Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Books
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Exploring the Potential of the Will, Skill, Tool Model in Predicting Pre-Service Teachers and Tutors of Colleges of Education Stage of Adoption of Technology Integration into Teaching and Learning
No full textStudies have demonstrated that will (positive attitudes), skill (technology competency), and tool (access to technology tools) are all needed components for an educator to successively integrate technology into teaching and learning. This research work centered on the will, skill and tool as important procedures for the predictability of technology integration into teaching and learning, announced by the study respondents and calculated by stages of adoption of pre-service teachers and tutors of Colleges of Education in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Quantitative research design which involves survey was used to answer the research question; “How would will, skill and technology tools predict pre-service teachers and tutors stage of adoption of technology integration into teaching and learning at the Colleges of Education in Ashanti Region?” Three hundred and thirty-eight (338) pre-service teachers of College of Education who were in level 200 of the 2019/2020 academic year, offering either Mathematics or Science or Visual art were selected through purposive sampling technique and thirteen (13) tutors were sampled using convenience sampling technique for the study. The participants answered a well validated instruments spread over from the areas of attitudes (will), competencies (skill), access (tool) and technology integration into teaching and learning. The data was analysed using regression analysis. The results revealed that access to technology tools appeared to be stronger predictor of classroom integration of technology into teaching and learning by pre-service teachers and tutors of Colleges of Education in Ashanti Region. That is, predictability of stages of adoption from 0.37 to 0.41(0.37+0.94/2) was realised.
Keywords: Exploring, predicting, stages of adoption integrating technology, teaching and learning, pre-service teachers, tutors
Challenge and Ethical Aspects of technological use in Rwanda Basic Education
No full textThe implication of artificial intelligence in education brought significant improvement to traditional models of teaching and learning processes. This paper was aiming at bringing to the right prospects, challenges and ethical aspects of technological use in Rwandan basic education. Purposive non probability sampling technique was used to select study participants. Descriptive statistics and thematic approach were used to analyze collected quantitative and qualitative data. Effective creation and implementation of technological with various adaptive learning platforms (Liushuo in China, NLP in USA, PAM in Germany, Education Technology company Greekie in Brazil and M-shule in Kenya), Advanced data analytic platforms, the introduction of technological use as major course in universities, and Investment for technological use research were established as prospects of technological use at the level of 26.80%, 24.10%, 26%, and 23.10% respectively. Besides, other potential prospects like multi-source of data analysis and audio-Visio teaching and learning materials were revealed as key prospects of technological use. Fragile technological infrastructure, inadequate government expenditure in education, achievement gap in education, resistance to implement technological use and unprepared teacher for technological use implementation were found as challenges of technological use at 85%, 75%, 65%, 60%, 40% respectively. In addition, curriculum transition, culture and religion of some countries, resistance to change mindset were suggested as other challenges of technological use. Cultural integration; accountability; fairness, equity and affordability; security, and privacy were found out as the main ethical aspects of technological use at 33.3%, 28.6%, 14.3%, 14.3% 9.5% respectively. Increasingly Humanity, singularity, authentication and profitability, personal interests’ investment, humanitarianism, and solitary were suggested as ethical aspects of technological use. The paper recommends that technological use theorists carefully mitigate the impacts of technological use on humans.
