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In-Service Training Activities and Teachers’ Performance in Public Secondary Schools a Case of Gatsibo District
No full textIn-service teacher training activities are regarded as the backbone of teacher performance throughout the educational process and the quality of education with learner academic attainment, but planning and implementation remain major issues in public secondary schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of in-service teacher training activities on teacher performance in Gatsibo district public secondary schools, with the following specific objectives; This study first assessed the extent to which teachers receive in-service training activities in Gatsibo District's public secondary schools; second, it assessed the level of teacher performance in Gatsibo District; and finally, it investigated the impact of in-service teacher training activities on teacher performance in Gatsibo District's public secondary schools. The data was gathered from 14 Gatsibo District head teachers and 149 teachers. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the number of schools and head teachers as respondents, as well as a proportion stratified sampling technique to obtain the number of teachers who participated in each school as respondents in this study. An interview guide was used to obtain key information from head teachers in the Gatsibo the district for qualitative data. On the other hand, the questionnaire was used to publicize secondary school schools from each sector in the Gatsibo district. Stata was used as an assisting statistical software to generate means, frequencies, and standard deviations for the analysis of the collected data. According to the findings of the study, 87% of teachers agreed that they need training on how to prepare pedagogical documents in public schools. Although the findings revealed that there is a high demand for regular in-service training among teachers in public secondary schools in Gatsibo district, in-service training has an insignificant association with teacher performance. Recommendation to the government: Assess the outcomes of in-service trainings through monitoring and evaluation. The government should establish a process for gathering feedback from trainees by requesting a monthly report from school leaders on in-service trainings held at the school level.
Keywords: In-Service, Training Activities, Teachers’ Performance, Public Secondary Schools, Gatsibo District
National Environmental Policy 2013 Adaptation Strategies for Sustainability of Samburu Pastoral Community in Samburu Central Sub-County Kenya
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to underscore the importance of environmental policy implementation for sustainable development among the Samburu pastoralist community of Kenya. The need to manage environment in order to reduce loss of biodiversity and the adverse effects of climate variability is the preoccupation of many governments. Adaptation strategies have been suggested by global institutions to protect the rural vulnerable communities, to adapt to climate variability, resourced based conflicts and environmental degradation. Kenyan National Government enacted The National Environmental Policy 2013 to address the management of the ecosystem and sustainable use of natural resources to foster sustainability of especially the vulnerable pastoral and nomadic communities like the Samburu. Existing literature on the implementation of the Government environmental policy 2013 suggests that little has been achieved to find out traditional knowledge of the Samburu people on adaptation strategies on the administration of environment and natural resources for their own sustainability. The study was guided by the following questions: What are the adaptation strategies to loss of bio-diversity among the Samburu pastoral community in Samburu Central Sub-County? How do the Samburu pastoral community manage pasture and water resources for their sustainability? What are the strategies the Samburu people use to enhance food security? The study employed hermeneutic phenomenology qualitative research design. Ecosystem theory was used to guide the study. Both primary and secondary data were used by the study. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionares, in-depth interviews, written field notes, Focused Group Discussions and recording of the interviews to collect invaluable information from 20 participants composed of Samburu elders (lpayani), morans (Lmuran), women (ntomonok) in Samburu Central Sub-County, Samburu County. Secondary data was collected by reviewing literature from google scholar, jystor, mendeley desktop, online libraries, National and County Government websites to access academic journal articles, books and reports. Purposive sampling technique was used to identify key informers from the Samburu community who participated and have valuable knowledge in the environmental administration and sustainable use of natural resources among the Samburu pastoral community. Ethical consideration was adhered to while conducting research at every stage. Data collected from the field was filtered into themes, coded, interpreted and reported as the main findings. The study found out that the success of the adaptation strategies advocated by the Environmental policy 2013 for sustainability of the Samburu pastoralist community of Kenya depends on how the National and County Government is able to incorporate traditional knowledge of the Samburu people on environmental administration and sustainable use of pasture and water. The fact that the Samburu people have been able to adopt to adverse of loss of bio-diversity, harsh climatic conditions that complicated the management of pasture and water, and diversification of livelihoods to address food insecurity points to the need to integrate traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge.
