JA-Department of Business Studies
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Item Open Access Factors Influencing Teachers’ Active Involvement in Continuous Professional Development: A Survey in Trans Nzoia West District, Kenya(International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2013-05) David, Magdalene Ndeto; Bwisa, Prof. Henry MEconomies in the world are becoming increasingly knowledge based and the need to have continued learning of individuals has become more necessary than ever before, raising the concern for employees and employers to ensure lifelong education. This research studies continuous professional development of teachers who are employees of Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to establish the factors which influence teachers’ active involvement in continuous professional development. The target population of this study comprised the county director TSC, district education officer (D.E.O) and the quality assurance and standards officer (DQASO) and 57 secondary school teachers in Trans Nzoia West district in Kenya making a sample size of 60. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. The researcher used descriptive statistics and the results were presented in frequency distribution tables which the researcher used for interpretation. The findings from this study showed that few teachers were actively involved in continuous professional development in the district and that the work environment does not support teachers’ involvement in continuous professional development.Item Open Access AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON MICRO AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH INFLUENCE ACCESS TO BUSINESS LOANS(Review of Business and Technology Research, 2019) Banu, Fazeela; Bore, MagdaleneThe development of any economy requires financial services especially credit services. Saving facilities are also key in the generation of a start capital for small business. Many financial institutions have tried to bring the money lending business and services closer to the customers but the rate of taking loans among the micro and small enterprises owners has not been as per the expectation with many business owners preferring the informal money lending institutions than the convectional banks or microfinance institutions. The study explored the Micro and Small business Characteristics which influenced the access to loans by the enterprise owners form money lending institutions. The study was guided by the following study objective; - To determine the Micro and Small enterprise characteristics which influence business loans access in a case study of Gikomba Market. The study was carried out in Nairobi biggest open market Gikomba. The study used descriptive research design and a sample size of 370 business owners since the market has over 10,000 business owners. The target population was divided into strata of wholesalers, retailers, service delivery and restaurants. The sampled respondents were selected randomly from each strata giving all the participants equal opportunity of participation. Data collection was done through questionnaire and interview guides. The gathered data was analyzed and presented in pie charts and frequency distribution tables and conclusion and recommendations were made based on the analyzed data.Item Open Access INFLUENCE OF NON-FINANCIAL REWARDS ON TEACHING STAFF TURNOVER IN PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN EMBAKASI SUB COUNTY(Journal of Human Resource Management, 2021) Mburu, Wanjiru Grace; Ndeto, Dr. MagdaleneTeacher turnover over the last few decades has been a global challenge that continues to inspire much debate. The teaching profession globally suffers from increasingly high rates of turnover with annual rates standing at 45 percent. The rising levels of teaching staff turnover poses a challenge to the effectiveness of learning programs in many private primary schools. In the United States, for instance, research estimates that between 40 and 50 percent of new teachers wish to leave the profession within the first five years of entry into the teaching field. In Kenya, research infers that satisfaction of intrinsic needs helps with building trust, loyalty, and morale in teaching staff in private schools. The study purposed to assess the influence of non-financial rewards to teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-county. The specific objectives of this study were; to assess the influence of job security on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-county, to establish the influence of working conditions on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi subcounty, to assess the influence of training on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-county and to establish the influence of fringe benefits on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi Sub-county. The target population was 3609 teaching staff, the sample size was 360 participants identified via a stratified sampling technique after adopting the Yamane formula to compute the sample size. The research used questionnaires for data collection and analyzed the qualitative and quantitative data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23). The results were computed to establish frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and were presented in form of tables and charts. Multiple linear regression model was applied to find out the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The study results revealed that there was positive linear effect of job security on staff turnover (β1=.315, p=0.001). It was further established that working conditions has a positive and significant effect on staff turnover (β2=.213, p=0.012). It was further established that training has a positive and significant effect on staff turnover (β3=.198, p=0.017). Finally, fringe benefits were found to have a positive and significant effect on staff turnover (β4=.240, p=0.003). The study results concluded that job security has a positive effect on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-County. The study results also concluded that working conditions has a positive effect on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-County. The study results further concluded that training has a positive effect on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-County. The study results finally concluded that fringe benefits have a positive effect on teaching staff