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Effects of Occupational Health Management Practices on Employee Productivity Among Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
No full textThe food and beverage manufacturing industry contribute significantly to global socioeconomic development. The purpose of the study aimed to determine the effects of occupational health management practices on employee productivity of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County. The research questions include; how do safety training practices, hazard control practices, workplace safety inspection, safety records affect employee productivity in beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County? Does organization culture moderate the relationship between occupational health and safety practices and employee productivity in beverage manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County? The study was hinged by four theories which include; Social Exchange Theory, distraction theory, goal setting theory and accident proneness theory. The study used a cross-sectional research design with the target population being 14 food and beverage companies in Uasin Gishu county. A total sample size of 236 respondents was determined using stratified random sampling. This included 37 human resource managers, 48 operations managers, and 493 factory floor staff. Data collection involved self-administered questionnaires for the HR and operations managers along with interviews of floor staff. Pilot testing of the instruments helped refine and enhance validity. Quantitative survey data was analyzed statistically in SPSS while qualitative interviews underwent content analysis to identify themes. The study found that there are positive and significant associations between occupational health management practices and employee productivity. The regression analysis showed that these practices can explain 83% of the variation in employee productivity. The study also found that organizational culture moderates the influence of occupational health practices on productivity.
Keywords: Occupational Health, Management Practices, Employee Productivity, Food and Beverage, Manufacturing Firm
Evaluation of Prevailing Worldviews and Value Systems in Relation to How They Are Shaped by Culture and Identity
No full textGlobalization has interconnected modern enterprises across borders and cultures, presenting leaders with complex challenges in navigating diverse worldviews, value systems and identities shaping stakeholder communications and decisions. This analysis examines prevailing cultural perspectives globally and implications for executives maneuvering multiplicity. Defining worldviews as shared assumptions explaining existence, humanity and nature, it outlines dominant paradigms like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, naturalism and postmodern relativism arising from faith traditions, philosophies and ethnic identities. As scientific rationalism spread through modernization, traditional worldviews endured. Value systems denoting shared norms around integrity, achievement, collective good and social order also diverge, seen through cultural dimensions like individualism versus collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity and uncertainty avoidance. Group identity forges worldviews and values via aspects like ethnicity, nationality, language and customs. Subcultures sprout distinct affiliate identities too. For leaders, cultural intelligence in grasping diverse mindsets enables nuanced navigation across complexity. Key dilemmas include directing dispersed teams amidst preferences like assertiveness versus reticence, resolving ethical relativism when practices deemed acceptable locally violate global norms, persuading hierarchical cultures to embrace agility and planning strategy attuned to profit motivations or collective stability as fits contexts. Blending Eastern and Western priorities, Carlos Ghosn rescued Nissan. Microsoft’s Gates aligns global health equity and business growth despite belief barriers. Such cultural bridging represents a critical capability. Essentially, leadership demands appreciating varied worldviews, contextualizing appropriately across cultures and communicating vision attuned to local values, rituals and motivations while upholding ethical universals for optimal resonance and solidarity.
Keywords: Prevailing Worldviews, Value Systems, Culture, Identity
 
Organization Structure
No full textThis paper aims to demonstrate the significance of various schools of thought in ensuring that an organisation is strategically aligned with its environment. The paper discusses various schools of thought, such as classical, human relations, systems theory, contingency theory, and resource-dependency theory. The theories have concentrated on various aspects within an organisation, including hierarchy, employees, internal systems, and the organization's alignment with its environment. Researchers have found that various theories have both advantages and disadvantages when implemented within an organisation. They help organisations identify challenges within their systems by focusing on specific issues, which allows them to ensure strategic alignment with their environment and improve overall performance.
Keywords: Organization, Structure, System Theory, Contingency Theor
Talent Retention and Competitive Advantage of Star Rated Hotels in Rift Valley and Western Region, Kenya
No full textThe demand for both local and international visitors has seen local investors in the hospitality industry in Kenya jostle for market share. The arrival of the international hotel brands such as Best Western, Pullman and Park-In among others has increased competition as hotels scramble to provide quality products and services to their customers. Consequently, this sought to explore the influence of talent retention on competitive advantage of star rated hotels in Rift Valley and Western region, Kenya. The study was anchored on human capital theory. The study used simple random sampling to select a sample size of 62 respondents. The study adopted a correlational research design and data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed quantitatively using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Prior to the actual data collection exercise, the study conducted pilot testing which involved both validity and reliability testing. The findings were presented in tables. The findings revealed that talent retention had a positive and significant influence on competitive advantage of star rated hotels in Rift Valley and Western Region, Kenya (P=0.000). The study concluded that hotel's talent retention strategies are generally effective especially enhancing a minimal employee turnover, a positive corporate image, and the use of succession planning and growth opportunities to retain talent. In view of the findings, the study recommends for the strengthening of the internal talent pool by investing in employee development programs. Encourage internal mobility and provide clear career progression paths to retain and motivate top talent.