Keywords: Environmental management, National Environmental Policy 2013, Adaptation Strategies, Samburu pastoralist, Sustainabilit
Effect of Corporate Governance on Performance of Audit Firms in United Kingdom; Case of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
No full textGood corporate governance brings about ethical company practices that cause financial viability. Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. It can be argued that corporate governance includes how companies are governed and for what purpose. Notably, corporate governance identifies who has power and accountability and who makes decisions. Thus, the study sought to examine the effect of corporate governance on the performance of audit firms in the United Kingdom in the case of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. The study made inferences based on the reviewed literature. The outcomes of the study showed that corporate governance is key in determining performance. Efficient application of sound corporate governance needs relevant lawful, governing and institutional foundations. Strong and effective corporate governance helps to cultivate a company culture of integrity, leading to positive performance and a sustainable business overall. Essentially, it exists to increase the accountability of all individuals and teams within your company, working to avoid mistakes before they can even occur. The study concluded that the performance of an organization can be highly influenced by the extent of corporate governance. The research recommended that there is a need to form a governing body to improve corporate governance using a particular code of ethics to protect the public interest in the firm. Organizations need to have controls and corporate governance criteria to increase their level of responsibility and performance. Corporate governance should be regarded as one of the key aspects that need to be a consideration in the policy formulations of the audit firms.
Keywords: Corporate Governance, Performance, Audit Firms, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, United Kingdo
Impact of Governance Practice on Unity and Reconciliation among Genocide Survivors and Released Prisoners of Rwandans Post 1994 Genocide in Nyanza District
No full textThe objective of this research was to assess the impact of governance practice on unity and reconciliation among genocide survivors and released prisoners of Rwandans post 1994 genocide in Nyanza District. Specifically, the research intended to assess the characteristics of governance practice that influence unity and reconciliation among genocide survivors and released prisoners in Nyanza District; to assess the lessons that can be drawn from the experience of unity and reconciliation due to governance practice among genocide survivors and released prisoners in Nyanza District and to evaluate the relationship between governance practice and Unity and Reconciliation among genocide survivors and released prisoners in Nyanza District. Moreover, the carrying out of this research, concentrating on Good Governance, has motives of current confidence, and there was no recent empirical findings concerning the correlation linking governance practice and Unity and Reconciliation in Nyanza District. Descriptive and correlative research designs were used. Study population size was 21740 while the sample size was 122. Questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. Quantitative approach was used in data analysis by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Findings revealed major characteristics of governance practice such as participation, responsiveness; equity and inclusiveness, accountability, transparency and rule of law have mean (μ) value which is between 1.00-1.50, while the variables with 1.51-2.50 are effectiveness and efficiency as well as consensus orientation. For the lesson, 95.9% of respondents affirmed that unity and Reconciliation are possible; 95.1% of research participants acknowledged that the restorative justice is important in unity and reconciliation; 86.9% of respondents recognized that Genocidists should not be dehumanized; 82.8% of respondents underlined the full cooperation to fight against genocide ideology is essential to unity and reconciliation whilst 75.4% of respondents approved that the only governance is not sufficient for unity and reconciliation. Regarding the relationship, the correlation coefficient is 0.880 meaning that there is a positive higher correlation between governance practice and Unity and reconciliation.
Keywords: Governance practice, Governance characteristics, Unity & Reconciliatio
Innovative Leadership and Firms Innovativeness in Europe
No full textThe development of commercially viable new products requires technological and market possibilities are linked effectively in the product's design. Innovators in large firms have persistent problems with such linking, however. This research examines these problems by focusing on the shared interpretive schemes people use to make sense of product innovation. European firms have long been perceived as a gritty, hard-working city. However, for some reason, when it comes to business innovation and growth, the city does not always get the praise it deserves. The paper describes in some depth differences among the thought worlds, which keep innovators from synthesizing their expertise in Europe. The paper also details how organizational routines exacerbate problems with knowledgeability, capability, innovation implementation and diffusion of innovation barriers. The main implication of the study is that to improve innovation in large firms it is necessary to deal explicitly with the interpretive barriers described here. Suggestions for practice and research are offered.
