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SURVEY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE AND INTEGRITY IN UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA
No full textAbstractWhen the New Constitution was promulgated in 2010, the hope among Kenyans was that it would promote integrity,responsibility and accountability among State and public officers, and especially leaders at all levels. Despite the provisions of the Constitution on leadership, the number of questionable leaders seems to be on the rise. Kenya like manyother African states is at a point the citizens are feeling the effects of unethical practices like, corruption at various levels,abuse of office, murder, theft and misuse of public resources among others. It seems as though the moral fabric of societyis not only torn but rather nonexistent. At such times we are forced to ask retrogressively though, what is the values of oureducation system? Education is meant to be transformative in nature. Often, those who engage in unethical practices insociety are not the least educated, or uneducated. They are people with the best education, no wonder they employ the besttactics in siphoning and finding sophisticated means to hide the vice. The paper was guided by the following researchquestions: What is the undergraduate student understanding of leadership, governance and integrity? Does the universityleadership impart values in students by their way of operation? Does the student experience at university model themtowards being ethical leaders, good governors and persons of integrity? The core mandate of universities is not only toteach, conduct research and community service but also to impart sound social and moral values on the students. It is paramount to note that developing young leaders is an investment for the future. Helping students develop as ethicalleaders involves more than just helping them acquire skills. It is a process that involves helping them develop theirleadership identity, practice the process of leadership, and advance their intellectual and skill development. Mixedresearch methods were used. A survey was conducted using digital questionnaire with both open ended and closed endedquestions to collect data. Quantitative data collection and analysis was done using the digital google forms applicationwhile qualitative data analysis was summarized, themes generated and a narration developed that was integrated in thewrite up of the paper to enrich the quantitative findings. The findings indicate that majority of respondents have a goodunderstanding of leadership, governance and integrity. Although the findings revealed that for a vast majority ofrespondents the university experience is modelling them to persons of integrity. A good number of respondents hadconcerns on leadership and integrity in the University. The researcher recommends that universities to consider anchoringand laying emphasis on key aspects of ethical leadership, good governance and integrity in the curriculum as they trainstudents. They are to uphold and maintain best quality practices in their service delivery. This is because sustainabledevelopment is not only anchored on academic excellence but also on ethical values and the society's moral developmen
The Levels of transparency and county service delivery in Kenya
No full textAbstractIn order to push development to the grassroots and ensure citizens contribute meaningfully to development, many African countries have adopted the devolved governance system. However, it has been observed that the devolution of political powers has not translated equally to envisioned overall development. In Kenya County governments have achieved various milestones towards development demonstrated through the infrastructure, social amenities, and standards of living. However, corruption has been increasing mainly due to a lack of transparency. This paper sought to examine the contribution of transparency levels in County government service delivery. The study adopted mixed method approach using survey and in-depth interviews concurrently. Stratified multi stage cluster sampling was deployed. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires and qualitative data using interview schedules. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and a typological theory developed to explain the study results. The study findings showed that the level of transparency in the counties was low which affected service delivery. The study concluded that county governments should ensure that public participation and sharing of information is bidirectional to involve both users and management so as to improve service delivery
Motivation and retention of teachers in private secondary schools in Kenya
Get PDFEmployee retention has become a key focus of the human resource professional agenda. Organizations and schools have come to the conclusion that money could be saved by reducing employee turnover. However, studies have been inconclusive on motivating factors that lower employee retention. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of motivation on the retention of employees in secondary schools in Kenya. Based on an exhaustive review of literature, three constructs of
motivation were taken into consideration namely management. The major hypothesis of the study was that motivation significantly influences the retention of teachers in private secondary schools. To test the hypothesis, three sub-hypotheses were developed; compensation significantly influences employee retention; supervision significantly influences employee retention and psychological contract significantly influences employee retention. A mixed methodology approach was adopted and data was collected using a structured questionnaire and a structured interview guide. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, correlation analysis, and linear regression were applied to test the research hypotheses. The regression results indicate that motivation is causing a 7.0 percent variation in retention, implying a weak relationship. The weak relationship can be explained by poor salaries, authoritarian supervision, and breach of the psychological contrac
