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Effect of Resource Distribution on Service Delivery of Public Water Service Providers in Kenya
Get PDFPurpose: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of strategic partnership on service delivery among the public water service providers in Kenya.
Methodology: The study employed a mixed-methods research design, specifically an explanatory sequential approach, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the research problem. This involved collecting and analyzing quantitative data first using a cross-sectional survey with structured questionnaires administered to a sample of personnel within public water service providers in Kenya. This quantitative phase aimed to test hypotheses and establish relationships between variables. Following this, a qualitative phase was conducted using semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, such as managers and staff, to provide in-depth insights and contextual explanations for the quantitative findings. This integrated approach allowed for both the testing of relationships and a deeper exploration of the underlying factors influencing service delivery. The target population for the study comprised all 88 public water service providers in Kenya, focusing on key management and staff members involved in service delivery, totaling 352 potential respondents. To ensure a manageable yet representative sample, the study utilized the Krejcie and Morgan formula, which yielded a sample size of 184 respondents selected from 46 randomly chosen water service providers, stratified by size. The data collected through both quantitative and qualitative instruments were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize the data and inferential statistics, specifically regression analysis, to examine the relationships between strategic partnership, resource distribution, diversification, innovativeness, and service delivery, as guided by the study\u27s hypotheses.
Findings: The study achieved a high response rate of 76.63% from the distributed 184 questionnaires. Descriptive statistics for resource distribution showed generally high levels of agreement among respondents, with average mean scores around 3.96 on a 5-point scale (ranging from 3.87 to 4.06) and average standard deviations around 0.92 (ranging from 0.82 to 0.99), indicating a shared positive view on the importance of various resource distribution aspects for service delivery. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between human resource placement and service delivery (r = 0.832, p < 0.001), and between investment portfolios and service delivery (r = 0.812, p < 0.001), while the correlation between physical infrastructure and service delivery was not statistically significant (r = 0.040, p = 0.664). The multiple regression model demonstrated a strong overall relationship between resource distribution and service delivery, with an R-squared value of 0.860 (adjusted R-squared = 0.856), and the ANOVA indicated the model was statistically significant (F(3,116) = 237.006, p < 0.001). The regression coefficients showed that human resource placement (β = 0.576, p < 0.001) and investment portfolios (β = 0.512, p < 0.001) had a significant positive effect on service delivery, while physical infrastructure did not (β = -0.037, p = 0.273).
Unique Contributions to Theory, Practice and Policy: Based on the findings, this study uniquely contributes to theory, policy, and practice by demonstrating the critical role of strategic resource distribution, particularly in human resources and technology investments, in enhancing service delivery within the public water sector in Kenya. The findings support the Stakeholder Theory by highlighting how engagement informs resource allocation strategies. For policy, the study underscores the need for an enabling regulatory framework that facilitates digital transformation and ensures financial sustainability to support these crucial investments. In practice, the study recommends that public water service providers prioritize strategic human resource placement and development, along with investments in business technology portfolios, and strengthen partnerships to optimize resource utilization and improve service delivery outcomes
The Impact of COVID Pandemic on Marketing Strategies
Get PDFPurpose: In today’s competitive business environment, marketing strategies have become more critical than ever-especially considering the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study purpose is to investigate the long-term effects of the pandemic on marketing practices across businesses in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on shifts in consumer behavior, strategic business adaptation and enduring changes in marketing planning.
Methodology: The methodology used in this research is a qualitative research approach, utilizing stratifies interviews and surveys with marketing professionals across various sectors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This method allowed for in-depth insights into the evolving nature of marketing strategy in the region.
