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Financial Technology Services, Government Regulations and Financial Inclusion of Small-Scale Fish Farmers in Homa Bay County, Kenya
No full textThis study explored the impact of FinTech and Government Policies on Financial Inclusion for small-scale fish farmers in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The study focused on how access to finance has been widened through agency banking, mobile money and online banking services among these people who had low incomes or were marginalized. The research also examined whether government regulations affect the relationship between fintech channels and financial inclusion. The study was underpinned by Innovation Diffusion Theory, Financial Intermediation Theory, Technology Acceptance Theory and Public Interest Regulation Theory. This study employed causal research design with a sample size of 495 small scale fish farmers using stratified random sampling technique that yielded 144 respondents. Data analysis involved multiple regression, correlation analysis and diagnostic tests that utilized SPSS 26.0 for data analysis. The results showed that agency banking; mobile money services and online banking together explained 58.1% of variation in financial inclusion among the farmers indicated by R squared of 0.581.The findings revealed that Agency Banking had significant effect on financial inclusion (β = .231, p = .001 < .05), as well as Mobile Money Services (β = .196, p = .019 < .05) and Online Banking Services (β = .410, p = .000 < .05). Therefore, the study concludes that Agency Banking; Mobile Money and Online Banking play important role in enhancing financial autonomy among small scale fish farming communities through increased access to bank accounts, secured transactions processes and agent incomes respectively. In view of the findings, the study recommends that financial institutions together with fintech companies should invest in platforms which are user-friendly safe secure meant for use by small holder dairy farmers themselves.
Keywords: Agency banking, Mobile money services, Online banking services, Government regulations, Financial technology services, Financial inclusio
Capital Structure, Board Gender Diversity and Financial Performance of Listed Companies at Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya
No full textThis research examined how board gender diversity influences the relationship between capital structure and financial performance of companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in Kenya. The study aimed to address the following research inquiries: The link between capital structure and financial performance of listed firms on the NSE in Kenya is being inquired. Does the presence of a diverse gender composition on a company's board of directors influence the link between debt and equity funding and the company's financial performance? In order to do this, the study was based on the conventional theory of capital structure and used an explanatory research method. The research focused on a population of 65 publicly traded companies on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in Kenya from 2018 to 2023. However, the sample size consisted of only 32 companies, resulting in a total of 192 observations. Document analyses were used to gather secondary panel data, which were then submitted to statistical analysis techniques such as Pearson's correlation and descriptive analytic measures such as mean and standard deviation. Finally, the study's hypotheses were examined by hierarchical regression analysis. The results suggest that debt financing, equity financing, and capital structure have a substantial and beneficial impact on financial performance. The presence of women on the board, known as board gender diversity, serves as a beneficial mediator between debt financing, equity financing, capital structure, and financial performance. It is therefore imperative that firms regularly try to keep check on the amount of money borrowed and the efforts should be made to ensure that companies do not go overboard in their borrowing and this is by ensuring they balance their sources of financing between debt and equity. Further, firms should afford more importance to equity financing since the study demonstrates that equity financing has always a positive association with the financial performance of firms. Also, it is important to strive to have high capital structures and ensure that there is a proper. mods separation of the two major sources of financing which is debt and equity. Finally, research has demonstrated that a number of aspects related to gender diversity on boards have a positive effect on firms’ financial performance, and therefore this area of corporate governance should be a priority.
Keywords: Board gender diversity, Capital structure, financial performance, and Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).
