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Strategic Adaptability And Innovation In The Travel Industry In Nairobi
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to explore how strategic adaptability is changing company operations and influencing innovation in the travel industry in Kenya. The study sought to answer the following research questions: what is the relationship between strategic adaptability and innovation patterns in the travel industry? What is the relationship between strategic adaptability and managerial factors in the travel industry? What are similarities and differences in the innovation approach of organizations in the travel industry?
The study used a descriptive research design. The target population comprised 446 member firms of Kenya Association of Tour Operators and Kenya Association of Travel Agents based in Nairobi. A sample size of 53 travel and tour firms representing 12 per cent of the population in Nairobi was selected. The sampling unit was top managers of the travel and tour firms. Proportionate stratified sampling was used. Data was analyzed using correlation techniques and results were presented in figures and tables.
The findings showed that innovation was positively correlated with both internal and external structuring. The level of agreement was highest for firms always striving to improve customer service and the existing organizational competency (knowledge, skills and attitude) being able to withstand changes in the travel industry. External structuring had significant effect on innovation especially on the firms’ competitive advantage being based on understanding customer's needs. Most firms also frequently and systematically measured customer satisfaction.
With respect to strategic adaptability and managerial factors, managerial factors were positively correlated to both internal and external structuring. Most firms always responded appropriately to major shifts in the travel market as well as analyzed risks and opportunities associated with addressing innovation issues. Majority of the firms identified potential revenue streams through new products, services or business models, developed new product and work processes continuously and devoted more resources to new products/services that met current and future market needs.
The study findings showed that majority of the firms had prospector and analyzer orientation with respect to innovation approach. Most firms either valued being “first with new products, markets and technologies” or were seldom first to market but frequently fast followers with a more cost-efficient or innovative product.
It was recommended that managers in the travel industry should be aware of and willing to adapt to the transformation of the travel industry in order to remain competitive and innovative. Tour operators and travel in Kenya should enhance their adaptive capacity within and outside their own firms. Future research could undertake a comparative analysis of how strategic adaptability is changing company operations and influencing innovation between travel industries in different countries
Comparative Analysis of Positioning Strategies used by Private Universities for Competitive Advantage in Kenya
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to the School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to examine the comparative analysis of the positioning strategies used by private universities for competitive advantage in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to establish what extent does top management team impact on the choice of growth strategies by private universities in Kenya? What are the branding mechanisms used? What factors contribute to increase in the enrollment rate? Within the literature review, the author has linked the thoughts of established writers in the discipline of strategic management and delved into developing a new definition of strategic management by linking it directly to competitive strategies. The total population will be 27 private universities. Target population was four selected universities which are Strathmore, Kenya College University, United States International University-Africa
and St. Paul’s University which was used in the study to compare how the positioning strategies used by private universities for competitive advantage. Herein the target population will be 237 participants.
The study adopted a descriptive research design; sample size was 237 managers/supervisors from the various institutions mean and standard deviation were used. Proportional and stratified random sampling technique sampling was adopted to provide the analysis. The study further developed open and closed structured questionnaires so as to be able to collect the primary data. The methods used enabled comparative analysis using both the qualitative and quantitative methods. The questionnaires were pilot tested before they were fully disbursed to the respondents. ANOVA was used to test whether strategies used were statically different.
The study found that some private universities pursue the same strategies differently. Thus the end results of the strategies pursued is different. The strategies are differentiated by the extent to which they apply the strategies and also the target of their strategies. ANOVA results shows that strategies pursued by different private universities significantly differed (p>0.05).
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On the relationship between top management team and the choice of growth strategies, the role of management in strategy formulation was found to be critical in the private universities; the study found that strategic decisions were formulated by the senior level managers in the universities thus axing the participation of the lower cadre staff.