Keywords: Innovative leadership, Innovation & European Firms
Leadership Styles and Church Performance; A Survey of Protestant Churches in Ongata Rongai
No full textSeveral churches around the world have experienced performance challenges because of factors such as lack of good leadership, lack of resources, poor vision, poor communication, and difficultly to access to the youth which have made it difficult for churches to grow their membership. The general objective of this research was to assess the influence of leadership styles on church performance in Protestant churches in Ongata Rongai. The study specifically focused on studying the influence of the transformational and transactional leadership styles on church performance by viewing church performance from the angle of church membership retention and church membership growth. This study is a survey that used the correlational research design to collect data from 256 respondents who were church members from five selected Protestant churches in Ongata Rongai. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS) version 23 and the research results revealed that church leaders in Protestant churches in Ongata Rongai use both the transformational and the transactional leadership style. The research results also indicated that the transformational leadership style has a positive but weak influence on church performance while the transactional leadership style has a positive and strong influence on church performance. The study recommended that church leaders incorporate more transactional practices in their leadership and that churches invest in capacity building of their leaders.
Keywords: Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership style, Performance & Churche
Dominating Conflict Management Strategy and Effectiveness of Multinational Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between dominating conflict management strategy and effectiveness of multinational oil and gas companies in Nigeria. The study adopted the cross-sectional research survey design. Primary data was generated through structured questionnaire. The population of the study was the five (5) multinational oil and gas companies registered with the Department of Petroleum Resources. Since the population of five (5) multinational Oil and Gas producing companies in Nigeria was relatively small, the entire population was studied as a census and in line with the unit of analysis which is at the macro level, the questionnaire was distributed to the elements from the population was used as the participants and in line with the unit of analysis which is at the macro level, the questionnaire was distributed to ten (10) managers of the five (5) multinational oil and gas producing companies in Nigeria, bringing the total number to fifty (50) respondents. The category of managers included in the study were Directors, General Managers, Deputy General Managers, Divisional Managers and Deputy Divisional Managers. The reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. The hypotheses were tested using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient. The tests were carried out at a 0.05 significance level. Findings from the data analysis revealed that, there is a significant negative relationship between negotiating conflict management strategies and effectiveness of multinational oil and gas companies in Nigeria. Therefore, the study concluded that, the adoption of dominating conflict management strategy was negatively related to effectiveness in multinational oil and gas companies in Nigeria. Thus, the study recommends that multinational oil and gas companies should avoid using dominating strategy unless it is the only strategy that can fit the situation. This is because the findings revealed an inverse correlation between multinational oil and gas companies’ effectiveness and dominating strategy.
Keyword: Conflict, Conflict Management Strategies, Effectiveness, Dominating, Growth Rate, Innovation Market Shar
Influence of Information Technology on Service Delivery among the Public Customer Care Centers in Switzerland
No full textTechnology is essential to contemporary customer service. IT has actually led and continues to contribute to enhanced effectiveness and performance in service delivery. The study sought to examine the role of it on enhancing service delivery in customer care centers in Switzerland. The acquisition and application of any modern technology should consequently be done with the vital stakeholders in mind. Service organizations have actually made use of technology to enhance their performance. The internet has the ability to bring lots of choices right into the hands of the customer and has actually enhanced the speed of globalization. Those organizations which are focused on development and improvement are required to invest in technology as it has an influence on service delivery. The study embraced the descriptive study design. The target population consisted customers. Especially, the target population was 400 individuals. The data collection tools consisted surveys. The data was analyzed making use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research concluded that the use of technology has a positive impact on enhancing service delivery in the customer care centers. Information technology is essential in enhancing services delivery to the clients. The level of technology adoption affects the service delivery which indicates that if the level of innovation is enhanced in the operations of the customer care centers, after that the efficiency in service delivery will also increase. The study advises that customer care centers must ensure that they take on the technology for the improvement of service delivery. A lot of the services need to be used online by customers in order to increase service provision.
