PHD-Department of Management Science

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Influence of adoption factors in the implementation of e-learning amongst universities in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) Njoroge, Harrison
E-Iearning is the use of Information Communication and Technology in education and it includes media, technology applications & processes and computer-based or web-based learning. Adoption of e-learning by the. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has transformed how teaching and learning takes place in the HEIs. Student's enrollment in the institutions has been on the upward trend despite reduced funding and support from relevant authorities. Therefore the challenges' facing these institutions is striking a balance between dwindling resources and delivering on quality education. Factors that inspire institutions to adopt and use technology have been studied by scholars in the developed countries, however no such studies have been done Kenyan context. This study will therefore,. examine the influence of technology adoption factors on the implementation of e-learning in the Higher Education Institutions in Kenya. The study shall utilize the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as it offers an explanation of the user's intentions to use an information system and subsequent usage behavior of the information system. The main objective of this research study shall be to determine the influence of. the adoption factors in the implementation of e-learning amongst the Higher Education Institutions in Kenya. The research study shall adopt a descriptive survey design approach. A self-completion questionnaire having both structured and semi structured questions shall be used to collect data. The population for the, study shall be the 68 universities in Kenya which have invested in e-learning technology. The sample size for this research study sh~lI be 10 universities (7 public and 3 private), the reason for their choice being that all have been in existence for more than 10 years. This is to cater for universities with wellestablished administrative structures and experience in university teaching and learning. Seventy (70) respondents will be sampled using stratified and purposive sampling techniques. Primary data will be collected using a structured questionnaire and an interview guide. A multiple regression model will be used to predict the potential effects of the influence of the adoption factors in the implementation of e-learning amongst the Kenyan universities. Both descriptive and inferential statistics shall be used in the analysis of data
Effective Implementation of Technology Innovations in Higher Education Institutions: A Survey of Selected Projects in Universities in Africa
(2014) Kandiri, John Mugo
The significance of technology in higher education institutions cannot be overstated. Research indicates that though there is a degree of application of technology in teaching and learning, its usage has been below par as compared to other industries. Many models have been developed in attempt to explain how to spur effective implementation of technology use with little success. One such model is the organizational theory model. However, the role of sponsors, the team leader and innovation efficacy plus the underlying issues that affect innovation implementation have not been clearly addressed. This study used the Partnership for Higher Education, Education Technology Initiative projects to investigate the determinants of technology innovation implementation effectiveness in higher education institutions. These projects were implemented between 2008 and 2012 and endeavored to stimulate technology uptake in African universities. The study was based on 26 technology implementation projects drawn from seven universities spread in six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The descriptive study adopted a critical realism method so as to unearth the issues that affect technology implementation effectiveness. A total of 105 usable survey responses were received with 53 interviews conducted. Due to the dichotomous nature of determining implementation effectiveness (successful or failure), logistic regression was used to determine the factors that influence technology innovation implementation effectiveness. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 17 and R-statistical package while data from interviews were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis method. The items within the broader variables were subjected to exploratory factor analysis using principal component method. It was found that 30 percent of the projects were partially successful since they met only some of the objectives, 55 percent had techno-political failure, with 15 percent absolute failures. The results showed that project sponsors, top management, organizational culture, team leadership, financial motivation, organizational climate and innovation efficacy were important determinant to technology implementation effectiveness. Technology framing, innovation environment and innovation attributes were found to be underlying issues in technology implementation. The study recommended need to manage technology transfer problem, develop innovation adopting nature and absorptive capacity in universities so as to enhance technology innovation implementation effectiveness.
Credit information sharing, bank characteristics and credit market performance in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014) James, Rosemary Muthoni; Korir, J.K.
Efficient credit markets are essential for economic growth and development. However, asymmetric information between borrowers and lenders results in inefficient allocation of credit and credit rationing. In Kenya, information asymmetry has led to the high cost of credit that has constrained the expansion of businesses and deterred access to credit by a significant proportion of Kenyans. Further, this information asymmetry problem has also been a contributory factor to the high levels of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in the Kenyan banking sector. It is in this regard that the government licensed Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs) to reduce problems of information asymmetry by facilitating credit information sharing. With the roll-out of credit information sharing effective 31st July 2010, it was envisaged that the benefits of credit information sharing would start accruing from the middle of the subsequent month after the initial submissions; banks would start accessing credit reports from mid August 2010 for loan appraisals and customers would start accessing their credit reports at the same time. Given the recent entrance of CBRs into the credit market in Kenya, the emerging question is whether or not the introduction of credit information sharing has contributed to credit market performance. This study therefore sought to provide an empirical investigation of the impact of credit information sharing on credit market performance in Kenya. Specifically, the study investigated whether credit information sharing has improved credit market performance through reduced default rate, increased availability of credit and reduced cost of credit. Both the explanatory and descriptive research designs were used. The target population were the 43 financial institutions that are licensed under the Kenyan Banking Act. A census of the 43 financial institutions was carried out where both primary and secondary data was collected. Semi-structured questionnaires administered to the credit managers at the headquarters of each of the commercial banks were used to collect primary data. Secondary data pertaining to default rates, credit availability and cost of credit were collected on the same banks for a period of five years between 2008 and 2012 recorded on a quarterly basis. CRBAfrica provided data on the intensity of use of the credit reports by different banks. Descriptive statistical analysis of frequencies, percentages, means and cross-tabulation analysis provided a summary of the variables while panel data regression models were used to establish whether introduction of credit information sharing in Kenya has had an impact on the credit market performance. Open-ended questions were analyzed by grouping the common themes together and drawing conclusions from the findings. The research findings showed that credit information sharing affected the performance of the credit market. The study also established that there was differential impact of credit information sharing by ownership structure, bank size and bank age. The study concludes that the presence of credit information sharing lead to a reduction in the default rates and an increase in credit availability. However, it failed to impact on the cost of credit as the interest rates increased even with the introduction of credit bureaus. The study therefore recommends that the government should extend credit information sharing beyond the banking sector and also facilitate sharing of both positive and negative information. There is also need to sensitize the financial institutions on the benefits of credit information sharing. Finally, there is need for the government and the financial institutions to find ways of reducing the cost of borrowing in the country.
