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Determinants of Supply Chain Management Practices in Organizations
Get PDFGetting people or organizations working together is currently one of the most critical things in our today’s business environment. This is because competition has changed from being firm based to supply chain based. As firms work together to maximize supply chain profitability, it becomes apparent that relationships between the members of the chain have to be managed. This paper advances the view that superior supply chain outcome is achieved through the pursuit of collaboration, human resource practices and organizational culture which aid in strengthening the inter-organizational bonds of the various members. The paper is a conceptual paper which proposes a model of supply chain performance based on the combination of the different determinants identified through literature review. Essentially the main aim of the paper is to propose a framework of supply chain performance which needs to be tested throughempirical research across different supply chains.Key terms: Collaboration, Human resource practices, Organizational cultur
Acute toxicity studies of Catharanthus roseus aqueous extract in male Wistar rats
Get PDFBackground: The knowledge of the healing virtues of Catharanthus roseus and a host of other medicinal plants has been in existence since ancient times. Catharanthus roseus is traditionally used more commonly as anti-diabetic and anti-malaria remedy. Lack of adequate pharmacological and toxicological data of natural products to support their use is a major setback. Objective: To establish the acute toxicity effect of Catharanthus roseus crude aqueous extract on some hematological and biochemical parameters. Methodology: Catharanthus roseus aqueous extract was orally administered once to two groups of male rats at 1000 and 5000 mg/kg body weight respectively alongside a control group which received 2ml distilled water. Hematological and biochemical assays were done at 48 hours and the 14th day. The data was analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Results: White blood cells (WBC), creatinine, urea, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase showed significant increase while mean cell volume reduced significantly at 48 hours in the high dose group. The body weight change was also significantly reduced. Discussion: The alterations of the body weight gain, various biochemical and hematological parameters reflect the effect of toxicity after exposure of the tested extract doses. Total proteins concentration was not altered suggesting that the renal and liver functions were not adversely affected. Key words: Catharanthus roseus, acute toxicity, rat
CYP2D6*17 polymorphism and tardive dyskinesia in black psychotic patients on typical antipsychotics
Get PDFBackground: Tardive dyskinesia is a debilitating, intractable, hyperkinetic movement disorder which contributes to an increase in psychiatric morbidity. Reduced function CYP2D6 alleles have been associated with tardive dyskinesia pathogenesis amongst Caucasians and Asians, with CYP2D*4 and *6 and CYP2D6*10 being implicated in these races respectively. No similar study has been successfully conducted in black Africans. Objective: To determine the relationship between tardive dyskinesia and CYP2D6*17 (the major reduced function CYP2D6 allele in Africans). Methodology: Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale (AIMS) scoring and CYP2D6 genotyping were carried out on psychiatric patients exposed to typical antipsychotic medications in an unmatched case control study. A case of tardive dyskinesia was defined as a patient with an AIMS score ≥ 2 in two body areas OR ≥ 3 in one body area Results: A total of 18 cases and 32 controls made up the study sample.The sample’s mean age was 36.9±12.0 years with median treatment duration of 7.0 years (range: 0.25 to 38 years). Multiple logistic regression revealed no significant association between tardive dyskinesia and CYP2D6*17 (OR=0.252; 95% CI: 0.038 to 1.647; p=0.150). However, use of chlorpromazine (OR=5.754; 95% CI: 1.024 to 32.328; p=0.047) and age at treatment initiation (OR=1.146; 95% CI: 1.021 to 1.287; p=0.021) were independent predictors of tardive dyskinesia. Discussion: These findings suggest that there is no association between CYP2D6*17and tardive dyskinesia in African psychotic patients on typical antipsychotics. However, more studies with larger sample sizes are required to provide more definitive conclusions regarding the nature of the relationship betweenCYP2D6*17 and tardive dyskinesia. Key words: Tardive dyskinesia, CYP2D*17, typical antipsychotic
Development of immunoassays for detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus based on Consensus env gp41 Immunodominant Region Peptide from HIV-1 infections in Kenya
Get PDFBackground: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is characterized by high rates of genetic variability in vivo that could affect the performance of the HIV antibody-based detection kits. Objective: This study aimed at developing immunoassays for HIV based on Consensus env gp41 Immunodominant region (IDR) from HIV infections in Kenya. Methods: HIV RNA was extracted from 91 samples collected from 5 regional blood transfusion centers in Kenya. The RNA was reverse transcribed, sequenced in the env gp41-Immunodominant Region (IDR) and the Consensus sequence generated used to synthesize corresponding peptide. The Global HIV envgp41-IDR Consensus peptide was obtained from the literature and also synthesized. The two peptides were used to separately develop HIV immunoassays based on Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) platforms and the performance of developed assays was evaluated. The same HIV env gp41 IDR peptides were used to develop ELISA-based immunoassays for determination HIV Incidence / Recency. Results: The study did not find significant difference between the performance of the immunoassays that were developed with Consensus env gp41-IDR peptide (Kenya) and those developed using Consensus env gp41-IDR peptide (Global). However, the study found a significant difference between the performance of HIV ELISA for HIV Incidence testing that was developed with Consensus envgp41-IDR peptide (Kenya) and that which was developed using Consensus envgp41-IDR peptide (Global) with the former displaying superior performance. Conclusions: The developed immunoassays demonstrated that both Consensus env gp41-IDR peptides (Kenya and Global) could be used to develop HIV immunoassays but Consensus env gp41-IDR peptide (Kenya) could be more suitable for development of HIV Incidence assays in Kenya. Keywords: HIV, Consensus sequence, env gp41-Immunodominant Region, Immunoassay
