Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Books
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Ethical Leadership and Performance of the government institutions in Chile: A Case Study of The Chilean Tax Authority
No full textThe study investigated the influence of ethical Leadership on performance of government institutions in Chile. The Study was developed on two theories, namely the expectancy theory and AIDA theory. The study found that ethical human resource and performance of the organization was positively and significantly associated. The study concluded their existed a positive and significant relationship between ethical human resources and performance. The study further found that ethical advertising and performance was positively and significantly associated. The study concluded that ethical advertising and performance was positively and significantly related. In addition, the study found a positive and significant association between ethical investor and performance of the organization. Besides, ethical investor and performance was positively related. Similarly, the study concluded that ethical consumers and performance was positively and significantly related. The study recommended that employees should be ethically responsible for promoting and fostering fairness and justice to all employees within the organizations. The organization should create and sustain an environment that encourages all individuals and the organization to reach their fullest potential in a positive and productive manner. The study also suggested that ethics in advertising in the organization should follow moral guidelines which entail truthful and informative information without having some information hidden. The study also recommended that investment should be carried out with a view of helping society and not harming anyone. Study also recommended consumers should buy products which are ethically produced and not harmful to the environment.
Keywords: Ethical human resource, ethical advertising, ethical consumer, ethical investor relations, ethical leadership, Chil
Project Management Practices, Corporate Governance and Sustainability: A Critical Literature Review
No full textThe relationship between project management and sustainability is rapidly gaining interest from professionals and academics. Achievement of a project means that a number of its perceived factors are attained. While the success of a project largely depends on the way it is managed and controlled, it is not guaranteed that application of project management practices will result in project success. The challenges met during the execution of project management practices has been during project planning, exceeding the set budget and going beyond its set schedule and poor quality. Project managers, logically, strive for project success and considering sustainability may influence this success. Studies on the integration of sustainability concepts into the management of projects generally address the topic from a conceptual, logical or moral point of view. Given that the relationship between sustainability and project management is still an emerging field of study, these approaches make sense. The paper develops a conceptual model that provides a more detailed understanding of how considering different dimensions of sustainability may affect the individual criteria of project success. The study also provides a conceptual mapping of the different relationships between dimensions of sustainability and criteria of project success. This mapping shows that the most positive relationships are expected for the relationship between sustainability and the success criteria stakeholder satisfaction, future readiness and controlled project execution. The expected relationship between considering sustainability and completing the project on schedule and within budget is uncertain. The need for studies on the convergence of sustainability issues and project management, coupled with the increasing importance of both on the current business environment, as well as its relationship with success in projects, motivates this paper which seeks to contribute to the development of the sustainability issues in project management and success in projects. Thus, this study focuses on the alignment of these themes, with the aim of systematizing a theoretical framework that can evidence constructs of sustainability in project management with orientation to success in project. It is anticipated that the paper's postulations would guide empirical research in various contexts to hasten addressing of the extant knowledge gaps.
Keywords: Project Management Practices, Corporate Governance, Sustainability, Project
Management of Employees during Economic Downturn: A Literature Based Review
No full textDuring challenging economic times such as economic downturn, many companies struggle to stay afloat while the employees worry about losing their jobs. Management has the tough task of finding ways to keep employees loyal and productive while assuring them that they can survive the challenging period. Management of employee is one way to help turn an underperforming employee around or prevent high-performing employees from becoming a weak performer. The purpose of this study was to examine the management of employees during economic downturn. The study was anchored on Contingency theory. The study was a literature based in which past studies were reviewed to obtain study themes. The findings of the revealed studies revealed that communicating with employees and rewarding them for a job well done is always key in motivating the employees to stay with the organization even during economic downturn. All of this can be accomplished by being visible, and by taking the time to get to know the employees. The findings of the reviewed literature indicated that great leaders never lose sight of the big picture, instead they balance the need for financial prudence with maintaining a loyal and engaged work force. It was found that great leaders recognize that no matter what happens in the economy, there is always a market for high performers. Making tough financial decisions may be necessary during times of economic downturn, but the management should keep in mind the economy will turn around and that the work will come back, and when it does, the employees will remember how they were treated during crisis. The findings further indicated that keeping employees engaged despite the economic turmoil is key because engagement is directly linked to the performance metrics that matter most to businesses during economic downturn. The study hence concluded that, walking the talk and building relationships of trust and instilling confidence equates to real money on the bottom line; it is a statistical fact that high employee engagement results in greater efficiency and overall profitability in times of economic downturn. The study concludes that employee engagement can inoculate business units and companies against lost profitability and the onus of creating that engagement is on managers, who are the epicenter of the work environment.