Keywords: Technological use, ethical aspect and technological challenge
Effects of Water Policy Implementation and Management of Common Pool Resources in Turkana County, Kenya
No full textKenya and the sub-Saharan Africa nations could not accomplish the millennial advancement objectives plan on water and consequently the administration of water is in the core of manageable improvement objectives. This paper explored several reasons explaining why water policies are ineffective in Kenya, including; weak institutional frameworks, poor and unsustainable management schemes, fragmented approach to development of water resources and inadequate development of water infrastructure caused by conflict of interest by the implementing agencies. This study used descriptive research design, and targeted household heads and the county water staff in Loima Sub County. The study sample comprised 392 respondents. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire and KII. The study findings revealed that, community participation in water resource project management cycle was important for managing water as a shared resource. Moreover, the study established that non-governmental groups and the private sector were better at managing water as a shared resource. Furthermore, community participation in the management of water as a resource for common use was found not to be a determining factor in such management. The study concludes that water is a development challenge in Loima Sub County; it is thus essential to involve the community in the management of water as a common pool resource. The study therefore recommends that Turkana water government should improve performance of utilities through operationalize Turkana County Water Act 2019 and develop robust performance improvement plans based on diagnostic of the utility’s key challenges. Additionally, development of water and governance policy ought to guide management through co-creation in development of coherent and robust policy framework, operationalization roadmap and redesign the structure of water management committees through adoption of appropriate service delivery options based on context.
Keywords: Water assets, Policy implementation, Decision making, Pool resources, Challenge
Impact of Resource Allocation on the Performance of Kenya Police Officers in Nairobi City County, Kenya
No full textThe coming into force of the constitution of Kenya 2010 has led to several restructuring efforts in the Kenya law enforcement agency. The national law enforcement agency structure review focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Kenya’s law enforcement agency. For a number of years, the service delivery has not fully reflected the mission statement, of the Kenya law enforcement agency of providing quality service to meet and exceed the expectations of the public. This study sought to determine the impact of police restructuring on the performance of Kenyan police officers in Nairobi City County. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of resource allocation on the performance of Kenyan police officers in Nairobi City County. This study was anchored on human capital theory and resource dependency theory. This employed in a descriptive study approach, and targeted 3739 Kenya police officers working in Nairobi City County, consisting of 33 Gazetted Officers, 206 members of the Inspectorate and 3500 officers of other ranks, from which a random sample of 361 officers was drawn and used for the study. A structured questionnaire was used was used to collect quantitative data from Kenya police officers of the rank of Inspector and below whereas an interview guide was used to collect qualitative data from Gazetted officers and Chief Inspectors of Police. A total of 246 questionnaires out of a sample of 338 were filled and returned representing a 72.8% return rate whereas a total of 21 interview guides out of a sample of 23 were filled and returned representing a 91.3% return rate.SPSS software aided analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that resource allocation had a positive and statistically significant influence on the performance of Kenya police officers. More resources tailored to areas of deployment and nature of assignment to be provided. Finally, the study proposes a further research on the influence of police-community linkage as a result of restructuring, on police officers’ performance and the influence of police integration in the community on the police officer’s performance.
Keywords: Resource Allocation, Police Officers, Restructuring, Resource availability, Performanc
Leveraging Knowledge Sharing to Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Organizations
No full textThe importance of knowledge sharing for sustainable competitive advantage has been emphasised researchers. Knowledge application enables the organization to provide good quality goods and services, improve productivity and innovation, improve delivery lead times, manage complexity and effectively respond to change. Competitiveness can be achieved through new ways of managing [4],[5],[1],[6], among others have suggested movement away from bureaucratic management, process improvement, and enhanced customer knowledge, brainstorming for knowledge sharing as avenues for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, [1], [2], [7], have emphasized the importance of new cultures based on transparency and trust, continuous learning, continuous employee development through coaching, mentorship and training. In order to encourage change of employee behaviour, [1], [5], [7], have emphasized use of human resource management approaches that encourage risk taking, recognises knowledge sources, and establishment of flexible reward systems based on team contribution. Managers are also encouraged to delegate responsibility, empower workers and provide task flexibility and autonomy. Technology can be used to share knowledge and improve interaction for value generation.