turnover in private primary schools in Embakasi sub-County. Provision of health insurance to teachers to cater for their medication goes a long way to reduce teacher turnover in schools. The study recommends that the teacher service commission should employ teachers on permanent contracts this will ensure increased teacher retention as opposed to short-term and fixed contracts. The teacher service commission should ensure flexible working arrangements encourage high retention of teachers in private primary schools. Provision of health insurance to teachers to cater for their medication goes a long way to reduce teacher turnover in schools.Item Open Access Influence of Communities of Practices on the Performance of Universities in Kenya(International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 2017-10) Ndeto, Magdalene; Nzulwa, Dr. Joyce; Kamaara, Dr. Mary; Ombui, Dr. KephaCommunities of practice are characterized by social association where employees share acquired knowledge. Organizations are increasingly providing Communities of Practice with resources to improve the exchange and flow of knowledge and information. The objective of the study seeks to establish the influence of communities of practice on the performance of universities in Kenya. The study used descriptive research design and a simple random sampling to select a sample of heads of departments from the chartered universities in Kenya. The unit of analysis was the chartered universities in Kenya and the unit of observation 12 chartered universities and the respondents were the heads of department. The study collected data from a sample size of 179 by use of questionnaire. The analysis showed a correlation coefficient of a 0.307 and a coefficient of determination R square (R2) of 0.1554 at a 0.05 significance level. The study concluded that there was a significant relationship between communities of practice and performance of universities. The study recommends that university management should support the communities of practice in order to improve performance of universities. The improved performance gives a university a competitive advantage over the other universities.Item Open Access Influence of Mentoring on the Performance of Universities in Kenya(International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 2017-10) Ndeto, Magdalene; Nzulwa, Dr. Joyce; Kamaara, Dr. Mary; Ombui, Dr. KephaTacit knowledge is acquired through experience and can be shared through several forms like on the job training, mentoring, coaching, communities of practices, peer assistance and knowledge sharing forums. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of mentoring on the performance of universities in Kenya. The study used descriptive research design and a simple random sampling to select a sample of heads of departments from the chartered universities in Kenya. The unit of analysis was the chartered universities in Kenya and the unit of observation 12 chartered universities and the respondents were the heads of department.. The sample size was 179. Data collection was done through questionnaires. The study established that mentoring had a correlation of 0.42 and the coefficient of determination R square (R2) was 0.176 and R was 0.419 at a 0.05 significance level correlation. Therefore the study concluded that mentoring programs had a significant influence on the performance of universities in Kenya. The study recommends that the organizations which desire to to improve their performance should embrace mentoring as a practice of knowledge sharing.Item Open Access Evaluation of Peer Assistance among Academic Staff of Universities in Kenya(Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS), 2018-02) Ndeto, Magdalene; Mwania, PaulThe paper evaluates the extent to which peer assistance is practiced in learning institutions in a case study of universities in Kenya. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the extent to which academic staff in universities share the acquired knowledge through peer assistance. The study was carried out in the charted universities as the unit of analysis and the heads of departments has the unit of observation. A sample size of 179 heads of departments was selected and data was collected from 155 respondents. The data was collected by use of questionnaires. The study established that peer assistance was taking place in universities although 59% the academic staff were unwilling to share the acquired knowledge. Unwillingness to share knowledge and lack of structured peer assistance among the academic staff were the leading challenges to the low level of peer assistance in universities. The study recommends creating an awareness of the importance of peer assistance in the learning institutions.Item Open Access EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS ON STRATEGIC POSITIONING OF KENYA’S TOURISM SECTOR(International Journal of Business Management & Finance 3(2): 275-290, 2020, 2020) Muindi, MUTHAMA Arnold; NDETO, Dr. MagdaleneStrategic positioning is concerned with critical decisions that determine the brand and corporate image of a firm in the market place; including the types of segments sand benefits that are targeted. Hence, positioning is defined as strategy that focuses on identifying and directing resources in a particular market segment. In respect to segmentation –based strategic positioning, firms respond to demands by coming up with strategies that are different compared to other market segments. The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of technology innovations on strategic positioning of Kenya’s tourism sector. The study adopted descriptive research method. The target population of comprised of 363 employees working in the headquarters of the 10 parastatals in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. The study used simple random sampling in the selection of 190 staff. This study used both primary and secondary data. Secondary data was obtained from the annual reports in 10 parastatals in Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data (both qualitative and quantitative data). Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and the outcomes were presented in continuous or prose form. Analysis of quantitative data focused on descriptive and inferential statistics through the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS ver. 22). A pilot study was conducted in Tourism Regulatory Authority. Descriptive statistics entailed computation or calculation of mean, percentage, standard deviation and frequency. Inferential statistics focused on regression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. Person correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of relationship between elements under investigation. Regression analysis determined the existing relationship between variable under investigation. The results were presented in table and figures. The study established that technological innovation has significant effect on the strategic positioning of Kenya’s tourism sector. The study recommends that the tourism sector should use a computerized system to accelerate and improve decision making, optimize internal business process and increase operational efficiency. In addition, the study recommends that the tourism sector should leverage visual media, paid ad campaigns and identify keep moments on booking journey so as to effectively show case Kenya tourist attraction sites.Item Open Access INFLUENCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA(International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration (IAJHRBA), 2019-10-25) Wairimu, Mary; Ndeto, Dr. Magdalene (PhD)In Kenya, Pharmaceutical Companies face the challenge of fulfilling the ever-increasing technical need for pharmacists therefore shortage of qualified technical personnel. These companies are faced by the challenge of ever-increasing need of qualified technical personnel; therefore, employee retention becomes a critical strategy for these firms in Kenya. This study sought to establish the influence of HRM strategies on employee retention in pharmaceutical companies in Nairobi City County. The research design adopted was descriptive. Targeted respondents were 42 human resource managers in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies. The study selected a sample of 42 respondents. Questionnaire was the selected data collection tool. Collected data was screened, cleaned, coded, and entered. Analysis of quantitative data was done with the use of descriptive statistics and findings presented using tables, graphs and pie charts. A multiple regression analysis was performed with the aim of establishing the relationship of response and predictor variables. From the findings of the study, it was established that employee recruitment, training, employee engagement, and employee recognition are positively related to employee retention. The study also found that organizations provides clear job descriptions on advertised vacant job positions, all the received applications are reviewed and the suitable candidates are called for interviews, based on the interview and their experience. Job training help employees to clearly understand what fellow employees in other departments do and employer is able to understand the skill base of their staff. Employees who are engaged get involved and interested in their job and there is less likelihood that they will leave their job. Employee recognition promotes great job satisfaction and work enjoyment shown with more time spent on work and less complaints and negative effects like absenteeism and stress are lower. The study recommends pharmaceutical companies to have and establish an employee recruitment process that is used for recruitment purposes. Pharmaceutical companies should ensure that they have established training policies; this ensures training takes place in the organization. Further, each employee should be given an opportunity to be trained. Pharmaceutical companies should put in place strategies of recognizing their employees. Employees should be appreciated for their work from time to time; this helps them to work under minimum supervision to achieve organization’s goals. In addition, pharmaceutical companies need to engage employee in different organization activities such as decision making, this makes employees feel that they matter in the organization hence, enhances employee retention.Item Open Access INFLUENCE OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY(International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration (IAJHRBA), 2019-10-16) Nderitu, Margaret Wangechi; Ndeto, Dr. MagdaleneEmployee productivity is an important consideration for any organizations. The working environment involves several elements that influence on how the employees undertake their work. The recently formed county governments in Kenya have been facing the problem of poor service delivery which can be attributed to employee low productivity. As such, this study set out to understand the work environment and its influence on employee productivity among county governments in Kenya with the NCC being a case study. The general purpose of this study was to identify the influence of the work environment on employee productivity in relation to the NCC. The factors under investigation in this study were crucial to establish: the influence of workplace rewards, importance of training and development, influence supervisor support as well as how physical environment affects employee productivity. The study was anchored on two theories namely; Social exchange theory and affective event theory. The social exchange theory propose that social behavior is as result of exchange process and assume that different individuals make social choices depending on perceived benefits and costs of their decision while affective event theory is underline on a belief that human beings are emotional and that their behavior is guided by emotions and feelings. The study had a target population of 1872 and a sample size of 320 respondents of employees of NCC stationed at the headquarters. This sample was arrived at through stratified random process to allow all County Government employees under different departments to have an equal opportunity to be part and parcel of the selected sample. The study relied on primary data collected by use of the structured questionnaires containing both open ended and closed ended questions. These tools were pre-tested to affirm their reliability and validity. Quantitative data was collected and analyzed using SPSS and presented through frequencies, standard deviation, mean scores and percentage and the information displayed by use of bar charts, graphs and pie charts. The response rate of the study was 71.1%. From the findings of this study it was conclusive that conducive work environment ensures the wellbeing of employees which invariably will enable them exert themselves to their roles with