Corporate Governance and Service Delivery in Embu County Government, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Kariuki,Edwin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-16T12:04:59Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-16T12:04:59Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-11 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Management) of Kenyatta University. November, 2025 Supervisor Stephen Muathe | |
| dc.description.abstract | Corporate governance plays an integral role in the service delivery of government entities, forming the foundation for transparency, accountability, and public trust. Effective governance in county governments is essential to address citizens' growing demands for quality services and responsible resource management. Despite the establishment of devolution in Kenya, service delivery challenges persist in many counties, including Embu County. Issues such as weak accountability structures, lack of transparency, and minimal public participation have hindered the practical enactment of county functions. Poor service delivery in Embu County, marked by governance lapses, corruption, and inefficiencies, indicates a gap in understanding how corporate governance principles, such as stakeholder inclusivity, transparency, public participation, and accountability, influence effective service delivery in the context of devolved governance. This study therefore sought to examine the effect of stakeholders’ transparency, inclusivity, public contribution, and accountability on service delivery. The theoretical basis for this research was anchored on SERVQUAL Model. The study was in addition underpinned by Agency Theory, Stewardship Theory, and Institutional Performance Theory, elaborating on variables of governance mechanisms, whereas Resource-Based Theory provides an outlook of various aspects of service delivery. A descriptive survey research design was applied, targeting 248 workers from Embu County from which a sample of 153 respondents was selected using a proportionate stratified and simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Cronbach's Alpha was used to guarantee reliability with threshold at alpha value of at least 0.7, and expert assessments was used to assess face construct validity and content. In order to assess the link between corporate governance factors and service delivery, quantitative data analysis was carried out using SPSS, utilizing descriptive and inferential techniques specifically regression analysis. The findings revealed that stakeholders' inclusivity, transparency, public participation, and accountability jointly explained 62.9% of the variation in service delivery in Embu County Government (Adjusted R² = 0.615). Regression analysis showed that stakeholders' inclusivity (β = 0.208, p = 0.020), transparency (β = 0.053, p = 0.007), public participation (β = 0.465, p = 0.000), and accountability (β = 0.164, p = 0.042) were all positively and significantly related to service delivery. Public participation had the largest effect on service delivery, highlighting its critical role in governance effectiveness. The study concludes that stakeholders’ inclusivity, transparency, public participation, and accountability significantly affect service delivery, with public participation having the most substantial impact. It was thus suggested that Embu County Government should improve corporate governance practices by institutionalizing structured public participation frameworks, improving financial transparency, and reinforcing stakeholder engagement mechanisms. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32445 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Corporate Governance and Service Delivery in Embu County Government, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |