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Market Forces versus Professionalism:A Priority Dilemma Resultingin Departures from Traditional Layout ofthe Standard Newspaper
No full textFULL TEXTThe phenomenon of tabloidization enteredthe realmof journalism as an undesirabletrend as early
as 1833 when the “penny press” emerged in US cities. These tabloid papers wrote for
semiliterateindustrial workerswho preferredheavily illustrated news storiesthat concentrated on
sensationand not objectivity; the personal asopposed to the public, as well as scandal, lifestyle
and human sufferingin place of economic and political news. These tabloids built up a
massmarket thatthose in the elitist market started to eye with envy. The result was that
mainstream spreadsheets started sneaking in a few tabloid elements, so as to get abigger share of
the readership, that had got addicted to the entertaining style and layout of the tabloid papers.
This study aimed atassessing the extent to which TheStandard newspaper, a
traditionalspreadsheet, has tabloidised its layout due to market pressure. The Standard is the
second largestdaily in Kenyain terms of circulation. Many elitist dailies have embraced elements
of tabloidization in their layout, in order to get an edge in thecompetition for market share. The
study found thatthe layout of TheStandard was toan extent tabloidized. Among other things, the
front pages were manipulated to increasethe visual effect so as to create an urge to buy among
the readers. Pictures chosen to illustrate some stories were too graphic and carried
emotivesemiotic messages. Some pages were crowded with tiny storiesthat lackeddepth detail
and analysis. Based on the agenda setting theory and the visual semiotics theory, this study used
the qualitative analysis of layouts of pages of The Standard, as well as photographs from the
editions of the paper, selected from the years between 1995 and 2015. The study confirmed the
incidence of tabloid elements inthe layout of The Standard.National Research Fun
Influence of Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy on Implementation Of Donor Assisted EHealth Management Systems In Public Health Facilities In Nakuru County
No full textFULL TEXTThepurpose of this study was to analyze the influence of monitoring and evaluationstrategy on
implementation of donor assisted e-health management systems in public health facilities in
Nakuru County, Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was used targetingthe health
Ministry in the national and county governmentsand involved public health facilities
andpartnering NGOs. Using quantitative techniques on data collected from 79 persons
comprising e-Health program managers and staff, the study established that M&E strategy had a
statistically significant relationship with the implementation of e-health management systems in
public health facilities in Nakuru County (t = 2.01, p < 0.05) implying that it was an influential
factor which must be prioritized in the implementation process. The studyrecommends that the ehealth
system implementers ensure that in addition to the M&E evaluations, quality evaluation
and reporting be publicized so as to raise the quality standards of the system after
implementation.National Research Fun
Prevalence, Perception and Consequences of Sexual Harassment in Kenyan Institutions of Higher Learning
No full textFULL TEXTThe issue of sexual harassment in academia is increasingly becoming the centre of discussion.
Indeed, in most educational institutions, sexual harassment and gender-based violence have
become an issue of research and discussion. More and more students are currently joining
institutions of higher learning, many of which are not sufficiently equipped to handle sexual
harassment on campus. Kenyan universities are a good sample representative of the larger
society because their students are drawn from a cross-section of all communities. Exploring their
pedagogical practices may, therefore, offer valuable insights into the broader understanding of
how they play a meaningful role in empowering young Kenyans by promoting a harassment-free
environment. However, the bulk of existing research has examined sexual harassment in nonacademic
settings, and only recently have social scientists begun treating sexual harassment in
the academic setting as an important area of inquiry. Although several recent studies have
established sexual harassment to be pervasive in learning institutions, little is known about the
frequency, severity and types of sexual harassment occurring in specific educational institutions.