 
Effect Of Import Duty Tax On The Financial Performance Of Telecommunication Firms In Kenya
No full textThe telecommunications industries have gained a huge interest of the scholars in the recent past partly to the high growth rate in the industry as well as the contribution of the industry to the development of economies of various countries because of the huge turnover characterized by the industry. In Kenya, the telecommunication market is continuously and rapidly undergoing considerable changes in the advent of increasing competition, fast developments in the mobile market as well as improved international connectivity. With the favourable revenue margins characterized by telecommunication companies, the telecommunication firms are viewed as lucrative tax space in Kenya. The telecommunication industry like other industries is subject to the fiscal policies of the country and hence are subjected to general tax payments including income taxes whereas the ICT services that the consumers purchase are subjected to VAT. The tax is paid by the consumer in the form of excise taxes, sales taxes, VAT taxes, income taxes or tariffs. The coming into effect of the Finance act 2021 further increased internet and telephone service excise taxes to 20% from 15% implying that in addition to paying the 16% VAT, the consumers are subjected to the 20% excise tax. This means that, for every amount the consumers spent on airtime, 36% is tax that goes to the government. The proposed study seeks to determine the effect of import duty on the performance financial of Kenyan telecommunication entities. The study was guided by the benefits theory and the ability to pay theory. The study adopted a causal research design in answering its research questions. The population of the study entails 26 telecommunication entities whose data is collected between the periods January 2017 to December 2022 making 156 observations. When data collection is complete, the data was cleaned and organized in an excel sheet to simplify the process of data arrangement and analysis. The data was set to panel data and analyzed using STATA version 13. The analysis of the data entailed the inferential as well descriptive statistics. The descriptive statistics involved the mean, maximum, the minimum values as well as the standard deviation. Inferential statistics involved the multivariate panel regression model. The study concluded that import duty has a positive and significant effects on the performance financially. The study recommended that KRA to regulate the taxes imposed on the telecommunication entities in Kenya.
Key words: Financial Performance, Import Dut
The Moderating Effect of Knowledge Management Strategies on the Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Performance of Large Manufacturing Firms in Kenya
No full textKnowledge management is concerned with the processes and ways for managing intellectual assets to realize competitive advantages. Although the knowledge management processes naturally exist within the firm, they vary across firms depending of specific contexts faced by organizations. This study sought to establish the moderating effect of knowledge management strategies on the relationship between intellectual capital and performance. This study was guided by positivism philosophy and used a deductive approach. The study adopted a descriptive survey. The population of interest comprised all the 124 large manufacturing firms in Kenya that are members of the Kenya Association of Manufacturer (KAM) as at December 2019. Data was gathered using a questionnaire. The questionnaire targeted CEO, director of human resources and finance. To test this hypothesis, the moderating variable, knowledge management strategies, was indicated by 4 sub-variables, including acquisition and creation, capturing strategies, transferability/sharing and integration and networking. The study findings indicated that knowledge management strategies have a significant moderating influence on the association between intellectual capital and performance significant. The extent to which firms’ intellectual capital results in desirable performance is dependent on the knowledge management strategies employed thereof. The study recommends that large manufacturing firms in the country seeking to improve their performance improve their knowledge management strategies in order to enhance the extent to which intellectual capital thereof, yields desirable organizational performance. This can be achieved by tapping into the wealth of knowledge in the external environment to inform their production and human resource management processes and practices for innovation and performance improvements.
Keywords: Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management Strategies, Performance & Large Manufacturing Firm
Effects of Project Planning Practices for Project Performance: A Case of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project in Rwanda
No full textProject resource and personnel management, stakeholders’ involvement and beneficiaries’ satisfaction are the key requirements for project performance. According to Burke (2013), 18% of projects are finished within the allotted budget, and 50% of them cost more than expected, and 30% of them are abandoned before completion due to cost concerns. The goal of this project is to evaluate the project planning practices for project performance for Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project in Rwanda. The research objectives were to examine the effects of project material resource on project performance, to determine how personnel management contribute to the project performance, to assess the stakeholders’ involvement and beneficiaries’ satisfaction on project performance. The research used a self-administered questionnaire to gather data and then data were evaluated through SPSS. The intended audience under this study was concentrated to 80 project beneficiaries from 8 sites, project planning officers (14) operating in planning and implementation department, Project Manager (1) of SAIP. 95 respondents were taken as the sample. The study adopted a method of choosing the respondents called purposive sampling. The research findings indicated that the effective project practices lead to the successful performance of project and the findings urged that SAIP has been successfully performed as planned in terms of material resources, personnel, and stakeholders’ involvement which lead to the satisfaction of beneficiaries. The research recommended that as the first target is to change the lifestyle of project beneficiaries, and the project practices of SAIP should be extended to a large number or other categories of beneficiaries to promote social and economic transformations among Rwandans. The study recommends that effective project planning practices, encompassing material resource planning, personnel management, stakeholder involvement, and beneficiaries' satisfaction planning, are crucial for enhancing the performance of projects, as demonstrated in the case of the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Food Security Project (SAIP) in Rwanda. These practices include clear planning tools, provision of necessary resources and equipment, regular training for staff, and the active involvement of stakeholders in decision-making processes. Furthermore, ensuring that project outcomes meet beneficiaries' expectations and provide high-quality services is essential for achieving project success and satisfaction.
