1150 research outputs found
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Graduation Booklet
No full textThe 9th congregation for the conferment of degrees and award of diplomas by the Chancellor of Karatina University on Friday 3rd December 2021 starting at 9.00 am at Karatina University, Main Campus
Strategic Resources, a Driver of Performance in Small and Medium Manufacturing Enterprises in Kenya
Get PDFDOI: 10.25103/ijbesar.142.04Purpose:
This study sought to establish the effect of strategic resources on performance of small and
medium manufacturing enterprises. Specifically, the study sought to identify how financial
resources, human resources, physical resources and intellectual capital affect performance of
small and medium manufacturing enterprises in Kenya.
Methodology:
Positivism research philosophy was utilised. Cross-sectional descriptive survey as well as explanatory study design were used in the study. The target population for the study was 350 Kenyan SMEs in the manufacturing sector. A sample of 183 firms was selected using stratified random sampling. One respondent from each firm was selected being the managing director. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Diagnostic tests for multicollinearity and normality were conducted before data analysis. The research questionnaire was tested for content validity and reliability after. Data was analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Data collected was analysed using SPSS V23.
Finding:
The study found that strategic resources have a significant influence on significant influence on performance of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya. Specifically, financial, human and physical resources all positively and significantly influenced the performance of Kenyan SMEs while intellectual resources as no effect on performance. The study therefore concluded that financial resources have a positive and significant influence on performance of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya, human resource was found to be significant in predicting performance. Physical resources have a significant influence on performance of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya while intellectual capital has no significant influence on performance of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya.
Study Implication:
The study recommended that Management of manufacturing SMEs should ensure that there are enough financial resources to meet their daily transactions and ensure that they are able to acquire the relevant strategic resources for efficient running of their firms; have adequate, committed and well-skilled personnel with the required expertise; should invest significantly in physical resources in order to maximise the performance of these firms; carry our cost benefit analysis before committing their resources to protect their intellectual capital in form of patents.
Value of the Study:
The study showcases the influence of strategic resources on performance of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya
Karatina University 9th Graduation Booklet 2021
No full textKaratina University 9th Graduation Bookle
Information Organization Activities in the Knowledge Management Setting
Get PDFDOI: 10.6025/jdim/2021/19/1/1-9This study examines information organization activities in the knowledge management environment. The investigation commences with the long-drawn debate on the concept of Knowledge Management and the literature that has hitherto reviewed it. Furthermore, the study delves into how conventional bibliographic information retrieval techniques and expert search systems have heretofore been applied in the organization and retrieval of digital resources and if they can be
employed in the Knowledge management setting. It is contended that though the procedures, tools, and techniques are effectual and productive, they cannot be utilized in a knowledge intensive environment. Accordingly, the study puts forth a generic knowledge management framework that can be applied in a knowledge management setting. In addition, it proposes novel research gaps in the context of information organization
The effects of clonidine and yohimbine in the tail flick and hot plate tests in the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber).
No full textAbstractObjective: The naked mole rat (NMR) (Heterocephalus glaber) is increasingly considered an important biomedical research model for various conditions like hypoxic brain injury, cancer and nociception. This study was designed to investigate the effects of clonidine and yohimbine, an alpha-2 (α2) adrenoceptor agonist and antagonist respectively in the tail flick and hot plate tests.
Results: A significant difference in tail flick latency was noted between saline control and 30 µg/kg clonidine, which was reduced after administration of 30 µg/kg yohimbine. A significant difference in hot plate latency was also noted between saline control and 30 µg/kg clodinine during the periods 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 min after administration, and between saline control and 10 µg/kg clonidine during 30 min after administration. The hot plate latency by 30 µg/ kg clonidine was also reduced by 30 µg/kg yohimbine during 30 min after administration. Since the tail-flick and hot plate tests mediate the effects at spinal and supraspinal levels respectively, the present study indicates the presence and involvement of noradrenergic receptors in thermal antinociception at spinal and supraspinal levels of the NMR, similar to what has been found in other mammals
INFORMATION LITERACY PRACTICES AS A TOOL FOR ACCESSING AND UTILIZING INFORMATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA
Get PDFInformation Literacy PracticesBackground of the study: Information literacy practices have been recognized as essential educational goals to judge and evaluate student’s aptitude for critical thinking, decision making and problem-solving. Inculcating information literacy skills to students is not only significant to survival but also enables them to know when they need information, how to locate information and how to use information hence success in their studies. However, the state of information literacy practices in secondary schools in Kenya has not been adequately investigated to determine their degree of effectiveness.
Objective of the study: Consequently, this study aimed at investigating information literacy practices as a tool for accessing and utilizing information in secondary schools in Kenya.