This paper explores students’ attitude and consequences of sexual harassment on campus. It also
looks into the general perception that students have concerning harassment. In a cross-sectional
survey, 389 respondents filled a questionnaire on sexual harassment. Quantitative statistical
analysis revealed that sexual harassment was significantly prevalent in academia. Two-thirds of
university students are subjected to sexual harassment before they join campus. Many of the
respondents acceded to have been subjected to sexually harassing behaviours but were resistant
to label themselves as survivors of harassment. The perception was high among undergraduate
students. Recommendations for the improvement of the situation to create a freer and safer
campus environment as well as suggestions for further research are made.National Research Fun
EVALUATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING SMALL AND MICRO ENTERPRISES’ CREDIT WORTHINESS BY COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NAKURU TOWN, KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTSmall and Micro Enterprises play a vital role in job creation and make significant contributions to economic growth in developed and developing economies alike. However, one on the main challenges of small and micro enterprise has been access to finances and capital. This study therefore sought to evaluate the factors influencing Small and Micro Enterprises credit worthiness by commercial Banks in Nakuru Town, Kenya. The specific objectives looked at: firm’s ownership, firm’s financial performance, credit information sharing and central bank regulations to determine how they affect credit worthiness of Small and Micro Enterprises from the perspective of commercial banks. The limitation of the study was that not all respondent respondents responded to the questionnaires positively with fear that information provided will expose them, besides the bankers are very busy with a lot of restricted information sharing. The study was guided by modern portfolio theory, theory of credit scoring and competitive pricing of default risk and pecking order theory. The study was conducted among commercial banks in Nakuru Town using the survey research design. The target population was 68 bank staff involved in Small and Micro Enterprise lending who comprised of 34 credit managers and 34 Small and Micro Enterprise loans/relations officers; a census design was used to select all the members of the target population for study. The study used questionnaire as a collection tool of primary data. To ensure the validity of instruments, they were subjected to a pilot test in selected Bank Branches in Naivasha Town. The pilot questionnaires were then analyzed using the Cronbach reliability coefficient to determine the extent of reliability. Data collected was coded and analyzed with the aid of computer programs. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics which include frequencies and percentages. Chi square (x2) analysis was also done to determine how individual factors affect creditworthiness; influence of the independent variables on the dependent variable was then computed using the multiple regression analysis. The findings of the study were: The ownership structure of SMEs had a negative effect on their creditworthiness in commercial banks however, the firm’s financial performance had a positive and significant effect on the credit worthiness of SMEs in commercial banks in Nakuru Town On credit information sharing, 45.8% of the respondents cited that it was an important consideration in establishing credit worthiness of SMEs while 23.7% termed it very important, 15.3% termed it moderate and less important respectively. The rate of default of other credit facilities was cited as key by 33.9% and 49.2% who rated it very important and important respectively while the remaining 16.9% assigned default rate moderate importance. SMEs payment of taxes was not highly regarded as seen from the mixed opinion where 15.3% and 16.9% termed it as very important and important respectively. The study therefore recommended that commercial banks should develop a guideline for their SME clients outlining their criteria for determining ownership characteristic and their respective scores
Effect of Board Composition and Structure on performance of Kenya Football Premium League
No full textFULL TEXTFootball is an “industry” and clubs “businesses” characterized by competition for resources. The
opportunities presented by expanding markets and the challenges of an environment
characterized by increasing competition require that clubs successfully position themselves to
build sustainable, competitive advantage. The main aim of the study was to analyze the effects of
board composition and structure on performance of soccer management in Kenya Premium
League. The study adopted descriptive research design taking 96 elected officials and 48
employees. The study used random sampling technique to select the respondents. Data was
collected using both primary data collection tools. Structured questionnaires were administered
to the selected respondents in order to elicit information related to governance structure of the
Clubs whereas both structured questionnaire and secondary data collection form was used to
collect information related to Kenya Football Premium League Performance. In spite of board
membership being drawn from members who were not necessarily footballs, the board lacked
wider representation in terms of gender, institutional representation like the government, age
variability making the board not to have the face of Kenya, that is most clubs were aligned to
specific tribe or counties, the idea which was a replica of their respective boards.National Research Fun
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE; A CASE OF SECURITY FIRMS NAIROBI KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTSecurity companies have resulted to Business Continuity Management (BCM) practices in an effort to ensure continuity of business operations. Organizational performance is crucial and BCM is one of the key driving forces to strengthen a firm’s ability to withstand risks and survive under extreme organizational and environmental pressures. Security companies in Kenya are operating in a rapidly changing environment that presents a risk to operations of companies. The prevailing economic environment in Kenya, increased competition, advanced technology and increase regulations governing security, has threated the operations of private security company’s continuity. Despite security companies in Kenya adopting Business continuity Management practices, the extent to which BCM practices contribute to company performance has not sufficiently been empirically studied. The general objective of the study was to determine the influence of Business Continuity Management practices on organizational performance in security firms in Nairobi City County Kenya. The research adopted descriptive survey research design. The study adopted the cognitive and resource mobilization theories. The target population of this study were 124 security firms within Nairobi County. The study adopted a stratified random sampling to select a sample size of 75 respondents. The primary data for this study was collected using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation and frequency distribution and regression was used to analyze the data to establish the extent to which Business Continuity Management practices influence organizational performance in security firms in Nairobi County in Kenya. The study adopted correlation and regression analysis to establish relationship between variables. The study findings showed that the performance of security companies in Nairobi is influence by the level of support of top management, planning for the business continuity and allocation of sufficient resources. The study recommends need for a clearly outlined BCM strategy within the strategic plan to form the basis of business performance and long health of the firms