Keywords: Project Planning Practices, Project Performance, Agricultural Intensification, Food Security Project, Rwanda
Influence of Project Stakeholders Management on Project Performance; A Case of Water Supply System Extension Project Implemented by WASAC in Nyarugenge District, Kigali-Rwanda
No full textThis research assessed the influence of project stakeholders management on project performance, the case of Water Supply System Extension Project implemented in WASAC. The specific research objectives were to assess the influence of communication on project performance of Water Supply System Extension Project in WASAC; to determine the influence of stakeholders’ needs & expectation identification on project performance of Water Supply System Extension Project in WASAC; to examine the influence of stakeholders participation on project performance of Water Supply System Extension Project in WASAC and to find out the influence of conflict management on project performance of Water Supply System Extension Project in WASAC. The agent theory of stakeholders’ participation; project communication theory of change; stakeholders’ theory and institutional management theory were reviewed. The population is 287 and sample size is 167 participants. The simple random sаmрling teсhnique were used. The study used questionnaire; documentation; interview and observation research techniques during соlleсtiоn оf dаtа. The findings indicated a strong positive correlation (R = .896) between project performance of WSSEP in WASAC and the predictors, which include Communication, Stakeholders' Needs & Expectation Identification, Stakeholders Participation, and Conflict Management. R-squared (R2) equals to 0.803 (or 80.3%). Approximately 80.3% of the variance in Project Performance can be explained by these predictors, demonstrating the model's effectiveness in capturing the relationship between these variables. A one-unit increase in Communication corresponds to a 0.313 unit increase of project performance of WSSEP in WASAC (β=0.313 t=5.302 p value = 0.000). Similarly, a one-unit increase in Stakeholders' Needs & Expectation Identification corresponds to a 0.730 unit increase of project performance of WSSEP in WASAC (β=0.730 t=7.333 p value = 0.000). Also, a one-unit increase in Stakeholders Participation corresponds to a 0.450 unit increase of project performance of WSSEP in WASAC (β=0.450 t=3.830 p value = 0.000). And a one-unit increase in Conflict Management corresponds to a 0.337 unit increase of project performance of WSSEP in WASAC (β=0.337 t=3.496 p value = 0.000). Therefore, the p-values are less than 0.05 hence, all null hypotheses (H1-0, H2-0, H3-0 and H4-0) were rejected. WASAC should strengthen its communication strategies, invest in stakeholder needs identification processes, foster active stakeholder engagement throughout projects, and establish efficient conflict resolution procedures.
Keywords: Project stakeholders’ management; Communication; Stakeholders’ needs & expectation identification; Stakeholders participation; Conflict management and Project performance
Effect of Project Risk Management on Project Success in Rwandan Logistics Companies; A Case of KARA Logistics Company in Nyarugenge District (2018 to 2022)
No full textThis research is investigating the effect of project risk management on success of KARA logistics project. This research achieved the following objectives: to assess the effect of risk identification on project success of KARA logistics company; to examine the effect of risk analysis on project success of KARA logistics company; to analyze the effect of risk mitigation on project success of KARA logistics company and to evaluate how risk monitoring and control affect success of KARA logistics company.The research also was compared two variables which are independents and dependents variables. It is a quantitative analysis that involves careful observation of the situation. All the respondents from the population of KARA Logistics Company to respond to research questionnaires. The research used questionnaires to collect data, As far as this study was concerned, the population was comprised of respondents of KARA logistics company in different departments targeting 244 respondents. To describe target population of a study as the point of focus from which a generalization was made regarding the research findings. Thus a sample size was 244 respondents. The study adopt primary and secondary data to get all information needed in this study, the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics after running the data collected through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The statement evaluated is that there are risks that have a high negative impact on KARA Logistics' success rates, “Respondents strongly agreed with a mean of 4.11 and a standard deviation of 0.940. “This indicates that respondents disagree with the statement, as indicated by the weaker mean and heterogeneity of responses and that respondent have different opinions about the statement, as shown by the standard deviation. The third rated statement is "Reduce the impact of potential risks by developing plans to manage, prevent or limit failures as much as possible to achieve the success of KARA Logistics" with a measured mean of 4.21 and a standard deviation of 0.944. From objectives, the researcher found that project risk management has positive effect on success of KARA logistics project. In the data analysis and interpretation as shown in above discussion, the study sought to come up with the following recommendations in line with the research objectives as given below. KARA logistics project should work with Insurance company with lower premium in order to manager well project risk management which lead to success of KARA logistics project and it should work with bank to reducing the delaying their daily activities. The government of Rwanda should establish the away of proving training to many Rwandans specialist in logistic to increase lots number of Rwandans who are experienced with the field.