Key Words
Sustainable competitive advantage: continuous improvement in quality, creativity and efficiency [2]. Knowledge: is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information [2]. Trust: confidence in other’s character and competencies [1
Assessing the Effect of Monitoring on Performance of the Parliamentary Service Commission of Kenya
No full textMonitoring continues to maintain popularity as the strategic management process that enhances the performance of public and private organizations across the globe. The current study sought to assess the effect of monitoring on the performance of the Parliamentary Service Commission, Kenya. To achieve the study objective, the study targeted a sample of 71 employees/staff currently working at the Parliamentary Service Commission offices situated in Nairobi. The study adopted a descriptive research design and sought to identify the characteristics of monitoring executed at the Parliamentary Service Commission and its effect on performance. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 program. Linear regression model was used to establish the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable and the strength upon which the independent variables affect the dependent variable. Effective monitoring was found to have a positive and strong correlation with performance (r=0.551; p=0.025). A statistically significant relationship was found between monitoring and performance of the Parliamentary Service Commission (p=0.00; p<0.05); this led to rejection of the null hypothesis. It was recommended that the government should put in place strict and objective measures of monitoring to continuously improve the performance of the Parliamentary Service Commission of Kenya.
Keywords: Parliamentary Service Commission, monitoring, performance, Parliamentary Service Commission
Corporate Social Responsibility and Firms Brand Development: A Case of Equity Group
No full textFirms are continuously seeking to enhance their brand development through adopting all possible strategies with the main focus being Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The study sought to establish the impact of CSR on firm’ brand development. The objectives of the study were; to establish the effect of economic responsibility on Equity Group brand development, to investigate the effect of legal responsibility on Equity Group brand development, to determine the influence of ethical responsibility on Equity Group brand development and to determine the effect of Philanthropic responsibility on Equity Group brand development. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to establish the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The target population of the study was Corporate Social Responsibility activities in the 23 Equity Group branches in Nairobi Count. The study used secondary data which was collected using the bank records. Data was collected covering 10 years from 2010 to 2020. The published statements are reliable because all listed companies are required by law to report their audited statements as well as stating their compliance with performance principles. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical responsibility and philanthropic responsibility have a positive and significant effect on firm`s brand development. The study concluded that there is a significantly positive relationship between corporate social responsibility activities of firms on their brand development. This study recommends firms to build collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to impact positively to society through Corporate Social Responsibility. The study further recommends on firms to integrate Corporate Social Responsibility with their vision, mission, core competencies, values, strategic goals and objectives to benefit both the firm and the society.
Keywords: Economic Responsibility, Ethical Responsibility, Legal Responsibility, Philanthropic Responsibility & Brand Developmen
Analysis of Product Differentiation on the Performance of Supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya
No full textThe rapidly changing Kenya market creates challenges for retail stores to retain their customers and build new competitive strategies against modern retailing. The study sought to analyze the influence of product differentiation strategy on the performance of supermarkets in Nairobi, to evaluate how cost leadership affect performance of supermarkets in Nairobi. The target population consisted of 147 managers and supervisors form the 7 main supermarkets in Nairobi City County. Primary data was collected using a semi—structured questionnaire and the data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The study used a multiple regression model to show the relationship between the study variables. The results obtained were represented on tables, charts and graphs. The findings revealed an R squared of 0.696 and adjusted R squared of 0.663 at 95% significance level, implying that the competitive strategies adopted in this study explained 69.6 percent of the variation in performance of supermarkets in Nairobi City County. The study also found that product differentiation strategy as an aspect of competitive strategies had a positive and significant effect on the performance of supermarkets in Nairobi (β =.357, p=.029<.05). The study concluded that product differentiation as a competitive strategies adopted had positive and significant effect on the performance of supermarkets in Nairobi. The study thus recommended that the supermarkets in Nairobi City County should consider fully implementing competitive strategies such as product differentiation as ways of enhancing their performance.
