School of Business and Economics
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Item An Assessment of The Relationship Between Service Quality Dimensions, Performance Benchmarks And Customer Satisfaction In Eldoret Law Courts(Laikipia University, 2016-09) Cherere, Thripsisa WanjikuUsers of the justice system supply chain have the right to receive high levels of quality service. The 9093 service delivery received by the Judiciary between June 2012 and June 2013 are an indicator that the public is generally dissatisfied with the quality of services offered by the Judiciary. The general objective of this study was to assess the relationship between service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction in Eldoret law courts using the SERVQUAL model. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the relationship between service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction, to investigate the moderating effects of performance benchmarks on the relationship between service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction and to examine the joint effects of service quality dimensions and performance benchmarks on customer satisfaction at Eldoret Law Courts. Major theories used in this study include the assimilation - contrast theory to explain the relationships among the service quality and customer satisfaction variables, Contrast theory to provide insights into customers post usage evaluations and equity theory to effectively address the major objective to customer satisfaction through the legal reforms in the country. Data was collected from a population of 1815 respondents made up of 140 convicts, 83 remandees, 23 advocates and 82 parties with pending children cases obtained using stratified random sampling. Primary data was collected using on-the-spot-administered structured questionnaires developed on a five Point-Likert type scale and a questionnaire. Secondary data was used to compare the findings in the primary data. The instrument’s content validity was assessed using Cronbach's coefficient alpha reliability test which ranged from 0.823-0.920. Data was analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. This study established that, all the service quality dimension factors are useful measures of satisfaction. This study found that all the respondents were not satisfied with the quality of services rendered at Eldoret law courts and especially the remandees who were least satisfied. The results from ANOVA provide the p value of .000 at 95% confidence level and therefore the study rejected the null hypothesis and concluded that there was a significant relationship service quality dimensions, performance benchmarks and customer satisfaction. The study findings may contribute significantly to the development of strategies by policy makers in the judiciary, reduce the levels of dissatisfaction by providing quality services and enhance service delivery in the Judiciary.Item Influence of Human Resource Policies on Employee Retention In A Public Organisation: A Survey of Kenya Wildlife Service(Laikipia University, 2015-11) Tallam, Chelimo FelisterEmployee retention is critical to the long-term health and success of any organization. It is a known fact that retaining your best employees ensures high performance, job satisfaction and employee motivation. For the past 5 years ,Kenya Wildlife Service as a public organization has experienced employee turnover rate of 17%.It is not clear why Kenya Wildlife Service employees are shifting to competitors such as group Ranchers, Sanctuaries, Farms, Non- Governmental Organizations and other organizations. Employee retention has remained a major challenge to many public organizations due to salary scale, working environment and other factors as indicated by high turnover rate. Due to employee turnover the organization faces direct and indirect costs of recruitment, selection and training of the new staff to replace those who are leaving. The departure of knowledgeable and skilled workers has many costs implications including disruption of the work process, recruitment and training of new employees, and low productivity of new employees during the training period. The study investigated the influence of human resource policies on employee retention in a public organization through a survey conducted at Kenya Wildlife Service. The study sought to investigate the influence of employee training on employee retention, the influence of employee reward on employee retention, the influence of company culture on employee retention and to examine the influence of work environment on employee retention at Kenya Wildlife Service. The study was based on motivation theories including Herzberg’ Motivator- Hygiene, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, and Stacey’s Equity Theory. The study adopted descriptive survey research design to investigate the influence of human resource policies on employee retention. A sample size of (230) employees was drawn from the target population of 540 permanent employees using stratified random sampling technique. Primary data was collected by using structured questionnaire while secondary data was collected through review of literature. The instrument was tested for reliability using Cronbach alpha (α), and found to be 0.879 hence confirming reliability of the instrument. Data analysis which involved both descriptive and inferential statistics was carried out with aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0.The hypotheses were tested using P-value approach at 95% significance level. The study found out that employee training, company culture and work environment had a significance influence on employee retention while employee reward was insignificant in influencing employee retention in the organization. The findings of this study are important to other public organizations since it provides information of human resource policies and its influence on employee retention. The study concluded that human resource policies are the most important and valuable means that influence employee’s retention in any organization it therefore recommends that Kenya Wildlife Service should craft strategies of employee retention and monitor turnover rate, in order to help management retain their employees.Item Factors Affecting Provision of Quality Service in Nyahururu Referral Hospital(Laikipia University, 2014-10) Musyoka, Shedrack Thyaka.In healthcare industry service quality has become an imperative in providing patient satisfaction because delivering service directly affects the patient’s satisfaction. By the start of the millennium, the quality of service in public hospitals in Kenya declined. Therefore this research study sought to investigate factors affecting provision of quality service in public health sector in Kenya with specific reference to Nyahururu Referral Hospital. The study used a descriptive survey approach in collecting data. Thereafter the study used stratified random sampling to get the target population of 129 respondents. The primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The data was then analyzed using descriptive approach such as frequency, percentages, means and standard deviations. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. From the findings the study revealed that organizations must enhance employee’s capacity in order to improve provision of service quality. The study established that employee’s incompetence affected service quality, and that high skilled personnel in the public health sectors influence high service quality provision. Further, the study found that management in public health sector need to improve the level of adoption and willingness to invest and advance in modern technology as this would facilitate service assessment. Lack of investment in technology development affected health service quality. The study concluded that public health sector should improve the level of adoption of technology in order to facilitate service assessment, improve process and communication which are essential for effective and efficient quality service in public health sector in Kenya. The study also concluded that management should emphasize on effective communication channels in order to provide information to upper level managers about activities and performances throughout the organization as well as improving individual participation in provision of quality service .The study recommended that management in public health sector should improve employee’s capacity to enhance provision of health service quality. Adequate number of highly skilled and experienced employees, effective recruitment, monitoring of doctors and staff and meeting performance and practice standards enhances service quality provision.Item An Examination of The Effect of Corporate Governance Practices on The Financial Performance of Housing Cooperatives In Nairobi County(Laikipia University, 2017-12) Kyaitha, Ronald SevuHousing cooperatives were introduced in Kenya in the early 1980s to strengthen marketing and resource mobilization initiatives of small scale producers. Official statistics obtained from the Ministry of Co-operative Development show that there were 650 registered housing co-operatives affiliated to National Co-operative Housing Union (NACHU) as at the year 2014, with only 248 being active with 400 others being dormant and 2 having been liquidated (Co-operative Yearbook Kenya, 2013). This clearly indicates that 62 per cent of the housing cooperatives have not achieved the objectives for which they were formed. The purpose of this study was to critically examine the effect of Corporate Governance Practices on the financial performance of housing cooperatives in Nairobi County. The study was guided by the following theories: the Agency theory, the Stakeholder theory, Stewardship theory and Institutional theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The design was more appropriate for this study as it is being used to assess current practices and made judgment without manipulating or controlling the variables. The target population is 650 housing cooperatives .Random sampling technique was used to obtain the sample. A sample size of 59 housing cooperatives was used which was derived using the Fischer formula. The study used questionnaires, group discussions and interviews to collect primary data. Secondary data was sourced from reports, publications, journals, public records and statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of statistics. A pilot study was carried out to ascertain reliability. Reliability was determined using the Cronbach coefficient Alpha. A coefficient of 0.9 was computed implying a high degree of reliability of the data. Validity of the research instrument was ascertained through content validity. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive analysis included frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Statistical significance was analyzed by the correlation co-efficient (r), R-squared, the F test and standard error of the estimate. The research findings were presented through tables and charts. The major findings of the study were that corporate governance practices significantly affect financial performance of housing cooperatives. Pearson correlation co-efficient of r=0.366 for accountability and financial performance was generated indicating a statistically significant effect. For auditing and financial performance a Pearson correlation co-efficient of 0.351 was generated while separation of ownership and financial performance yielded a Pearson correlation co-efficient of 0.289.Moderating variables and financial performance yielded a Pearson correlation co-efficient of 0.310. A multiple regression model FP = 3.805 + 1.562 ACT + 5.589 AU -1.83 SO + 0.260 MV was used to determine the effect of corporate governance practices on the financial performance of housing cooperatives. The study recommends that an independent oversight regulatory authority on housing cooperatives should be established to regulate accountability standards especially documentation of facts and work values in housing cooperatives whereby the results findings indicated declining standards of the same. The study also recommends that the role of auditing committees should be enhanced. This resonates well with the research findings which indicated that auditing committees were not well defined in some housing cooperatives. This study will be significant to the Government of Kenya which is currently reviewing cooperative development policy .It will also be beneficial to housing co-operatives