Key words: Project Risk Management, Risk Identification, Risk Analysis, Risk Mitigation, Risk Monitoring and Control, and Project Success
Integrating Animal Therapy into Lifestyle Medicine: A Comprehensive Review
No full textThe study sought to explore the potential for integrating animal therapy with the principles of lifestyle medicine. A qualitative research design was employed, focusing on English publications from 2014 to 2024. Recently, animal therapy has emerged as an important intervention in the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses such as depression, anxiety, mental disorders, hypertension, and diabetes, significantly reducing the physical, psychological, and financial burdens on society. The literature search concentrated on evidence with controversial and debatable themes regarding animal therapy and lifestyle medicine. The study found that animal therapy positively impacts the pillars of lifestyle medicine: physical activity, nonjudgmental social connections, stress, and pain management. Human-animal interaction was shown to modulate hormonal balance by decreasing stress hormone levels and improving the production and circulation of excitatory neurotransmitters. This interaction enhances immune function and activates neurobiological pathways affecting cortisol, dopamine, and beta-endorphin levels, while increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system in humans. For instance, human interaction therapy used among war veterans demonstrated reduced cortisol levels and increased treatment adherence. Animal therapy also motivated physical activity, improved treatment adherence, and enhanced emotional well-being, leading to better health outcomes. The study concludes that integrating animal therapy with various interventions for a healthy lifestyle has the potential to provide significant physical and mental health benefits. Nonetheless, further research is recommended to validate the benefits of combining animal therapy with lifestyle medicine for evidence-based application in clinical practice.
Keywords: Lifestyle Medicine, Animal Therapy, Chronic Illness Management, Non-Pharmacological Interventions, Emotional well-bein
Hooked on Shisha: A 5-Year Study on Oral Health Risks and Awareness Campaigns in Leicester
No full textShisha smoking, also known as waterpipe or hookah smoking, has become increasingly popular among young adults, with significant implications for oral health. This study investigates the effects of shisha smoking on oral health and evaluates the impact of a targeted oral health promotion campaign in Leicester, East Midlands, initiated in 2019. The campaign included large posters displayed in a dental practice and small flyers distributed at oral health promotion events and regularly to patients during their dental visits. A total of 30 young individuals were interviewed annually over a five-year period to assess changes in awareness and attitudes towards shisha smoking, with particular attention to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on shisha habits. The study findings underscore the effectiveness of the campaign in raising awareness but reveal limited success in influencing behavioural change
Effect of Employee Training on Organizational Performance in Public Sector in Rwanda. A Case Study of Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB)
No full textThis paper examined the effect of training on the performance of public-sector organizations using the Rwanda Social Security Board as a case study. The research approach design used in this study was descriptive, and a total of 130 questionnaires were distributed to respondents, of which 108 were fully completed and returned, and 10 interviews were conducted. The overall response rate was 90.7%. The sampling techniques used were simple random and purposive samplings. The analysis used both descriptive and inferential statistics of Pearson Correlation. Qualitative data was examined and categorized into themes, while quantitative data was coded and entered into the SPSS package. The study found that there is a significant relationship between training and organizational performance. The first statistic, R, is .908a, indicating that there is a great deal of variance shared by the independent variables and dependent variables. The R Square value of 0.824 indicates that approximately 82.4% of the variability in the outcome variable can be explained by the predictors in the model. The unstandardized coefficients for the predictor variables show their impacts on organizational performance at the Rwanda Social Security Board. Specifically, Training regulations have a coefficient of (β= 0.285, t=5.050, p value=0.000), and types of Training have a coefficient of (β= 0.123, t=2.028, p value=0.045). The coefficients are statistically significant on Organizational Performance at Rwanda Social Security Board, as indicated by their associated Sig. Values below 0.05. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the Rwanda Social Security Board conduct training needs assessments before recommending training for its employees and establish a transparent training policy that provides equal opportunities in training
Keywords: Employee training, types of training, training regulations and organizational performanc