Herbal remedies and other risk factors for preterm birth in rural Kenya
Get PDFBackground: Premature infants contribute substantially to infant morbidity and mortality especially in low resource settings. Information on herbal remedy use, previous preterm birth and low social-economic status and their association with incidence of preterm birth in Kenya is scanty. Objectives: To determine the use of herbal remedy use in pregnancy, previous preterm birth and low socio-economic status as risk factors for Preterm Birth in Kitui County among the immediate post-partum mothers. Methods: Unmatched case control study with a 1:4 ratio of cases to controls. The study was done in Kitui and Mwingi District Hospitals. A total of 107 mothers with preterm birth (cases) and 453 mothers with term births (controls) were eligible and administered structured interviews. Results: Of the sample, 98% of cases resided in rural areas compared to 90% of controls. The cases had a higher parity and were more likely to belong to the lowest three and four levels of socio-economic status. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, predictors of preterm birth were: preeclampsia (OR=9.06 [2.60-31.63], p=0.001), previous preterm, (OR=9.31 [2.82-30.68], p<0.001), low socioeconomic status (OR=1.51 [1.05-2.16], p=0.03), herbal use in first trimester for 2-5 days (OR=11.10 [4.34-28.41], p<0.001), herbal use in first trimester for 6-10 days (OR=44.87,[4.99-403.87] p=0.001), and herbal use in second trimester for 6-10 days (OR=16.43 [4.53-59.57], p<0.001). Use of prescribed folic acid in second trimester for more than 31 days was associated with lower risk of preterm birth (OR=0.20 [0.12-0.34], p<0.001). Conclusion: Herbal use in pregnancy regardless of gestation, previous preterm birth and low socio-economic status and are risk factors for preterm birth in Kitui County Kenya. Interventions targeted to reduction of these risk factors will be an important additional prong in the reduction of preterm birth. Key words: Preterm birth, herbal remedy, risk factor
Influence of Aspilia pluriseta Schweinf (Asteraceae) on the healing of dermal excision wounds (mouse model) and skin sensitization activity (Guinea pig model)
Get PDFBackground: The skin is highly predisposed to injury because of its direct contact with the environment. The aim of treating of wounds is to both hasten healing, and to minimise the occurrence of perturbations of the healing process. Many plants traditionally used to treat wounds have been proven to support the healing process using scientific models. Aspilia pluriseta has been used by a number of communities in East and Southern Africa to treat wounds. Objectives: This study aimed at testing ethnomedical claims of wound healing activity of A. pluriseta using preclinical models. Methods: Aerial parts of the plant were ground and incorporated into an ointment base (10% and 20% w/w) to evaluate the influence of the plant on the healing of acute excision wounds in mice compared to Silverex Cream® and Simple Ointment (B.P.). The 20% ointment was tested for skin sensitization in guinea pigs. Results: The effects of the plant-based ointments on wound contraction and gross epithelialisation time were less than significantly different from the controls (p≥0.05), but histopathologic examination revealed remarkable epithelialisation and collagen deposition in the wounds treated with the these ointments. The 20% A. pluriseta-based ointment induced moderate allergic contact dermatitis. Key words: Aspilia pluriseta, wound healing, skin sensitization, excision wound mode
Prediction of Consistent Stock Performance and Low Stock Price Movement in Nairobi Securities Exchange Using underlying Firm Characteristics
No full textStock markets that are efficient generate prices in a random manner which causes highstock price movement or volatility. Low stock price movement implies consistent stockperformance and the existence of anomalies in stock markets that are efficient. There arevarious types of consistent stock performance but the specific type that relates to low stockprice movement in the NSE and the relevant underlying variables are unknown and hencethe justification of the current research. The purposive sampling method was employed toselect a sample of 31 stocks from a population of 56 stocks that were listed in the NSEduring the study period from January 2001 to December 2010. The sample stocks wereinitially sorted into three portfolios consisting of high, medium and low price volatilitystocks based on the standard deviation historical volatility metric. The portfolio with lowstock price volatility was then compared with the different types of consistent stockperformance in order to establish the specific type that was significantly associated withhistorical stock price volatility. The low stock price volatility portfolio was regressedagainst underlying firm characteristics to establish their prediction power. The resultsindicated that consistent positive stock returns type was significantly associated with lowstock price volatility with Pearson’s correlation coefficient being 63.9% and p-value being0.047 at 95% level of significance. Book value, dividends per share and earnings per sharepredictor variables had significant prediction power over low stock price volatility andconsistent stock performance. The implication of these results is that investors in the NSEcan predict consistent stock positive stock returns and low stock price volatility by studyingunderlying firm characteristics of book value, dividends per share and earnings per share