Performance contracting and service delivery in selected Kenyan public universities
(2014-09-09) Wambua, Peter Philip
Performance contracting has largely been considered as the remedy to the quality of service delivery in public universities in Kenya. However this has not been the case and therefore, this study intended to analyze the disconnect between the implementation of performance contracting as a management tool in public universities in Kenya in 2012. It specifically sought to: (i) determine the extent to which employees' teaching workload affected the level of service delivery in selected public universities in Kenya; (ii) evaluate employee's administrative work systems contribution to service delivery; (iii) examine the effect of employees' participation in community service on the quality of service delivery; and (iv) establish the relationship between organizational factors and the level of service delivery in the study area. The study used a descriptive design to describe some aspects of performance contracting and make directional predictions on its effects on the quality of service delivery by university lecturers. Empirical evidence was collected from three (3) public universities comprising 848 lecturers among the 5,630 working in the seven (7) public universities in Kenya using questionnaires. In total 142 staff members were randomly selected as questionnaire respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multiple regression based on a General Linear Model (GLM). The descriptive findings showed that a majority of lecturers were aware of performance contracting in their universities but understood it in different versions and terminologies. The prediction of between-subjects effects of employees' teaching workload on the level of service delivery established a strong relationship between the two at least at 90% confidence interval (CI).Moreover, the F-test confirmed at least at 90% C1 that there was a strong relationship between administrative work systems and the level of service delivery, and that it was not due by mere chance. Results of objective three upholds the working hypothesis stating that employees' participation in community service was positively related to the level of service delivery at university level in Kenya. Other tests of between-subjects effects established at least at 90% C1 that the level of service delivery was also significantly reliable on an organizational environment that was conducive for academic work. The study concluded that the university tangibles, and reliability of the lecturers as well as their responsiveness, assurance and empathy significantly depend on their teaching workload, administrative work systems, participation in community service and involvement in organizational matters. Hence, the researcher recommends that there should be stakeholders' consultation and involvement, proper management by objectives practices and setting of challenging and attainable targets. The universities shall endeavor to engage academic teaching staff in designing the targets of performance contracting to create their awareness and train them on the same. They shall also provide some socio-economic incentives to motivate academic teaching members of staff improve the quality of their services. The management of universities shall establish a body to develop, sustain, monitor and evaluate the performance contracting practices across public universities. It shall also extend its resources towards establishing causes of weak administrative work systems and participation in community service, which were sometimes unable to significantly explain the quality of service delivery in the selected public universities of Kenya. The researcher was able to link performance contracting to outcomes in public universities.
Influence of socio-demographic, behavioral and economic determinants on credit cards default risk in commercial banks in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2014-09-25) Kiarie, Francis Kanyi
Commercial banks playa major role in economic growth and development through provision of credit to execute economic activities. Credit cards are financial payment instruments that are increasingly accepted and used in consumer credit market worldwide. However, credit card performance surveys shows that credit default is a major risk faced by commercial banks in Kenya. The risk attributable to credit card default leads to high effective borrowing rates and therefore increased cost of doing business. Mitigation against this risk is necessary for the safety and soundness of the banking sector. This study aims to investigate the influence of socio-demographic, behavioural and economic factors associated with credit card holders on credit card default risks among credit card issuing commercial banks in Kenya. The study proposes to use secondary data containing socio-demographic, behavioural and economic details about credit card holders obtained from bank records. The target population of the study will be all the credit card holders of the eighteen credit cards issuing banks in Kenya. The study proposes to use a combination of cross-sectional and descriptive research designs. Commercial banks issuing credit cards will be stratified as national and multinational. From each stratum, simple random sampling will be applied to select sample elements. Forward stepwise selection will be applied to obtain optimal set of explanatory variables for the response variable. A Logistic regression model will then be fitted to determine factors with high predictive power of default in credit card loans
E-government strategy implementation and performance of the public sector in Kenya
(2015) Mungai, Alfred Ngugi
The Kenya public sector has the vision to realize e-government strategy to reach the public and to promote performance by enhancing e-participation and e-consultation in the policy/ decision- making process. Notably a number of projects have commenced but have met serious challenges in the implementation stages. Yet few studies have attempted to carefully analyse e-government strategy implementation and performance of the public sector in Kenya. The general objective of the study was to investigat e e-government strategy implementation and performance of the public sector in Kenya. Specifically the study was narrowed: to establish the relationship between leT infrastructure (service oriented architecture) and public sector performance in Kenya, to determine the relationship between e-level applications and public sector performance in Kenya, to examine the relationship between e-government institutional framework and public sector performance in Kenya, to establish the relationship between e-government legal framework and public sector performance in Kenya and to assess the mediating influence between e-government platform and the public sector performance in Kenya.This study was anchored on Management Information Systems Theory while Resource Based View, Unified Theory of Acceptance of Technology and Stakeholders Theory acted as supporting theories as they relate well with study hypotheses. A positivism orientation was adopted in this study. The study employed descriptive and explanatory research design. The study population was 13,228 which comprised of Directors of administration, leT departmental heads, and customer care supervisors as the key informants in the government ministries and also the users (members of the public) who visited the current 18 Ministries with egovernment related issues. Multistage sampling was applied where larger clusters were subdivided into smaller samples for the purposes of surveying. The study used disproportionatestratificd sampling whereby the proportionate sample was adjusted to embrace a better sample size which was 384. The study collected primary data using both an interview guide and a semi structured questionnaire. The SPSS (version 17) computer software aided the analysis. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, specifically regression analysis were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. The study established a significant relationship between egovernment performance and leT infrastructure. It was also confirmed that leT infrastructure has a significant relationship with public sector performance in Kenya. The study further established a significant relationship between e-government performance and e-level applications and that there was a significant relationship between e-government performance and e-government institutional framework. The study concludes that egovernment institutional framework has an influence on public sector performance in Kenya while there is a significant relationship between e-government performance and egovernment legal framework. This study further concludes that e-government platform has a mediating relationship with public sector performance in Kenya. The study concludes that e-government implementation by the government should be well regulated so as to ensure the process is effective in all the mini stries. The stud y also recommends that management teams responsible for implementation of e-government strategy at the ministries should ensure the process leads to promoting access to facilities by the users at the points of service delivery.