Keywords: Information technology, service delivery, customer care centers, Switzerlan
Level of Hygiene Training and Awareness Among Food Handlers as Determinants of Customer Choice of African Indigenous Restaurants in Nairobi City County, Kenya
No full textAfrican indigenous restaurants have become a preference for most consumers although their patronage varies, attributed to various push factors such as health, curiosity and variety. This study explored food handlers’ hygiene practices as determinants of customers’ choice of selected African indigenous restaurants’ in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey targeting 15 selected African indigenous restaurants. Purposive sampling was used in selecting all supervisors in the 15 African indigenous restaurants. Using Yamane formula, a sample size of three hundred and forty (340) food handlers was obtained from a population of 2250. Proportionate sampling was used in selecting food handlers as their population had different numbers in each of the selected restaurant. Data collection instruments were a questionnaire, an interview guide and an observation checklist. Qualitative data was ordered, coded and summarized in compilation sheets for easier analysis in addition to inferential statistics. Quantitative data was analyzed using statistical packages for social sciences with levels of significance established using paired tests with a cut-off point of P < 0.05, (95%) confidence and significance levels. Chi square Pearson’s correlation coefficient tests were calculated to identify the correlation between food handlers’ hygiene practices and customers’ choice of restaurants. The findings showed that most restaurant supervisors were well aware of HACCP system although not all of them implemented it. Further, the restaurants do not observe adequate precautions in the entire food production and therefore programs related to HACCP training needed to be implemented in a practical and realistic manner. The study further identified that the general hygiene standards of the restaurants were relatively high although during the time of the visits, some were not clean. The study recommended the public health authorities in the urban centers to educate all restaurant stakeholders on food hygiene requirements and regulations in order for them to adhere as required. The study further recommended that similar studies to be done in other localities, in rural restaurants, and to incorporate more restaurants.
Keywords: Hygiene Requirements, Regulations, Training, Awareness, African Indigenous Restaurants
Severity of Anxiety due to the COVID-19 Pandemic among the Students of Africa International University, Karen
No full textThis study investigated the severity of anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic among students studying at the Africa International University, Karen, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was done within a period of three months. The study was guided by the Ecological Systems theory and the Social Cognitive Theory. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Participant’s answers were compared to certain variables including prevalence of preventive hygiene measures, depression, severity of anxiety and prevalence of avoidance behavior. A working sample size of 123 was picked from a target population of 1134 students from the Africa International University. Stratified Random Sampling was used to get a sample of 123 students. A structured questionnaire with an internal consistence reliability of α=0.858 was used to collect data from the respondents. In addition to this, the researcher used the Becks Depression Inventory-II and the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory to find out the severity of depression and anxiety respectively. The information obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and information obtained was presented using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the psychological well-being of college students. More than 60% of the students incorporated behavior changes and adhered to the government directives on preventive hygiene measures (p=0.000). It was also found out that the students suffered from depression 20.10 ± 0.975SD. 28.9% and 23.7% of the students suffered from moderate and severe depression respectively. The student also suffered from anxiety 15.85 ± 0.491SD, p=0.000. A quarter of the students had concerning high levels of anxiety. Avoidance behavior was also prevalent at 12.09 ± 3.909SD. It was alarming that 50% of the students thought of quitting or deferring their studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic ((r = 0.230, p-value = 0.014). The study recommends the introduction of psychoeducation programs to educate the students on how to cope with the COVID-19 pandemics and other pandemics that might occur, initiation of accessible and affordable counselling services for students, training on developing resilience, a concerted effort between the colleges and government to educate students on how to cope with pandemics and that the government should put measures to mitigate the spread of fake news from social media and educate people on where to obtain reliable information.
Key words: Anxiety, COVID-19, Student