The study concludes that private universities pursue branding as a way of creating competitive edge and also building the image of an institution and also as a way of increasing the market value of their institutions. The study notes that branding is viewed as a conduit upon which institutions move from their missions to visions
Study recommends that private universities work on creating efficiency of operations so as to lower the cost of running their operations so as to lower the fees and accommodate students from different financial backgrounds. Consequently, it recommended that strategic planning and implementation be highly inclusive and highly participatory to ensure that all parties take part in strategic planning and implementation. This would reduce resistance and create some sense of ownership while suppressing apathy in the institutions. Lastly the study suggested that universities invest in research and development to come up new ways of developing their brands and selling it out to the public so as to remain relevant and competitive in the higher education.
The nature and the way private universities run are different from public universities. Thus, to completely bring out deeper understanding on strategies pursued by different universities in Kenya. It is recommended that a similar study be done in public universities to have an understanding, views and approaches pursued by the public universities as well
Market Penetration Strategies of Retread Truck Tires in Kenya
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration
(MBA)The general objective of this study was to evaluate the market penetration strategies of
retread truck tires in Kenya. The research was guided by the following specific objectives: to investigate the types of market penetration strategies for retread truck tires, to assess challenges against market penetration strategies for retread truck tires and to determine the benefits of market penetration strategies for retread truck tires.
The research adopted a descriptive research design. The population for this study comprised of all 51 fleet companies in Kenya. The study adopted a census survey research design, while no sampling technique was adopted given that it was a census survey. Questionnaires were used to solicit information from the respondents and a pilot test of the questionnaires was done. Data gathered from the field was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Ms Excel, while the findings were presented using tables, graphs and figures.
The study revealed that accessibility of product offerings, visibility of marketing approaches; client communications, market penetration methods, market development strategies and product development in the existing market affect retread tires to a very large extent. The study also revealed that fuel consumption, understanding the process of retreading, usage of mileage, lack of awareness, product knowledge of retreads, lack of support of retread pricing and retread maintenance affect the retreads to a very large extent. Finally, the study revealed that retreading quality, distribution networks for retreads, advertising strategies, retreading trials, tread designs and production costs benefit the industry at a large extent.
The study concluded that the marketing approaches, market penetration methods, quality of retread and strategies of promotions for retreading were the most significant factors for the retreading business. The study also concluded that retreads achieve best performance as a new tire, high usage of mileage and lack of awareness of retreads in the Kenyan market are important factors for the organizations. Finally, the study concluded that there was retreading awareness, quality of retreading, strategies of advertisements and benefits of high rates of retreading trials to fleet industries.
The study recommends the need for fleet companies to develop the market penetration
strategies that are not just applicable to the industry but that are also relevant to the Kenyan market. This will make it easier for the strategies to be effectively implemented by the key players in the industry. The study further recommends the need for fleet companies in Kenya to develop a customer experience framework that will guide them in early problem identification so that they can come up with ways of dealing with market penetration challenges. It is also important for such companies to benchmark with other industries so as to see if these challenges are similar to them or they are unique to their industry alone.
Finally the study recommends the need for fleet companies to capitalize on the benefits of being players in this industry. This therefore means that there is need for them to consider being at the helm of things in the Kenyan industry set-up so that they can effectively capitalize on early mover advantage
Strategic Alternatives for the Continued Operation of Kenya Airways
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 concept of strategic alternatives has received a lot of attention from scholars for a very long time now. Despite numerous studies in this area, interest has not faded away. To this end, the objectives of this study were to identify the determinants of strategic alternatives to better understand what drives airlines into such alliances and to identify factors that affect the performance of the alliances.
The research was done through descriptive survey design, which involved all airlines with scheduled flights in and out of Kenya totaling thirty six (42). The target population was CEOs or senior managers within the airlines, which had response rate of 92.7%. Key findings of the study showed all the variables under study affected the strategic alternating in KQ.
The study found that the all the variables have a positive Pearson correlation which shows that the effect is direct proportion to the strategic alternatives for continued operation of Kenya Airways. Organization competitiveness have a strong relationship with organization leadership with r = 0.661 which is significant at 0.01 level.