Sustainability of World Bank funded projects in Kenya.
(Kenyatta University, 2015-10) Sang, Paul Kipyegon
The World Bank has supported Kenya in financing development projects in transport, energy, water, urban development, health, public sector management and social protection since 1960. By November 2011, it had financed more than 175 projects with a total investment of over US$ 7,070 billion. Sustainability of the funded projects is of utmost importance if the impact of funding these projects is to be realized. Despite project feasibility studies being done prior to commencement of the projects, sustainability is still not guaranteed. This study investigated the determinants of sustainability of World Bank funded projects in Kenya, with the specific objectives being: to determine the institutional, technical, political and economic factors that influence sustainability of World Bank funded projects in Kenya. The study adopted both cross-sectional and explanatory research designs. The targeted projects were all projects funded between the years 2000 and 2012, the period was considered appropriate because, typically, international development projects last from three to ten years. The study targeted 65 respondents of which 51 successfully filled and returned the questionnaires. The respondents comprised of project managers and project monitoring and evaluation officials from implementing organization and officials from the National Treasury in charge of monitoring the donor funded projects in Kenya. Data was collected by use of structured and semi structured questionnaire then analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to determine the effect of economic, institutional, technical and political factors on the sustainability of World Bank funded projects in Kenya. Principal component analysis was carried out using factor analysis method to establish the most critical factors among the ones identified, and Logit regression analysis was used to determine the influence of various factors on sustainability of World Bank funded projects in Kenya. Prior to Logit regression analysis, multi collinearity test was carried out to determine whether the identified variables were correlated. Content analysis was done for open ended questions. The results of the study established that the coefficients of institutional and technical factors were significant and thus these factors determine project sustainability while the coefficients of economic and political factors were found not to be significant at 5 percent level. It was recommended that capacity building needs to be done by all project implementers and be incorporated in project design. In addition, the World Bank should ensure that the project documents capture sustainability as one of its key criteria for approval for project funding. The government of Kenya through the National Treasury should ensure that a plan to include all stakeholders in project sustainability is in place before releasing the funding for the project.
Mobile technology services and performance of deposit taking savings and credit cooperative societies in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2016-11) Mugo, David Muchangi
Kenya's Vision 2030 requires a vibrant and a stable financial system. Deposit-Taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) are expected to playa key role towards the realization of this vision by spreading the financial services among Kenyans especially those not served by commercial banks. Despite their role in the economy, Deposit-Taking SACCOs continue to face a number of challenges including stiff competition for.membership from other deposit taking institutions, efficiency challenges characterized by poor information delivery channels and high operational costs, high demands for loans which they are unable to meet due to liquidity shortages and capital inadequacy among other challenges. To enhance their performance, Deposit-Taking SACCOs like other financial institutions have adopted 'and are using mobile technology services. However, the effect of these mobile technology services on performance of Deposit-Taking SACCOs has not been well studied. Even though some studies have indicated the potential of mobile technology services towards improving organizational performance, other studies indicate that they have no effect on organizational performance. Given these contradictions, this study sought to investigate the effect of these mobile technology services on performance of Deposit-Taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study addressed five objectives. The first four objectives were to determine the effect of mobile banking services, mobile communication services, mobile web services, and Saccolink debit card services on performance of Deposit-Taking SACCOs respectively. The fifth objective was to determine the moderating effect of government policies on the relationship between mobile technology services and performance of Deposit-Taking . SACCOs in Kenya. This study adopted positivism philosophy as it aimed at testing hypotheses derived from a predetermined conceptual framework. Descriptive and explanatory research designs were adopted using quantitative and qualitative approach to data collection, analysis and reporting. Using simple random sampling, the study was based on a sample of 86 Deposit-Taking SACCOs drawn from a target population of 110 Deposit-Taking SACCOs that were licensed by SACCO Societies Regulatory Authority as at 31 st December 2011. A structured questionnaire administered to two managers (from information technology and finance departments) in each Deposit-Taking SACCO was used to collect primary data. Additionally, secondary data covering five years on performance (membership and return on assets) of Deposit-Taking SACCOs was· collected. Descriptive statistics were used to explain the patterns in the collected data. While multiple linear regression model was applied on the quantitative data to generate coefficients and their corresponding t-statistics and p-values used to test hypotheses, qualitative data from the questionnaires was analyzed using content analysis. Inferential analysis revealed the existence of statistically significant positive effect of mobile banking services, mobile communication services and Saccolink debit card services on all the three performance indicators (efficiency, membership and return on assets) of Deposit-Taking SACCOs in Kenya. Additionally, the results indicated a positive moderating effect of government policies on the relationship between mobile technology services and performance of Deposit-Taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study therefore recommends more investments and increased utilization of mobile technology services within Deposit-Taking SACCOs. Additionally, the Government and other policy makers should formulate strategies aimed at encouraging increased innovation and utilization of mobile technology services within the Deposit-Taking SACCOs sub-sector.
