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The making of an outstanding PhD programme
No full textA Newspaper article by Scott Bellows, an Assistant Professor in the Chandaria School of Business at USIU-AfricaIn the world of doctoral degrees, not all PhDs are created equal. In the past two weeks, Business Talk covered what to look for in choosing a business school and a doctoral supervisor. Now, let us delve into specifics to ask your desired prospective doctoral programmes.
A doctoral student desires a programme that holds the highest standards of academic rigour combined with appropriate programmatic structure.
Often programmes excel in one area and flounder in the other. The worst programmes fail in both areas.
First, academic rigour must hold prominence in your PhD selection. The learner should not desire a glorified secondary school-style doctorate just to put a fake “Dr” before their name. Employers and quality universities are not fooled by dismal doctoral programmes for job applicants.
Please find the following factors that indicate whether your programme holds academic rigour. There exists a difference between academic research and journalistic investigations or novel case studies
Ideology and Representation of Women Political Aspirants in the 2017 General Election Primaries Campaign Posters in Nairobi County: A Cultural Studies Approach
No full textA Conference presentation by Dr. Joseph Nyanoti, a lecturer of Journalism and Media Studies at USIU-Africa during the International Communication Association (ICA) Conference - held in Prague, Czech Republic from May 24 to May 28, 2018.Although the Kenyan Constitution stipulates that women be represented by at least a third in all public institutions, including political positions, this expectation seems too ambitious. Feminists feel that Kenya is a patriarchal society where politics, like other leadership positions, is male-controlled. The common narrative is that politics in Kenya is approached from a patriarchal perspective, including creating campaign posters of women aspirants. The present study set out to investigate this assumption by critically analyzing campaign posters. Using the semiotic approach, the researcher analyzed campaign posters for women aspirants in the primaries’ nominations for the 2017 general election to decode meanings embedded in these posters. Findings indicate that, much as these posters contain messages that are expected to persuade Nairobi voters to elect these women, they are replete with hidden meanings that promote patriarchal ideologies. They represent the women aspirants in their stereotypical roles as mothers, nurturers and passive beauties for the male gaze. The researcher concludes by suggesting that unless people look at media texts, like campaign posters, critically these posters are not going to help in promoting leaders who can bring about social change, including gender equality in politics. The researcher recommends promotion of media literacy at all levels of society, which is the main project of media cultural studies
Internationalization Practices and Their Effect on Universities Growth: A Case of USIU –Africa
No full textA Research Project Submitted to Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of internationalization practices on universities’ growth with particular reference to United States International University (USIU)-Africa. The research study was guided by the following objectives:To determine the effect of internationalization of the curriculum; to establish effect of international accreditation; to determine the effect of the presence of international faculty and students finally to determine the effect of exchange programs on USIU-Africa’s growth.
Descriptive research design was used to describe the different research objectives in relation to internationalization of USIU-Africa. The population of the USIU-Africa top, middle and lower level management comprised of 685 employees, while according to the registrar’s office list the number of international students who enrolled during the Spring semester 2018 was 550 students thus the study’s target population will be 1,235 respondents. Simple random sampling was used to determine respondents from each stratum. Descriptive analysis contained measures of central tendency (means) and dispersion (standard deviation). Inferential statistics such as correlation and simple regression were used as a means of drawing conclusions. Data was presented in tables and figures research findings will be analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20).
The findings revealed that there is a clear rationale for internationalisation of the curriculum program. Internationalization has strengthened international research collaboration at USIU. А Pеаrson corrеlаtion аnаlysis donе еstаblished а strong positivе rеlаtionship bеtwееn thе vаriаblеs. It was also established that there are enough faculty to foster foreign language acquisition.The school has enough facility to cater for intеrnational faculty and students. Faculty members, in general, demonstrate their knowledge of cross-cultural issues. А Pеаrson corrеlаtion donе еstаblished а strong positivе rеlаtionship bеtwееn thе vаriаblеs. Majority disagreed that exchangе programs have bееn promotеd as a stratеgic componеnt for strеngthеning acadеmic curricula. А Pеаrson corrеlаtion donе estаblished а strong positivе rеlаtionship bеtwееn thе vаriаblеs. The findings revealed that international accreditation has aided USIU to develop academic cooperation with foreign universities. USIU has gained an international outlook and global competitiveness due to international accreditation. А Pеаrson corrеlаtion donе to еstаblishеd а strong positivе rеlаtionship bеtwееn thе vаriаblеs.
