent possibilities of selection. Based on the random sampling formula, the study, picked a sample size of 206 as shown in Table 2 below.

Instruments for Data Collection
A combination of both primary and secondary data was employed in gathering data. A Semistructured questionnaire aided in primary data collection. A documents evaluation list aided in collecting secondary data. Sekaran (2013) urgues that validity denotes exactness and significance of interpretations made founded on results obtained. Suggestions were made and likened to the prevailing theories. Developed instruments was presented to the supervisors and the research specialists in the relevant school to assess the usability and aptness of the content, precision and tolerability of development of the instrument from a research perspective. The study terms operationalization was used to ensure construct validity. Orodho (2009) argues that the level of the degree an instrument yields similar outcome repeatedly constitutes reliability. Reliability testing involved presenting to the employees of Thika Water and Sanitation Company limited with twenty (20) selected respondents not included in the final sample size for piloting. to determine the internal consistency of the research instruments reliability computed using the versally accepted Cronbach Alpha coefficient beyond 0.7.

Data Collection Procedures
Data was collected through the process of obtaining consent letter from the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). The questionnaires distribution to respondents was done by the human resource management department.

Data Analysis and Presentation
Questionnaires codding then feeding them to the SPSS computer software which summarizes data about a single variable was done as argued and analyzed. Frequencies, mean, standard deviation were used to analyze descriptive data. The inferential pointers aided on how to analyze qualitative figures with regression scrutiny being applied. The presentation of the findings was largely done using tables and figures to indicate frequency and percentage spread.

Research Findings and Discussions
The subsequent extents covered under elementary data: response rate, respondents' gender, age, highest level of education qualification, current position held in the company and number of years in the current position.

Response Rate
This study considered 357 employees being targeted population with 206 employees captured as the sampled size grouped into the following strata: top management, middle management and lower level employees of the five (5) Murang'a County Water Service Providers. The total number of questionnaires which were administered to respondents in the three strata was 206. Overall, 163 respondents duly filled and returned the questionnaire representing a response rate of 79.13% deemed acceptable to conduct statistical analysis (Mugenda et al., 2008). On the other hand, 43 questionnaires that were incomplete or not responded to were rejected. The busy schedules of the respondents accounted for the unreturned questionnaires. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007), a response rate of above 50% is justifiable for conducting statistical analysis while Ghauri (2005) asserts that return rates of above 50% are satisfactory. Based on the recommendations of the various scholars, the 79.13% was appropriate to conduct statistical analysis and draw inferences of the study objectives. Figure 1 indicates the outcomes.

Age of the Respondents
The study sought to determine the age bracket of the respondents and therefore requested them to indicate their age category. From the findings as indicated in Figure 2, the largest proportion of the respondents represented by 44.2% were aged between 31 to 40 years followed by 22.7% who were aged between 25 to 30 years and further 20.2% who were aged between 41 to 50 years. Only 3.1% of the respondents were aged above 50 years.

Current Position of the Respondents and Years of Service
To further confirm the results, the study cross tabulated the current position of the respondents and years of service against their age and as shown in Table 3, the largest proportion of respondents (11) who occupied top level of management were aged above 40 years while the largest proportion of respondents (14) who had worked in the current position for more than 9 years were also above 40 years.

Respondent Years of Service
In this regard, the results showed that the largest proportion of the sample, 33.7%, had worked in the company for a period of 7 to 8 years while 32.5% indicated that they had worked for a period of 4 to 6 years with a further 20.9% indicating that they had worked in the company for 3 years or less. Only 12.9% of the respondents indicated that they had worked in the company for a period of more than 9 years. The results imply that majority of the respondents had worked in the company long enough to understand it's management dynamics. that most of the interviewees were experts who had managed for long therefore provided correct data management dynamics in the company. According to Aosa (2011) long tenured employees are likely to participate in the management arrangement of a firm. The findings imply that most of the interviewees were experts. The findings are presented in Figure 3.

Educational Level of the Respondents
From the findings in Figure 4, it was established that the largest proportion of the sample, 38.7%, indicated college Diploma as the utmost educational achievement with a further 23.9% holders of University Degrees while 4.9% had post graduate education qualification. However, 31.9% of the respondents indicated that they had high school level of academic qualification. The findings imply suitability of the respondents for the study as they had adequate level of education to read and understand the contents of the research instrument.

Gender of the Respondents
From the findings as indicated in Table 4 male respondents made up 46% of the sample while 54% were female. This is an indication that both genders were involved in this study and thus the findings of the study did not suffer from gender bias. Table 4.

