A survey of factors that influence service delivery in law firms in Nairobi, Kenya
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Date
2013-01-21
Authors
Kiptoo, Angela Jebichii
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Abstract
Quality of legal services needs to move to the forefront of the practice agenda practitioners in the legal industry. This study is therefore a survey of factors that affect service delivery in law firms in Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the study are: to find out how legal procedures influence service delivery of law firms in Nairobi, Kenya; to find out the effects of stakeholder relationships on service delivery in law firms in Nairobi, Kenya; to find out if availability of enough personnel to dispense with legal services influences service delivery of the law firms in Nairobi, Kenya; and to examine the competence of staff members of law firms in Nairobi and the effect of such competence on service delivery in the law firms. This study will help identify the loopholes in the current practice and open up discussions on this area as an integral part of cementing service delivery practices in the Kenyan legal industry.
The study relied on previous studies by other scholars and researchers to determine what has been done in this study area and also to identify gaps in those studies. The study used a descriptive research design, where a target population of 1] 2 respondents was chosen and divided into strata. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample the population. From each stratum, 20% of the respondents formed the sample size from which data was collected. Questionnaires were used to collect the data, which was then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
The study concluded that indeed legislation or legal procedures, stakeholder relationships, availability of human resources and staff competence or training are essential factors that affect service delivery in law firms. It was however noted that legal procedures are often complicated and legislation conflicting. The study recommended that there is need for harmonization of legislation as well as simplification of legal procedures. The need for collaboration between law firms and stakeholders was also emphasized. Human resources are vital in the delivery of services and as such should be motivated and encouraged to bear the right attitude for effective service delivery. Finally, continuous training to employees concerned with service delivery was recommended to enhance quality.