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It was concluded that at USIU Africa, there is a clear rationale for internationalization of the curriculum program and the internationalized of the curriculum has prepared students to be successful in the global society. The university also boasts of enough faculty members to foster foreign language acquisition and interactions with international students. As a global community, greater participation of USIU faculty and students in international conferences has also been experienced. The institutions strengths and weaknesses have also been determined easily through the process of internal and external quality assurance on the basis of international accreditation.
The study recommended that USIU needs to continuously engage teaching and learning arrangements to support students to work effectively in cross-cultural groups and teams. USIU Africa should offer more opportunities for academic faculty to undertake training abroad under sponsored study programs for faculty who lack the exposure. Many students need to be encouraged to participate in a student exchange program or study abroad program, not necessary in the western world but also in the regional spectrum. USIU-Africa needs to maintain international accreditation to develop academic cooperation with foreign universities. This will aid the institution compete effectively in the world of academia.
For further studies, a similar study should be undertaken in other private and public universities in the country. In addition, a comparison could be made to determine the impact of internationalization practices on private and public institutions of higher learning in the country
The Principle of Territorial Integrity as a Determinant of Kenya’s National Security Policy 2002-2016
No full textA Thesis Submitted To The School Of Humanities And Social Sciences In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Award Of Masters Of Arts Degree In International Relations (Diplomacy & Foreign Policy)Kenya has continually faced numerous security challenges. This study examines the principle of territorial integrity as a determinant of Kenya’s national security policy from 2002-2016. The scope covers the period from 2002-2016. This time period is significant because it is the time in which the Moi regime that lasted for 24 years came to an end, ushering the state into a new political dispensation. This study has been guided by three research questions namely; i) how has the porous nature of the Kenya-Somalia border impacted on Kenya’s security? ii) What is the impact of proliferation of small arms and criminals on Kenya’s security? iii) How has Kenya responded to the territorial threats to its borders and what were the outcomes achieved? This study used secondary data sourced from unclassified government publications, journals, media reports, published books and online sources. This study established that that the porous nature of the Kenya- Somalia border has created an influx of a large number of refugees in Kenya, leading to proliferation of small arms and weapons hence fueling crime in Keny
An Assessment of Successful Business Organisation Transformation in Kenya: A Case of Rwathia Group of Companies
No full textA Project Research Report Submitted To the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The central focus of this study was to advance knowledge regarding business transformation in Kenya. The objective was to carry out an assessment of successful organisational transformation with a focus on Rwathia Group of Companies.The study was guided by the following research questions: What constitute successful organisation transformation? What are the drivers of organisation transformation? And what is the impact of successful organisation transformation. The study was a quantitative research with a target population of 50 members of the top management of five Rwathia Group of Companies. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 50 members of top management drawn equally from each stratum comprising of five companies in Rwathia Group of Companies. Primary data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire developed on the basis of the research questions. Descriptive statistics including the mean, frequency, percentages and standard deviations was used during analysis. The information obtained after analysis was then presented using frequency table and pie charts. Findings based on the research question revealed that most respondents agreed organisational transformation is an extension of organisational development, dynamic environmental conditions have made change management a key competitive asset and dynamic environmental conditions have made change management a key competitive asset. However, there was uncertainty onwhether employees are aware of where,how and in what direction the firm should change and on whether the organization makes structural changes to reduce costs and increase profitability. The researcher concluded that the organizations have developed programs that have enabled them cause major revolutionary changes and through these changesthe organizations have been able to provide outstanding customer service. However, the organizations need to be aware of strategic changes that are influenced by external events in order to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of these changes. Theorganizations also need to have a culture that will promote trust and reduce resistance to change to enable them to eliminate external threats and internal changes. The research recommends that further studies be carried out to establish other factors that might lead to a successful business organization transformation in Kenya especially in family run businesse
Effect of Talent Management Practices on Employee Morale: A Case of Kenya Commercial Bank Limited
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of talent management practices on the morale of employees at Kenya Commercial Bank. This research was guided by the three research questions; how does talent development affect employee morale in Kenya Commercial Bank? How does performance management affect employee morale in Kenya Commercial Bank? How do retention practices affect employee morale in Kenya Commercial Bank?
