Browsing by Author "Muathe, Stephen"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Competitive Intelligence Practices and Performance of Airlines in Kenya:Case of Air Kenya Express Limited
    (International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2018) Ndegwa, Mary Muthoni; Muathe, Stephen
    The airline industry in Kenya has been described by industrious operational wastefulness and poor financial performance. These shortcomings have been linked to poor adaption of competitive intelligence strategies by the airline companies. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of competitive intelligence practices on the performance of Airlines in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought; to establish the connection between product intelligence practices and performance of Air Kenya Express Ltd; to explore whether markets intelligence practices affect the performance of Air Kenya Express Ltd; to survey whether technology intelligence practices influence performance of Air Kenya Express Ltd; and to establish the impact of strategic alliance intelligence practices on performance of Air Kenya Express Ltd. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study target population was 150 employees of Air Kenya Express Limited head office in Nairobi. A sample of 25% was selected from within each group in proportions using stratified random sampling method to select 38 respondents. Questionnaires which contained both open and close-ended questions were used. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data collected, which included both qualitative and quantitative data. For further analysis of responses, tables and figures were used. Relationship between variables and their strength was shown using multiple regression analysis. The study findings revealed that the four independent variables explain 84.6% of the performance of Air Kenya Express Kenya Limited as shown by the R squared. The regression results revealed that market intelligence, product intelligence, technological intelligence and strategic alliance intelligence strategies has a positive and significant influence on performance of Airlines in Kenya. The findings of the study will enable Airline management to comprehend the significance of competitive intelligence and how extraordinary firms can accomplish competitive advantage. The study findings will also contribute greatly in the formulation of policies on competitive intelligence practices.
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    Corporate Culture: The Key to Performance in Equity Bank, Kenya
    (AfricanJournal of Emerging Issues (AJOEI), 2025-07) Nyaringita, Vane Moraa; Muathe, Stephen
    Purpose of Study:The purposeof the research was to assess how Equity Bank Kenya's corporate culture affects performance by investigatingpower, person and task:to establishhow power culture, person culture and task culture affects firm performance. Problem Statement:The banking environment in Kenya has undergone major changes due totechnological, regulatory, and competitive pressures, prompting a need for adaptive strategies. Despite evidence linking corporate culture to performance, limited research exists on its specific impact within Kenyan commercial banks like Equity Bank.Methodology:The studyused descriptive survey research design. The target populationconsistedof all 4,422 employees of Equity Bank Kenyaproportionate stratified and random sampling techniques were used to select the sample.The Yamane (1967) formula wasused in the study to obtain a sample of 367 respondents. Data was collected utilizinga structured questionnaire that was tested and found to be valid and reliable.A sample size of 367 respondents wasobtained through the use of stratified random sampling. Version 26.0 of the SPSS program wasemployedto code and analyze the data. The results wouldcrucial for academic researchers, regulators, and policy makers.Result:The study found that power culture, role culture, task culture and employee culture had apositive significant influence on Equity Bank's performance in Kenya. Conclusion:The study concludes that power culture encourages fast decision-makingprocess within the organization. Role culture is characterized by well-definedand strictly enforced formal norms, processes, and organizational hierarchy. Task culture is often seen in businesses that use matrix or project-based structure designs and is characterized by a focus on project-oriented tasks. Recommendation:Theorganization's management should create an atmosphere that allows workers to have autonomy in their decision-making. The firm should enhance its corporate core values by ensuring that they are more actionable, concise, and unambiguous. Additionally, it should conduct surveys among workers to determine which values should be eliminated or added, and match the values with the company's mission statement. The company should adopt a policy of transparency by consistently disclosing and acknowledging the achievements of the team, organization, or even individual accomplishments. The corporation should promote a culture that fosters workers' free expression of their thoughts and views, both in company-wide meetings and in personal interactions with their supervisors.
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    Financial Resources, Physical Resources and Performance of Public Health Institutions in Embu County, Kenya
    (International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2018) Njagi, Elias; Muathe, Stephen; Muchemi, Ann
    Kenya constitution recognizes health as a fundamental right for all citizens in Kenya. Hence the Kenya government has invested resources heavily in the health sector in order to boost the performance of public health institutions. However, it has been a mere dream for many Kenyans to enjoy healthcare benefits as expected despite government commitment to improve the performance of health sector. The study sought to investigate the effect of financial and physical resources on the performance of public health institutions in Embu County, Kenya. The study used explanatory and descriptive research designs and targeted 550 employees and 769 outpatients drawn from all the five public hospitals in Embu County. The sample size comprised of 165 employees and 232 outpatients. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and an interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The findings of the study established that there was a positive and a statistically significant effect of financial and physical resources on the performance of public health institutions. Policy implications of these findings have been discussed.
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    Navigating Unchartered Territory: Implication of Access to Financial Services on Non-Financial Performance of Youth Owned MSMEs in Mukono District, Uganda.
