Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Books
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Growth Strategies and Sales Performance of Private Security Companies: The Case of WS Insight Limited
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of growth strategies on sales performance of private security companies, namely WS Insight Limited. The specific objective of the study was to find out how market penetration strategy implementation affects the sales success at WS Insight Limited. The resource-based theory, core competency theory, goal attainment theory and contingency theory were used to guide the research. Descriptive survey design was adopted. The target group included 71 management workers from the executive, senior, middle and junior management levels who were in charge of strategy execution. The study discovered that majority of respondents agreed that in the last eight years, WS Insight Limited had boosted its advertising and marketing activities to raise brand awareness and had used new distribution channels to grow market sales. Between 2013 and 2020, there was the implementation of tactics such as price discounts and fair pricing, as well as the formation of strategic alliances, as evidenced by a composite mean of 3.98 and standard deviation of 0.851. The study also discovered that the current economic climate and political considerations influence strategic decision-making. The study concluded there is a link between growth strategies and sales performance, with market penetration strategy execution being the most important independent variable. The study recommended that the company should increase its advertising and marketing operations in order to expand into new markets. It is also suggested that management should encourage the best use of distribution networks and price discounting tactics, as this would help the company penetrate the market and increase sales.
Keywords: Growth Strategies, Market Penetration Strategy Implementation, Sales Performance, WS Insight Limited, Keny
Construction Delays and Project Cost Overrun: A Case of Regional Cybercrime Center in Gasabo District, Rwanda
No full textThe aim of the survey was to understand the relationship between construction delays and cost overrun in Rwanda more specifically in the Regional Cybercrime Center. More specifically, the research addressed the specific objectives of the effect of inexcusable delays, effect of non-compensable delays and examined the effect of compensable delays on the cost overrun of construction of Regional Cybercrime Center. This survey was anchored on the Stakeholder theory and Results Based Management theory. A combination of descriptive and correlation design was used in this study. A population of 45 including procurement officers, logistic officers, budgeting officers, project managers, site engineers, project planners, interior designers, architectures, it managers, it technicians, supervisors and communication technicians in charge of activities regarding construction and other related activities of Regional Cybercrime Center were used. This study adopted a consensus approach and encompassed the whole population as sample size. Questionnaires were distributed and used in collection of data. The questionnaires were tested for validity and reliability and a Cronbach’s Alpha of over 0.70 was recorded. Information analysis encompassed the adoption of descriptive statistics by use of standard deviation and mean while inferential statistics were done using correlation and regression and the findings presented using tables and figures. The findings showed Pearson correlation of 0.773 between inexcusable delays and cost overrun while adjusted R-square of 0.588 showed moderating effect and also analysis of variance found to be significant at less than 0.005. For the correlation coefficient of 0.657 between non-compensable delays and cost overrun while adjusted R-square of 0.418 showed weak effect and also analysis of variance found to be significant. For the correlation coefficient of 0.799 between compensable delays and cost overrun though adjusted R-square of 0.630 showed moderating effect and also analysis of variance found to be significant. From outcomes, the objectives were achieved and the entire null hypotheses were rejected. For project owners to achieve timely completion of construction projects without having to incur extra costs which lead to project cost overruns, financial resources/project budget necessary to execute the project must be fully committed and set aside to avoid incongruities caused by delay in payments.
Keywords: Construction delays, cost overrun, regional cybercrime center, Rwand
Preliminary Studies and Performance of Construction Projects in Rwanda: A Case of Gatuna One Stop Border Post
No full textIn spite of the vibrant significance of preliminary studies in assisting choices related to government spending on construction programs, there are no efforts to appraise such studies once construction of facilities. Hence, this study seeks to investigate the contribution of preliminary study on performance of construction projects with specific reference to Gatuna one stop border post. The study was guided by three specific objectives namely: to determine contribution of economic feasibility on performance of construction projects in Gatuna one stop border post; to assess contribution of technical requirements on performance of construction projects in Gatuna one stop border post as well as to determine how risk assessment contributes to the performance of construction projects in One Stop Border Post. The study will be important to Gatuna One Stop Border Post, citizen and traders in Rwanda. This study used descriptive research design .The target population of the study will be 150 Gatuna one stop border post staffs and a sample size of 109 beneficiaries, which was selected over, stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaires and guided interview were as data collection instruments where descriptive statistics was used for quantitative data analysis through the software of statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 21,qualitative data were analyzed by using thematic method ; Karl Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to establish relationship between variables while regression analysis was used to check the influence of preliminary studies and performance of construction projects at 32.1 percent of R -square. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 73.1 percent showed that the instruments were reliable while the validity was established by peer discussion with experts. This study will be significant to site engineers, site supervisors and beneficiaries as well as ministry of infrastructure. The findings on the first objective showed that IRR, NPV, PBP and PI are considered as economic feasibility as it was confirmed by 83.1 percent of beneficiaries agreed that Internal Rate of Return is used to determine stages and timelines for test performance. The findings on the second objective showed that 85.4 percent of the beneficiaries agreed that they beneficiaries agreed that Appraisal of information infrastructure fulfils the sustainability of the project. The findings on the third objective showed that risk assessment influences construction project performance, it was also shown that there is significant low degree of positive correlation of 0.026 between risk assessment and performance of construction projects. It was concluded that effective implementation of preliminary study leads to positive performance of construction project. The study recommends that national budget planners and intervening people should provide financial facilities and make effective set up that should enhance performance of construction project.
