KCA University Institutional Repository
Not a member yet
1075 research outputs found
Sort by
Impact Of Work-life Balance Programs On Employee Performance In State Corporations In Kenya
Get PDFThis study examines the impact of work-life balance (WLB) programs on employee
performance in Kenya's State Corporations. As public sector organizations face increasing
pressure to improve efficiency and service delivery, understanding the role of WLB initiatives
becomes crucial. The study is very helpful to policymakers since it will help them make
decisions on the creation and implementation of work-life balance laws. The research done
took into account the variables of flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, leave
regulations, and Family Support Programs. To find out what other authors and researchers had
to say about the impact of work-life balance programs on employee performance in state
corporations, a survey of the theoretical literature was done. Theories used were Spill Over
Theory, The Effort-Recovery Model, and Work-Family Border Theory. The research aimed to
address the gap in empirical evidence within the Kenyan context, where traditional work
cultures often conflict with modern WLB concepts. The study employs a mixed-methods
approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to gather data from
employees and managers across multiple State Corporations. Two hundred and sixty-two (262)
corporations, both Majority Owned State Corporations and Government Linked data were used
as the target population. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) data analysis
tool, version 29.0, was used to evaluate the quantitative data acquired in order to produce
descriptive data that was used to define the features of the organizations. The information was
shown in tables, graphs, and pie charts. The variables were described using a descriptive
design. Additionally, a reliability test and a correlation analysis was performed. Frequencies
and percentages were used in the portrayal. The research investigates the relationship between
various WLB programs, such as flexible work arrangements and family-friendly policies, and
key performance indicators including productivity, job satisfaction, and organizational
commitment. Preliminary findings suggest a positive correlation between well-implemented
WLB programs and enhanced employee performance. However, the study also reveals
challenges unique to the Kenyan public sector, including resource constraints and bureaucratic
resistance to change. The research highlights the importance of cultural context in designing
effective WLB initiatives, as well as the need for standardized metrics to evaluate their impact.
Furthermore, the study explores how recent technological advancements and global events
have reshaped the work-life balance landscape, necessitating adaptive strategies from State
Corporations. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on WLB in developing
countries and offer practical recommendations for policymakers and human resource managers
in Kenya's public sector. This research provides valuable insights into the complex interplay
between work-life balance programs and employee performance in Kenya's State Corporations.
It underscores the potential of WLB initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness while
highlighting the need for context-specific approaches in their implementation
Effect Of Strategic Innovations On Performance Of Insurance Firms In Kenya
Get PDFThe performance of insurance firms globally has been subject to various economic and
market factors that have affected their revenue growth and profitability over time. Integrating
strategic innovations into their business practices can benefit the long-term performance of
insurance firms by improving their financial performance, mitigating risks, and enhancing
their reputation among stakeholders, including customers, employees, and investors.
Therefore, the main aim of this research was to evaluate how strategic innovations influence
performance of insurance firms in Kenya. The study seeks to achieve the following specific
objectives; to establish the effect of technological, product, process and marketing
innovations on performance of insurance firms in Kenya. The study adopted the dynamic
capabilities theory, agency theory, resource based view theory and transaction cost
economics theory. Descriptive research design was employed in this research. This research
target population was 56 insurance firms in Kenya. Census was used in this study where all
56 insurance firms were involved in this study and three respondents from operations, finance
and marketing were involved in the study. Questionnaire were utilized in gathering primary
data. Quantitative data was collected. The collected data was analysed through descriptive,
correlational and multiple linear regression method. Regression results revealed that
technological innovations, product innovations, process innovations, and market innovations
together account for 93.5% of the variation in the performance of insurance firms in Kenya.
The explanatory power of the model was statistically significant as the p value was 0.000.
Further the results revealed that technological innovations (β = 0.283, p < 0.000); product
innovations (β = 0.257, p < 0.000); process innovations (β = 0.713, p = 0.004); and market
innovations (β = 0.320, p < 0.000) had a positive and significant effect on performance of
insurance firms in Kenya. This study concludes that technological, product, process, and
market innovations significantly enhance the organizational performance of insurance firms
in Kenya. The higher emphasis on process innovations displayed the most substantial impact,
underlining its crucial role in organizational efficiency and effectiveness. It is recommended
that insurance firms strategically invest in diverse innovations, focusing on integrating
advanced technologies and fostering a conducive environment for innovation. Further
research should delve deeper into the intricate relationships between various innovation types
and organizational performance components across different sectors and contexts
Capital adequacy, competition and liquidity creation of banks; evidence from Kenya..