Findings: The research reveals that the changes brought about by the pandemic are not temporary responses but have evolved into fundamental components of contemporary marketing strategies. Key finding indicates an accelerated embrace of digital transformation, a growing emphasis on localized targeting and agile marketing efforts.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study underscores the need for businesses to realign their marketing strategies to remain competitive in the post-pandemic landscape. This includes embedding digital tools into core operations, adopting localized and culturally sensitive marketing approaches and proactively meeting the elevated expectations of today’s consumers
Health-System Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Stillbirths among Women Delivering in Selected Hospitals of Marsabit County
Get PDFPurpose: The study sought to determine Health system factors associated with occurrence of stillbirths in selected hospitals in Marsabit County, Kenya
Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive study design, targeting 387 women who delivered in selected hospitals in Marsabit County, to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24.0 while qualitative data were analyzed using N-Vivo software version 22. Inferential statistics were calculated using Chi Square and Fisher’s Exact Tests at 95% confidence interval and P<0.05 was considered significant.
Findings: The rate of stillbirth occurrence was 5.9%. Health system factors such as distance (p=0.002), cost of transport (p=0.036), health information (p=0.004), type of insurance (p=0.029) and culture (p=0.031) were significantly associated with outcome of delivery.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The respondents from Marsabit County experienced relative high rates of stillbirth compared to the national figure. The outcome of delivery was significantly influenced by Health System Factors Contributing to Stillbirths Incidences in Marsabit County. These results may help address the high rate of stillbirth across the country and improve the delivery outcomes of pregnancies among mothers delivering in public hospitals
The Church\u27s Integral Mission as an Enabler to Community Development: A Case Study of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Get PDFPurpose: This study seeks to examine the role of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) in the process of community development within the Wau Diocese with a particular regard to the ways in which the church fills the void left by the government in the provision of education, health and social services.
Methodology: This study was a mixed-method research study, conducted amongst 435 participants of churches and church leaders using questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings: The research shows that ECSS positively impacts community development by enhancing education and healthcare and advocating for human rights and non-violence. Its main challenges include financial limitations, political interferences, and cultural factors that hamper its work. It also finds that faith-based organisations should involve themselves with government and non-governmental organizations, undertake more outreach, and address structural challenges to service delivery through training and development efforts.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The implications of the study suggest that faith-based organizations like the ECSS can serve as pivotal actors in supplementing state functions in fragile settings, especially when empowered through partnerships, policy support, and community engagement. Therefore, the study concludes that sustainable development requires enhanced resource mobilization, stronger collaborations, and systemic reforms
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Coping Mechanisms to Relieve Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic among UAE Residents
Get PDFPurpose: Recent research studies conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) showed that the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant detrimental psychological impact on the UAE population. Based on these outcomes, it is essential to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the UAE population towards coping mechanisms. The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the UAE residents towards coping mechanisms used to relieve stress during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among UAE residents above the age of 18. A total of 292 participants were enrolled by volunteer sampling and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about demographics, prevalence, causes of stress, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of coping mechanisms. Practices were assessed using the Brief-COPE scale and the data collected was analyzed using the SPSS-26 program.
Findings: Out of 292 participants, 213 (73%) were between 18-24 years old, 207 (71%) were females, 193 (66%) were Arabs, 222 (76%) were single, 199 (68%) were students, 169 (58%) had a bachelor’s degree or above, and 190 (65%) had an income ≤ 10,000 AED. 210 (71.9%) of the participants experienced varying levels of stress and the most common causes of stress were online learning and the health of family members. The level of knowledge about coping mechanisms was poor in 150 (51.4%) of participants. In the case of attitudes towards coping mechanisms, 173 (59.2%) and 183 (62.7%) of participants agreed that adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms were beneficial in relieving stress, respectively. The mean practices score for adaptive and maladaptive coping was 43.43/64 and 24.58/48, respectively.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Stress management is vital for the overall well-being of the community. Awareness programs should be established to improve the perception and implementation of adaptive coping mechanisms among UAE population. Overall, the study emphasizes the urgent need for mental health awareness programs in the UAE to enhance adaptive coping mechanisms, reduce reliance on maladaptive strategies, and improve community resilience in future crises
Parental Chronic Illness Impact on Children: Family Status, Aspects of Relationships and Patients’ Illness Perceptions in Association with the Total Score of CBCL and SCL90
Get PDFPurpose: The goal of this study is to define in which ways certain conditions of parental chronic illness affect children’s mental health. Precisely, we expect to find answers in a series of research questions about the relation between demographic characteristics of chronic patients, family status, family relationships, role of illness as perceived subjectively by parents and the Scores in the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R). Current study’s aim is to define whether and how family conditions mediate children’s psychological impact due to parental chronic illness.
Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design. To collect data, we administered questionnaires to a Greek non-probability purposeful sample of chronically ill parents (N = 182) having children up to 18-years-old. The participants were recruited via on line communities. All the scales have good or excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha values greater than 0.8). All ethical requirements and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) were followed. Ethics committee of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens approval number is: 674/22/05/2025. The IBM SPSS Statistics 24 software was used for the analysis and the significance level of the tests was set at 0.05. Tables were also used to present the data.
Findings: Main findings of the study as revealed from the analysis are the following: patients’ relationship status (married / in relationship vs divorced or single) and support received by their partner are significantly related with the total CBCL scores. Among married patients, 6.2% of their children are in borderline or clinical range, whereas the corresponding percentage for those that are divorced, or single parents is 18.9% (p=0.023). The percentage of the children who are in borderline or clinical range for emotional or behavioral problems is significantly higher among the patients who receive a little or none support by their partner (20.5%) compared with children of patients that receive a lot or moderate support (6.1%, p=0.007). Patients that declare that the role of illness in their life is heavy score on average significantly higher in the total scale of SCL90 than those that declare that the role of illness is moderate or minimum (1.05 ± 0.75 vs. 0.66 ± 0.48, p=0.001). Patients who declare that the illness has affected their child also score on average significantly higher in the total scale of SCL90 than those that don’t believe or are not sure that illness has affected their child (1.07 ± 0.70 vs. 0.78 ± 0.69, p=0.001). Patients whose child’s reaction about the illness is acceptance score significantly lower in the total scale of SCL90 than those that their child’s reaction was fear / anxiety / sadness (0.74 ± 0.61 vs. 1.01 ± 0.62, p=0.005).
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The present study suggests that regardless of the kind of chronic illness or severity spectrum, the patient’s subjective positivity towards the illness, the strong bond between partners and the patient’s feeling of support, seem to be fundamental mediators of parent/patient feeling of coping and children’s wellbeing. The family’s climate, the couple’s positive relationship and the availability of the healthy parent or even the ill one to relate to, seem to reduce negative outcomes of illness and children’s psychological burden. Given the strong association between children’s wellbeing and family relationships, we can assume the importance to include the entire family in chronic illness care policies and measures. Identifying protective factors in the context of interaction between parental chronic illness and mental distress in children could guide mental health promotion strategics to enhance all family members well-being
Exploring the Misuse of Public-Private Partnerships in Kenya’s Public Procurement: A Study of Governance, Accountability, and Implementation Challenges
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Misuse of Public-Private Partnerships in Kenya’s Public Procurement.
Methodology: In this research, a qualitative research methodology was adopted, with a focus on desktop research as the main method for data collection.
Findings: The study found that Political influence significantly erodes the integrity of PPP procurement processes in Kenya. Often, politicians and government officials leverage their authority to get contracts for firms or individuals that matches with their interests, frequently disregarding the technical and financial qualifications of bidders. The findings also revealed that bribery among other incentives are major concerns in public procurement environment in Kenya, particularly in relation to PPPs. Public officials, as well as those that are involved in procurement, frequently solicit kickbacks from private Companies in return for preferential treatment in contract awards. Lastly, the study revealed that competition is significantly hindered by unclear tendering procedures, selective bidding invitations, and unfair disqualifications of competitors.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study provides a unique contribution to the theory, practice, and policy surrounding Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Kenya by highlighting the interplay of political influence, corruption, and institutional shortcomings in procurement processes. The Principal-Agent Theory and Theory of Institutionalism demonstrate how government contracts, intended to be executed transparently and efficiently, often suffer due to favoritism, nepotism, and weak regulatory enforcement. The findings emphasize the need for stronger regulations, transparent tendering procedures, and improved transparency to curb corruption and ensure competition. In practice, this demands reforming procurement laws, bolstering the capacity of oversight institutions, and ensuring a merit-based, transparent process. Policy wise, the study advocates for comprehensive legal reforms, the establishment of digital platforms for procurement management, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws to foster a fairer, more competitive environment in public procurement, ultimately enhancing public trust and ensuring wise use of public resources
Input Traceability and Performance of Horticultural Firms in Kenya
Get PDFPurpose: This study therefore sought to examine the effect of input traceability on performance of Horticultural Firms in Kenya.