Risk management strategies and performance of construction firms in selected counties in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2017) Ondara, Alfayos Elijah
The construction industry entails high levels of risk, but often this risk is not dealt with adequately, resulting in poor performance, which is reflected in frequent cost and time overruns, as well as poor quality of work. This may cause disputes which may lead to costly litigation and further time and cost overruns. Additionally, insurers traditionally avoid firms with high risk portfolios and subsequently will not offer insurance covers or may charge very high premiums to compensate for the increased risk. Previous studies have found an inconclusive relationship between adoption of risk management strategies and enhanced construction firm performance.As such, the general objective of this study was to determine how risk management strategies influenced performance of construction firms in selected counties in Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the influence of resource risk management strategies, personnel risk management strategies, project control risk management strategies, litigation risk management strategies and insurance risk management strategies on the performance of construction firms in selected counties in Kenya. The study also sought to assess the moderating role of government policy and regulation of the construction sector on the relationship between these risk management strategies and performance of the construction firms. Performance was measured as a function of cost variance, time variance and quality control. The theoretical framework revolved around five theories that offered a foundation for interrogating the relationship between the variables under study. These were the theory of constraints in project planning and management, fuzzy set theory of risk management, institutional theory of the regulatory environment, financial economics theory of corporate risk management and shareholder value maximization theory. This study used an explanatory research design and the research philosophy was based on positivism. The population of the study was all construction firms carrying out construction and public works in selected counties in Kenya, registered by the Republic of Kenya as of July 2011 to June 2012, a total of 2,414 construction firms. The sample size was 97 respondents, and simple random sampling was used for identifying respondent firms in Nairobi County, Nakuru County and Machakos County.Data collection was done using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.The findings led to the conclusion that resource risk, personnel risk and project control risk management strategies had a significant influence on firm performance, implying that any effect on firm performance was not solely due to chance. Litigation risk management and insurance risk management strategies did not have a statistically significant effect, implying that any effect on firm performance was solely due to chance. Government policy and regulation of the construction sector had a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between risk management strategies and firm performance. The study recommended that, from a policy perspective, in order to further entrench risk management practices in the construction sector, construction firms in selected counties in Kenya need to increasingly engage in capacity building activities in risk management and construction project management in general. The government should also encourage activities that encourage proper risk management and risk sharing cross the entire construction value chain. The beneficiaries of the findings of the research will include Government policy makers, construction firm management and business and academic research.
Project Management Practices and Performance of Agricultural Projects by Community-Based Organizations in Bungoma County, Kenya
(2018-10) Simiyu, Nalianya Remmy
Kenya‟s economy is heavily dependent on the performance of agriculture which provides the basis for the development of other sectors. However, the performance of many agricultural projects in Kenya is still being challenged in the sense that some projects remain stalled while others get completed late with low returns. Previous studies have dwelt on isolated cases of project management like market access in the agriculture sector, Information access using mobile and M&E in projects. Given that a project performance is influenced by many management practices jointly then many studies fail to provide a holistic assessment of all the project management practices jointly that influence performance agricultural projects. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the influence of project management practices on the performance of agricultural projects by community based Organizations in Bungoma County. The specific objectives of the study were; to determine how project planning, project implementation, project communication, and monitoring and evaluation influence the performance of agricultural projects in Bungoma County. The study additionally evaluated the moderating role of environment enablers on the relationship between project management practices and agricultural project performance. The study was based on five theories which included the theory of constrains, management theory of project management, resource based theory, social information theory and communication accommodation theory in the theoretical review. The adopted positivism philosophy where scientific processes were followed. The study used descriptive and explanatory research designs. It targeted 138 community project groups carried out by CBOs registered in Bungoma County. The study used stratified sampling to select 61 project groups from the target population. Primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Interviews were also conducted on 15 field officers. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean and starndard deviation were used to describe the characteristics of the variables whereas multiple regressions model was used to establish the relationships between the variables. All the analysis was done using SPSS version 22. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The results showed that all the variables, project planning, project implementation, M&E and project communication were significant on project performance. Environmental enablers (moderating variable) were found to have an influence on the relationship between project management practices and project performance. The study recommended that in order to have the desired project performance the government should ensure that there is well outlined planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and communication methods. The study also recommended that the management of agricultural projects at the County level should not be limited to only office planning but involve stakeholders like farmers and local leaders. The management should also ensure that field officers easily access farmers by developing better transport systems and communication and the use of modern methods like emails and research tools like Google. Finally, the findings of this study can be used to guide the ministry of agriculture to increase their interaction time with the farmers and expose them through bench marking, baseline survey and issues of product marketing through advertisement apart from field visits and training don.