In addition, organization competitiveness had a very strong correlation with industry challenges which had a Peasrson correlation of r = 0.836 where are it was significant at 0.01 level. Further, the correlation between organization competitiveness and organization resources had a Pearson correlation of 0.053 where by it was not significant for strategic alternatives for continued operation of Kenya Airways. The study recommends that competitive in the airline industry can be eliminated by the industries forming alliances that will allow the airline industries to rip the benefit of operating in different destination. In addition, when the airline adopts the right technology and invest on the state of the art air plane that can be able operate in the harsh climatically conditions and different routes.
Also recommends that the board of directors should always put in place the best leaders they can get because best leaders are known to foster growth of the organizations by maximizing the shareholder’s wealth. Leaders should be in front line to identify the best strategic alternatives that the organization can adapt to ensures growth. Further, the study also recommends that the airline industries should diversify their operation in order to curb the rising global oil crisis and also the economic instability of the different countries that they are operating. This will help the organization to rip the benefits even when some of the economy in which the firm is operating is economically unstable.
Finally, the study recommends that the airline industry should withhold the dividends pay out first so that the amount to be issued can be ploughed back to help boost the airline in making profit. In addition, the airline industry can think of mergers in order to eliminate competitio
An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Strategies Dealing With Music Piracy in Kenya
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters of Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of strategies adopted to deal with piracy of music in Kenya. The study was guided by the following research questions: How effective is the technology used to deal with music piracy in Kenya? How effective are ICT policies dealing with music piracy in Kenya? What challenges are faced when implementing strategies to deal with music piracy in Kenya?
The study made use of descriptive research design with the target population being 225 employees of Kenya Copyright Board. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample size of 80 respondents. The main method used when collecting information was questionnaires containing questions developed by the researcher. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in analysis of data so as to establish the relationship among the various variables. The data was analyzed in order to establish the correlation and covariance of various variables. A regression analysis was carried out to find out the relationship among various variables.
The study revealed that advancements in technology have greatly reduced the cost of duplicating content, increased storage capacity in storage devices such as computers and portable hard drives increases music piracy, the availability of multiple music formats has led to an increase in piracy and also made it harder to monitor, file sharing applications are the main source of pirated music, file sharing through flash disks are the main source of pirated music (80%), file sharing through Email are the main source of pirated music.
The study further revealed that that the best way to handle piracy is by enforcing strict legal measures to deal with offenders who use corruption to buy their way out, reducing corruption in the police force would help reduce piracy, reducing corruption in judiciary would help reduce piracy, doing enough to fight corruption would enforce copyright laws that will help stop piracy of music, lack of coordination when it comes to enforcement also reduces the effectiveness of the legal systems, jurisdiction as well as the existence of different laws among countries makes it difficult to stop piracy at an international level hence making it impossible to stop at a local level, in Kenya the judicial system is also a bit wanting and the slow processes in the justice system has hindered effective enforcement of copyright laws, the laws on music piracy are enforceable.
Finally the study revealed that that people pirate music because legal music is too expensive, Kenyans cannot afford to buy all the music they would like to listen to at a regular store, the main reason Kenyans download music illegally is because it is free, Kenyans are willing to pay for music rather than download for free where possible, Kenyans believe piracy is unfair/ wrong, Kenyans think file sharing services should be shut down, the ethical beliefs affect downloading intentions, music piracy is unethical, Kenyans do not consider downloading music from an unauthorized source stealing, friends are the main source of pirated music, friends influence people to use pirated music, Kenyans will feel embarrassed and shameful if their friends find out they are sharing copyrighted files online.
The study concludes that advancements in technology have greatly reduced the cost of duplicating content, increased storage capacity in storage devices such as computers and portable hard drives increases music piracy. The study further concludes that that the best way to handle piracy is by enforcing strict legal measures to deal with offenders who use corruption to buy their way out. Finally the study concludes that people pirate music because legal music is too expensive, Kenyans cannot afford to buy all the music they would like to listen to at a regular store, the main reason Kenyans download music illegally is because it is free, Kenyans will feel embarrassed and shameful if their friends find out they are sharing copyrighted files online.
