11 research outputs found
Factors influencing choice of strategic management modes of small enterprises
Get PDFStudies indicate that 75% of small enterprises in the world fail during their first 5 years of operation. In Kenya, just about 20% grow to the next size category. Scholars have prescribed formal strategic management modes, but the small enterprises (SEs) continue to not only fail but also depict informal strategic management modes. However, few studies have been done to examine whether the dismal performance of SEs is due to other factors unrelated to the management of the enterprises, especially in the context of a developing country like Kenya. The specific objectives were to identify the strategic management modes employed by the small enterprises in Kisumu County with specific reference to the Youth Enterprise Fund beneficiaries in Kisumu County and to assess the factors influencing the choice of these modes. The study was anchored on Mintzbergs' theories on deliberate, emergent, and reactive strategic management modes. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design. The target population was the 242 small enterprises run by the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), out of which 134 enterprises were sampled using Yamane's criteria. The study adopted questionnaire and interview methods as the basic data collection methods with the questionnaire being tested through content validity index and Cronbach alpha's internal consistency index, respectively. The study found that the basic modes used by small enterprise were deliberate, emergent, and reactive and that the small enterprises in Kisumu County used these modes interchangeably but relied more on the reactive mode of strategic management. The study revealed that the choice of these modes was dictated by the personal, environmental, and firm characteristics of the enterprises. The study concludes that continued exposure to formal modes would only sustain the endemic failure of the SEs because the SEs need formal exposure to models that address their situation. The study therefore urgently recommends formalization of elements of reactive strategic management modes and the personal factors in small firm curricula
Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Commercial Bank Customers, Nairobi Kenya
No full textModerating Effect of Marketing Mix Strategy on the Relationship Between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Commercial Bank Customers, Nairobi Kenya
No full textMarketing strategy remains a critical driver of customer satisfaction and competitiveness in the banking industry globally. Despite this, Commercial banks in Kenya are yet to attain required customer satisfaction levels. This is evident in the low average customer satisfaction index (CSI) which dropped from 67% in 2011 with a downward trend to 60% in 2015 way below the Kenyan Banking industry benchmark of 77%. Studies on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction revealed both positive and negative results. These suggest that the relationship may be affected by other factors such as marketing mix strategy. Previous studies have not addressed the role of marketing mix strategy comprising of product, price, promotion, place, people, process and physical evidence in the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. The role of a moderating variable like marketing mix strategy can have a strong influence on the strength of the relationship thus it’s needed for the study. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of marketing mix strategy on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction of commercial bank customers in Nairobi, Kenya.</jats:p
Belief Control Practices and Organizational Performances: A Survey of Sugar Industry in Kenya
Get PDFThe sugar industry has experienced poor performance attributed to industry deregulation, poor management and political interference. Adopting the Simons’ Levers of Control framework, this study sought to establish the
relationship between belief control practices and organizational performance in the sugar industry in Kenya. Using a census survey of the 45 firms in the sugar industry value-chain in western Kenya registered by the Kenya Sugar
Board as at 1 st January 2008, data was collected through self administered questionnaires sent to chief executive officers, finance managers and marketing officers of the target companies. The main finding of the study was
that belief control systems are moderately prevalent in firms in the sugar industry and that belief control has a significant positive relationship with organizational performance (β = 0.288, p < 0.05). The findings of this study underscore the need of management to incorporate employees in the company core values and design of strategic control systems to cope with changing internal and external operating business environments. The study
advances the extant theory of strategic management control practices by providing evidences from emerging economy and on a focused single lever of management contro
Effective Management of Strategic Issues in the Insurance Industry, Kenya
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to examine how companies could prepare themselves to deal effectively with strategic issues affecting them with particular reference to the insurance industry in Kenya. This follows the turbulent environment in which the insurance industry in general and the Kenyan insurance industry in particular are currently operating in: international competition, the rapid technological changes, regional integration and globalization, change in customer needs and preference among others. These pressures have created the need to explore the current strategic issue management practices in the insurance companies in Kenya. In order to meet this objective, a census of all 38 insurance firms in Kenya was conducted by use of questionnaires. The findings led to the conclusions that, although most insurance companies in Kenya study strategic issues affecting their operations, none demonstrated the use of superior methods such as the European matrix method. Keywords: Strategic Issue Management, Insurance Companies, European Matrix Method, Strategic Managemen