Keywords: Preliminary Studies, Performance of Construction Projects, Rwand
Impact of Agile Project Management on the Competitiveness of Chinese Software Development Organizations
No full textSoftware industry is a significant contributor to the Chinese economy. The industry has more than 12 million employers with over 250 million employees and creates almost $1.9 trillion worth of structures yearly. Software industry remains the main driver of growth in China. Basically, a task is developed to meet market demands or demands in a timely fashion. Different possibilities may be thought about in the conceptual drawing board, and also the technical and also financial feasibility of each alternative will be assessed and compared in order to select the very best feasible job. The software industry in China is forecast to grow by 7.7% in 2021, driven by strong Y-o-Y growth in the first quarter, reflecting the comparison to the previous year's period when software development work was halted across most of the country. Thereafter, the software industry is expected to record an average annual growth of 4.2% between 2022 and 2025. The industry's growth over the forecast period is expected to be driven by investments on new infrastructure, including investment in the areas of 5G networks, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and data centers. This study evaluated factors affecting software development sector performance: explanatory factor analysis evidence from China. From the literature reviewed, it was established that entering the Chinese software development markets still seen as exciting but difficult by many foreign software developers and consultants. The study found out that while agile project management has become increasingly important for high-tech software industry in China, firm performance varies greatly due to companies’ different degrees of innovation capability and internal and external environmental dynamics. The study concludes that the results the results provide guidelines for project agility practices in high-tech firms in China, with the potential to improve these firms’ competitiveness.
Keywords. Agile project, Project management, Software development, competitiveness, development organizations
The Effect of Social Media Interactive Messaging on Customer Loyalty of Commercial Banks in Nairobi City County, Kenya
No full textSocial media interactive messaging is rapidly becoming a major marketing practice in the corporate world. Modern organizations are recognizing the interactive nature of social media platforms as breaker of barriers that initially limited customer-company interactions. Commercial banks have not been left behind in the intensified journey of using social media platforms to interact with customers in real-time and use it a s tool to inspire customer loyalty. However, existing literature has not empirically established if adopting the social media interactive messaging can significantly customer loyalty of commercial banks in Kenya. Moreover, some banking organizations have not fully optimized interactive messaging feature of the social networking sites to inspire customer loyalty. The current study investigated the effect of social media interactive messaging on customer loyalty of commercial banks in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was underpinned by the honeycomb model and the technology acceptance model. A primary research methodology was applied. A closed-ended questionnaire was administered to random sample of 384 commercial bank customers. Data collected was coded and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study results revealed that social media interactive messaging has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty of commercial banks in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study recommends that commercial banks in Kenya improve the ease of use of their social media pages to inspire customer usage for communications.
Keywords: Social media, interactive messaging, commercial banks, Nairobi City County
Influence of Inflation on Cost of Living among the Urban Residents in Turkey
No full textInflation is the increase in the price of products and services over some time. In some instances, inflation affects all aspects of the economy, from consumer spending, business investment and employment rates to government programs, tax policies and interest rates. The Turkish economy has experienced a reasonably high rising cost of living and unsuccessful disinflation programs within the past three decades. Thus, the study sought to examine the influence of inflation on the cost of living among urban residents in Turkey. The study used a descriptive research design. The target population included residents from Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. A simple random sampling technique was used to get the sample size. The simple random sampling enabled any of the residents to have an equal chance to be included in the study. The sample size used was 479 people. The analysis of the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings indicated that inflation positively and significantly affects the cost of living. The increase in inflation increases the cost of living. The regression results showed a positive and significant relationship between inflation and the cost of living. The increase in the inflation rate increases the costs of factors of production and the burden is passed to consumers. It was noted that inflation affects the urban residents more than those in the rural areas. The high cost of living makes people more susceptible. The study concluded that inflation had increased the cost of living. The study recommended that measures be implemented to ensure that inflation remains as low as possible. The government needs to develop policies to ensure inflation does not rise consistently. The government needs to create effective macro-economic plans to cushion the poor during high inflation.
