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Assessing the effectiveness of the legal system in curbing policyholder fraud in Kenya’s motor insurance sector
No full textFull - text thesisThe objective of this research was to examine the effectiveness of the legal system in curbing policyholder fraud in Kenya's motor insurance sector. The Insurance Act CAP 487, claims management guidelines, and the Penal Code CAP 63 represented the legal system, the independent variable, with policyholder fraud being the dependent variable. Deterrence theory and fraud triangle theory formed theoretical framework for the study. The study followed the positivist research paradigm and adopted an explanatory research design. The target population for the study constituted employees of the 34 registered motor insurance companies in Kenya, from which a sample of 102 respondents was selected using a stratified sampling technique. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires. The survey was conducted in March 2024. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analysis constituted the statistical techniques for analyzing collected data via Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and findings presented using tables and figures. According to the findings, the effectiveness of the Insurance Act and the Penal Code in curbing policyholder fraud is weak and non-significant. However, the effectiveness of claims management guidelines is significant. Therefore, out of the three, this advises insurance firms to specially focus on guidelines for claims management in preventing policyholder fraud. This research also proposes policy changes aimed at strengthening the Insurance Act and Penal Code to improve their effectiveness in fighting insurance fraud. Also, since the three legal instruments covered in this study explains a small margin of policyholder fraud, this study suggests studying the effectiveness of other components of the legal system in curbing policyholder fraud in Kenya’s motor insurance sector
Effect of remote working on employee wellness among Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Get PDFFull - text thesisWith organizations faced by diverse challenges that impede their competitiveness, focus has over time been on competitiveness and productivity. Remote working has also been adopted to allow employees work from home. In such arrangement, workforce welfare is neglected and various health problems are reported, causing less employee engagement, morale, and dissatisfaction and suboptimal outputs. Consequently, even the adoption of technology turns out counterproductive in firms. This study sought to determine the effect of remote working on employee wellness by analyzing employees in non-governmental organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study's specific objectives were to determine the effect of job-related factors, organizational factors, and work-life balance on employee wellness. The study followed a positivist research paradigm and applied a cross-sectional descriptive research design to quantitatively describe the relationships between the study variables. From the total population of 80,229 employees in the registered non-governmental organizations in Kenya, a sample of 398 was targeted. To achieve adequate response rate, the study targeted 7 respondents, which is 1 senior-level, 3 mid-level and 3 junior-level employees from each of the 60 international and national non-governmental organizations based in Nairobi County. Therefore, stratified random sampling was employed for an even representation of the 60 organizations. A convenient sampling technique was applied to choose participants based on availability. A pilot study targeting 40 employees from 6 organizations in Kiambu County was conducted. The firms used for pilot testing were not considered during the actual research. Adequate research quality concerning validity and reliability was achieved through Cronbach’s alpha. Data was analysed through SPSS. Regression analysis results indicated a weak relationship between the independent variables: job-related factors, organizational factors and work-life balance and the employee wellness. Based on coefficients, both Job-related and organizational factors were significant at 0.05 significant level. Similarly, work-life balance had a positive, statistically significant influence on employee wellness. The study concludes that job-related factors, organizational factors, and work-life balance have a weak joint effect on employee wellness. Work-life balance has a positive, statistically significant correlation with employee wellness while job-related and organizational factors have significant influence on employee wellness. Organizations should enhance job-related and organizational factors to enhance employee work-life balance which in turn improves employee wellness. Further research can be implemented to test the mediational role of work-life balance in the relationship between job-related and organizational factors and employee wellness
Effects of venture capital funding on management quality of startups in Nairobi City County
Get PDFFull - text thesisVenture capitalists provide assistance to startups in an effort to address their financial and management failures. Therefore, this study examined effects of venture capital funding (venture capital financial; technical; and management support) on management quality of startups in Nairobi City County. The study adopted positivist research philosophy and employed a descriptive research design. The target population was 308 startups from which a sample size of 174 was calculated. chief executive officers, chief financial officers, or chief operating officers were purposefully selected as respondents. The findings indicated a positive and significant effect of venture capital financial support and management support on management quality. The study recommends for venture capitalists to provide ad hoc management support due to the diverse and unique nature of startups and the environment in which they are operating. This means flexible management support should be tailored to an enterprise and not undertaking a one-fits-all approach to providing management support. The study recommends for fiscal policies that will encourage international venture capitalists to invest in local startup firms. These policies can include having tax incentives among others to encourage international interest into the venture capital market.
