Abstract:
The study examined organizational factors influencing burn out in local governments using
a case study of Nakuru District Local Government (MDLG). The study was prompted by the
fact that the district was faced high burn out and this has affected the performance of staff
in the district. The study specifically examined the influence of leadership style, working
conditions and rewards on staff fatigue. Using a cross-sectional study design, data were
collected from a total of 128 respondents using a closed-ended questionnaire and interview
guide. Results revealed that; the most predominant leadership style that was exhibited by leaders
at MDLG was the democratic style; staff in MDLG were faced with poor working conditions; and
that staff in MDLG were faced with an ineffective reward system. Results indicated that leadership
style is negatively significantly related to burn out of employees. The results of the study indicate
that working conditions were positively significantly related to burn out of employees. Results
from hypothesis three revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between rewards
and voluntary burn out on employees staff fatigue. The study concluded that the more effective
the leadership styles the less the burn out. The study further concluded that the poorer the working
conditions, the more the burn out. It was also concluded that the poorer the reward system, the
high the rate of burn out. The study recommends leadership training and coaching programs to
improve leader performance. The study recommends that management should provide a work
environment that simultaneously achieves organizational and employees’ goals by motivating such
work environment with quality of work life. The organization should come up with a fair and
transparent system of rewarding performance using both financial and non-financial rewards