Keywords: Employee, Management, Economic Downturn, Literature Contingency theor
Effects of Employment Contract Types on Employees' Performance at the East African Community Secretariat
No full textThis study investigated the relationship between employment contract type and employees' performance at the EAC Secretariat based in Arusha, Tanzania. To achieve its objective, the study used descriptive diagnostic design to determine the relationship between employment contract and employees' performance at the EAC Secretariat. The study was supported by equity and expectancy theories. The target population of the study included all the 200 employees where a sample of 68 respondents was derived. The study used primary data which was collected through semi-structured questionnaire. The data was collected from all level of management and analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS Version 25.0. The study found that employment contract type and employees' performance are closely related. It further revealed that Fixed Term Contracts (FTC) and Fixed Term Limits (FTL) are the types of contract provided at EAC Secretariat even though the employees wish to have permanent contracts to secure their job. The study recommends to employees to be analytical before contracting and support Top Management Team (TMT) regardless of how they were recruited. It also recommends that EAC Secretariat observes fairness of procedures and Human Resource Management Practice (HRMP) and Partner States to provide contracts that secure employment. The study suggests that further research to be conducted on the relationship between contract type and performance in the region to facilitate performance and enable citizens in EAC to raise their standards of living.
Keywords: employment contract, employee's performance, East African Community
Secretariat
Factors Influencing Dominant Corporate Image Held by the Internal and External Publics
No full textThis study was an extensive inquiry of corporate identity in up-scaling organizational image in a leading telecommunications service provider in Kenya. Presently, competition for clients and corporate positioning among the telecommunication providers in Kenya is very intense as it is strategic. To gain a competitive advantage, an organization ought to build a set of strategies, and resources that present superior business performance over the long term. This study sought to examine the influencing factors pointing to the most dominant image held by the internal and external publics. A case study approach was preferred and purposive sampling and convenience sampling were used to sample employees and clients of the telecommunication service provider. Data were generated using interviews, observation and critical document analysis. The data were summarized and organized into relevant themes for analysis and requisite interpretation. The findings of the study revealed that for an organization to attract external publics it must be in a position to improve its internal publics in terms of communication as well as their welfare. This ensures that the employees are proud of the organization and as a result send positive feedback to the outside world hence impacting positively to the organization. Additionally, the environment in which the company operates is vital as well as its corporate social responsibility, corporate citizenship, and ethical behavior and related community affairs. The study recommends that the importance of managing corporate identity for both the internal public and the external audience is undisputable. The study also recommends that CSR should be seen as a smart way of doing business in addition to encouraging innovation and partnering with the indigenous organization in order for the clients to identify with the brand.
Keywords: Dominant, Image, Internal, External, public, Corporat
Reviewing Transformational Leadership and Change Management in United States of America
No full textThe globalization has converted the world into a small global village; a village in which there is an ever high stream of contentions and competitions between organizations. The leader as a person in charge or as a change agent can manage an organization or the process of organizational change more effectively and successfully they are capable and competent. Transformational leadership is a leadership style in which leaders encourage, inspire, and motivate employees to innovate and create change that will help grow and shape the future success of the organization. Through the strength of their vision and personality, transformational leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work towards common goals. Organizational change is a demand of the day, and needed for organizations to survive. On the other hand, organizational change is a demand of the day, and needed for organizations to survive. Therefore transformative leaders are key in transforming the digital transformation in the organizations. Transformational leaders have ability to lead change in an organization’s vision, strategy& culture as well as promote innovation in products and technologies. The digital agenda is fundamentally about people. The execution of a successful digital agenda starts with a mind-set shift that places a heightened emphasis on people and social systems to effect positive and sustainable change. Thus in summary, digital transformation needs transformational leaders.