Key Words: Venture capital finance, Startups, venture capital funding, management quality, equity finance, debt finance, staged finance, syndicated finance, Venture Capitalists
Determinants of a saving culture in unit trusts among the young adults in Nairobi County, Kenya
Get PDFFull - text thesisThis study seeks to establish determinants of the adoption of unit trusts for savings among young adults aged 18-24 in Nairobi County, Kenya. The specific objectives include: to determine the influence of financial literacy; parental socialisation, peer influence, and level of income, on the development of a savings culture in unit trusts among the young adults aged 18-24 in Nairobi County, Kenya. This study seeks to address a number of knowledge gaps. Firstly, there have been few studies carried out on the determinants a savings culture in unit trusts among the young adults in Kenya. Secondly, there are studies which have been conducted on credit products rather than on savings which has rendered their findings completely inappropriate for this study given the different circumstances surrounding credit products. Thirdly, there has been limited research on the factors that influence the uptake of unit trusts for savings. The study was underpinned by the Consumer Socialisation Theory. The study applied a descriptive correlational research design since it purposed to arrange and explain the various attributes of the study items. The target population of the study was all the 36 licensed trust funds in Kenya. This study used questionnaires for collecting data so as to enable the collection of more thorough inquiries and because it offered the convenience of accessing individuals who have busy schedules. This study applied a 5-point Likert Scale then the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 20) was used to carry out descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. According to the results, the young adults have gained financial numeracy and financial knowledge which has improved their financial planning. As youth, they have trained in budgeting which has enhanced their debt management and boosted their ability to save. Their investment or savings practices reflect their level of financial literacy. The young adults have experienced challenges making enough revenue to save. They tend to have impulsive consumption behaviours, to alternate between brands, however, and are also knowledgeable about financial management. The study recommended that the Government needs to come up with funding initiatives for young adults so as to enable them acquire savings products such as unit trust funds. The managers of unit trust funds should come up with promotional strategies that reward individuals for referring others to acquire their products among the young adults since they tend to follow the recommendations of their peers. Given the dearth of local research on the adoption of unit trust funds in general, this study will set the tone for other local researchers and scholars to delve into this category of financial products so as to build on the body of knowledge. The study was limited by individuals who were unwilling to provide information; the 36 licensed unit trust funds, and the four determinants of adoption of unit trust savings.
Key words: Financial Literacy; Level of Income; Parental Socialisation; Peer Influence; Saving Culture; Strategic Determinants; Unit Trusts; and Young Adults Aged 18-24
Drivers of adoption of multiple sustainable aquaculture technologies among smallholder fish farmers in the Lake Victoria basin region, Kenya
Get PDFFull - text thesisThe study was undertaken in the Lake Victoria basin region (Busia, Homabay, Kisumu, and Siaya counties), Kenya, to determine the drivers of adoption of multiple sustainable aquaculture technologies. The global aquaculture sector grew in the recent past to become one of the most vital sectors to aid food security in the world but with constraints in factor inputs, new and better technologies must be developed to cope with the emerging demand for fish. Therefore, the study investigated the influence of socioeconomic factors, fish production, fish marketing and Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), in determining adoption decisions of fish farmers with regards to hormonal sex reversal, selective breeding and feed regime. The focus population comprised 5332 smallholder fish farmers as outlined in the ABDP report issued in 2022. Through multistage sampling (clustering and random sampling), primary data gathered from 724 fish farmers was analyzed using Multivariate Probit model. The findings revealed that the multiple sustainable aquaculture technologies were jointly adopted by fish farmers as complements. From the results still, the increase in household income, income from other activities, fish income, number of ponds, fish species being tilapia, high initial capital, amount of crops sold in kilograms, membership in fish association group, membership in fish marketing groups, high perishability and farmer being a beneficiary of ABDP were the critical drivers of adoption of multiple sustainable aquaculture technologies. Generally, the MVP model was fit for the test given the rejection of hypothesis that the three technologies were independent. The study concluded that the aquaculture technologies under study were widely practiced by farmers who were keen to see their incomes improve from all aspects as fish production thrives in tandem. From a policy and practice perspective, the study provided recommendations on the interventions of focus to build a business case of the trade to ensure farmers’ income increased. This could be achieved through continual farmer training and engagement with fisheries personnel in the counties; expansion of fish farming facility to at least 3 ponds of 300 square meters and establishment of suitable storage facilities such as temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics, all of which are imperative to the development of aquaculture sector.