The study recommends the need for experts to develop counter technologies that will deal with music piracy by limiting access to music content which has been pirated. The study recommends the need for policy makers to enhance enforcement mechanisms so as to deal with music piracy. There is need to have more enforcement officers to monitor music piracy and ensure effective enforcement of copyright law
Factors that Influence the Adoption of Telemedicine amongst Clinicians in Kenya
No full textA Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters in Business AdministrationThe purpose of this research was to investigate factors that influence the adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya which was achieved by answering the following research questions: To what extent does perceived ease of use of technology affect adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya; to what magnitude does perceived usefulness determine adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya and to what degree does attitude determine adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya?
The descriptive research design was used in this research. The target population consisted of 700 doctors and nurses at the Aga Khan University Hospital. The sampling frame was obtained from the hospital’s human resources office. The sample size constituted of 103 nurses and 95 doctors who were selected from the two strata through systematic random sampling. The research instrument that was used was a questionnaire consisting of a 5 point Likert scale. Data was later analysed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) to come up with generalized conclusions. The data collected on personal information and use of telemedicine was analysed using mean and cross tabs where applicable to better describe the population characteristics from the respective strata, i.e. nurses and doctors. Additionally, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to determine the relationship between the aspects of perceived ease of use and adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya; aspects of perceived usefulness and adoption amongst clinicians in Kenya & the aspects of attitude and adoption amongst clinicians in Kenya respectively.
The majority of the respondents rated the frequency of use of most of telemedicine modules as seldom. Most of the respondents agreed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude influence the adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Kenya. On the first objective, a significant correlation was found to exist between the aspects of perceived ease of use (compatibility, trialability & complexity) and adoption of telemedicine. On the second objective, a significant correlation was also found to exist between the aspects of perceived usefulness (observability, compatibility & relative advantage) and adoption of telemedicine. On the last objective, a significant correlation was found to exist between the dimensions of attitude (conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, neuroticism and extroversion) and adoption of telemedicine.
The study concluded that, in general, the rate of adoption is low amongst clinicians in Kenya. On the first objective, the study concluded that the dimensions of perceived ease of use (relative advantage, trialability, complexity and compatibility) play an important role in explaining the telemedicine adoption rates amongst clinicians in Kenya. On the second objective, the study concluded that the factors linked to perceived usefulness (compatibility, relative advantage and observability) play an important role in explaining telemedicine adoption rates amongst clinicians in Kenya. On the last objective, the study concluded the dimensions of attitude (conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, neuroticism and extroversion) play an important role in explaining the adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians Kenya.
On the first objective, the study recommended that telemedicine systems should be designed to present advantages to clinicians, allow for trial usage periods during which time clinicians can discover the features and capability of a system without making a formal commitment, the systems should also be compatible with clinicians’ values and professional standards. On the second objective, the study recommended that telemedicine implementation teams should ensure that clinicians are involved in the process of acquiring and rolling out telemedicine systems. Involving clinicians in the implementation of telemedicine systems and acting on the issues they raise will lead to the development of a system that fits into clinicians’ work process. In regards to the third objective, it was recommended that the clinicians’ representative for a telemedicine project should be an individual who is an extrovert, conscientious, open to experience and agreeable as they are more likely to focus on achieving the telemedicine implementations’ goals unlike their neurotic peers
Newsletter of the USIU-AFRICA Research,Grants and Graduate Studies Office
No full textA Newsletter of the USIU-AFRICA Research,Grants and Graduate Studies Offic
Why one-size leadership model does not fit Africa
No full textA Newspaper article by Scott bellows an Assistant professor at USIU Africa. Scott may be reached on [email protected] or follow on Twitter: @ScottProfessor.Excitement mounted around the office. The entire operations team at a manufacturing firm in Athi River planned for the past month to attend a motivational talk in Naivasha given by one of Kenya’s most admired CEOs.The team looked forward to getting out of the office, bonding in a new environment and learning key life and career lessons by the renowned speaker.