Construction and validation of consumer attitudes on biosecurity principles: a methodological perspective
Get PDFThis paper presents a methodological perspective to the construction and validation of consumer attitudes on
biosecurity principles. Four biosecurity principles are reviewed with regard to indigenous chicken production and
consumption. Using Fishbein Multi-Attribute Model, the four principles are translated into a psychometric construct
to measure consumer attitudes. A 74-item 7-point Likert scale is constructed. The study proposes a procedure to
validate the construct. This includes conducting a pilot study to gather primary data, summarizing the data, testing
inter-item validities, and performing factor analysis to measure construct validity among others. The study sets a
methodological perspective that researchers, government agencies, international organizations and donors can use to
measure consumer attitudes on biosecurity principles for indigenous chicken
Construction and validation of consumer attitudes on biosecurity principles: A methodological perspective
Get PDFThis paper presents a methodological perspective to the construction and validation of consumer attitudes on biosecurity principles. Four biosecurity principles are reviewed with regard to indigenous chicken production and consumption. Using Fishbein Multi-Attribute Model, the four principles are translated into a psychometric construct to measure consumer attitudes. A 74-item 7-point Likert scale is constructed. The study proposes a procedure to validate the construct. This includes conducting a pilot study to gather primary data, summarizing the data, testing inter-item validities, and performing factor analysis to measure construct validity among others. The study sets a methodological perspective that researchers, government agencies, international organizations and donors can use to measure consumer attitudes on biosecurity principles for indigenous chicken. Key words: Scale Construction, Scale Validation, Consumer Attitudes, Biosecurity Principles, Indigenous Chicken
Effect of micro finance on performance of women owned enterprises, in Kisumu City, kenya
No full textMicro financing is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups that lack access to banking and its related services. Traditionally, women based enterprises have not been favoured by the mainstream credit policies of the commercial banks owing to their inability to raise collateral securities to guarantee the loans. The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of micro financing on the performance of women owned enterprises in Kisumu City. Specifically, the study sought to determine the effect of microfinance on productivity, profitability and growth and expansion of women owned enterprises. The study population comprised 3000 registered women businesses. A sample of 341 was drawn. Clustering, simple random and purposive sampling approaches were applied. Primary and secondary data were used. Questionnaire and interview were used to obtain primary data. Quantitative data was analysed by use of both the descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicated that micro financing in sufficient quantities would have greater effect on profitability, productivity and growth and expansion of women owned enterprises. The outcome of the study would be significant in reformulating women business credit policies, for improving credit services to entrepreneurs
Influence of promotional strategies on banks performance
Get PDFThis paper examines the nature and influence of the relationship between the bank’s promotional strategies and
its performance and seeks to determine the importance of promotional strategies in explaining the bank’s
performance. The study location was at the National Bank of Kenya. A descriptive research design employing a
simple random sampling technique selected 88% of the bank branches whose managers were contacted using
questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using the SPSS software. Correlation analysis was conducted to
establish the nature of the relationship between the bank’s promotional strategies and it performance while
regression analysis used to explain its performance. Positive relationship was found to exist between promotional
strategies expenditure and bank performance. Spending on promotional mixes individually had little effect on
bank performance
Effect of Information Systems on Revenue Collection by Local Authorities in Homa Bay County, Kenya
No full textThis paper examined the effect of Information Systems on revenue collection of Local Authorities in HomaBay, Kenya. Study objectives included establishing the relationship between internal control systems, Information Systems and revenue collection in Kenyan Local Authorities;determining the levels of quality service offered to the clients by Local Authorities and investigating whether Information
Systems relate to effectiveness and efficiency of Revenue
Collection. A structured cross-section survey was used to
collect data from 2,007 individuals, of which 165 were Local Authorities staff and 1,842 were traders in Homa Bay
Municipality. The study found that: there is a relationship
between Information Systems and both efficiency and effectiveness in revenue collection, there is a strong positive relationship between Internal Control Systems and revenue collection as reported by 97% of the respondents, and that resistance to change by the council staff was derailing the full implementation of Information Systems. The study is useful in reviewing the institutions’ Act and statutes to cater fully for the integration of IS in the management activities of HomaBay Municipal Council, to managers at all levels,public sector, policy makers and scholars