Keywords: Inflation, Cost of Living, Urban Residents, Turke
Effect of Early Childhood Education on Socio-Economic Transformation of Communities in Rwanda
No full textThe effective provision of basic education in Rwanda increases the competition level among graduates which promotionally improves the socio-economic transformation of communities. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish the effect of early childhood education on socio-economic transformation of communities in Nyamasheke district in Rwanda. The target population was 368 respondents that provided the sample size of 192 got using Yamane formula. Interview guide and questionnaire were used as data collection instruments. Correlation research design was also employed. The study findings revealed there is 31% of accessibility of ECE able to affect the level of socio-economic transformation of communities as indicated by the R square = .310 and the remaining 69% of socio-economic transformation of communities can be affected by other factors. However, it was found that, there is a statistically significant moderate relationship between accessibility ECE and socio-economic transformation of communities (P=.000 and r = .555). The study recommended the ministry of education which represents the government in the sector of Education should provide the adequate infrastructures of ECE schools in Nyamasheke district to improve and make easy accessibility of ECE in the area thus also increase the literacy level. The non-governmental organizations should invest more in ECE of Nyamasheke district in order to develop youth who are competent and able to compete at the labour market.
Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Socio-economic transformation, Communitie
Effect of Early Childhood Education on Pupils’ Readiness for Learning in Public Primary one School in Rwanda
No full textThe effective provision of early childhood education to children plays a significant role in readiness in primary school which also creates a high rate of adaptation. This paper therefore determined the effect of early childhood education on pupils’ readiness in public primary schools (primary one) in Gasabo district in Rwanda. The target population was 270 respondents that provided the sample size of 162. The study used Yamane formula to get the sample size. Interview guide and questionnaire were used as data collection instruments. Correlation research design was employed and IBM/SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that early childhood education influence pupils’ readiness at 64.9 percent of R- square. It was noted that teaching and learning resources, teachers’ qualification, numeracy development and language development can improve pupils’ readiness for learning. It was also indicated that, every increase on teaching qualification and pupils’ readiness for learning increases at 104.3 percent. The study recommended that the ministry of education ought to provide early childhood education facilities in all public primary schools in order to improve pupils' readiness for learning. Educational designers should make effective set up that should boost pupils' readiness for learning so as to make up effective implementation of early childhood education factors in public primary schools. The head teachers should supervise the implementation of early childhood education daily so that pupils' readiness for learning in primary one can be improved through developing test scores, attitudes towards learning and pupils' retention as well as reducing repetition rate.
Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Early childhood Development, Primary education Pupil’ readiness, Rwand
Relationship between School Strategic Planning and Students’ Academic Performance of Secondary Schools in Rwanda
No full textEffective school planning requires having strategies that enhance the students’ academic performance as well as school performance. The current study sought to determine the relationship between school strategic planning and students’ academic performance of Secondary Schools in Rusizi District in Rwanda. Correlation research design was employed. The target population was 988. From this population, simple random sampling and convenient sampling techniques were used to get 91 respondents. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. IBM SPSS version 23 assisted in management of quantitative data. The findings revealed that the effectiveness of strategic planning is explained by effective communication considering the mean of 2.96, vision considering the mean of 2.97, and mission considering the mean of 2.90. It was also noted that academic performance of students in selected secondary schools was explained by the following: well performance of students during mock exams considering the mean of 2.92, existence of competition character among students considering the mean of 2.76, low level of absenteeism in classes considering the mean of 2.89, and the existence of the discipline among students considering the mean of 2.83. The findings revealed that strategic planning practices like stakeholders’ involvement and communication have positive and significant relationship with the academic performance. This was explained by (r=298, p=0.006) for stakeholders’ involvement and academic performance and (r=0.084, p=0.028). Hence, the study recommends that secondary schools in Rusizi District should prepare strategic plans that involve all stakeholders since their ideas could be constructive and provide update on the progress in the implementation of strategic plans. The schools should make clear about the vision of strategic planning where this may facilitate the activities related to monitoring and evaluation of the action plan. There is the need to provide training and other capacity building facilities in order increase the abilities in preparing strategic plans.
Keywords: School, students, strategic planning, academic performance and secondary school
Information, Communication & Technology Usage and Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Rwanda
No full textThe effectiveness of Information communication and Technology (ICT) usage makes effective improvement in terms of school productivity and students’ performance. The purpose of this paper therefore was to establish the influence of ICT usages on students’ academic performance in selected public secondary schools in Nyamasheke district in Rwanda. The target population was 297 people and 170 respondents as sample size got by using Yamane formula. Descriptive and correlation research designs were employed. Questionnaire, guided interview and education document analysis review was used as data collection instrument. The quantitative data was analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 21. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that majority of students corresponding with 58.9% of teachers indicated that their students never use ICT laboratory while 27.2% of teachers revealed that their students use ICT laboratory once in a week which reduces the level of students’ academic performance. It was revealed that when ICT usage implement effectively, influences the level students’ academic performance at 77.2% and the remaining 22.8% can be affected by other variables. It was also noted that that there is a statistical significance high positive relationship between ICT Usage and students’ academic performance thus P-value = .024 which less than 0.05 as the level of significance and Pearson coefficient of correlation r = .684 which is high. This paper recommends that the Ministry of Education should provide the adequate infrastructures of that can enhance the usage of ICT in daily teaching and learning activities in order to improve the ICT literacy in schools and school productivity.
Keywords: ICT usage, Secondary School, Students’ academic performance, Public Secondary Schools, Rwand