Upon arrival at the lodge, the team hurriedly made their way to the main conference room firmly intentioned not to miss the start of the CEO’s speech.
The group felt the energy in the room from many participants from other companies and the thrill of anticipation from expected boundless wisdom to roll forth from the podium.
The famed executive did not disappoint. He weaved together fascinating themes besides riveting stories of his life along his own personal ladder towards success and triumph.
The awe-inspired employees left the retreat to head back to Athi River. Moods within the staff bus along the highway back to Athi River stood initially markedly higher than even on the way to the event.
Eventually, discussion amongst the team centered on how to actualise and implement the CEOs steps in their own lives in order to boost their careers.
The conversation became less animated. The group struggled to recall specific action steps that they should take themselves.
The youngest member in the back of the bus, Juma, blurted out loudly some clichés from the speech “believe in yourself” and “follow your own path”. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Then a few seconds later, Adhiambo, a long-time employee of the firm, called out “but what do those sayings actually mean and what should we actually do?”.
The conversation continued for the two more hours to reach Athi River. The workers ended up feeling let down. While the group enjoyed their time together and the enthusiasm of the CEO’s talk, they felt bereft and realised that they lacked anything meaningful to actually follow-up on.
As stated repeatedly in Business Talk, life is full of variables. Life carries multitudes of causes and effects. What works for one person may not work for others. Inasmuch, do not live in a world of anecdotes.
Live with scientific realities.
Listeners to any CEO or other inspiring business leader amongst the many across the Kenyan landscape may hope to mimic the individual career paths of these storied executives by following in their footsteps.
Do not trust people who try to convince you about a course of action you should take by providing you one-off stories about how it worked for one specific person or another
Impacts Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Financial Performance In Telecommunication Industry: A Case Study Of Safaricom Company Limited
No full textA Research Project Report Submitted to Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The main objective of this study was to establish the effect of corporate social responsibility programs on the profitability of Safaricom Company limited. The specific objectives were; first to establish the effects of CSR programs on health, second to establish the effects of CSR programs on education and third to establish the effects of CSR programs on environment.
The methodology entailed use of descriptive research design. The sample population targeted by the survey was 12 employees of Safaricom Limited working at the top and middle level management in CSR, marketing and finance departments. For the principle of this study, a sample was acquired from the population. The study employed the use of Stratified Random Probability sampling and Convenience non-probability sampling methods. The data collection tool employed by the study was a structured questionnaire. The response rate realized was 91.97%. 11 questionnaires were duly completed and returned for analysis. Data was then analyzed by use of descriptive statistics. Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) and Ms Excel were used to analyze data.
The study found out that there is a strong relationship between the health CSR programs and the characteristic productivity of employees. The study revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between the health CSR programs and profitability. There is also a strong relationship between the Education CSR programs and the productivity of employees. From the analysis it is clear that education CSR programs had positive influence on profitability. This is supported by the coefficient of determination which shows that education CSR programs characteristics have positive correlations to profitability within the firm. Environment CSR programs were also seen to affect profitability with. Its attribute Cost reduction was negatively and significantly related to profitability. This implies that a decrease in adoption of cost reduction by one unit leads to a decrease in profitability.
The major conclusion of the study was that health, Education and Environment CSR programs influence the profitability of corporate firms positively. Inclusion of health, Education and Environment CSR program on the case company's agenda has yielded increased profits. The adoption of CSR programs by corporate firms therefore has a high potential of improving the financial performance of a company.
The study recommends that while research in companies has been largely exhausted more research needs to be done touching on customers and beneficiaries of CSR programs outside Safaricom to ascertain whether it has any influence on their brand choices which will ideally affect profitability. A similar study could also be done on a much larger sample