Keywords: Transformational Leadership & Change Management
Relationship between International Procurement Practices and Supply Chain Performance of Energy Development Agencies in Kenya
No full textAs part of the global economy, companies today are seeking to improve their competitiveness by managing the supply chain process. This involves managing the suppliers and the logistics involved in the movement of goods from the suppliers to the location of consumption in the organization. Worldwide, national economies are faced with the challenge of improving their supply chains, especially within their energy sectors as the generation and supply of reliable energy is the backbone of all developed economies. Therefore, this study sought to establish the relationship between international procurement practices and the supply chain performance of energy development agencies in Kenya. The positivistic philosophy approach was adopted for the study. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design to collect a large number of quantitative data at a point in time to establish patterns of value addition in the Kenyan energy sector. The study's target population consisted of six energy development agencies in Kenya as outlined by the Ministry of energy (2018). The unit of analysis was the energy development agencies. The study purposely sampled only the top managers and middle managers since they are the key individuals handling the strategic issues within the departments. This study utilized primary data. Primary data was obtained using self-administered questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Regression results showed that when international procurement practices through international sourcing, international supplier International procurement practices through international sourcing, international supplier evaluation, ethical procurement practices and supplier relationship management were positively and significantly related to the supply chain performance of energy development agencies in Kenya. The study concluded that there is a significant relationship between international procurement practices and the supply chain performance of energy development agencies in Kenya. The study recommended that the management of energy corporations should put measures in place to ensure that all the drawn ethical policies and codes are adhered to by all the supply chain staff as well as by the suppliers that they deal with. The energy corporations should therefore firmly deal with conflicts of interest in the supply chain, ensure fair dealings with the suppliers, treat suppliers' information with the utmost confidentiality and adhere strictly to all their ethical policy statements, to improve their supply chain performance. The study recommended that all energy corporations should establish supplier appraisal audit policies because this will help them ensure that they will deal with qualified and competent suppliers. It was also recommended that all the energy corporations should adopt the ethical policies and guidelines that have been established by the Public Procurement and Regulatory Authority (PPRA) as well as the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) since they are all aimed at ensuring that all the public institutions conduct their supply chain processes in line with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA), 2015. Lastly, the study recommended that all state corporations should focus on supplier relationship management by understanding the supplier's business positions.
Keywords: International Procurement Practices, Supply Chain Performance, Energy Development Agencies & Kenya.
 
Digital Public Procurement Transformation and Supply Chain Performance in Health Sector in United Kingdom
No full textDigital procurement refers to the integration of digital technologies in the replacement or redesign of paper-based procedures throughout the procurement cycle. The public procurement cycle refers to the sequence of related activities, from needs assessment, through competition and award, to payment and contract management, as well as any subsequent monitoring or auditing. The availability of public procurement documents to the general public means that documents are available without registration as a supplier. E-procurement systems enable governments to increase the transparency of public procurement activities as well as collect consistent, up-to-date and reliable data on procurement processes. This, in turn, can feed into other government information technology (IT) systems through automated data exchanges, reducing risks of errors and duplication. Furthermore, integration with other digital government systems, such as digital invoicing, is essential to make e-procurement systems fully functional during all phases of the procurement cycle, including contract execution and payment. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, along with the effects of Brexit and events such as the blockage in the Suez Canal, have all served to highlight just how vulnerable many supply chains are. The UK medical technology sector is comprised of just over 2,500 mostly small to medium-sized companies. They are evenly spread across the country with small clusters of firms in the Midlands and Southeast of England. Radiotherapy equipment, neurology, and cardiovascular devices are high-performing segments. The inefficiency and lack of digitization in Procurement are costing the UK health sector an average of £0.94M annually. Compared to its peers, Procurement is also viewed as being less digitally mature. The paper was a literature based study on the role of digital public procurement transformation on supply chain performance in health sector in the United Kingdom. The study found that digital procurement systems have enabled the UK to increase the transparency of public procurement activities as well as collect consistent, up-to-date and reliable data on procurement processes. This, in turn, has been fed into other government information technology (IT) systems through automated data exchanges, reducing risks of errors and duplication.