No full textResearch paperPurpose – The study seeks to evaluate the effect of capital adequacy and competition on the liquidity creation of Kenyan commercial banks. Design/methodology/approach – Unbalanced panel data from 36 Kenyan commercial banks with licenses.
from 2001 to 2020 is used in the study. The generalized method of moments (GMM), a two-step system, is employed in the investigation. To increase the robustness and prevent erroneous findings, serial correlation tests and instrumental validity analyses are used. The methodology developed by Berger and Bouwman (2009) is used to estimate the commercial banks’ levels of liquidity creation. Findings – The study supports the financial fragility-crowding out hypothesis by finding a significant negative
effect of capital adequacy on the liquidity creation of commercial banks. The research also identifies a significant
inverse relationship between competition and liquidity creation, depicting competition’s value-destroying effect.
Practical implications – A trade-off exists between capital adequacy and liquidity creation, which must be
carefully evaluated as changes in capital requirements are considered. The value-destroying effect of
competition on liquidity creation presents a case for policy geared toward consolidating banks’ operations.
through possible mergers and acquisitions. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to empirically offer evidence concurrently on the effect of competition and capital adequacy on the liquidity creation of commercial banks in a developing economy such as Kenya. Additionally, the authors employ a novel measure of competition at the firm level
Assessment Of The Role Of Family Support On Mental Health Among Judicial Employees In Nairobi City County
Get PDFmental health is a significant global issue that affects individuals and communities worldwide,
especially in Africa, where resources are limited and mental health services are inadequate.
According to various sources, including the Ministry of Health of the Government of Kenya, the
World Health Organization, and the Africa Mental Health Foundation, Kenya has a high prevalence
of mental health issues. An estimated 25% of the Kenyan population is believed to have
experienced mental health conditions at some point in their lives. This study focused on the role of
family support in promoting positive mental health outcomes among judicial employees in Kenya,
using the judicial employees in Nairobi City County as a sample population. The theory that was
applied in the study is the Social Support Theory which was developed by Cobb in 1976. The aim
of this study was to explore the nature and extent of family support among the judicial employees
in Nairobi City County; and determine the relationship between family support and mental health.
The study was guided by four objectives specifically, to identify the specific forms of family
support available to judicial employees in Nairobi City County; to investigate the impact of family
support on work-related stress among judicial employees in the Nairobi City County; to explore
the barriers to access and utilizing family support among judicial employees in Nairobi City
County; to develop strategies for improving the provision and utilization of family support for
mental health patients among judicial employees in Nairobi City County. The research method
applied is the mixed-methods approach. The research design for this study is both qualitative and
quantitative, using cross-sectional data and a qualitative component investigated the relationship
between family support and mental health in a large sample size of judicial employees in Nairobi
City County. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of participants to gain
a deeper understanding of the relationship between family support and mental health, as well as
potential moderating factors. Multistage sampling consisting of stratified and simple random
sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of 282 judicial employees from a target
population of 1030 Judiciary’s employees in Nairobi City County. The quantitative data was
analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, while the
qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study followed ethical guidelines
including maintaining confidentiality in exploring how family support can enhance mental health
in high-stress workplaces, potentially benefiting other occupations beyond the Judiciary. The
conclusion for the study was that family support plays a significant role in mitigating work-related
stress, thus influencing the overall mental health of judicial employees. These findings emphasize
the need for organizations and policymakers to prioritize strategies that promote family support as
a means to alleviate work-related stress and enhance the well-being of judicial employees. One of
the recommendations of the study is that the policy makers in the Judiciary should prioritize the
establishment and enhancement of mental health support services in the Judiciary. The Judiciary
should also collaborate initiatives that promote family support as a key component of employee
well-being
Cognitive Biases And Investment Decisions Of Deposit-taking Savings And Credit Cooperative Societies In Kenya
Get PDFThe primary focus of this research was to examine how cognitive biases influence the investment
decisions of deposit-taking savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) in Kenya. The study was
guided by four specific objectives: first, to determine the impact of herding behavior on the
investment choices of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya; second, to evaluate whether mental
accounting affects the investment decisions of these SACCOs; third, to investigate the role of
overconfidence in shaping the investment choices of credit cooperatives involved in deposit-taking
and savings; and finally, to assess how regret aversion influences the investment decisions made
by investors in these SACCOs. Primary data was collected using a Likert scale-based, self administered questionnaire, and the analysis was conducted using multiple regression and
correlation analysis. The study also adopted a descriptive survey approach, utilizing a census
technique to gather data from the 176 registered and licensed deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya.