Project Management Practices and Performance of Road Infrastructure Projects Done By Local Firms in the Lake Basin Region, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2018-11) Ochenge, Maendo Densford
Efficient performance of road infrastructure projects is essential for economic growth and development. Performance of road infrastructure projects in the Lake Basin Region constructed by local firms is poor in terms of completion of the projects within the budgeted cost, time schedule and attaining the desired quality. This study therefore, sought to establish the effects of project management practices on the performance of road infrastructure projects in the Lake Basin Region constructed by local firms. The study was guided by four specific objectives: determine the effects of project resource mobilization, project monitoring and evaluation, group dynamics management and project risks management on performance of road infrastructure projects. The study employed both the descriptive and explanatory research design based on a survey. The target population comprised of 41 road infrastructure projects in the Lake Basin Region constructed by local firms between 2011 and 2016. The study targeted 95 respondents who comprised of project managers, project contractors, monitoring and evaluation officials from the government and elected local leaders. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Construct validity was achieved by ensuring that the relationship between the operationalized variables was in accordance to the represented theoretical construct. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of internal consistency. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effect of the project management practices on the performance of road projects constructed by local firms. Prior to multiple regression analysis, diagnostic tests were carried out. The findings were presented using statistical parameter estimates. The results indicated that project: resource mobilization, project monitoring and evaluation, group dynamics management and project risks management had significant effects on the performance of road infrastructure projects. The study also found out that government policy did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The results confirmed that organization structure had a mediating effect on the relationship between project management practices and performance of road infrastructure projects. The study recommends that government should consider setting aside a fund from which local firms can access cheap loans. The government should also consider putting in place a monitoring and evaluation policy framework.
Technostructural Interventions and Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2019-04) Marwa, Moses Siruri
Operations Strategy and Performance of Management Consultancy Firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2019-05) Wandiga, Eunice Ngina,
Competition in the modern world requires consultancy firms to adopt operations strategies that will ensure superior performance. Previous studies have identified challenges facing consultancy firms which have led to their poor performance such as uncertainty of returns, poor reputation, development of sustainable strategies and inadequate resources. Strategic management literature has not addressed performance dimensions of these firms and the dimensions used by practising firms have not been tested empirically. Previous research on operations strategy has concentrated on manufacturing sector through conceptual reasoning and at aggregate levels only. There is lack of empirical investigation linking operations strategy with performance among management consultancy firms. Therefore, this research aimed at investigating the effect of operations strategy on performance of management consultancy firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. More specifically, it assessed the effect of resource management strategy, facility strategy, value proposition strategy and knowledge-based value chain strategy on performance of management consultancy firms in Nairobi City County. The study also sought to establish the mediating and moderating effect of organizational competences and regulatory framework respectively on the relationship between operations strategy and performance. This study was anchored on resource-based view theory, knowledge value chain model, social capital theory, Hayes and Wheelwright four stage model and the institutional theory. The study was founded on positivism philosophy and adopted a descriptive and explanatory research designs. Target population for the study was all the 227 management consultancy firms in human resource, marketing, accounting and finance and operations management in Nairobi City County out of which 144 were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Primary data was collected using semi structured questionnaire. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypotheses testing was carried out at 5% significance level and F-statistic was used to test the significance of the model and computed at 95% confidence level. Quantitative data was presented in form of tables and charts. Qualitative data collected through open ended questions was analysed using conceptual content analysis. The study found that resource management strategy, value proposition strategy and knowledge-based value chain strategy have a significant positive effect on performance of management consultancy firms in Nairobi City County while facility strategy has no significant effect. Organizational competences have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between operations strategy and performance of management consultancy firms in Nairobi City County while regulatory framework has no significant moderating effect on the relationship between operations strategy and performance. The study recommends that the management of management consultancy firms in Nairobi City County should focus on deploying resource management, value proposition and knowledge based value chain strategies in a more strategically aligned manner in order to gain value, rarity, inimitability, organization specificity and non- substitutability. They should focus on building competences such as allocated, administrative, transactional and technical competences to guarantee sustained performance through maintaining their staff for a longer period of time, organising training seminars, meetings and encouraging information sharing. They should also develop and implement strategies to minimize the effect of the regulatory framework on the performance of consultancy firms and the government should come up with policies that are not punitive to the consultancy firms so as not to negatively affect their performance. The study called on future research to investigate the effect of operations strategy on performance in other service oriented organisations.