Consultative Management on Employees' Performance
Respondents were requested to specify the level of their agreement with various statements regarding consultative management in the company with the aim of establishing whether the embraced consultative management. The findings indicate that the largest proportion of the sample, 36.4% and mean value 3.91 agreed that their supervisor considers attitude surveys outcome always while a further 33.3% strongly agreed. On whether there exists information sharing during meetings with the supervisor and employees regularly use suggestion plans, the outcomes revealed that the largest fraction of the sample, 45.7% (mean=3.95) and 39.8% (mean=3.75) respectively, agreed to the statements. The results also indicated that a larger proportion of the sample represented by 29.2% and a mean of 3.61 agreed that employee attitude surveys in the organization are regarded highly whereas 41.9% agreed that supervisor are always ready to listen to the juniors' views and proposals confirmed by a mean of 3.73. It was further established that respondents agreed that immediate supervisor suggests methods to advance group's production, 38.9% and mean value 3.7, and that seniors encourage work team participants to solve problems jointly as represented by 37.7% and mean of 3.83. A mean of 3.73 also confirmed that the largest proportion of the sampled respondents agreed that managers openly discusses employee career development in meetings. Regarding the statement whether top management inspires work team members to interchange material information with one another, the largest percentage of the sample, 41.1 and a mean of 3.92 agreed. It was also established that the largest proportion of the sample as represented by 39.8%, 34.2% and 37.7% respectively agreed that outcomes completed in the joint consultative gatherings are communicated in good interval to workers, employees always know when changes that affect their job are conducted and that staffs are briefed with response once they give suggestions. The findings in this section generally imply that water service providers in Murang'a County practice consultative management by sharing pieces of information with employees with an aim of improving employees' performance.

Quality Circles on Employees' Performance
The findings demonstrate that the major percentage of the sample represented by 34.8% and 33.5% strongly agreed and agreed respectively that they would join alternative circle in case they were moved to another section or area of work responsibility. The findings are confirmed by a mean of 3.88. Similarly, the largest percentage, 38.50% and 37.50% respectively, agreed that they shared responsibilities with colleagues who are quality circle members in one's department and that the top management has laid down supportive policies to promote quality circles.
Regarding the statement that opportunities given through circles increase material information distribution between employees, 43.5% of the respondents who represented the largest proportion agreed as confirmed by a mean of 3.68. Moreover, respondents averagely agreed that their relationship with work group was better than it had been in the past, 34.40%, whereas 42.5% and a mean of 3.68 agreed that quality circles assist development of employees' skills in needs analysis. It was also established that respondents agreed that quality circles have helped employees to be more active which improve their performance, 37.50%, members of the circles meet as a group to foster our circle efforts, 34.20% and that quality circles enhance the productivity of the employees than ever before as indicated by a mean of 3.99. The findings in this section are an indication that employees in water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya participate in quality circles to enhance their performance.

Representative Participation on Employees' Performance
Findings further show majority agreed that personnel are represented by a chosen co-worker at the management board as shown by 39.5% and a mean of 4.04. Further, respondents agreed that they remained strong affiliate of a work team in the organization, 54.70%, and a participant of quality administration work squad in their department, 34.80% and mean value 3.89. A mean of 3.74 also showed that respondents agreed that a council of elected workers' representatives exist in the organization while 42.6% and mean 4.07 strongly agreed that there is a trade union representative in the organization. Regarding the statement that workers in the firm feel sufficiently represented at the joint union/management committee, the largest proportion of the sample, 40.7% and mean 3.73 agreed. It was also indicated that there is a trade union representative on staff matters whereby 39.5% and mean 3.81 agreed. However, respondents averagely agreed that representation in numerous structures rises the self-esteem of employees, 38.30% and mean 3.72, and that a pleasant working association by the work councils and the management in the organization exits as shown by 38.9% and a mean of 3.67. Moreover, the results show that respondents agreed that decisions made in meetings with representatives are shared in good time to employees, 42.00%, and that representation in verdict making structures increases workers obligation to the organization, 40.10% and mean 3.89. The results presented in this section confirm that employees in Water Service Providers in Murang'a County are involved in representative participation and that the companies strive to ensure employee representation at all level of management and structures.

Delegation on Employees' Performance
Respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or otherwise with various statements regarding delegation in the company. The findings presented illustrate that the biggest percentage of the Sample represented by 44.7% strongly agreed that their supervisor delegates and assigns duties and responsibilities to capable employees. It was also established that respondents agreed that they are afforded freedom to make decisions and account for results as represented by 50.30% and an average of 3.85. This outcomes further show participants agreed they regularly design work schedules without waiting for managers to instruct them, they value input from employees mandated by the supervisor to regulate how work is executed and that they acknowledge authority given by responding with actions as shown by respective means of 3.84, 3.99 and 4. Regarding the declaration that delegation accelerates decision making process among employees in this firm, 48.4% of the respondents agreed whereas 26.7% strongly agreed. On the statement delegation help one's colleagues gain exposure and growth, the largest percentage of the sample, 42.9% agreed, similarly, results show that 54.4% agreed that their supervisor inspires them to guide what happens in their division.
The results additionally show that respondents agreed that delegation makes them to adopt with different conditions at this organization, 40.40% and mean 4.11, and that delegation offers them a chance to depend on themselves in attaining work performance, 42.50%. The results generally imply that delegation is practised in water service providers in Murang'a County to ensure that employees benefit and grow from undertaking specific duties and responsibilities.