all vigor that may translate to higher productivity. Moreover, it was established that workplace reward, training and development, supervisor support as well as physical working environment had an influence on employees’ productivity. Consequently, it was deemed necessary for the county government to set up a more comprehensive employee reward system and improve on supervisor feedback as well as enhance and integrate employees in decision-making. To further understand the interrelatedness of workplace environment and employees’ productivity, the researcher recommends further studies in areas relating to employees’ productivity, different leadership styles employed in different counties and the impact on the work culture and effects of recruitment and selection.Item Open Access Mainstreaming and revitalising women groups in agribusiness in rural Kenya through Microfinance(PAC University journal of arts and social sciences, 2016-01-01) Bwire, John PeterThe purpose of this paper is to mainstream and revitalise women groups in small scale agriculture and business in Kenya. In terms of gender, this paper assumes that in Kenya, women are the majority involved in rural market economy at every shopping centre. Some of the women in the rural areas are widows, single mothers, separated and sole bread earners, yet disempowered economically. The objective of the study was to establish how women groups can be given focus as the main players in agribusiness in rural Kenya. This focus was embedded in the mitigation products of microfinance, which has proved worldwide to break shackles of poverty, and gender based cultural barriers that demean women. The aim was to empower rural women financially by sensitising them to access microfinance services; to expand their economic base in business and improve agricultural productivity. Data collection involved both primary and secondary sources. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used. Questionnaires, focus group discussions (FDG), and in-depth interviews were used for data collection. Qualitative method of data analysis was used and data was synthesised thematically according to the study objectives. The use of quantitative analysis was mainly for illustrative purposes because the study was purely qualitative and descriptive in nature. The study found out that most women groups operate under financial and cultural constrains and needed more economic empowerment through micro finance to be effective.Item Open Access Relationship between marketing practices and firm performance: Case of clothing and footwear SMEs in Makueni County, Kenya(PAC University journal of arts and social sciences, 2016-01-01) Nthenge, Daniel MulingeSmall and medium sized business experience has enabled many big companies to flourish. Studies have established that currently, many school leavers have found these businesses a major stepping-stone to counter long periods wasted before job acquisition or before any further training. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between marketing practices adopted by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Makueni County, Kenya, and the firms’ performance in the clothing and footwear sector. The data for this study was collected using a structured questionnaire comprising both open-ended and close-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered through personal interviews with respondents who were owners of clothing and footwear stalls or shops in Makueni County. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses. Both hypotheses were rejected as only one variable of hypothesis one was supported since hypothesis one is depending upon seven variables, the fifth variable (advertising) shows the significant relationship with firm’s performance. Hence, the study recommends that clothing and footwear firms should adopt new strategies, which may help to overcome the lacking in their marketing activities, which have overall impact on firm’s performance.Item Open Access How COVID-19 has Reset Business Activities in Organizations around Africa(African Journal of Business Strategies, 2022) Bukusi, Allan D. M.The global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus forced governments across Africa to impose major health, travel, and trade restrictions at home to protect their citizens from the pandemic. These measures caused a dampening impact on conventional social and business activity forcing organizations to rethink, redraw and reset their operations to remain functional, viable and sustainable. The aim of this study was to show that the pandemic driven changes in the business environment, though disruptive in nature, essentially enabled businesses to acquire a new set of survival and success competencies to thrive in the foreseeable futureItem Open Access Innovation, Leadership and Supply Chain Resilience. A Theoretical Review(Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2022-10) Ndonye, Davies M; Odiyo, Wilson J. OsitoThe area of supply chain resilience continues to gain increasing attention from scholars and practitioners as new risks and unforeseen disruptions have emerged posing serious threats to operational performance. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains. Against these growing concerns, supply chain networks need to be re-examined as organizations grapple with the challenge of strengthening their capacities for preparedness, response, recovery and growth from disruptions. This study analyses the body of literature on innovation, leadership and resilience in relation to supply chain from different perspectives. Conceptual, theoretical and empirical review was undertaken on 101 relevant journal articles and publications across the study area. Issues that present a case for a new theoretical model to advance the present understanding of the constructs and the emerging phenomenon in supply chain were identified. It emerged that the concept of leadership suffers from an unclear conceptualization and is inconsistent in the characteristics of its dimensions. Similarly, there is lack of common understanding of innovation; how organizations should deal with it; and how it relates with leadership. In addition, there are few empirical studies involving innovation, leadership, and supply chain resilience. This study presents a new theoretical framework linking the three constructs to help in developing the implementation of capabilities necessary in attaining resilience in supply chain networks.