Organizational Resources, Innovation and Performance of Insurance Companies in Kenya
Get PDFIn spite of a growing body of literature on firm performance, explaining why firms in the same industry and markets differ in their performance remains a fundamental question within strategic management field. While some researchers have attributed these differences to the resources owned and controlled by firms, others have argued that resources alone do not explain the differences in the firms’ performance. This debate still continues, hence providing room for further contributions. Underpinned by the postulations of resource based theory, dynamic capabilities theory and knowledge based theory; this study contributes to the debate. The study advances the proposition that resources influence performance through the intervening effect of innovation. The proposition is empirically tested using both primary and secondary data from 46 Insurance Companies in Kenya. The results reveal that both tangible and intangible resources have a statistically significant direct influence on non-financial performance despite mixed findings as regards to the independent effects of resources on various firm performance indicators. Innovation was found to have a statistically significant intervening influence on the relationship between resources and non-financial performance. The findings offer some support for the anchoring theories as well as partial support to previous similar studies. In spite of the inherent limitations, the study advances the frontiers of knowledge in confirming the anchoring theories while providing ground for policy direction and managerial practice.Key Words: Organizational Resources, Innovation, Firm Performance, InsuranceCompanie
Strategy and Structure Linkages and The Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kenya
No full textOrganizational configuration is complex and depends on interactions between strategy andstructure. Strategy is a way of adjusting the relationship between an organization and itsenvironment, and that internal structure in turn must fit the strategy if this adjustment isto be successful. The overall objective of the study was to determine the influence ofstrategy and structure linkage on the performance of commercial banks in Kenya. Thepopulation of the study consisted of all the forty-three (43) banks licensed by Central Bankof Kenya as banking institutions as at 31st December, 2010. The study adopted a crosssectionalsurvey design whereby both primary and secondary data were collected from 30banks out of the 43 targeted (represented 75% response rate) and subjected to statisticalanalysis. Organizational performance was measured using both the financial and nonfinancialindicators. Analytical and predictive models utilizing descriptive statistics, factoranalysis and odd ratio stepwise regression analysis were used to test the studyhypotheses.The findings of the study indicate that there was statistically significantrelationship with ROA, market share and non-financial performance. The individualconstructs, however, showed mixed results for nature of relationship. Strategyformulation and strategy implementation had positive significant influence on ROAand market share. Communication had positive significant influence on nonfinancialperformance indicators. Structure framework had positive significantinfluence on ROA, market share and non-financial performance indicators. Thestudy contribution is that it extends the understanding of configuration and performanceon diversity of operationalization related to content or general characteristics of strategyand structure. In addition, it has debated and presented results on the effect of potentialmoderating effect of structure on the relationship between strategy and organizationperformance. The study therefore adds value in validating and extending configurationtheory. The study recommends that bank managers should incorporate the right strategicimplementation approaches and have an organization structure that improvesperformance. The fit between strategy and structure may therefore be an importantconsideration for managers who wish to enhance organization performance positively
Business Strategy, Internal Resources, National Culture And Competitive Advantage: A Critical Review
Get PDFBusinesses thrive in the market through utilization of available internal resources by the development and implementation of strategies which give them a competitive edge over and above their competitors. Competition is a compelling force for development as it motivates firms to reduce inefficiencies, restructure outdated operations and introduce new product lines and technologies. Organizations acquire competitive advantage over its competitors in an industry through offering customers greater value, either by lower prices or by producing additional benefits and services that justify similar benefit or possibly higher prices as compared to other market players. Achieving sustainable competitive advantage assures themaintenance and improvement of the business competitive position in the market, which can be achieved by continuously creating and developing existing internal resources and capabilities in response to the rapidly changing market conditions as a result of globalization and liberalization of world economies.Different countries and communities have different national cultures and traditions which inform their product and services loyalty as well as preferences. A business strategy that has been successful in one national cultural setup may not necessarily contribute to the same proportional competitive advantage while in a different national culture. Internal Resources can be used in multiple ways or simultaneously and are both inputs and outputs of business activities and when linked to national cultural influences they enable a business entity to improve in performance and better satisfy the needs in its environment and earning economic rents in the process. This Paper critically analyzes how business strategy and internal resources is utilized for competitive advantage in reference to the national culture.Key Words: Business Strategy, Internal Resources, National Culture and Competitive advantag