3673 research outputs found
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How Bosses can Best Eliminate Self-interest in Staff Evaluations
No full textAn article on the Business Daily Newspaper by Professor Scott serves as the Director of the New Economy Venture Accelerator (NEVA) and Chair of the Faculty Senate at the United States International University-Africa,We loathe when others misrepresent our work or profit from us without partaking. Further, nothing reflects employee angst more in an organisation than the ubiquitous annual performance review. Despite Business Talk discussing the negative effects and demotivation of evaluations on 12 July 2013 along with other research in many publications, the practice still flourishes throughout Kenyan firms. Notwithstanding the anxiety that slows down work and the unconscious bias of supervisors, research conducted by Julie Rosaza and Marie Claire Villeval at the University of Montpellier and the University of Lyon in France show yet another startling trend during performance reviews. Managers actually lie. Supervisors do not just record little simple fictitious statements that slightly exaggerate or understate an employee’s performance. Managers out and out lie with stunning depth and frequency. The researchers found that bosses lie more than 33 per cent of the time on employee performance reviews
Red Tape Kills Innovation at the Modern Workplace
No full textAn article on the Business Daily Newspaper by Professor Scott serves as the Director of the New Economy Venture Accelerator (NEVA) and Chair of the Faculty Senate at the United States International University-Africa,A boss who frequently checks in on his or her employees represents one of the heights of irritation in today’s workplace. In the same vein, an organization that retains standard operating procedures that require frequent signature approvals for too many actions discourages staff and kills creativity and innovation. On the flip side, employees who frequently ask for guidance and direction from a supervisor even when given autonomy suffer from what many researchers call low selfesteem. So workers crave autonomy and managers desire autonomous workers. The above observations come off as plainly obvious to every professional Kenyan. Of course people surely desire autonomy. Unfortunately, most workplaces fail to give the autonomy besought by so many. Starting off, executives must understand that low autonomy causes low felt trust by employees. When employees feel not trusted by their employers, then they perform worse on tasks and accomplish fewer goals
Why Kenya is the place to live, study and make money
No full textAn article on the Business Daily Newspaper by Professor Scott serves as the Director of the New Economy Venture Accelerator (NEVA) and Chair of the Faculty Senate at the United States International University-Africa,From the blue waves of the Indian Ocean to the serenity of Lake Victoria, across the savannah of the East and the vistas of the North through to the breadbasket grasslands of the South and Great Rift to the fertile rolling hills of the centre and West, Kenya embodies exquisite topography and spectacularly diverse cultures.
Our cities boast splendid diversity as international melting pots with people from all over the nation, region, and world.
Often, Kenyans feel down about our own nation. Floods depress. Buildings collapse. Corruption stinks. Crime frightens.
Yet, far more positives endure, gleaming brightly. Passion. Humour. Tolerance. Entrepreneurship. Curiosity. Knowledge. These six words summarise my view of Kenya and its people.
Inasmuch, in celebration of this, my 150th Business Talk column in the Business Daily, I appreciatively take the opportunity to enhance my annual Case for Kenya
Water Level Indicator
No full textA report written by Nzioka Shadrack for Lab Project Work at USIU-AThis project is about water level indicator using raspberry pi. In this project we used led to indicate the different levels and the raspberry pi to display were exactly the level is at in terms of percentages. The simple water level indicator will activate an active buzzer which will make a continuous noise when a certain level of water is reached (maximum)
Competitive Advantage in Turbulent Business Environment: A Case of Sameer Africa Limited
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 purpose of the study was to determine competitive advantage practices used by Sameer Africa Limited in business operations. The objective of the study aimed at assessing the competitive advantages used by Sameer Africa Limited in its business practices, how Sameer Africa uses its competitive advantage to respond to turbulent environment and how Sameer Africa ensures its competitive advantage is sustainable.
The study adopted a descriptive research method in gathering, analyzing, interpretation, and presentation of information. The descriptive research design helped in focusing at the strength of relationship between competitive advantages and turbulent business environment. The study employed the use of questionnaires to obtain relevant information from respondents. The study focused on 172 executive and management of Sameer Africa Limited. Probability sampling technique was used to determine the sample size (60 respondents) and collect data from the sample. The study adopted a descriptive and inferential statistics in data analysis and presentation. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were used in the study to determine the competitive advantage practices used by Sameer Africa limited in turbulent business environment. Data were presented in tables and charts.
From the study, it was found that organizational leadership is very critical in determining the organizational competitiveness. To enhance organizational competitiveness, transformational leaders of Sameer Africa Limited stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve extraordinary outcomes and develop their own leadership capacity. The study found that good leadership in an organization enhances technological deployment in an organization that impacts overall strategic planning process. Improvements in transformational leadership based competencies should lead to marketplace positional advantages through competitive strategies.