The target population for the study consisted of SACCOs actively engaged in deposit-taking and
savings activities. The research employed both open and closed-ended questions in the
questionnaire as the main data collection tool. Other statistical methods used included measures of
central tendency, dispersion, and correlation analysis, all facilitated by SPSS software. To ensure
the validity of the research instrument, tests for multicollinearity, linearity, autocorrelation, and
heteroskedasticity were conducted. From the analysis various findings were drawn also several
recommendations were uplifted which included first the investor to re-evaluate the decision in
regards to investment the deposit taking saccos, secondly deposit taking to continuously integrate
technology and thirdly government policy making and regulating body ensure that prospective
investors resources are safeguarded. Finally, areas for further research was included as the last part
in the researc
Assessment Of the Teacher Preparedness on Competency Based Curriculum Performance in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Makindu Sub County, Makueni County, Kenya.
Get PDFThis study aimed to assess teacher preparedness on Competency-Based Curriculum
performance in public junior secondary schools of Makindu Sub-County, Makueni County,
Kenya. The study intended to establish the level of teacher preparedness for effective
implementation of CBC in public junior secondary schools in Makindu Sub-County. The
research aimed to answer the questions: how teachers’ attitude, Assessment of learners,
Information Communication Technology skills and the Instructional resources affect the
performance of Competency-Based Curriculum in public junior secondary schools of Makindu
Sub-County. The study was specifically conducted within Makindu Ward, Nguumo Ward, and
Kikumbulyu South Ward. The study adopted the Concern-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).
This research targeted 400 respondents which included: 260 junior secondary school teachers,
136 head teachers and 4 curriculum support officers. The research sampled 120 individuals,
consisting of 78 junior secondary school teachers, 41 primary school head teachers, and 1
curriculum support officer. The research simple random sampling and purposive sampling.
Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze
qualitative data while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of
the study revealed that most of junior secondary school teachers were not well conversant with
the CBC system of education. Also, the findings established that junior secondary teachers
were not well prepared to implement CBC. The study revealed that implementation of
Competence-Based Curriculum brings benefits to education as it’s tailored to meet individual
student’s needs. The results further proved that CBC promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills among the learners. The findings equally indicated that CBC promotes higher
students’ engagement and motivation since it was well aligned with real world skills.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that respondents had a positive attitude towards CBC as its
benefit outweigh the potential challenges. The study found out that technological aspects
significantly influenced CBC implementation. The study revealed that challenges of
implementing a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) can significantly impact its
effectiveness. These challenges are designing assessment, conducting assessment, fair grading,
individualized assessment, access to assessment materials and enough time for assessment. The
study recommended that the ministry of education needs to train and motivate teachers to
enable them grasp CBC content and pass the same to learners to enhance holistic development.
This study would enhance more positive influence on performance and economic development
of the country. Further studies can be carried out in other levels of education like the primary
schools, senior secondary schools and universities. This study can also be replicated in other
sub-counties and counties to find out how CBC is performing in different places of the country
Model For Detecting Common Bean Fungal Leaf Disease Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Get PDFAgriculture forms the basis of food security and economic growth in most countries. Pest and diseases remain to be a significant challenge and a big hindrance to the success of small-scale farming. Pest and diseases are responsible for heavy losses through death of crops and reduced productivity. In Kenya, common bean is the most important pulse and is the third most important food crop. Fungal based angular leaf spot and rust are two major diseases of common beans in the tropics and sub-tropics. Therefore, there is a need to provide a reliable and accessible technical solution for farmers to detect early detection of common bean leaf fungal diseases in Kenya. The main objective of the current study is to develop a deep convolution neural networks model for detection of common bean fungal leaf diseases in Kenya. The data for training was extracted from the GitHub data (Al. Lab. Makerere, 2020). Testing was done using SoftMax activation function in the output layer to provide a range of probabilities to the various output options. The initial TensorFlow model was built using the CRISP-DM methodology. The ResNet-50 model was adopted and custom layers were built using transfer learning. The TensorFlow Lite framework was used to convert and optimize the model. Float16 quantization was used to optimize the model. Performance metrics, including accuracy, precision, and recall, were used to evaluate the model
Adoption Of Circular Economy Practices And Performance Of Agricultural Value Chains In Kenya
Get PDFThis research explored the adoption of circular economy practices within Agri-Value Chains
in Kenya under varying external factors, a critical step towards enhancing sustainability,
efficiency, and resilience in agriculture. The primary objectives were to assess the level of
circular economy practices integration, identify barriers to its adoption, and evaluate its effect
on Agri-Value Chain performance. The target population includes publicly listed agricultural
firms, stakeholders such as farmers, agribusinesses, policymakers, and civil society
organizations. The study adopted descriptive design to delve into the adoption of circular
economy practices within Agri-Value Chains. The study targeted 438 respondents including
403 farming groups and 35 ministry and development partner key informants. A total of 209
respondents pre-determined using Yamanes formula were selected using stratified random
sampling. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The relationship
between variables was established using multiple linear equation modelling. The product
development demonstrated a beta coefficient that was statistically significant. In light of these
findings, it can be inferred that, assuming all other independent variables remain constant,
enhancing product development will lead to an improvement in the performance of
agricultural value chains in Kenya. The circular supplies exhibited a robust and statistically
significant relationship with the efficacy of agricultural value chains in Kenya. Furthermore,
circular supplies exhibited a significant beta coefficient. This led to the conclusion that
enhanced circular supplies would correlate with an improvement in the performance of
agricultural value chains in Kenya. The beta coefficient for product life extension was
observed to be both positive and significant. This culminated in the conclusion that extending
product life may enhance the performance of agricultural value chains in Kenya. The results
suggest that the beta value associated with product recovery was not statistically significant.