Key words: Sustainable aquaculture technologies, Multivariate Probit model, socioeconomic factors, fish production, fish marketing, Aquaculture Business Development Programme
Appraisal of the regulatory framework governing property actors in the housing sector: a case study of Nairobi City County
Get PDFFull - text thesisHousing is a basic need crucial for human life. Article 43(1) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya states that every person has a right to accessible and adequate housing and reasonable sanitation standards. The study's main objective will be to appraise the regulatory policy framework for actors in the property sector in the housing sector: A Case of Nairobi City County. Due to the contribution, the housing sector plays in the economy it is imperative to have the housing industry perform optimally. The sector has complaints regarding loss of investments by consumers, lack of fulfillment of obligations by developers, and disputes in courts, which highlight policy gaps in the industry. The study would therefore help in developing an understanding of factors to ensure that consumers’ ownership is safe and their investment guaranteed in schemes involving developers in property transactions. The study is guided by the following specific objectives: assess implementation of the regulatory policy framework-governing actors in the property sector; identify gaps in the current regulatory framework; provide recommendations to enhance efficiency in the sector. Descriptive correlational research design was used for this study and the sample size for the study was 131. Data analysis was carried out by use of simple mean comparisons, percentages, standard deviations, Chi-Square test and correlation. This was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28. Based on the analysis, the study concluded that there is a weak and ineffective implementation of the regulatory framework, which has contributed to lack of consumer protection leading to loss of investments amongst the customers, investors and stakeholders. This is due to the prevalent reported number of cases involving of fraud and unethical practices within the industry. Further, challenges relating in clients obtaining proprietary documents such as title deeds, lack of respect for the rights of property owners, and distorted market prices for properties. The study therefore recommends the need to improve the enforcement of regulatory framework that governs the property actors in the housings sector in order to improve the performance
Attributes that influence consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear within Nairobi County
No full textFull - text thesisGreen marketing as a promotion tool for products or services emphasizes on environmental and sustainability benefits while meeting consumer demand with eco-friendly and socially responsible options. However, in a fast-changing world where every aspect of life is coming under increased scrutiny - the food that we eat, the clothes we choose to wear, the energy consumption, the way we think about leather and how we promote it needs to take account of these changes. Fruit leather is classified as a new product in the market. Hence, it is important to understand consumer preferences regarding fruit leather attributes, enabling producers to design a market-acceptable product. The research analyzed characteristics that shape consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear. The attributes that were studied in this research included social-economic (age, income level and education level), functional (material type and lifespan), marketing (price, and eco-label) and psychological (pro- environmental behaviors-self green-identity, reduce, reuse, and recycle). The main research question was: Which attributes influence consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear in Nairobi County, Kenya? Data was collected using a survey that was distributed to different customers with preference to leather based footwear in Nairobi County. The survey consisted of 3 parts; 1) questions regarding socio-demographic; 2) questions regarding consumer’s pro- environmental behavior; and 3) questions of choice based conjoint experiment. The survey consisted of eight choice-based questions with two alternatives provided for each question. Thus, binary logistic regression was used for the analysis. The response rate for the study was 91.2% representing 456 of the 500. Respondents between the age of 18 years to 60 years were selected as they were exiting from Citywalk Shops-Central Business District (Starehe constituency), Bata shops- Westlands Sarit center mall (Westlands constituency), and footwear shops-Krikor market (Starehe constituency). The study findings indicated that in order of significance, social-economic attributes illustrated the highest influence on consumers' inclination to pay for fruit leather-based footwear which it accounted for 45.2% variability in consumers' readiness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear – gender was the most influential attribute among other social-economic attributes, followed in second place by psychological attributes accounting for 22.5% variability in consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear – self green-identity was the most influential attribute among other psychological attributes. In third place marketing attributes accounting for 19.3% - ecolabels was the most influential attribute as a marketing attribute- followed and from a distance in fourth place was functional attributes accounting for 1.4% variability in consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear- material type was the most influential attribute in the functional attributes category. The study established from the binary logistic regression, that the attributes considered significantly contributed to the consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear – given that the value of R squared was 94.1% an indication that, 94.1% variation in the consumer’s willingness to pay (dependent variable) was attributed to the attributes (independent variables). Thus, proper consideration of the attributes considered in this study during product design would result in an improvement in the consumer’s willingness to pay for fruit leather-based footwear.