Keywords: Digital, Public, Procurement, Transformation, Supply, Chain, Performance, UK.
 
Firm Characteristics and Non-Performing Loans of Commercial Banks in Kenya
No full textBanking in Kenya and the financial services in general have been identified as a pillar to achieving 2030 Vision. Banking facilitates macro-economic steadiness for long-term development which will transform Kenya to a middle economy country. The growing level of nonperforming loans among Kenyan banks has been a source of concern to all stakeholders. This research ascertained the impacts of firms-characteristics on nonperforming loans of Kenyan banks. The specific objectives were to assess the effect on liquidity, capital adequacy and bank size on non-performing loans of Kenyan banks. In addition, the research examined the moderating impact of interest rate on the relationship between firms characteristics and non-performing loans of Kenyan banks. The research relied on market power, agency, liquidity preference and capital buffer theories. Causal design was utilized in this research. The targeted population was 40 banks that were operational from 2013 to 2017. The study used a census approach. Secondary data was gathered from the audited financials of these banks. Diagnostics tests were done for multicollinearity, stationarity and hausman. Data analysis was done based on descriptive analysis and panel regression analysis. The findings from the panel regression analysis indicated that liquidity had insignificant effect on non-performing loans of commercial banks in Kenya. Capital adequacy had a significant effect on non-performing loans of commercial banks in Kenya. Bank size had a significant effect on non-performing loans of commercial banks in Kenya. Additionally, the study findings revealed that interest rate had no significant effect on the relationship between firm characteristics and non-performing loans of commercial banks in Kenya. The study recommended that bank managers should be cautious when granting loans to customers by scrutinizing each application for credit regardless of the levels of liquidity held by banks. The study also recommended that banks with larger assets can consider other investment options to diversify against the effect of high loan defaults.
Keywords: Bank Size, Capital Adequacy, Financial Intermediation, Firm Characteristics, Liquidity, Non-performing Loans, Interest Rat
Effect of Bank Specific Factors on Default Risk among Commercial Banks in Kenya
No full textRisk of defaulting has been on the rise globally with nonperforming loans of commercial banks increasing for the last decade. Similar trends are seen locally with commercial banks recording an increase in non-performing loans. The central bank of Kenya supervision annual report indicated that the ratio of non-performing loans to gross loans has tremendously increased. These figures reveal a deteriorating trend in default risk which is not healthy to the performance of the commercial banks and the overall financial adequacy of the economy and therefore provides the impetus for conducting this study. The study therefore sought to determine bank specific factors that influence default risk among commercial banks in Kenya. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The study targeted all the 40 operational commercial banks in Kenya by the year 2018. The study used secondary data extracted from the annual financial reports of the CBK from the year 2013 to the year 2018. The study found that credit growth and interest on loans had a positive and significant effect on default risk among commercial banks in Kenya. However, management efficiency had a negative and insignificant effect on default risk among commercial banks in Kenya. In addition, inflation partially moderated the relationship between bank specific factors and default risk among commercial banks in Kenya. The study concluded that high amount of credit borrowed in a bank led to high non-performing loans. In addition, high interest rates charged by commercial banks causes increase in the non-performing loans. The study recommended that banks should minimize their lending interest rates. This will enable the borrowers to be able to pay the borrowed loan and thus minimize the default risk. Banks should further ensure that their assets and earning are well managed so as to minimize their loan risk.
Keywords: Management efficiency, interest rates, credit growth, inflation, default ris