PHD-Department of Public Policy and Administration

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Browsing PHD-Department of Public Policy and Administration by Subject "Devolved Administrative Structures"

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    Strategic Leadership Practices and Devolved Administrative Structures in Selected Semi-Arid Counties in Kenya
    (kenyatta university, 2023-09) Jumanne, Andrew Shangarai,; Jane Gakenia Njoroge; Edna J. Moi
    The existence of devolved administrative structures is critical in protecting public officials from abusing power. It also promotes political stability. It is therefore essential to ensure that there is effective implementation and operation of these structures in Kenya now that devolution has been introduced. So far, the underlying cause of inadequate service delivery has been poor operationalization of structures in these devolved administrative entities that has been caused by ineffective managerial practices. This study has four specific objectives which intended to bridge the existing gap by establishing the scope of strategic leadership practices when it comes to the devolved administrative structures: establishing the effect of resource allocation practices, determining the effect of public accountability practices, establishing effect of stakeholder involvement, and to determine the moderating effect of legal factors on the relationship between the strategic leadership practices on devolved administrative structures. The study utilized three theories: The Resource Based View Theory, which anchored on resources allocation as a practice; Transformational Leadership Theory, which focuses on the development of advantageous alterations in an organization; and the Institutional Theory, which depicts an institution as networks that rely upon each other to build up unified systems that concern shared reliance. Target population of the study included the 500 participants from Taveta and Makueni counties. Purposive and Stratified Random Sampling techniques were utilized in this study, where a sample size ofi223 was drawn from the Target population. The design deployed in the study was descriptive research that had sought to produce answers to phenomenon’s questions of what, where, and when. The instrument’s reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability of 0.7 that which was acceptably reliable. Quantitative and qualitative analytical methods were used, as data was coded in SPSS and analysed using the STATA. Analysis of quantitative data involved the descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas analysis of qualitative data was done using thematic analysis and voice recordings which were verbatim. Multiple Linear Regression was used to test the collective effects of resource allocation practices, public accountability practices and stakeholders’ involvement practices on the devolved administrative structures. This research established that strategic leadership practices can improve the functioning of decentralized administrative organizations and also provided a way to institutionalize the concepts, facilitating smooth and efficient flow of information. In the first objective, the significant effect of resource allocation practices on the devolved administrative structures was noted. In the second objective, it was established that a between public accountability practice and the devolved administrative structures a significant relationship existed. In third objective, it was found that, a significant relationship existed between stakeholders’ involvement practices and devolved administrative structures. In fourth objective, it was noted that there was a significant relationship between strategic leadership practices and legal factors on devolved administrative structures. Hence, the legal factors were found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between strategic leadership practices and the devolved administrative structures. The study suggests that leaders should explain plans in a way that encourages the improvement of devolved administrative structures, that which resulted to a lasting transformation. Further investigations should be conducted in other counties to better understand the role that ethical leadership plays in relation to strategic leadership practices and their impact on devolved administrative structures in Kenya as was envisioned.