Methodology: The study was based on a pragmatic paradigm where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. Data was collected from a targeted population which consisted of 288 teachers, 12 school/teacher librarians and 1785 students from 12 sampled schools. Questionnaires were administered to teachers and students while an interview schedule guide was used to gather data from school/teacher librarians. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and presented in form of tables, charts and graphs and verbatim reports. The study was important as it elicited discussions that could be used for purposes of adoption of an information literacy programme in secondary schools.
Results and findings: The findings show that some information literacy practices were available in secondary schools but not effectively practiced resulting to students proceeding to institutions of higher learning without adequate information literacy skills.
Conclusions and recommendations: The study concludes that information literacy is a prerequisite tool for accessing and using information in secondary schools. Information literacy skills enables students to conduct independent information search, efficiently retrieve information using modern technologies, critically evaluate their findings and effectively apply relevant information into their day to day situations. Therefore, the incorporation of information literacy practices into secondary schools’ curriculum would institutionalize information literacy in secondary schools
Determinants of Agricultural Imports in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Gravity Model
Get PDFImport dependency on agricultural products in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been increasing over the last two decades raising a lot of concern on the determinants of agricultural imports and their impact on economic growth. This study examines the determinants of agricultural imports in SSA by applying an augmented gravity model on a panel data for 37 SSA countries over the period 1995-2018. The results show that economic size measured by GDP, arable land endowment, membership to regional trade agreement, cultural proximity measured by sharing of a common language, inflation and governance quality influence agricultural imports positively and are significant. Furthermore, population growth of trading partners, geographical proximity
measured by distance between the trading countries, transport costs measured by whether a country is landlocked or not, and agriculture productivity of the importing country negatively influence bilateral agricultural imports flow in SSA. These findings are crucial in understanding agricultural trade flows and formulating sound policies aimed at promoting international
agricultural trade for economic growth and development in SSA
Evidence of nutrient translocation in response to smoke exposure by the East African ant acacia, Vachellia drepanolobium
Get PDF1. Fire is a major selective force on arid grassland communities, favoring traits such as the smoke-induced seed germination response seen in a wide variety of plant species. However, little is known about the relevance of smoke as a cue for plants
beyond the seedling stage.
2. We exposed a fire-adapted savanna tree, Vachellia (=Acacia) drepanolobium, to smoke and compared nutrient concentrations in leaf and root tissues to unexposed controls. Experiments were performed on three age cohorts: 2-year-old, 9-month-old, and 3-month-old plants.
3. For the 2-year-old plants exposed to smoke, carbon and nitrogen concentrations were lower in the leaves and higher in the roots than controls. Less pronounced trends were found for boron and magnesium.
4. In contrast, smoke-exposed 3-month-old plants had lower root nitrogen concentrations than controls. No significant differences were found in the 9-month-old plants, and no significant shifts in other nutrient concentrations were observed between plant tissues for any of the three age cohorts.
5. Synthesis: Our findings are consistent with smoke-induced translocation of nutrients from leaves to roots in 2-year-old V. drepanolobium. This could represent a novel form of fire adaptation, with variation over the course of plant development. The
translocation differences between age cohorts highlight the need to investigate smoke response in older plants of other species. Accounting for this adaptation could better inform our understanding of savanna community structure and nutrient flows under fire regimes altered by anthropogenic land use and climate change
Bradyrhizobium inoculation has a greater effect on soybean growth, production and yield quality in organic than conventional farming systems
No full textOrganic farming and bradyrhizobia inoculationGlobally, organic farming and bradyrhizobia inoculation are gaining popularity as agronomically and environmentally sound soil management strategies with great potential to alleviate declining soil fertility, maintain environmental quality and enhance soybean production. However, the role of bradyrhizobia in organic farming system is poorly understood. Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bradyrhizobia inoculation and organic farming on growth parameters and yield quality of soybean varieties: SC squire, SB19 and Gazelle. The experimental treatments included native bradyrhizobia, commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum, mixture of native + commercial bradyrhizobia and uninoculated control. The experimental design was a split-split plot, with three replications. The results demonstrated significant improvement in soybean nodule dry weight (NDW), shoot dry weight (SDW) and seed dry weight (SEDW) following bradyrhizobia inoculation. Remarkably, organic farming significantly out-performed conventional systems in nodulation, SDW and SEDW. Moreover, seed nutrient content differed depending on farming system; where nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon were higher in organic farming. Soybean varieties differed significantly on SDW, NDW and SEDW; where SC squire performed better than SB19 and Gazelle. The results demonstrate the importance of organic farming and bradyrhizobia inoculation in enhancing soil fertility, yield production and quality, a key step towards sustainable food production