Resource Isolating Mechanism and Competitive Advantage Among Commercial Banks in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2019-07) Ndegwa, Purity Wairimu
Commercial banks in Kenya are facing intense rivalry within the industry. For these banks to survive, it is important that they respond to the changes in the external environment. Competitive advantage which has become the core focus of corporate strategy, has increasingly gained much attention in strategic management and is a concept which enables organizations to survive in the long-run. Studies done on competitive advantage show a number of empirical and theoretical gaps as they concentrated on the resources a firm should have to create competitive advantage but lacked explanation on which resource isolating mechanisms a firm should adopt to sustain the competitive advantage. The main purpose of this study was to establish the effect of resource isolating mechanism on competitive advantage among commercial banks in Kenya. The specific objectives in this study were to determine the effect of economic deterrence, identification of rival competitive advantage and exploitation of opportunities on competitive advantage among commercial banks in Kenya. This relationship was mediated by organizational capabilities and moderated by management characteristic and external environment. Descriptive and explanatory research design was employed in the study. The research population was all 40 commercial banks in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 160 respondents from the key departments of Finance, Sales and Marketing, Strategy and Operations of all the 40 commercial banks’ headquarters in Nairobi. The data collection instrument used was semi-structured questionnaire. The variables characteristics were summarised using descriptive statistics. Hypotheses testing was done to determine the effect of the resource isolating mechanism on competitive advantage. The study found that economic deterrence was not significant and had negative effect on CA, identification of rival competitive advantage was significant and had positive effect on CA and exploitation of opportunities was significant and had positive effect on CA. There exists a significant partial mediation by organizational capabilities on the relationship between resource isolating mechanism and competitive advantage. The moderating effect of management characteristics was significant, whereas external environment was found not to have moderating effect on the relationship between RIM and CA. The study concluded that there exists a positive effect of resource isolating mechanism on competitive advantage. The study contributes to the body of knowledge as well as policy in terms of understanding the effect of resource isolating mechanism on competitive advantage. This study recommends that it is important for the commercial banks management to implement strategies that reflect the changes in the external environment and appropriate allocation of resources. Commercial bank should also effectively position the banks’ products, build strong customer relationships and focus on competitive activities which create and sustain competitive advantage. Further, the researcher recommends a similar study could be conducted to other sectors other than commercial banks for generalization purposes
Information Technology Integration and Performance of Selected Public Hospitals in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2019-12) Iloka, Kenneth Malongo
Kenya’s health sector is faced by inefficiencies and ineffectiveness that deters the achievement of its citizens goals of universal health, faireness, cost effectiveness, acceptance and sustainable development. Kenya’s Vision 2030 outlines provision of healthcare as key to improving the quality of life for all Kenyans while public hospitals guarantee improved citizens’ wellbeing. Universal health coverage is one of the pillars in the Big Four Agenda to be achieved by the Government of Kenya by the year 2022. The Ministry of Health has underlined Information Technology Integration as one of its reform strategies to ensure public health institutions perform better. Despite the increasing demand and need for healthcare, performance of public hospitals has been crippling. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of information technology integration on performance of selected public hospitals in Kenya. The specific objectives were to: establish the effect of humaninformation technology integration on performance of selected public hospitals; determine the effect of organizational information technology integration on performance of selected public hospitals; analyze the effect of information technology infrastructure integration on performance of public hospitals; analyze the moderating effect of organizational characteristics on the relationship between information technological integration and performance of selected public hospitals; analyze the mediating effect of user perception on the relationship between information technological integration and performance of selected public hospitals in Kenya. This study was anchored on Technology-Organization- Environment Model, Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of Innovations Theory as well as Dynamic Capabilities Theory. The study was guided by positivism research. An explanatory and cross-sectional survey research design were utilized. The target population of the study included ninety-eight, public hospitals in Kenya which have integrated managed equipment services, comprising ninety-four from the forty-seven counties and four national referral hospitals. A sample size of 294 respondents was drawn using proportionate stratified random sampling. The study used primary data collected using self-administered structured questionnaire. To analyze the features of the surveyed public hospitals and the respondents, descriptive statistics were used. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to determine the effect of information technology integration, organizational characteristics and user perception on performance. Results from the study showed that integration of human-information technology, organizational information technology integration and infrastructure flexibility had a significant positive impact on the performance of public hospitals in Kenya. The study further found that the characteristics of the organization and the perception of the users respectively moderated and mediated the relationship between the integration of information technology and the performance of public hospitals in Kenya. The study concluded that the integration of information technology in public hospitals plays an important role in increasing hospital efficiency, relevance, effectiveness and financial viability. The study recommends enhanced use of integrated information technology by public hospitals in Kenya for improved performance hence better service delivery.