This study used a descriptive design approach. The target population of this study was the 75 employees of Kenya Commercial Bank at the Nairobi KenCom branch. Census sampling was used whereby all 75 employees were involved in the study. A specifically designed structured questionnaire was the tool used to collect primary data for this study. The data, after collection, was analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages for easier interpretation. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were then used to show how the independent variables influence the dependent variables. The data was thereafter analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Tables, figures and charts were finally used to present the findings.
The findings of this study showed that talent development practices affected the level of morale of majority of the respondents. Many of the respondents indicated that their jobs were directly linked to the achievement of the company strategy. Most respondents also agreed that the bank uses both internal and external sources to effectively fill available vacancies. In addition, the respondents indicated that the bank conducts training and development programs which have increased their skills and competencies.
This study has concluded that talent development practices do not significantly influence employee morale. However, the study established that training and development improves employee skills and competencies and enables employees to perform better. The use of performance appraisals and the Balanced Score Card makes performance management easier and accurate when based on clear and achievable Key Performance Indicators. Both financial and non-financial motivational practices increase employee retention. Unbiased compensation and reward management contributes to employee retention and employee morale.
Findings derived from this study indicated that the organization’s performance management practices were not significantly related to the level of employee morale. However, most of the respondents indicated that the organization used performance appraisals to analyze the level of individual performance. In addition to the use of performance appraisals, most respondents also agreed that the salaries, rewards and promotions are tied to performance appraisal results. Majority of the respondents also agreed that the bank has achievable Key Performance Indicators and uses a balanced score card to determine performance standards.
The research determined that talent retention practices significantly influence employee morale. Most respondents agreed that the financial ad non-financial motivation practices used by the organization increased their morale. Majority of respondents indicated that the organization offers a conducive work environment and work life balance which fosters morale. The respondents also agreed that in addition to fair and unbiased competition, the bank uses incentives to increase employee morale
This study recommends training evaluation after each training exercise to establish the impact of training and the appropriateness of the training method used. The study also recommends fair and consistent metrics to evaluate performance and training for supervisors on how to conduct appraisals and give accurate and unbiased feedback. Finally, development of talent pools from which the organization can source talent to facilitate succession planning as vacancies become available is recommended
Effect of Ownership, Capital and Cost Structures on Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya
No full textA Research Report Submitted to the Chandaria Business School of Business in partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)Financial performance of commercial banks is very important since banks play an important financial intermediation role in the economy. One of the determinants of commercial banks’ financial performance is the banks’ ownership structure, the capital structure, and the cost structure and this was the focus of the study. The objective of the study sought to address the following three research questions in the context of Kenya; How does the ownership structure of banks affect financial performance? How does the capital structure of commercial banks affect the bank performance, and finally, how does the cost structure of the bank affect financial performance? ROA and ROE was used to assess financial performance. This research applied descriptive and inferential statistics to determine the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables of the three objectives. A descriptive research design was applied to a population of forty two commercial banks operating in Kenya. Secondary data was used and was collected from banks’ published annual reports and financial reports. Regression and correlation analyses was used and based on the association among the variables. The software SPSS was the analysis tool for this study. The study aimed to bridge the knowledge gap on some of the elements influencing financial performance and profitability of commercial banks in Kenya and seeks to be of benefit to the commercial banks, regulatory bodies, government, and investors. The study findings indicated that ownership structure has a significant impact on both return on assets and return on equity. Private-public ownership had a significant impact on financial performance but foreign-local ownership did not have a significant impact on financial performance. Capital structure also had a significant impact on both return on assets and return on equity, with debt-to-total assets ratio having a significant effect on return on assets, but had no significant effect on debt-to-total equity ratio. With regards to the third objective, the study found that cost structure had a significant effect on both return on assets and return on equity, with loan loss-to-income ratio the only variable having a significant effect on return on assets, while all the three variables, had a significant effect on the return on equity. The study recommended that proper management guidelines should be provided for both public and private commercial banks since private-managed banks perform better than public-managed. Proper governance and use of Acts such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Cadbury report are important for management of banks. The study also recommended that individual banks should identify their optimal level of external debt by analysing the costs and the benefits in order to maximize profitability. Finally, the study recommended that operational costs should be minimized without interfering with the quality of service, and proper vetting of loan applicant should be done to minimize loan losses
An Assessment of Inventory Management and Competitive Advantage of Modern Retail Firms in Kenya
No full textA Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of this study was to assess inventory management in relation to competitive advantage of modern retail businesses in Kenya. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What are the challenges on inventory management in modern retail businesses? What are the effects of inventory management on competitive advantage in modern retail business? What are the appropriate inventory management strategies that would ensure sustainable competitive advantage in modern retail business?