    (The Asian Institute of Research, 2024-12-15) Muathe, Stephen; Nakalembe, Immaculate; Maina, Samuel
    Youth-owned micro, small, and medium businesses face various constraints while accessing financial services in Uganda. Various stakeholders have assisted these enterprises in accessing finance at better conditions but their non-financial performance has continued to deteriorate. This study tried to investigate the effect of access to financial services on non-financial performance of youth-owned MSMEs in Mukono district, Uganda. Specific objectives included effect of bank, branch network, financial information, loan accessibility and financial technology on non-financial performance of youth-owned micro, small and medium enterprises. The study's guiding theories were the resource-based view, dynamic capability, and innovation of entrepreneurship theories. A positivism research philosophy and explanatory research design were used. The target population was 3717 registered MSMEs. A sample size of 400 was obtained using both stratified and simple random sampling methods. Primary data was collected using questionnaires, analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The study's findings revealed that financial information, bank branch networks, loan accessibility, and financial technology had a positive and significant effect non-financial performance of youth-owned MSMEs. The study concluded that access to financial services is critical to non-financial performance of youth-owned MSMEs in Mukono district, Uganda. The study recommends that youth-owned MSMEs should first gather reliable information about operations of financial service providers to avoid being charged hefty penalties and interests, branch expansion to provide greater supply of credit in order to improve the non-financial performance of youth-owned MSMEs. The study further recommends that financial institutions should reduce collateral requirements in order to increase micro-credit loan uptake by the youth who own MSMEs.
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    Roadmap For Quality Management Practices To Foster Performance In Dairy Firms In Kenya-Opportunities And Challenges
    (IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM), 2025-06) Togom, Zephaniah; Muathe, Stephen
    Background: Performance of selected dairy firms in Uasin Gishu Count, Kenya has been declining despite the existence of management teams in the organizations. However, there is lack of knowledge about animal productivity and poor capital are recognized to be among the main challenges that the smallholders need to cope with. This is attributed to limited access to feeds and poor hygienic practices that affect animal health. The purpose of the study was to ascertain effects of QM practices on the performance of the selected dairy farmers in the County government of Uasin Gishu. The research was grounded on three specific objectives: to determine role of continuous improvement and performance of selected dairy firms in County of Uasin Gishu, to assess customer focus influence on performance of selected dairy firms in County of Uasin Gishu, and to evaluate effect of top management commitment on the performance of selected dairy firms in Uasin Gishu County. The study was anchored by Resource Based View theory, Quality Improvement Hypothesis and Dynamic Capabilities Hypothesis. Materials and Methods: The investigation used descriptive design and targeted 134 respondents from five selected dairy firms in Uasin Gishu County. The investigation used Simple random sampling in selecting 103 participants because it effectively draws smaller sample from a larger population to make inferences about the broader group. Primary data was were collected using questionnaires administered to individuals in Uasin Gishu County, based on five-point Likert scale. SPSS tool was used in data analysis, with results presented using charts, tables, frequency distributions, means, and percentage. Results: The investigation found that the coefficient for Continuous Improvement was 1.130, indicating for oneunit increase in continuous improvement, performance increased by 1.130 units, holding all other variables constant. The coefficient for customer Focus was 0.456, suggesting unit increase in customer focus was associated with 0.456 unit increase in performance, holding other variables constant. Additionally, the coefficient for Top Management was 0.960, indicating that unit increase in the top management commitment resulted in 0.960 unit increase in performance, holding all other variables constant. Conclusion: Customer focus, continuous improvement, and top management commitment all contribute positively to performance of dairy firms in Uasin Gishu County,Kenya.
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    Walking the startups journey in Kenya: Documentation of successes and pitfalls between 2010-2020
    (SSBFNET, 2022) Muathe, Stephen; Sang, Paul; Kavinda, Lucy; Letema, Sammy; Maina, Samuel; Chelule, Kenneth
    Over the last 10 years, maturity of the business landscape has unlocked new opportunities in Africa, especially the entry of accelerators, incubators, and other start-up ecosystem players. These organizations are constantly adapting their models to respond to the ever-changing needs of the ventures they support. Therefore, there is need for existing literature to keep abreast with this vitality to strengthen the ecosystems in Kenya. The paper analyses the drivers, challenges and opportunities within the start-up ecosystem in Kenya. The paper is based on cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Human-centred purposive and proportionate stratified random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 74 respondents who filled an electronic survey; coupled with interview of 50 start-ups ecosystem players. Descriptive statistics and content analysis was used in data analysis. The study reveals that Kenya has made significant strides in the start-up scene, however, there is a heavy concentration of activity in Nairobi the capital city, leading to disparity within the country. Opportunities for collaboration are bypassed in favour of duplication of programs and consequently funds that should ultimately support entrepreneurs are spread thin. a number of challenges bedevilled start-ups, access to financing and risk capital, lack of sector coordination, weak start-up culture, me too businesses, insufficient policies and guidelines on incubation and commercialization, and lack of a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning system. The study recommends that the national government should provide matching funds for venture capital, standardization and decentralization of innovation and incubation centres countrywide, central database for start-ups and sensitization and awarenessbuilding programs on intellectual property rights among start-ups.