as they seek to increase their financial viability to maximize output.Item Influence of Managerial Factors on Implementation of Strategic Plans at National Health Insurance Fund, Kenya(Laikipia University, 2024-09) Gachie, Njeri RahabOne of Kenya's long-term strategic goals is to enhance Kenyans' overall well-being and indicators by moving the focus from curative to preventative treatment and improving health-care services. Over time, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has developed strategic plans to guarantee increased service efficiency. However, it remains unclear whether NHIF has been effectively implementing these plans owing to its reported unsatisfactory performance. This purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of managerial factors on implementation strategic plans at NHIF, Kenya. The specific objectives were to: examine the influence of leadership styles; assess the influence of resource allocation; evaluate the influence of managerial skills, and analyze the influence of staff motivation on implementation of strategic plans at NHIF, Kenya. The study was underpinned by the following theories; path-goal theory, dynamic capability theory, contingency management theory and expectancy theory of motivation. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 178 employees which comprised senior management, middle-level management, and technical staff from the three NHIF branches located in Nairobi metropolis namely; Nairobi region, Industrial area, and Westlands. A sample size was 124 respondents was determined using the Yamane formula. Stratified sampling technique was used for selecting participants in the study. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire which was administered using drop and pick method. Data analyses involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included means, frequency and standard deviation while inferential analysis involved multiple regression analyses. Research hypotheses were tested using student p-value approach at 95% level of confidence. The findings of the study indicated that leadership styles, resource allocation, managerial skills and staff motivation had a positive and statistical significant influence on implementation of strategic plans at NHIF, Kenya. Hence, the study concluded that implementation of strategic plans at NHIF, Kenya was influenced by leadership styles, resource allocation, managerial skills and staff motivation at various degrees across the different management levels. The study recommends that NHIF should focus on enhancing its leadership practices, allocate adequate resources, invest continuous managerial skills enhancement and adopt a working environment that fosters staff motivation in order to ensured successful implementation of strategic plans. The findings of the study are expected to; serve as a theoretical foundation for scholars, researchers and academicians undertaking studies in the area, formulation of relevant policies to enhance strategy implementation in public organizations and assist management at NHIF to focus on the key success factors for implementation of strategic plans.Item Influence of Critical Success Factors on Competitive Position of Hell’s Gate National Park As A Tourist Destination(Laikipia University, 2016-10) Kariuki , Peter GeoffreyIn an increasing saturated global tourism market the fundamental task for the tourist destination management, is the understanding how tourism destination competitiveness can be enhanced and sustained. Therefore tourism managers have to identify and explore competitive advantages and analyze the actual competitive positioning. The constantly, growing number of travel destination in both Kenya and the rest of the world has put a lot of pressure on the management of Hell’s Gate National Park to competitively position the park in the tourist market place and to do so in sustainable manner. Hell’s Gate National Park tourist competitiveness on the global market is on the decline, besides insecurity, factors responsible for the decline of Kenya’s once vibrant tourism industry has not so far been established. The overall objective of this study was to assess the influence of critical success factors on competitive positioning of Hell’s Gate as an international tourist destination. The specific objectives of the study was to; determine the influence of organizational image, infrastructure, accessibility and tourist attractions on competitive positioning of Hell’s Gate national park as a tourist destination, find the tourists perceptions of these factors. The Critical Success Factors Concept developed by D. Ronald Daniel, was employed in identifying and assessing the criticality of the factors. The study adopted a survey research design. The design was appropriate as it enabled the researcher to explore and explain the existing status of the variables/indicators of competitiveness of the park, collect in-depth empirical data about them, and describe actions as they are or as they happen. The target population comprised of tourists visiting Hell’s gate national park, from 15th February and 15th March, 2016. A sample of 97 tourists was used in this study. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the 97 tourist using a systematic sampling procedure. Proportional allocation was used to divide the sample of 97 between domestic and foreign tourists. The study employed questionnaire as an instrument for data collection. The Cronbach alpha was used to test for reliability of the questionnaire. The reliability and validity was enhanced through pilot study. The Ms Excel 2010 and SPSS program version 18.5 aided in performing all the statistical analyses in this study. Descriptive statistics was used to perform a set of statistical analyses including but not limited to generating frequencies, tables, graphs and percentages while cross-tabulation statistical analysis was used to establish how the frequency distributions of responses was located between the sub-groups of respondents and to collate a summary of statistics. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to test the significance of observed difference between variables. A research permit was secured from National Commission of Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). The findings of the study was that, there is a strong positive relationship between organization image, infrastructure, organization accessibility, tourist attraction and competitive position of Hell’s Gate National Park a tourist destination (r = 0.765, N = 97). The study recommends that the management of Hell’s gate national park should largely focus on the key critical success factors, so as to attract more visitors to the park.Item Effects of Working Capital Management Practices on Profitability of Construction Firms Listed In Nairobi(Laikipia University, 2017-11) Mbakara, Wanjala PatrickThe construction industry in Kenya being a key growth contributor besides providing job opportunities to a majority of skilled, semiskilled and unskilled in the Kenyan Economy. As the need to various infrastructure like roads, housing and rail network increase, the field has gone through immense, within a short span. The Government of Kenyan had registered and licensed at least 300 construction firms by the end of 2014(Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2014). Having no previous study carried out to determine the effects of working capital management on profitability of construction firms listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of working capital management on the profitability of the construction firms. It was guided by the following objectives: to assess the degree to which cash management practices influence profitability of construction companies at Nairobi Securities Exchange, to analyze the degree to which accounts payable practices influence profitability of construction firms at Nairobi Securities Exchange, to measure the degree to which accounts receivable practices impact the profitability of construction companies listed on Nairobi Securities Exchange, and to determine the degree to which Inventory management influence profitability of construction companies listed on Nairobi Securities Exchange. Baumol, Miller-Orr, Just in Time and Economic Order Quantity Models guided the study. Target population was Five (5) Construction Firms listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange. Descriptive and correlational research designs were used in the research process. Since only five firms comprised the population, census sampling technique was used that involved all the population in the research study. The research tools were record survey sheet and questionnaire. Descriptive statistics of data relationship; Independent t-tests, tables, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis and presentations were generated using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21.The study found the correlation coefficient between cash and return on assets was found to be significant (r=0.49, p<0.05, β = 1.08,t=2.67), Coefficient of determination (r-sq. =0.24) implies that cash in hand explains about 24 per cent of the variability observed in return in assets. Accounts payable practices and Return on Assets, (r=0.34, p>0.05, β = 1.35, t=1.75, rsq. =0.118).This implies that there is a positive but insignificant linear relationship between accounts payable and return on assets. Accounts Receivable Practices and Return On Assets(r=0.09,p>0.05,β=0.79,t=0.44,r-sq=0.009),the accounts receivable do not have a significant effect on return on assets at five(5) level of significant, accounts receivable can only explain about 0.9 per cent of variability observed in return on assets. Inventory management practices and return on assets, (r=0.30, p>0.05 β=4.85, t=2.10, r-sq. =0.09), Inventory practices have a positive but insignificant linear relationship between inventory and return on assets. Inventory explains about Nine (9) per cent of the variability observed in return in assets. The study recommends that the finance managers should establish optimal cash targets, lower and upper cash limits in their firms. However, this study was not able to exhaust all working capital management components that have effects on profitability in construction firms. Therefore, effects of prepayments, accrued expenses, government regulations and policy, economic environment and culture on the profitability of construction firms need be established in future studies.Item Selected Factors That Influence Performance of Women Run Small Enterprises In Langata Sub County, Kenya(Laikipia University, 2016-09) Mburu, Patricia WanjeriAll over the world, it is generally accepted that women run Small Enterprises (SEs) are becoming increasingly important in employment, wealth creation, and development of innovation. Literature indicates that small enterprises encounter many challenges some of which are access to finance, access to entrepreneurial education and training, government support and high lending interest rates. Resulting from these challenges, many of these enterprises perform dismally and fail to grow. The problem that this study addressed is that women run small enterprises grow less rapidly and are likely to close sooner than other enterprises. The foregoing informed the study to assess selected factors that may influence the survival of women run SEs and progress them to the growth phase of the organizational life cycle. The study was guided by four objectives where it sought to determine the extent to which access to financial resources, entrepreneurial education and training (EET), government support and levels of interest rates influence the performance of women run small enterprises in Kenya. The research design adopted was descriptive and targeted a population of 118 small women run enterprises in Langata Sub-County. A sample size of 91 enterprises was obtained through a scientific formula upon which a questionnaire was administered. Cronbach‟s alpha was used to test internal consistency of the instrument. Data was analysed descriptively and results and findings presented in frequency tables and charts. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The findings of the study is that access to EET, government support and level of interest rates influenced performance of women run small enterprises positively while access to finance influenced performance negatively. The analysis of variance further showed that the regression model sufficiently explained the variation in performance of women run small enterprises in Langata Sub-County. The study recommends that financial institutions avail financial resources to small enterprises at affordable rates. Moreover women run SEs should seek more EET which would enable them to run their enterprises better. The study also recommends that the government should increase its financial and legal support to women run SEs because the study found that the support improved their performance. Finally the study recommends women run SEs should continue to seek funding from financial institutions in pursuit of growth and better performance. The study suggests that further research be conducted in other sub-counties of Nairobi County and Kenya at large to establish whether the factors selected for this study consistently influences performance of women- run small enterprises in those sub-counties.Item Effects of Information and Communication Technology Investments on Sustainable Competitive Advantage. A Case of Kenyan Commercial Banks in Nyahururu Town(Laikipia University, 2014-10) Odhiambo, Irene A.The link between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) has continued to take a central place in strategy research and scholarly debates. The perspectives through which ICT has been studied in organizational settings has appeared to strongly emphasize it as a powerful competitive weapon for sustainable competitive advantage, yet the extent to which the different aspects of ICT have contributed to the sustainability of that advantage has not been established. The study aimed at examining the effect of ICT investments on SCA of Kenyan commercial banks. The specific objectives were to determine the extent to which ICT assets have contributed to SCA of the banks; the extent to which ICT capabilities have contributed to SCA of the same banks; and also the extent to which the banks have invested in ICT. The study was based on the resource-based theory that seeks to direct organizations along the path to achieving sustainable competitive advantage through the use of resources and capabilities. Descriptive research design was adopted. The population of study was 94,102 customers from which a sample of 666 customers were selected. Systematic random sampling techniques was used in collection of data. Customers who filled the questionnaires and returned were 392. The data was then analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software tool. The results were presented using both graphical and summary measures in form of frequency tables, charts and graphs. Multiple regression analysis was used to draw inferences. The study found out that all the banks have invested in ICT infrastructure to a large extent and both ICT assets and ICT capabilities have a significant effect on sustainable competitive advantage. Each of these has a positive correlation with the sustainable competitive advantage. However, ICT capabilities has a stronger association with sustainable competitive advantage than ICT assets. The researcher recommends that all the banks come up with ICT strategic plans to address all the aspect of ICT investments. In addition, the study recommends that implementation and monitoring of the ICT strategic plans be ensured to enhance evaluation and justification of ICT investments made by banks.Item Analysis of Constraints Faced by Small Medium Enterprises in Using Crowdfunding as A Source of Start-Up Capital In Nakuru County, Kenya(Laikipia University, 2014-10) Odhiambo, Edwin O.Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya face difficulty in accessing formal financing. This therefore means that there is a capital gap existing in Kenya which particularly affects the limited opportunities for establishment and development of new business ventures. The concept of crowdfunding could be a solution to this capital gap. This study sought to analyze the constraints faced by Kenyan SMEs in using crowdfunding as a source of start-up capital. The study was based on three theories, the agency theory, the stakeholder theory and the static trade-off theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design because the objective of the study was systematic description of facts surrounding the use of crowdfunding. It targeted Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of crowdfunding platforms and entrepreneurs who had used crowdfunding to finance their business ventures. Self-administered structured questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 125 entrepreneurs operating small businesses within Nakuru County. Stratified proportionate sampling coupled with simple random sampling and snowball sampling were applied in selecting the respondents. Once the data had been collected it was processed, coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software tool. The results were presented using frequency tables, graphs and percentages. The research findings indicated that, a good percentage of SMEs have embraced crowdfunding with 49% of them having secured funds through this system. These SMEs highlighted risk of idea stealing, desire by financial supporters to gain control in the venture, lack of intellectual property rights and legal issues to be the major constraints that would stop them from tapping into the crowdfunding. The conclusion drawn from the study was that the constraints surrounding crowdfunding affect to a larger extent its use as a source of financing. The study also indicated that as much as SMEs are using crowdfunding, they still prefer the use of the traditional sources like banks. Based on the results of the study and the conclusions, the following key recommendations were made: Crowdfunding is a very good alternative to traditional fundraising. In order to be successful, the campaign has to be carefully designed upfront and executed with a lot of dedication. Credibility of projects generally increases when there is a team of multiple project initiators. It is important that they publish updates during the fundraising period in order to sustain this credibility. Crowdfunding platforms should facilitate and guide project initiators in such a way that they can easily optimize the success drivers. Crowdfunding platforms should facilitate and guide project initiators in such a way that they can easily optimize the success drivers.
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