The study adopted the descriptive research design on a population of 165 branches of the top five supermarkets in Kenya out of which a sample of 117 branches was studied. The study used stratified random sampling as the sampling technique. Structured questionnaires were administered to all respondents. Prior to the study, a pre-test survey was conducted to test the validity and applicability of the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS and analyzed data presented in frequency tables and figures.
The study established that there was a positive relationship between all three challenges of inventory management and firm’s competitive advantage. The three challenges studied are demand variations and uncertainty, inventory management and control, and skills and competencies of the managers. There was also a positive relationship between both on-shelf availability and inventory turnover and firm’s competitiveness whereas there was a negative correlation between inventory holding cost and competitiveness. Inventory management strategies on IT, supply chain integration and inventory management and control were also found to be positively related to a firm’s competitiveness.
The study concluded that the modern retail firms are aware of the challenges of inventory management in their industry and have put systems in place to counter these. It however noted that despite this, there are still out of stock and non-performing inventory instances in the stores. The study also noted that the firms did not have a fully elaborate inventory management policy and did not fully enforce it in all the branches. It was also concluded that the use of ABC analysis, inventory optimization and inventory strategic planning were key to achieving inventory performance and that IT and supply chain integration enhanced the efficiency and profitability of the firms.
Based on these findings, the study had the following recommendations. First of all, modern retail firms need to create inventory management policies covering all aspects and ensure full implementation in all their branches. They should also train their inventory managers on technologically-based inventory management systems and policy implementation. The study also recommends that the modern retail firms invest more in IT and technological systems to ensure JIT supply and restocking to improve their on-shelf availability and inventory turnover. System such as RFID would enhance visibility and lead to improved forecasting and information sharing between the different firms along the supply chain
Effects of Incentives and Rewards on Employee Productivity in Small Banks in Kenya: A Case Study of First Community Bank
No full textA Research Project Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA)The research focused on the assessment of the effects of incentives and rewards; and how they affect employee productivity. The project examined how financial, non-financial and rewards systems affect the performance of employees and also tried to establish which type of incentive or reward was more valued by the employees to enhance productivity. The study was guided by the research questions that included; to assess the effects of financial incentives on employee productivity in small banks, effects of non-financial incentives on employee productivity in small banks and to assess the effects of reward system on employees’ productivity.
The research was conducted at a period when the banking industry was undergoing some difficulties especially when CBK had introduced a regulation on the interest rate capping. With this regulations on the interest rates, identifying the motivators is becoming more challenging for the HR Management. Perceived value that can motivate employees to be more productive should be identified and enhanced. Based on a critical review of published journal articles, it is well demonstrated on how crucial incentives and reward systems are to the performance of any organization. Employees are a company's livelihood. How they feel about the work they are doing and the results received from that work directly effects an organization's performance.
The study adopted descriptive survey design. The population of interest was the staff of First Community Bank but limited to the Nairobi branches only. Stratified sampling was used to determine the sample size of 164 employees from the total population. Data was collected using structured questionnaires that were based on the research questions and coding was done for ease of analysis through SPSS. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data.
The first research question looked at the effects of financial incentives on employee productivity in small banks. According to the findings, there was a positive relationship between financial incentives and employee productivity. The second research question discussed the non-financial incentives on employee productivity in small banks. Majority of the respondents indicated that there was a significant relationship between non-financial incentives and employee productivity. The final question tested how effective reward system positively affects employee productivity. After the research, it was evident that there was a positive significant relationship with between reward systems and employee productivity.