Kabarak University International Research Conference on Business and Economics
No full textFULL TEXTNational Research Fun
EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AS A COMPETITIVE STRATEGY ON SALES PERFORMANCE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN NAKURU CBD
No full textFULL TEXTThe importance of social media in enhancing positive relationships between customers and business cannot be ignore since they offer new and innovative ways to communicate and network via the internet. Currently, there are various platforms provided by the social media networks such as Facebook, Google plus, LinkedIn, YouTube, Skype, WhatsApp and Twitter which are used as tools for marketing. Social media has opened a new perspective in the way business is conducted. Technology acceptance model theory and social media marketing theory was used in this research to provide deep understanding in social media. The study sought to determine effects of social media marketing strategies on performance of small and medium enterprise in Nakuru Central Business District. The study was guided by the following objectives: To establish the social media strategies adopted by small and medium enterprises to enhance sales performance in Nakuru CBD, to explore the use of social media by small and medium enterprises in customer acquisition, to determine how the adopted social media strategies help SMEs in improving customer service and customer retention, to examine the effectiveness of social media marketing in influencing buying decisions. The research adopted survey design. The study targeted the 350 registered small and medium enterprises in Nakuru CBD. The sample for the study was 78 small and medium businesses. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select the small and medium enterprises, Primary data was collected by the use of structured questionnaires which was designed and administered to the respondents. The finding indicated that marketing strategies and customer acquisition affect up to 10.8% and 50.9% positive variation in sales performance among SMEs respectively. Additionally, buying decision and Customer Service affect 3.3% and 40.6% positive variation in Sales Performance among SMEs. Conversely, Customer Retention affects 2.6% negative variation in sales performance among SMEs. The study recommends that online marketing strategies should be improved by SMEs in order to increase their sales performance. Secondly, SMEs should have a clear customer acquisition framework in order to have a sustainable target market segment. Moreover, customer service should be advanced to attract more online customers. Additionally, retention strategies of customers should be expanded to increase on sales performance. Finally, buying decisions being a major concern that affect negatively sales performance should be reinforced and made flexible
Investigation on Entrepreneurial Viability of Indigenous Innovations in Kenya. A Survey of Baringo and Nakuru Counties on Mursik Milk
No full textFULL TEXTIndigenous innovations can aid developing nations embark on a cumulative path of
positive growth. Mursik is a traditional milk preservation technology among Kalenjin community
in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. However, its success and commercial performance or future
potential has remained unknown. This study was aimed at investigating on entrepreneurial
viability of Mursik commercialization. Data was obtained using semi-structured questionnaires
administered on a snow-balled sample of 59 accessed enterprises. The findings obtained
indicated that there was huge supply of milk in the proximal catchment area but suppliers
preferred delivering their milk to large milk processors who unfortunately had not yet adopted
Mursik product line. Good news was that the innovation possessed necessary characteristics for
potential massive adoption. The researcher therefore recommends further research on rapid
production techniques that could conserve the quality of the original Mursik, deliver value
packaging, and establish promotion and distribution beyond the traditional Mursik users.National Research Fun
THE INFLUENCE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF NAIROBI, KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTPoor participation in strategy formulation and absorption of development funds hinders effective strategy implementation, review and leadership in county governments and ultimately affects effective service delivery. The main purpose of this research study was to assess the influence of strategic management practices on Service Delivery in County Government of Nairobi City, Kenya. Specific objectives of the influence of the practice of strategic planning, strategic leadership and strategy implementation on service delivery formed the study. Descriptive and correlation research designs were adopted for the study. The study was anchored on Goal setting, systems, results and theory of everything in operations. The target population consisted of 130 respondents consisting of the county executive committee member, the chief officer, 2 directors, an accountant, finance officer, economist, supply chain officer and 2 office administrators from the thirteen (13) ministries in County Government of Nairobi as at January 2018. All the targeted 130 respondents in the 13 ministries in the County Government of Nairobi were sampled, thus forming a census study since the targeted population is specific in nature and limited in number. The questionnaire and interview schedules were used as the data collection instruments. Pilot study was conducted in the County Government of Kiambu using a sample size of 20 respondents to test the validity of the constructs of the questionnaire. Validity of the constructs of the questionnaire was further tested by a review of experts (the supervisors) while reliability was tested using reliability test. Data analysis and interpretation was based on descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics mainly using SPSS. Analyzed data was presented using tables. Out of 130 questionnaires issued, 121 were filled and returned making it a return rate of 121(93.1%). The study findings on objectives revealed that the influence of strategic management practices (strategic planning, strategic leadership and strategy implementation) on service delivery was significant (t = 3.166; p < 0.05). The study hypotheses on strategic planning, strategic leadership and strategy implementation not influencing service delivery were rejected. The study recommends that county governments should link planning to budget for them to be able to effectively implement their programs and projects. Departmental strategic planning processes should be all inclusive and participatory to enable holistic capture of views from all stakeholders