Wellness Programs and Employee Performance in Commercial Banks, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2020-05) Ng’eno, Weldon K
The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of wellness programs on the performance of employees in commercial banks in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which employee counselling programmes, drug and substance abuse cessation programmes and provision of recreational facilities affected employee performance within the commercial banks in Kenya. The study was guided by 3 theories namely, social comparison, social exchange and hierarchy of needs theories. The study was guided by a positivist philosophy and used descriptive research deign targeting 30,903 employees of the 43 commercial banks in Kenya. Proportionate stratified sampling combined with purposive sampling was used to identify 395 respondents for the study. Pilot study was done to check on the reliability and validity of the instrument using Cronbach alpha (α) and expert opinion respectively. Structured questionnaires was used to source for primary data while other studies, libraries, worldwide web and organizational reports provided secondary data. Descriptive statistics and regression model was used to analyse quantitative data while content analysis was utilized to anlayse qualitative data. A response rate of 71% was achieved and employee performance was found to be affected positively by the wellness programs provided by the banks. Recreational facilities had the highest effect (76.9%), employee counselling programmes (61.8%) while drug and substance abuse cessation programs (46%). The findings also found that employee performance was mediated by employee job satisfaction while employee characteristics also moderated the relationship between employee performance and wellness programs. The employees who would be satisfied with utilizing wellies programs would perform better evidenced by the reduced absenteeism levels, enhanced punctuality, enhanced morale, and reduced stress and anxiety among the employees. The moderating variable of employee characteristics affected employee punctuality, influence the speed at which the employees performed their assignments, helped in reducing employee stress, enhanced teamwork and ultimately improved the productivity and output levels. The study recommends that the employee counselling programmes should be enhanced, recreational facilities play a critical role in enhancing performance among employees and should be provided for the employees. The facilities should be accessible to most of the employees and appropriately flexible. The study also recommends that the commercial banks should endeavour to make employees be satisfied with their work so that they can enhance output, which can be done through job enlargement, enrichment and even rotation which ultimately enhances employee engagement. There is also need for commercial banks to consider the characteristics of the individual employees in its human resource practice. On policy level, commercial banks should consider policy changes on how wellness programs are considered in workplaces, either public or private and that there would be need to incorporate wellness programs and utilization as a measure to manage medical costs through the incorporation of the same in the Employment Law of Kenya. The study suggest that further studies be conducted on the cost benefit analysis of the wellness programs so as to demystify the “high” costs implication of the wellness programs regardless of the benefits out of it; on the impact of employee attitude on successful implementation of the wellness programs with the organizations and on the impact of employee counselling on employee performance
Macro Environment and Performance of Donor Funded Health Projects in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2020-05) Mobegi, Jones Ong’era
Projects have become an integral part of organizations’ strategy. Health projects in particular, have been found to carry out a critical function in enhancing the well-being of society. In Kenya, many health projects are funded by donors. Although the amounts of funding from donors have been rising over the years, most donor funded health projects in Kenya are not performing well. According to the World Health Organization, almost 50 percent of health projects in Kenya do not achieve the performance measures of cost, time and quality. Recent studies have demonstrated that the macro environment comprising of the economic, social-cultural, political, technological, legal and the physical environment has a significant effect on the performance of government funded projects. However, there is scanty information on the effect of the macro environment on the performance of donor financed health projects in Kenya. This study specifically sought to determine the effect of social- cultural, economic, technological and political environments on the performance of donor funded health projects in Kenya. The moderating effect of top management support and the mediating effect of project risk management on the relationship between the macro environment, and the performance of donor funded health projects in Kenya were also investigated. The research was anchored on The Theory of Constraints and supported by Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory and The Goal Setting Theory. The study was guided by the positivism philosophy and it adopted an explanatory and descriptive research designs. A census of all the sixty-nine donor funded health projects initiated between 2008 and 2018, and were ongoing was conducted. Six section heads for the donor financed health projects at the Ministry of Health were also included in the study. Primary data was gathered by administering semi-structured questionnaires to identified respondents after seeking official authorization from relevant entities. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied in the analysis and presentation of data. Quantifiable data was examined using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software while qualitative data was examined by content analysis based on patterns and themes. A multiple regression model was used to explain how the macro environment affects the performance of donor funded health projects in Kenya and to test hypothesis.The study found out that social-cultural, economic and political environment had a significant effect on the performance of donor funded health projects. The study further established that top management support moderated the relation between the macro environment and the performance of donor funded health projects. The research also determined that project risk management had a partial mediation on the relationship between the macro xix environment and the performance of donor funded health projects. Consequently, the study recommended that the government of Kenya should develop policies and frameworks that will minimize the negative effects of the economic environment and maximize the positive effects of the social-cultural and political environments on the performance of donor funded health projects. The study also recommended that all decision makers and other donor funded health project stakeholders should devise strategies for enhancing the performance of their projects within their macro environment.It is also imperative for the government and other stakeholders in the donor funded health projects to embrace project risk management practices to ensure the projects are successful. Furthermore, the donor funded health projects top management should provide the needed support in the initiation, planning, and execution of the projects to enhance the performance of the projects.
Managerial Processes and Performance of Rural Electrification Projects in Kitui County, Kenya.