Integration of Manure and Mineral Fertilizers among Smallholder Farmers in Kenya: A Pathway to Sustainable Soil Fertility Management and Agricultural Intensification
Get PDFCombination of mineral fertilizers and manure has been proposed as the sustainable approach of soil fertility management. This study evaluates the use of these two soil fertility practices. Data for this study was obtained through a survey conducted between
January-March 2019 with 106 farmers. Results show that the proportion of farmers who used manure and inorganic fertilizer was 93.4% in each case. About 90% of the farmers used both fertilizer and manure. Farmers accessed fertilizers mostly through direct purchase from the local market (73.9%). Most of the manure is obtained on-farm (84.8%). About 67% of farmers used fertilizer both for planting and top dressing. However, only 20% of the farmers used fertilizer every season. Low income, low literacy, lack of soil fertility management skills, small land sizes, low livestock units, limited and declining capacity of agricultural extension explain the low investment in soil fertility management. Timely delivery of low-cost, high quality fertilizer is of paramount concern. Glaring loopholes undermining the efficiency of the government subsidy program have to be addressed. Farmers’ capacity building is necessary to ensure high quality manure. Policy and institutional support are necessary to reverse the
declining capacity of soil science research and agricultural extension
Sensory Profile and Consumer Preference of Novel Probiotic Yoghurt Enriched with Orange Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)
Get PDFDue to increased consumer demand for appealing healthy foods, there is a rising global trend of developing nutritious commercial yoghurts with attractive sensory attributes. The success of formulating a food product is dependent not only on improving human
health systems but also its palatability. Yoghurts fortified with plant-based foods (fruits and spices) have been acceptable in the market, but there are minimal products with vegetables and root crops such as orange sweet potato. The present study evaluated the sensory profile and consumer preference of novel probiotic yoghurts enriched with provitamin A (beta carotene) rich orange sweet potato (OSP). Milk was fermented using commercial mixed probiotic yoghurt starter cultures [Christian Hansen, Denmark, ABT 12 with Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5), Streptococcus thermophilus (TH-4) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB12)]. The resulting yoghurts were enriched with purees from two different varieties of OSP tubers (Tainung or SPK 004) at 15 and 25 % (w/v) concentrations. Sensory profiling of the formulated yoghurt was conducted
using 9 trained panelists at University of Reading, Sensory Science Center, UK. Consumer acceptability of the formulated yoghurts was assessed by scoring questionnaire with 5 modality attributes using 9-point hedonic scale while intent to
purchase by 5-point hedonic scale at Karatina community, Kenya. The panelists reported 26 quantitative descriptive sensory attributes significantly different (p<0.01) between the fortified yoghurts and control yoghurt (no OSP) with Tainung variety scoring highest in specks, orange colour, powdery appearance, mouthfeel, and after taste (starchy and musty). Consumer preferences records from four different demographic cohort groups (n=120) aged 6–65 years and of different socioeconomic status, showed high overall mean liking hedonic scores of 5-8 out of 9.0 for the modalities (appearance, colour, odour, taste and texture) in all the fortified yoghurts, with significant differences (p<0.05) between the two varieties and concentration of the OSP purees, but no difference within the cohorts. The purchase intent score varied significantly (p<0.05) between both yoghurt samples and the study community cohorts, with Op puree enriched sweetened yoghurts recording the highest value. The study demonstrated that probiotic yoghurts enriched with nutritious OSP purees have unique sensory attributes that are acceptable to consumers but preference differed based on variety of OSP and concentration of the fortifying purees
The effect of environmental change on sustainable energy in Olkaria geothermal and Kenya power station, Nakuru County, Kenya
Get PDFEnergy is one of the most important resources in the growth of an economy. The generation of power is key to the effectiveness of sustainable energy management. Energy production warrants production hence connected to economic development. Environmental change has an impact on the sustainability of renewable energy. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of environmental change on sustainable energy in Olkaria Geothermal and Kenya Power Station, Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was informed by two theories namely; Socio-technical Transitions Approach Theory and Coevolutionary Approach to Transitions. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 359 employees with a stratified sample design. The sample frame was 108 employees being 30% of the total population. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The preliminary data was analysed using descriptive statistics and presented in the form of