Keywords: Talent Retention, Competitive Advantage, Star-Rated Hotels, Rift Valley, Western Keny
Extend the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm for virtualization Technologies to improve the Resources utilization in On-Premises Datacenters
No full textOver the past few decades, there has been an increasing demand for computational power, which has fueled the growth of on-premises data centers. In recent years, virtualization techniques have been introduced to enhance data center resource utilization. These techniques consolidate multiple workloads onto fewer servers, reducing the need for physical devices to support an organization's IT infrastructure. Virtualization technologies have increased IT agility by allowing for quicker deployment of virtual machines (VMs), which in turn facilitates faster application and service rollouts, improves disaster recovery capabilities, and reduces carbon emissions, leading to significant cost savings for organizations. In this paper, we enhance the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm (ACO) by applying it to virtualization. We simulate the ACO for virtual machine resource management. Our evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can further improve resource utilization and reduce carbon emissions.
Keywords: Virtualization, Datacenter, Resource utilization, Ant Colony Optimization
Best Practices of Using Cloud-based Virtual Technologies to Improve Management in West Coast Governments
No full textImproving project management in the government sector is a priority. Government agencies on the West Coast are actively adopting various technologies that can enable them to achieve project management goals. Despite the key role of cloud-based virtual technologies in providing a basis for improving project management, there is a persistent lack of consensus among information technology experts on the best practices for using cloud-based virtual technologies to improve project management. This study explored the consensus of information technology experts on the West Coast on best practices of using cloud-based virtual technologies to improve project management in West Coast governments. A Delphi technique was used, allowing for the collection of qualitative data from a purposive sample of a panel of 20 IT experts working on the West Coast. Data was collected in three cycles, consistent with the requirements of the Delphi technique. Data collected was transcribed and coded, followed by generating two themes. The two themes were developing user skills for project management personnel and effective compliance with data security standards, indicating the two best practices for using cloud-based virtual technologies to improve project management in West Coast government agencies. Based on the study findings, it was recommended that government agencies provide training opportunities for project staff to increase their knowledge of cloud-based virtual technologies for project management and emphasize compliance with data security standards.
Keywords: Cloud-based virtual technologies, project management, data security, West Coast government agencies
Emergency Preparedness for Guests with Mobility Impairments and Frequency of Visits in Five-Star Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya
No full textThe purpose of this study was therefore to establish the influence of emergency preparedness on the frequency of visits to five-star hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific goals of this research were: to record the types of hazards encountered by five-star hotels in Nairobi City County; to identify the areas of those hotels where emergencies occur; to learn about the barriers to emergency response services for guests with mobility impairments in those hotels; and to identify the factors in emergency response systems that significantly influence visit by guests with mobility impairments. The study was informed by two theories; the theory of time constraints on leisure activities and the theory of social oppression. Ten five-star hotels in Nairobi County served as the sample for this census-style investigation. The sample size was determined by a systematic sampling procedure. The data was gathered through the use of semi-structured questionnaires that were administered by the researcher. Data was coded and analyzed in SPSS using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Relationships between the independent variable and the dependent variables were determined using multiple regressions. Tables, charts, and bars were used to show the study's findings. The findings showed that the majority of the five-star hotels had not frequently encountered several types of emergencies. The study found that employee training for emergency preparedness was positively and significantly related to the frequency of visits by guests with mobility impairments to five-star hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya at (β=0.595, p˂.001). The study concludes that while most sections of these five-star hotels, like kitchens and swimming pools, are perceived as safe zones with minimal emergencies, the parking area emerges as a potential concern. The hotels' commitment to staff training in emergency preparedness is evident, especially in hazard identification and spill response. The study thus recommends that the management of five-star hotels in Nairobi City County should conduct thorough risk assessments, considering both high and low-frequency hazards. Emergency protocols should also be in place not only for situations like terrorist threats but also for seemingly less immediate threats like floods and utility failures.