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Mueni, Kathongo Stellah; Mary Ragui; Caleb Kirui
government invests in rural electrification projects to boost the country's socioeeconomic development and growth. However, despite the efforts put by the government, performance of the projects remains to be poor in terms of projects efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction of the customer‟s needs. The study sought to establish the effect of managerial processes on performance of rural electrification project in Kitui County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the influence of monitoring and evaluation, risk management, stakeholder management and resource mobilization on the performance of rural electrification projects. In addition, the study sought to establish the moderating effect of regulatory framework and mediating effect of organization structure on relationship between managerial processes and performance of projects. The study was underpinned by resource based view theory and supported by stakeholder theory and management competency theory. The study was guided by positivism as a philosophical foundation. To achieve the study‟s objectives, descriptive and explanatory research design was used. The study target population was 125 rural electrification projects in Kitui County. The study targeted 75 respondents and census approach was used. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed by the use of descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data by use of content analysis. The diagnostic tests undertaken by the study were multicollinearity, homoscedasticity, linearity and normality test. Multiple regression analysis established the effects of managerial processes on performance of RE projects. SPSS software was in analysis of quantitative data. The study findings showed that monitoring and evaluation, risk management, and resource mobilization had positive significant effect on the performance of projects while stakeholder management had insignificant effect on performance. Further, the study results indicated that regulatory framework and organization structure had moderating and partial mediating effects on the relationship between managerial processes and performance of the rural electrification projects. The study recommended that the government to get more organizations to help in implementing rural electrification projects, ensure compliance of polices and electricity regulation and finally ensure frequent review of policies to be in line with vision 2030. Further, the study recommended organization to get other independent bodies to conduct monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
Governance and Resilience of Project Networks among Agricultural Innovation Platforms in Central and South Western Uganda
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Mugarura, Yosamu; Paul Sang; James Maingi
Forming agricultural innovation platforms (AIPS) provides a key attempt at integrating stakeholders into project affairs in order to achieve resilient project networks. However, in majority of the AIPs, innovations have either collapsed or not moved beyond locality borders with reported incidents of corruption, resignation of leaders, and conflicts between key sets of actors. The study therefore investigated how governance affects project resilience networks for (AIPS) in the Central and the South western parts of Uganda. Specifically, the research assessed the effects of management practices, network composition, and cultural attributes. Further the study investigated the mediating effect of network interactions as well as how policy framework moderates the relationship between governance and resilience of project networks among AIPS. The study was underpinned by systems theory, stakeholder theory and social network theory. The study used positivism research philosophy with explanatory research design. The participants of the analysis were 220 individuals in 22 AIPs in Central and South Western Uganda. We surveyed 132 actors through stratified sampling techniques in the 22 AIPs in Central and South western Uganda. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection in each of the AIPs in the analysis. From the 132 actors visited, 103 were sampled making up a representative index of 78%. The analysis was performed using a mathematical statistical program SPSS. Both research variables were validated at a 95% degree of trust. The results revealed that management practices and network composition were moderately exhibited while cultural attributes, network interactions, and policy framework were more exhibited. The study concluded that cultural characteristics, network structure, and management activities have a strong impact on the sustainability of project networks in central and the South western Uganda. The study concludes that network interactions partially mediated the relation between governance and resilience of project networks. Policy system proved to have the most important impact on project networks' durability. Cantered on these findings’ conclusions, the study suggests the following recommendations: First, AIP leadership should emphasize coordination, accountability, as well as monitoring and evaluation framework. Secondly, management of AIPs should put mechanisms in place that encourage AIP members to embrace network composition. Thirdly, AIPs should put in place strategies that promote proper practice of network norms, values, and power distance. Fourthly, AIPs should embrace common understanding, cooperation, trust and capacity building and learning. Finally, AIPs should encourage involvement of government representatives and align AIP activities with government policies. The study recommends an empirically tested governance framework that articulates clear management pathways of governing AIPs and ensuring their resilience. The study also successfully introduced and validated project network concepts into AIP context. The study successfully tested a combined effect of different governance components on resilience of project networks. Finally, the study validated the application of systems, stakeholder and network theories in project networks that exist in agricultural sector (AIPs).
Project Governance and Sustainability of Youth Empowerment Projects in Makueni County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Kaumbulu, Ambrose Kyalo; Stephen Muathe; Rosemary James
The youth empowerment projects have been a strategic asset towards the growth of the economy as the youth constitute the most productive resource in the near future; Kenya has or will ever have. The Kenya vision 2030 recognizes the importance of youth empowerment in its socio- economic pillar through several implementations to empower the youths. However, in Makueni County concerns have been raised concerning the sustainability of youth empowerment projects as most of the projects fail to live up to their expectations. Hence, this study sought to examine the effect of project governance on sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Makueni County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of stakeholder management, governance structure, and project team diversity on sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Makueni County, Kenya. Further, the study set to examine the mediating effect of project quality and moderating effect of project operating environment on the relationship between project governance and sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Makueni County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Systems Theory, Resource Based View Theory, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Agency Theory, Contingency Theory and Stakeholder Theory. The study was steered by Positivism Philosophy whereas both descriptive and explanatory research designs were employed. The target population was 28 youth empowerment projects in Makueni County. A sample size of 196 respondents was computed by use of Krejcie and Morgan Formula, a census and proportionate stratified random sampling techniques were employed to pick an appropriate and representative sample from each sector of the youth empowerment projects. To gather data from respondents, a self-administered questionnaire was utilized, which was then analysed through both descriptive and inferential analysis. The descriptive statistic was utilized to explain and outline the characteristics of the data from the survey, and inferential statistics through multiple regression analysis was employed to test the nature and magnitude of the hypothesized relationship between the project governance and project sustainability. The findings were summarized in figures and tables for clear comprehension and interpretation. The study findings indicated that stakeholder management; governance structure and project team diversity positively and significantly affected sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Makueni County. Project quality partially mediated the relationship between project governance and sustainability of youth empowerment projects in Makueni County, Kenya. Project operating environment was also found to moderate the relationship between project governance and sustainability of youth empowerment projects. The study concluded that effective project governance in regard to stakeholder management, well incorporated governance structures and effective project team diversity affects project quality positively and significantly thus, affecting project sustainability. The study recommends project management to consider involving all stakeholders throughout all the phases of project initiation and implementation. The study also recommends that to enhance project sustainability, need arises to put to place effective governance structures. Moreover, there is need for project management to strive to accommodate diversity within the project team. The project management should also enable a stable project operating environment for the youth projects to achieve the sustainability benefits of being economically, environmentally and socially stable.

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