Key words: Green marketing, Willingness to pay, Social economic, Psychological, Pro-environmental behavior, Self-green identity, Ecolabels, Functional attribute
The Influence of authentic leadership on employee wellbeing in the banking industry in Kenya
No full textFull - text thesisIn the contemporary organizational landscape, there is increasing attention on the influence of authentic leadership on employee well-being. This attention is due to the potential implications it has for both organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between authentic leadership and employee well-being within the banking industry in Kenya. The research was anchored on the theoretical frameworks of Leader Member Exchange Theory and Fiedler's Contingency Theory. The goal was to provide insights into how authentic leadership behaviors, including self-awareness, balanced processing, internalized moral perspective, and relational transparency, influenced different dimensions of employee well-being. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design and employed judgmental sampling to select participants from different management levels across 39 commercial banks in Kenya. The sample size consisted of 195 managers from the various levels of management: Top, Middle, and Low. Data was collected using structured questionnaires that incorporated validated tools such as the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) for assessing authentic leadership dimensions, and components of Seligman's PERMA model for assessing employee well-being. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis to explore the relationships between authentic leadership behaviors and employee well-being dimensions. The reliability and validity of the instruments were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and content validity checks. The findings of this study contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical implications for fostering authentic leadership practices and enhancing employee well-being in the banking sector. Specifically, the study reveals significant positive relationships between authentic leadership traits, such as internalized moral perspective and relational transparency, and various dimensions of employee well-being. However, certain traits, like self-awareness, did not show significant relationships with employee well-being when analyzed together. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of further research to address gaps in understanding the specific dynamics of authentic leadership and employee well-being within the Kenyan banking context. While this study provides insights into authentic leadership and employee well-being in Kenyan banking, limitations exist. The absence of input from top executives and the focus on a specific industry limited the findings' generalizability. Additionally, clustering of responses around the neutral midpoint raised concerns about bias. Future research should address these limitations for a more comprehensive understanding
Factors that influence women’s intention to lead family Businesses in Nairobi, Kenya
No full textFull - text thesisIn recent years, countries have sought more gender equality and acknowledged the unique contributions that women can make as business leaders and entrepreneurs. Women continue playing an invisible role where they work behind the scenes and take up administrative roles such as moderators and informal advisors. However, studies consistently indicate that family firms that have women leaders show improved performance. Despite family-owned enterprises presenting huge opportunities for female family members to lead, representation of women within these businesses’ leadership is still low. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to investigate the factors that influence women’s intention to lead family businesses in Nairobi, Kenya. The study achieved this aim by meeting three research objectives: to investigate the effect of attitude on women’s intention to lead family businesses in Kenya, investigate the effect of subjective norms on women’s intention to lead family businesses in Kenya, and to investigate the effect of perceived behavioural control on women’s intention to lead family businesses in Kenya. The theory of planned behaviour and the social cognitive theory were used to guide the study and fill the conceptual gap in the literature regarding the behavioural elements that drive women’s fundamental identity shift towards leadership roles in family businesses. Adopting a descriptive research design and a positivism research philosophy, survey questionnaires were used to quantitatively collect data to meet the research objectives. The research used purposive sampling to collect data from 169 2nd and 3rd-generation women kin in family businesses. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential analysis. The findings indicate that attitude is a positive but non-significant predictor of women’s intentions to lead family businesses in Kenya. In contrast, the findings have indicated that both subjective norms and perceived behavioural control are strong positive significant predictors of women’s intentions to lead family businesses in Kenya.
Keywords: Theory of planned behaviours, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, behavioural intention
Leadership and governance parity: are there adequate mitigation measures for women in sports governance in Kenya?
No full textFull - text undergraduate research projectIn Kenya, the under-representation of women in sports governance persists as a serious problem that reflects larger obstacles to gender equality in the sports industry. This study explores the institutional and sociocultural hurdles that prevent women from entering and progressing in sports governance to understand the motivations behind the ongoing gender disparity in leadership roles. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the experiences and viewpoints of women in Kenyan and western sports governance using a thorough analysis of the body of current literature. The study investigates structural barriers, subconscious biases and conventional gender norms that marginalise women and prevent them from occupying positions of decision-making. Studies show ingrained prejudices that support the idea that sports governance is a field dominated by males and deter women from pursuing leadership positions. The low number of women in executive roles is also a result of institutional hurdles, such as uneven access to resources and few mentorship opportunities. The study assesses how this under-representation affects the growth of women's sports, the distribution of resources and the creation of laws that deal with challenges unique to one gender. To promote a more inclusive sports governance climate in Kenya, the research offers viable tactics and interventions, such as focused mentorship programs, awareness campaigns and regulatory changes. This study intends to add to the existing conversation on gender equality in the sports industry by illuminating the complex reasons behind women's under-representation in sports governance in Kenya. The results offer significant perspectives for legislators, athletic associations and advocacy groups aiming to execute efficacious strategies to tackle this structural disparity and foster a fairer and more varied sports governance terrain in Kenya