Methodology: This study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The unit of analysis for this study was 658 registered Horticultural firms in Kenya. The heads of procurement, quality assurance, production, information and communication technology as well as marketing departments in horticultural firms in Kenya formed the unit of observation. The target population was 3,290 heads procurement, quality assurance, production, information and communication technology as well as marketing departments from 658 registered Horticultural firms in Kenya. The sample size was determined using Slovin\u27s Formula and stratified random sampling in the selection of 355 respondents from the target population. The study used both primary as well as secondary data. Secondary data was collection from the annual reports of different horticultural firms in Kenya. Primary data was obtained using semi-structured questionnaires. A pilot test was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the research instrument. The semi-structured questionnaires generated qualitative and quantitative data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and the results will be presented in a prose form. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used in analysing quantitative data with the help of SPSS version 28.0 statistical software. Descriptive statistics comprised of frequency distribution, percentages, standard deviation and mean. Inferential statistics included correlation analysis and linear regression analysis.
Findings: The study found that input traceability positively and significantly affects the performance of horticultural firms in Kenya.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Horticultural firms should ensure that comprehensive tracking of the source of all inputs used guarantees quality and safety, which are important for consumer trust. In addition, regular audits of suppliers should be implemented to confirm adherence to ethical and sustainable practices
Walmart’s Retail Link Supply Chain: A Case Study Solution
Get PDFPurpose: The research focuses on the Retail Link System of Walmart and its transformation of supply chain management. This paper shall investigate how the system has given Walmart an edge in inventory management, demand forecasting, and supplier coordination—the very factors that have fitted Walmart in as the world\u27s leading low-cost retailer.
Methodology: This paper presents a case study approach that appraises how far and how much Retail Link has been transformed from a mere EDI-based application to an extranet-based platform and how this has improved the real-time data and advanced analytics of Walmart in its supply chain.
Findings: The application could improve stock management, predict demands, and coordinate suppliers through real-time data sharing between the parties in it. The system further increased the volume of suppliers from which goods were purchased by including smaller suppliers. Besides, integrated analytics solutions such as Quintiq further improved truckload assignment and delivery schedules, contributing to developing the competitive advantage of Walmart further.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: To be efficient and remain competitive, companies should put supply chain technology for real-time information and coordination between suppliers at the top of their investment list. Walmart must keep innovating, keep the Retail Link system flexible and scalable, and look for opportunities to extend supplier integration and data transparency to enhance relationships and operational optimization across its global network
An Energy-Efficient Scheduling and Routing Protocol Based on Q-Learning for WSN
Get PDFPurpose: This article introduces an energy-efficient routing protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) that integrates a dynamic K-means clustering algorithm with Q-Learning and adaptive sleep scheduling. The proposed model aims to extend the network’s lifetime, reduce energy consumption, and maintain the reliability of high data delivery in limited-resource nodes.
Methodology: Each sensor tag autonomously makes optimal forwarding decisions based on local parameters such as remaining energy, distance, jumping, link quality and sensory data variation. To increase adaptation, the network regularly prepares the cluster depending on the node energy and position. In contrast, the sensor nodes enter sleep mode when no significant data changes are detected, reducing inactive communication.
Findings: The model was evaluated with separate network density and simulation settings in 25 scenarios. The best executive landscape achieved a package delivery ratio (PDR) of 94.73 %, delayed 5080.1 episodes in First Node Death (FND), and reduced the average energy consumption by up to 0.0111189 J per episode.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: Compared to standard protocols such as LEACH and RLBEEP, the proposed method outperforms them in all performance matrices. These results demonstrated the effectiveness of learning combined with adaptive grouping and transmission control for achieving durable and intelligent WSN operation