Keywords: Product Differentiation, Performance, Supermarkets, Competitive Strategie
Stakeholder Involvement and Model Villages Project Sustainability in Rwanda: A Case of Model Villages Project in Rweru Sector, Bugesera District
No full textThe concerns on project success have shifted focus not only to the project’s success as measured using the traditional measures of cost, time and quality, but also to incorporate the project sustainability as a measure. The study was undertaken to investigate the role of stakeholder’s involvement in Model Villages Project sustainability in Rwanda, taking a case of Model Villages Project in Rweru Sector, Bugesera District. The specific objectives that guided the research were to examine the extent to which stakeholders’ involvement in project identification affect project sustainability; to analyze the level of significance of stakeholders’ involvement in project planning on project sustainability and to evaluate the level to which stakeholders’ involvement in project implementation affect project sustainability of the Model Villages Project in Rweru Sector, Bugesera District, Rwanda. The study was based on the Stakeholder theory, Need Chain Theory and Community Action Planning Theory. The findings of this research are intended to benefit different parties including the academicians, policymakers, government, and project managers, among others. The research design that was used is descriptive, cross-sectional and survey research designs using qualitative data. The target population for this study was 122 respondents made up of 18 Project management Team members and 104 Project Recipients or Primary beneficiaries from which a sample of 94 was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected both from primary sources, using structured questionnaire and interview, and from secondary sources using documentary analysis. The data collected was entered into SPSS version 21 for presentation and analysis using frequency tables, percentages, charts, and descriptive summaries. A significant number of the respondents (63.8%) said that they were involved in the project identification phase and 47.9% of the respondents were involved in beneficiary value creation. On the regression analyses that were conducted, the first regression model to determine the effect of stakeholders’ involvement on project sustainability was not found to be statistically significant (F=1.975,P=0.123) since the p-value was higher than 0.05. However, the second regression (F=3.465,P=0.02) model on project planning and the third regression model on project implementation(F=7.765,P=0.000) were found to be statistically significant since their p-values were less than 5%. This indicated that stakeholders’ involvement in project planning and project implementation both have statistically significant effect on project sustainability. The study therefore recommended that the government policy makers and other Project Managers in Bugesera District should ensure that stakeholders are playing a key role at all stages of projects management. Consultation of project stakeholders is also recommended while making any decision regarding projects management. Furthermore, planners and decision makers at district level should integrate the participatory approach in district strategic frameworks to attract more donors’ engagement. Other than the traditional indicators of time, cost and quality, the researcher recommends further research on the influence of other factors affecting Sustainability of community development projects in Rwanda. Further study should be done on the influence of stakeholders’ capacity building on the project sustainability in Rwanda as well as the mediating effects and demographic variable on the relationship between institutional management, social economic factors and the role of stakeholders in project Sustainability.
Keywords: Stakeholder Involvement, Project Sustainability, Model Villages Project and Rwand
Effect of Occupational Stress on Employee Performance of the Judicial Service Commission Employees in Kenya
No full textEmployee performance is the key to success of an organization. Every individual employee must work toward the company’s vision and mission. The performance of employees is influenced by how businesses manage, up skill, and motivates their employees. This study sought to investigate the effects of occupational stress on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission employees in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to; establish the effects of workload stress on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya, to determine effects of role ambiguity stress on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya, to establish the effects of working conditions stress on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya and to determine effects of work relationships stress on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya. In this study, a descriptive research design method was used. The target population comprised of 5,157 employees in the Kenyan Judiciary comprising of 635 magistrates and kadhis and 4,522 staff. The study sample size comprised of 362 employees. The study relied on both primary and secondary data. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The data was also entered using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Data that was obtained from the research instruments was summarized using Descriptive Statistics. To test hypothesis HA1 to HA4, Pearson’s Correlation Analysis was used. The study results were presented through use of tables and figures. The study concludes that workload stress has a significant effect on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya. In addition, the study concludes that role ambiguity stress has a significant effect on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya. Further, the study concludes that working condition stress has a significant effect on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya. The study also concludes that work relationship stress has a significant effect on employee performance of Judicial Service Commission in Kenya. From the results, the study recommends that the management of judicial service commission should ensure effective strategies to manage workload stress are formulated and implemented to enhance employee performance.
Keywords: Occupational Stress, Employee Performanc