The study found that Sameer Africa Limited uses different respond strategies like; market and product development, vertical integration, research and development, price fluctuations among others to respond to turbulent business environment. The study revealed that market and product development highly helps Sameer Africa to respond to turbulent business environment. When for instance there is high competition in the market, Sameer Africa Limited would develop a market or product counter the completion. Research and development helps the company in discovering new products and new ways of offering services to the customers hence enhancing the competitive edge of the company.
The study found that to enhance sustainability of competitive advantages, Sameer Africa Limited need to be doing continuous scanning of the business environment. Environment scanning helps to identify early signals of changes and trends. Enterprise risk management is also an important factor as it involves the establishment of well-defined controls to mitigate risks in line with the risk profile and culture of the organization. It was found out that strategic diagnosis helps in ensuring sustainability of competitive advantages as it identifies whether a firm needs to change its strategic behavior to be sure of success in the future business environment. Monitoring is crucial as it helps in detecting meaning through ongoing observations of environmental changes and trends. The study also found that strategic issue processing techniques can help managers to identify issues and plan appropriate actions that address high priorities.
The study concludes that the type of organizational leadership determines the competitiveness of Sameer Africa Limited. It also concludes that Sameer Africa Limited uses competitive advantages to respond to turbulent business environment. The study confirms that Sameer Africa Limited uses different respond strategies like; market and product development, vertical integration, research and development, price fluctuations among others to respond to turbulent business environment. The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is important in establishing well-defined controls to mitigate risks in line with the risk profile and culture of the particular organization. The study recommends the executive and management of Sameer Africa emulate more of transformational leadership style. The study recommends transformational leadership because improvements in transformational leadership based competencies leads to marketplace positional advantages through competitive strategies. The study also recommends the adoption of marketing strategy as it helps in pricing, promotion, advertising, product design and distribution. The study recommends scanning or business environment as it helps in identifying early signals of business environmental changes and trends
The Effects Of External Financing On The Growth Of Savings And Credit Co-Operative Societies’ Wealth In Nairobi County, 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 in Business Administration (MBA)The main objective of this study was to establish the effects of external financing on the growth of Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies’ wealth in Nairobi County in Kenya. The specific objectives were: first to establish the negative and positive effects of external financing on growth of SACCOS’ wealth, second to establish the determinants of external financing that affect the growth of SACCOS’ wealth, and third to establish the association of external financing component of capital structure and the growth of SACCOS’ wealth.
The methodology entailed use of descriptive research design. The target population for this study was 43 licensed SACCOs as at December 2014 in Nairobi County as deposit taking by SASRA and were in operation since 2010. For the principle of this study, a sample was acquired from the population. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires administered to 35 respondents that were sampled from the study. Out of this sample size 30 responded. Secondary data was also collected, by use of document review guide. Two research assistants were trained to assist in the data collection. Data was then analyzed by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) and Ms Excel were used to analyze data.
The study found that growth of SACCOS’ wealth increased each year for the last five years in terms of borrowings, capital and assets adequacy, earnings and liquidity trajectories; that legal environment was conducive for SACCOs in Kenya but with certain areas that required improvement; and management practices were positive in the management of equity ratio. The study revealed that it was possible to finance non withdrawable capital funded assets and to provide cushion to absorb losses and impairment of members’ savings. In case of the SACCOs that would face emergence of unexpected risks, the growth of SACCOS’ wealth in the County would ensure sustainability of the industry.
The major conclusion of the study was that SACCOs can easily access external finances and invest in profitable opportunities because when properly invested then external finances are a catalyst for growth; that the growth of SACCOS’ wealth significantly depended on management quality, earnings, liquidity, capital structure, and funds allocation; and that if equity ratios were properly managed then liquidity gaps would be financed and hence stability of SACCOs would be enhanced.
The study recommends that SACCOs should adopt common measurements of best-practice in financial management; that SASRA should introduce cash management controls that will be applied across all the deposit taking SACCOs including the small ones; and that SACCOs should do proper analysis of investment options and only invest in profitable opportunities as this will ensure that SACCOs do not incur losses
Impact of Credit Reference Bureaus on Credit Risk Management among Selected Commercial Banks in Nairobi, 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 in Business Administration (MBA)In Kenya, the use of Credit Reference Bureaus to mitigate credit risk is a novel concept barely ten years of age. The purpose of this study was thus to assess the impact of Credit Reference Bureaus on Credit Risk Management among selected commercial banks in Nairobi, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to examine the following research objectives: The impact of Credit Information Sharing, the impact of Credit Reference Bureau Procedures and the impact of Credit Reference Bureau Policies on Credit Risk Management among selected commercial banks in Nairobi.