In conclusion, the study revealed that all the incentives and reward systems are important though they have a different meaning to different categories of employees working for First Community Bank. The study therefore showed that different incentives and rewards have different effects on employee productivity. The study further revealed that there is a need for First Community Bank to come up with a comprehensive reward systems that can motivate employee to increase their productivity.
Recommendations for improvement at First Community Bank includes coming up with a well-structured and monitored reward system which includes a profit sharing mechanism, promotions and career growth for all the employees; that is well known and understood by all employees, employee participation in decision making process, recognition of employee’s outstanding performance, organize at least four social events to enhance team spirit, well structure talent management addressing the development needs, succession planning and growth of all employees. This will enhance healthy competition among employees, retention, royalty and increase employee productivity.
Revenue Management Practices In the International Airline Industry within Kenya: A Case Study of Air France-KLM Group
No full textA Research Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of this study was to identify the specific revenue management techniques that the Air France-KLM Group applied and their influence on competition in the airline passenger business within the Kenyan market. Specifically the research sought to: first what are the pricing techniques used by the airline to remain competitive?, second how does the airline use inventory management tools to optimize its capacity?, and lastly how does the airline competitively position and benchmark itself using revenue management?
This study applied a descriptive research design since it was found to be the best to fulfill the objectives of the study. The target population for this study was all the 50 commercial department local staff who interacted with revenue management on a day to day basis and split between three department’s sales, marketing, and management at Air France-KLM group. The sample frame for this study was obtained from the company’s local Human Resources department. Stratified sampling technique was adopted for the study and simple random sampling was used to draw sub-samples from each stratum. The sample size for the study was 38 respondents. Primary data was used in the study and collected using semi-structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered through a drop and pick method. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to measure the strength and differences in responses received. Inferential statistics (correlation analysis) was used to measure significant factors of the study variables that were later on used to run a regression analysis to examine the nature of relationship that existed. Data was represented in the form of tables, and figures that indicated the frequency distribution of the data.
The study showed that pricing of airline seats at Air-France-KLM played a crucial role in improving their revenues, and the organization had various pricing strategies which varied from simplistic for developing markets, to highly tuned developed markets to maximize on profits. Air France-KLM used customer behavior to tailor make its pricing strategies and make products for their different passenger segments, and it had been forced to transition from simplistic pricing strategies to a more segmented and solution focused strategy. The organization had specific prices or fares for different fare classes which had been predetermined, and these price cabins did not fluctuate significantly, since they were changed periodically based on competitive factors. The organization also used price discrimination based on developments in technology, commercial and current business environment, and it used real-time sales data to update the demand distribution and dynamically sets its prices. The company made use of the seat allocation technique as a standard leg-based revenue management method for optimization and setting its booking limits.
The study showed that Air France-KLM’s ultimate goal was to find the right mix of passengers willing to purchase their inventory to maximize profits. The company had a booking control policy in place that was used as a guideline for allocating seats for optimal allocation, and it used deep discounts classes in cases where a single fare class existed independently and would be possible to sell a low revenue reservation and simultaneously turn away a high revenue passenger. The study showed that Air France-KLM did not impose limits on the number of requests that could be approved for every class, and its request for a seat was analyzed in real time, based on the unsold seats and time to departure of the flight.
The study further showed that, when Air France-KLM wanted to increase its revenue, it shifted some demand from high demanded flights to flights with low demand. The company predicted carefully the peak seasons and offered discounted tickets for flights out of that period. Despite available steps available for reducing fuel costs, the company still struggled with increased fuel costs, and it did not try to shift the cost to its customers in the form of fuel surcharges. Air France-KLM had a problem in deciding when to close the sale of tickets on one particular price and open sales on the next price level.
The study recommends Air France-KLM to ensure that its revenue management relies on the collection of data and factual evidence to support its strategies and tactical application, to increase both revenue and profit. This would increase their profitability since, revenue management uses the basic principles of supply and demand economics, in a tactical way, to generate incremental revenues.