tables. Inferential statistics were employed through Pearson’s Correlation analysis and regression analysis was used to test the study hypothesis at a 5% significance level. The findings indicated that was a statistically significant relationship between environmental change and sustainable energy (r=0.286; p=0.005). Further, the study revealed that environmental change has a statistically significant effect on sustainable energy in Olkaria Geothermal and Kenya Power Station, Nakuru
County, Kenya (p<0.05). The study recommends that institutional environmental changes should be examined and their influence on sustainable energy management
Influence of work specialization on employee development: A case of Telkom Kenya Nakuru branch in Nakuru County
Get PDFThere are visible challenges with employee development at Telkom Kenya where employees remain in one position for many years with some remaining in the same position until their retirement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this problem could be linked to the design of the organization, but no systematic study has been conducted to ascertain this claim. This study, therefore, sought to determine the influence of work specialization on employee development at Telkom Kenya Nakuru Branch. The study
was guided by the Axiomatic Theory of Organizations. It made use of the correlational research design where all the 51 employees of the Telkom Kenya Nakuru Branch were involved in the census study. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from operational staffs while interview guides were used to gather qualitative data from heads of departments. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and the multiple regression techniques while qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. Results showed that work specialization (β= 0.491, p=.000) had a statistically significant and positive influence on the development of employees at TKNB. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the management at TKNB should enhance work specialization by implementing job rotation programs and promoting a match between employees’ skills and their job
Physical Planning and Growth of Private Primary Schools in Kenya
Get PDFIn Kenya, the number of private schools has increased more than four times since the introduction of the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003. The number of children attending private primary schools increased from 4.6% in 2004 to 11.5% in 2007. With such increment, there has been challenges on the determinants of growth of education institutions. It is against this background that the study examined the influence of physical planning on the growth of private primary schools in Kenya. the study was anchored in the resource dependency view where the managers of institutions have the ability to acquire, Plan and
maintain resources that are important to the growth of an organization. The target population in this study comprised of 7,418 private primary schools in all eight regions of Kenya. Cluster sampling technique was employed of 50% of the target
regions were sampled, leading to four out of eight regions being selected. From these regions random sampling was then used to select 320 respondents who were either the principals’/Head teachers or deputy principal of the schools. A questionnaire was used to collect data and Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyse data. The study found a strong and significant correlation between physical planning and growth of primary schools. This study therefore recommended that physical planning was an important factor in determining growth of private schools. The study further recommends that owners of private
primary schools should be aware of the facilities that are crucial and most important to students in the teaching and learning. This will intern influence the growth of the private primary schools in Kenya
Moderating Role of Environmental Dynamism on the Relationship between Opportunity Evaluation and Growth of NGOs in Kenya.
No full textRelationship between Opportunity Evaluation
and Growth of NGOs in KenyaThis study explored the moderating role of Environmental Dynamism (ED) on the relationship between opportunity evaluation and growth of agrobased Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Kenya. These NGOs play a critical role which includes poverty reduction, through employment creation and food security and therefore their growth is fundamental in continuing to serve the society. Agrobased NGOs in Kenya, operating in dynamic business environments face greater levels of unpredictability and turbulence than those in more stable business environments. The need to link opportunity evaluation and growth is very important for organisations to attain growth. To better understand this relationship, this paper employed a mixed method approach guided by cross-sectional research design. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed to analyse the data from 124 agro-based NGOs in Kenya using SPSS version 21 and AMOS graphic analytical software. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to analyse the measurement model and test the hypothesized relationships in this study. The study established that, opportunity evaluation has a significant and positive influence on growth of agrobased NGOs and that ED moderates this relationship. The findings are critical to the NGO management who are the core implementers of entrepreneurial projects that satisfy the donors and targeted communities. This study also enriches the social entrepreneurship literature by demonstrating the role of ED on the growth of agrobased NGOs in Kenya and provides a new perspective of conceptualizing development of NGOs in Kenya