The study used descriptive survey design while the population of interest consisted of 46 commercial banks operating in Nairobi out of which only 31 banks (tiers I and II) were selected purposively. Primary data was collected by self-administering close-ended questionnaires, following a five point likert scale, to the respondents through drop and pick method. Responses to the questionnaires were analysed, processed and tabulated by use of a computer Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 programme. The data collected was cleaned then coded and checked for any errors and omissions. Frequency tables and percentages were used to present the findings. A regression relationship was then generated to show the extent to which the dependent variable was affected by each of the independent variables.
The study found out that to a very great extent Credit Information Sharing affected credit risk management in the commercial banks and that Credit reference bureaus compiled credit information, public record data and identity, made them available to the bank in the form of a credit report of individuals and organizations. When banks evaluated a request for credit, they either collected information on the applicant first-hand or sourced this information from other lenders who had already dealt with the applicant and these information sharing mechanisms reduced adverse selection by improving the pool of borrowers.
The study also revealed that to a great extent Credit Reference Bureau Procedures affected Credit Risk Management in the commercial banks and that upon the request of a user, credit reference bureaus provided credit reports that contained particular individuals’ credit history. Credit bureaus collect, organize and consolidate information from many lenders, who
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associate with the bureau by providing access to their databases. Finally, the study also found out that CRB Policies to a great extent have an impact on Credit Risk Management and that the objectives of CRBs can only be achieved by implementing effective policies which assist in both objective and subjective decision making.
The study concluded that CRBs allowed commercial banks to better distinguish the credit worth of their customers and mitigate their credit risk. CRB reports had a significant effect on non-performing loans, good borrowers also benefited from lower interest rates, as lenders competed for their business. The study also concluded that CRBs have played a significant role in as far as risk identification and monitoring is concerned and prudential regulation and effective management of the standard credit reference bureau would lead to more robust credit policy enforcement.
The study recommended that the government should ensure mandatory compliance to settlement of debts as constitutionally required of the integrity section of the Kenyan law through licensing more bureaus to increase the availability of information among the banks and that the government and the lending institutions should educate the borrowers on the importance of credit bureaus such as the reduction of the price of borrowing and as regards the regulations
The Influence of Strategic Planning and Forecasting on Humanitarian Aid Delivery in Somalia
No full textA Journal paper by Dr.Peter Kiriri and Dr. Teresia Kavoo Linge who are Lecturers in the the Chandaria School of Business at USIU - AfricaThe objective of this study was to determine the influence of strategic planning and forecasting on humanitarian aid delivery effectiveness in humanitarian organizations in Somalia. With regard to research methodology, this study used positivism
approach and correlational design. A sample of 394 senior management teams (SMTs) of international and national NGOs delivering aid in Somalia through census were selec
ted. Findings from this study showed that there was a significant and positive relationship between three independent variables (strategic planning, contingency planning and strategic forecasting) and humanitarian aid delivery effectiveness. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that
humanitarian leaders to have clear vision, strategic, operational, contingency plans that mitigate external environmental and drive immediate humanitarian response
Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Optimal Malaria Control Strategies in Kenya
No full textA publication by Gabriel Okello, a Staff at USIU-A from his PhD Thesis in the Department of Statistics and Computer Science, Moi UniversityMalaria remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among the children under five
and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is preventable and controllable provided current recommended interventions are properly implemented. Better utilization of malaria intervention strategies will ensure the gain for the value for money and producing health improvements in the most cost effective way. The purpose of the value for money drive is to develop a better understanding (and better articulation) of costs and results so that more informed, evidence-based choices could be made. Cost effectiveness analysis is carried out to inform decision makers on how to determine
where to allocate resources for malaria interventions. This study carries out cost effective analysis of one or all possible combinations of the optimal malaria control strategies (Insecticide Treated Bednets—ITNs, Treatment, Indoor Residual Spray—IRS and Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Pregnant Women—IPTp) for the four different transmission settings in order to assess the extent to which the intervention strategies are beneficial and cost effective. For the four different transmission settings in Kenya the optimal solution for the 15 strategies and their associated effectiveness are computed. Cost-effective analysis using Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) was done after
ranking the strategies in order of the increasing effectiveness (total infections averted). The findings shows that for the endemic regions the combination of ITNs, IRS, and IPTp was the most cost-effective of all the combined strategies developed in this study for malaria disease control and prevention; for the epidemic prone areas is the combination of the treatment and IRS; for seasonal areas is the use of ITNs plus treatment; and for the low risk areas is the use of treatment only. Malaria transmission in Kenya can be minimized through tailor-made intervention strategies for malaria control which
produces health improvements in the most cost effective way for different epidemiological zones.
This offers the good value for money for the public health programs and can guide in the allocation of malaria control resources for the post-2015 malaria eradication strategies and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
Incorporating Storytelling intoTeaching and Learning
No full textA Colloquium presentation by Dr. Martin Mburu at USIU-