This study determined that variations in product recovery, whether improvement or decline,
would not lead to any significant alteration in the performance of agricultural value chains in
Kenya. Of the four variables—product development, circular supplies, product life
extension, and product recovery—Product life extension exhibited the most profound
influence on the performance of agricultural value chains in Kenya. This study indicates that
agricultural firms in Kenya ought to prioritize the extension of their product lifespan, as this
approach is anticipated to improve their profitability. The analysis revealed that product
recovery exerted a minimal influence on the performance of agricultural value chains in
Kenya. Considering these findings, this study advises agricultural firms in Kenya to exercise
prudence in allocating substantial resources to product recovery, as such investments may
yield limited returns. The results demonstrate that product development, circular supplies,
product life extension, and product recovery constitute 69.1% of the performance metrics
within agricultural value chains in Kenya. The residual 29.1% can be ascribed to additional
variables that were not encompassed within the scope of this study. This indicates the
imperative of pursuing additional research that integrates various variables to uncover further
elements influencing the efficacy of agricultural value chains in Kenya
Effect Of Corporate Governance On Fraud Mitigation Among Microfinance Banks In Kenya
Get PDFiii
ABSTRACT
Microfinance banks in Kenya play a critical role in providing financial services to low-
income individuals and small businesses, many of whom are underserved by traditional
financial institutions. However, like any financial institution, microfinance banks in Kenya
are also susceptible to fraud, which can have significant consequences for both the institution
and its clients. The main aim of this research study was to assess the effect of corporate
governance on fraud mitigation among microfinance banks in Kenya. The specific objectives
of the study were to; determine the effect of executive compensation on fraud mitigation,
analyse the effect of board independence on fraud mitigation, to establish the effect of
independent risk committee on fraud mitigation and to assess the effect of code of conduct
on fraud mitigation. The research adopted the agency theory, stakeholder theory and the
stewardship theory. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The target
population was the 349 management employees working at the 14 microfinance banks in
Kenya and stratified sampling technique was used. The employees were classified according
to their cadre. The sample size was 186 arrived at using Yamane formula. The study utilized
primary data that was collected using a questionnaire. The administration of the
questionnaire was done through Google form. The collected data was converted into
quantitative format and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive
statistics involved mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics comprised of both
correlation and regression analysis. The results of the study were presented in tables and
figures followed with pertinent interpretation. Regression results revealed that executive
compensation, board independence, independent risk committee, and code of conduct
together account for 93.1% of the variation in the fraud mitigation among microfinance banks
in Kenya. The explanatory power of the model was statistically significant as the p value was
0.000. Further the results revealed that executive compensation (β = 0.312, p = 0.000); board
independence (β = 0.352, p = 0.000); independent risk committee (β = 0.232, p = 0.000); and
code of conduct (β = 0.732, p = 0.000) had a positive and significant effect on fraud
mitigation among microfinance banks in Kenya. Based on the findings, the study concluded
that effective corporate governance, manifested through equitable executive compensation,
autonomous and diverse boards, proficient and independent risk committees, and robust
codes of conduct, substantially contributes to fraud mitigation in microfinance banks. The
recommendations emphasize the refinement of corporate governance structures and
practices, continuous monitoring and evaluation of governance policies, and the integration
of advanced technological solutions to enhance fraud detection and prevention capabilities.
Future research is encouraged to explore the intricate relationships between different
corporate governance components and their collective impact on fraud mitigation, with a
focus on uncovering universally applicable insights and practices in varied organizational
and geographical contexts