Employees Commitment
In the objective aimed at evaluating the mediating effect of employees commitment on relationship between participatory management and employees' performance selected water services providers in Murang'a Couny,Kenya. Respondents replied to various constructs of employees commitment to show level of agreement based on a 5-point Likert scale where Strongly Agree=5, Agree=4, Averagely Agree=3, Disagree=2 and Strongly Disagree=1 was adopted. The findings as presented in Table 1 show that 38.6% representing the largest proportion of the respondents agreed that they would be pleased to devote the remaining part of their profession time in the company confirmed by a mean of 4.05 whereas majority, 50.3% agreed that they appreciate deliberating about the organization with the public. Similarly, 44.2% of the sample agreed that they feel contented to partake an occupation in the organization continually since their values are shared while 33.5% strongly agreed that they certainly felt as though the firms' problems were also theirs.
Regarding the claim that if one had not invested presently too much in the company, they would plan to be employed elsewhere, 31.6% agreed while 22.2% disagreed. Moreover, respondents strongly agreed that they thought they could certainly become as committed to another organization as they remained in the current one whereas 39% agreed that they were eager to pledge unlimited energy and support to make the company successful. Similarly, 38.7% representing the largest percentage agreed that they felt it would be a big let-down to colleagues in case they left the firm to join a different one. At same time it was noted that most of respondents, 45.8% and mean 1.8, strongly disagreed that they do not feel passionately dedicated to the company. In addition, deductions show most of interviewees averagely consented that company bears a countless deal of individual sense for them as represented by 39.6% and a mean of 3.38.
Respondents also strongly disagreed that they lack a robust sense of belonging to the firm, 47.70% whereas 56.3% agreed that parting with the company would remain a wrong judgement considering how it had inspired them. The findings in this section generally indicate the respondents were committed to the company and to their job. A study by Salim (2017) indicated that employees commitment subscales holds a significant influence on work performance proportions regarding output of employees. To test the mediating influence of employees commitment on the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance in water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya. The study fitted 4 models step wise as suggested by Baron & Kenny (1986). The study postulated models 1,2,3 and 4 which were examined in four steps.

M= Employees Commitment ε = Error term
Step Four: Participatory Management; Employees Commitment Predicting Employees' Performance.
In the final step, the study fitted a model to test whether participatory management composite (X) as well as employees commitment (M) predicted employees' performance (Y) as shown: Y =β0 + β1X +β2M+ɛ ………………………………………………………………. Model 4 As shown in Table 9, F-statistic = 107.158 (p=0.000) confirmed that participatory management composite and employees commitment significantly predicted employees' performance. The outcomes from regression coefficient also indicate participatory management contained β= 0.003, (p-value)= (0.000) significantly predicted employees' performance while employees commitment (β= 0.131, p-value =0.094) insignificantly predicted employees' performance.  From the results in Table 5, the results show that the effect of participatory management on employees' performance remained significant even when employees' commitment was enjoined model predicting employees' performance. Based on this, the current study rejected null hypothesis that employees commitment has no significant mediating effect on the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance in water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya. The study concludes that employees commitment failed to influence mediating interaction amongst the two variables participatory management and employees' performance.
According to this results, the implication was that participatory management would increase performance in organisation regardless of the employees commitment. The findings were inconsistent with Topolnytsky (2002) who found an advanced connection between affective commitment and employees' performance. On the same note, the finding failed to agree with Hakim (2015) which established that employees commitment is a significant component in increasing service delivery whereas the finding agrees with Poksinska (2002) who found no evidence that employees commitment promotes participatory management. Summarized outcomes on tests per hypothesis is presented in Table 11 below.

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of employees commitment on the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance. At the same time the study revealed that employees commitment had no mediating effect on the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance in selected water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya. According to the results tabulated the study finally concludes that employees commitment failed to mediate the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance.
Employees commitment therefore played insignificant part in enhancing effectiveness of participatory management to enhance employees' performance. The study recommends water service providers in Murang'a County to engage more in these practices as participatory management positively and significantly affects performance of employees. The study recommends water service providers in Murang'a County to focus more on these practices for the purpose of enhancing employees' performance. Evidence that employees commitment partially mediates the relationship between participatory management and employees' performance is a call to the management of water service providers in Murang'a County, Kenya to institute programmes that will ensure employees are committed to the job and organization as this is vital in enhancing effectiveness of participatory management. The study concludes that commitment is positively and significantly affected to both affective and continuous commitment. It suggests if supervisors contemplate, motivate, assist to solve problems, and fight welfare for their subordinates, it can generate optimistic commitment and further promote employees performance. Also, supervisors can continuously upsurge commitment by providing rewards to induce employees to work hard. According to the study commitment has a positive effect contribution on job performance. It reveals that employees are willing to stay and devote themselves to accomplishing job objectives because they have the same values and goals within the organization. Commitment positively and significantly affected to employees performance but failed to show commitment had significant relationship between participatory management and employees.