Keywords: Emergency preparedness, Risk assessment, Five-Star Hotels, Mobility impairments, Nairobi City Count
The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Imenti South Sub- County in Meru County
No full textOver the last few decades, the well-being of adolescents has received increased attention and interest from researchers and policymakers, who have attempted to find solutions to adolescents' mental health issues using other variables, geographical location, and design methods. Few studies have been conducted in Africa, particularly in Kenya, looking into childhood adversity as one of the contributing factors to the decline in emotional well-being among adolescents. The study's goal was to determine the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among adolescents in secondary schools in Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County. The study was founded on ecological system theory. The study used a convergent parallel mixed method design to investigate the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among 368 adolescents attending seven public secondary schools in Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County, Kenya. The study found that the most common ACEs were separation/divorce (39.3%), emotional neglect (34.9%), and household substance abuse (27.8%), with emotional experiences having the highest mean score (0.2653) and sexual abuse having the lowest (0.1390). The study concluded that the adolescent respondents had experienced ACEs and suggested that the Ministry of Education hire practicing counsellors and psychologists to help students with their emotional well-being.
Keywords: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adolescents, Secondary Schools, Imenti South Sub- County, Meru Count
Organizational Innovations, Facility Size and Service Delivery of Public Health Institutions Among Selected Counties in North Rift Region, Kenya
No full textService delivery among health institutions is vital for a healthy nation, focusing on high-quality, affordable, and timely healthcare services. This study examined how organizational innovations impact service delivery in public health institutions across select counties in Kenya's North Rift Region. The study explored the effects of technological, process, learning and development, and cultural innovations on service delivery, with facility size as a moderating factor. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory guided the research, which utilized an explanatory research design. The target population comprised 336 hospitals classified as level 5, level 4, and level 3. A multistage sampling technique was used, and data were collected using a questionnaire, validated through expert reviews, and tested for internal consistency using Cronbach's Alpha. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentages, averages, and standard deviation, and inferential statistics like regression models and correlation. Hierarchical regression analysis examined the relationships between dependent, independent, and moderating variables. The findings revealed that technological innovation significantly and positively affected service delivery (β1=0.330, p<0.05). Process innovation (β2=0.243, p<0.05), learning and development innovations (β3=0.148, p<0.05), and cultural innovations (β4=0.178, p<0.05) all had positive and significant impacts on service delivery. Facility size moderated these relationships, with varying effects: technological (β=-.029; p<0.05), process (β=-.095; p<0.05), and learning and development (β=-0.058; p<0.05) innovations were negatively moderated, while cultural innovation was positively moderated (β=.034; p<0.05). The study concludes that innovations in healthcare service delivery significantly improved accessibility and patient satisfaction. The study recommends enhancing appointment scheduling systems for better integration with existing processes, investing in mobile health clinics and telemedicine.
Keywords: Healthcare innovation, service delivery, patient satisfaction, telemedicine, cultural competenc
Effect of Project Planning on Project Performance; A Case of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project
No full textThis research investigated the effect of project planning on project performance, a case of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project. This research was achieved the following objectives: to assess the effect of project resource planning on project performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project; to examine the effect of risk management planning on project performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project; to investigate the effect of stakeholders planning on project performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project and to evaluate the effect of project schedule planning on project performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project. The research also compared two variables which are independents and dependents variables. This study was designed as a case study of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project using the survey method; a case study was described as analysis of project planning on project performance, the researcher acquired knowledge regarding the subject under review from in-depth exploration of single case. It is a qualitative analysis that involves careful observation of the situation. All the respondents from the population of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project to respond to research questionnaires. The research used questionnaires to collect data, As far as this study was concerned, the population were comprised of respondents of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project in different departments targeting 178 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 178 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. Coefficients for the predictor variables show their effect on performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project. Specifically, Project resource planning has a coefficient of (β=0.238, t=5.342, p value=0.000), Risk managament planning has a coefficient of (β=0.244, t=5.010, p value=0.000), Stakeholders planning has a coefficient of (β= 0.569, t=3.490, p value=0.001), and Project schedule planning has a coefficient of (β= 0.512, t=9.648, p value=0.000). As indicated by their associated Sig. Values below 0.05, All these coefficients have significant effect on performance of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project. Therefore, from the research findings, this research recommended Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project as follows; Educational projects, in order to attain sustainable project success should focuses on intellectual competency, managerial competency and emotional competency of Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism project for being aligned with risk management