36 research outputs found
An empirical investigation of supply chain management best practices in large private manufacturing firms in Kenya
No full textToday, large companies are mainly focusing on becoming efficient and flexible in their
manufacturing methods in order to handle uncertainty in the business environment. To do
this, they need different strategies to manage the flow of goods from the point of production to the consumer. However, most firms have not been able to formulate the right strategies required to achieve this objective in Supply Chain Management (SCM). This calls for a strategic fit of an organization’s core competencies, strategy and core capability, which is an emerging paradigm in the study of strategic management and specifically in SCM. This paper focuses on SCM best practices used by large private manufacturing firms in Kenya. The preliminary tests employed the use of Kaiser Mayer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s Test. In this case, KMO measures the sampling adequacy which should be greater than 0.5 for a satisfactory analysis to proceed. For this paper, the outcome revealed a measure of 0.583, an indication that the Bartlett’s Test of spericity is significant implying that the correlation matrix is non-singular and therefore, the factor analysis model is satisfactory. A sample of 52 large private manufacturing companies of the supply chain firms representing all large private manufacturing companies, which are members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) was used. To establish SCM best practices, 39 variables were used to measure the level of application among these firms. These variables were analyzed using factor analysis procedure and in order to achieve a simple and meaningful structure, that is, have a nonzero loading of the explained variance for each individual factors, varimax rotation was done. As a result, 11 critical factors were established as the best practices which include: operating policies, linkages within supply chain firms, improved performance, information technology systems, strategic alliance, performance measures, goal orientation, customer relationships, guidelines and procedures, supplier selection and supplier evaluation. When
benchmarked, these practices were found to be universal and compares well with the best
practices globally. The implications of the findings are also discussed
An empirical investigation of supply chain management best practices in large private manufacturing firms in Kenya
No full textToday, large companies are mainly focusing on becoming efficient and flexible in their
manufacturing methods in order to handle uncertainty in the business environment. To do
this, they need different strategies to manage the flow of goods from the point of production
to the consumer. However, most firms have not been able to formulate the right strategies
required to achieve this objective in Supply Chain Management (SCM). This calls for a
strategic fit of an organization’s core competencies, strategy and core capability, which is an
emerging paradigm in the study of strategic management and specifically in SCM.
This paper focuses on SCM best practices used by large private manufacturing firms in
Kenya. The preliminary tests employed the use of Kaiser Mayer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s
Test. In this case, KMO measures the sampling adequacy which should be greater than 0.5
for a satisfactory analysis to proceed. For this paper, the outcome revealed a measure of
0.583, an indication that the Bartlett’s Test of spericity is significant implying that the
correlation matrix is non-singular and therefore, the factor analysis model is satisfactory.
A sample of 52 large private manufacturing companies of the supply chain firms representing
all large private manufacturing companies, which are members of Kenya Association of
Manufacturers (KAM) was used. To establish SCM best practices, 39 variables were used to
measure the level of application among these firms. These variables were analyzed using
factor analysis procedure and in order to achieve a simple and meaningful structure, that is,
have a nonzero loading of the explained variance for each individual factors, varimax rotation
was done. As a result, 11 critical factors were established as the best practices which include:
operating policies, linkages within supply chain firms, improved performance, information
technology systems, strategic alliance, performance measures, goal orientation, customer
relationships, guidelines and procedures, supplier selection and supplier evaluation. When
benchmarked, these practices were found to be universal and compares well with the best
practices globally. The implications of the findings are also discussedUniversity of Nairob
Lean thinking and university performance: The intervening effect of leadership among kenya’s public chartered universities
No full textObjectives: This study explored the extent of lean thinking application in Kenya’s public chartered universities; examined the relationship between lean thinking and university performance and evaluated the possible intervening effect of leadership on this relationship.
Theoretical Framework: The study was underpinned by the Theory of Constraint (TOC) and Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT).
Method: A cross-sectional study design was applied, and using a purposive sample of 20 out of 31 public chartered universities, a questionnaire was administered to academic registrars where 18 universities responded. Analysis of data involved descriptive and regression techniques
Results and Discussions: Findings revealed that lean principles and practices were being applied in Kenya’s public universities although no university had declared full lean implementation. Further, lean thinking had a significant positive but moderate influence on university performance. Additionally, leadership exhibited a partial, positive intervening influence on the relationship between lean thinking and university performance. The study affirms that lean thinking can improve university performance, but requires strong leadership support and commitment. One notable limitation was the reliance on academic registrars. Future research should involve academic staff and students to better reflect lean's customer-centered approach.
Research Implications: This study contributes to literature by demonstrating the positive link between lean thinking and organizational performance. Further, by viewing waste as a constraint and the intervening variable as a contingent factor, the research contributes to theory by integrating TOC and TLT with lean thinking in the context of organizational performance improvement.
Originality/Value: The study provides practical insights for policymakers particularly in the HE sector, and university managements seeking to drive institutional efficiency and effectiveness. The findings are expected to stimulate implementation of lean thinking across Kenyan universities and other developing countries, beginning with lean leadership development
Sustainable Operations Management Practices and Competitive Advantage of Manufacturing Firms in Kenya
Full text linkSustainable Operations Management refers to strategies, actions, and techniques that support operational policies in achieving environmental and economic objectives. This paper focuses on examining the effect of Sustainable Operations Management Practices on the competitive advantage of manufacturing firms in Kenya. Despite the importance of green innovation to green issues and success in the business, a review of studies revealed limited information in connection to the strategic role played by sustainable operations technologies. This paper adopted a positivist philosophy to the development of knowledge and used a cross-sectional survey research design. The population sample consisted of 903 manufacturing firms registered with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. A sample size of 277 was calculated using Slovin’s formula, and a sample of 300 was used to cater for non-response. Primary data was collected. Validity and reliability were also tested and finally, data was analyzed using covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that Sustainable Operations Management Practices have a significant influence on a firm’s competitive advantage. The main conclusion was that Sustainable Operations Management Practices lead to minimized operating costs, enhanced satisfaction of employees, and environmental improvement leading to competitive advantage. The paper recommends the implementation of Sustainable Operations Management Practices by manufacturing firms since it comes with some advantages. The findings of the paper are relevant to the advancement of environmental policy and practices. It also adds knowledge by providing theoretical underpinning, conceptual and methodological references
The Influence of Firm Characteristics on the Relationship Between Operational Innovation and Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Kenya
Full text linkWith a marketplace characterized by increased competition globally and constant changes in customer needs and wants, there is a need to adopt operational innovations while complying with the business environment (internal capabilities) and the firm characteristics, influencing factors in the innovation adoption and implementation. For this reason, this study aimed to investigate the influence of firm characteristics on the relationship between operational innovation and the performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. The positivism approach was used to increase the reliability of investigation findings for generalization. Further, a descriptive research design was adopted, equally to increase the reliability of the survey. Sample of 182 firms with strong affiliations to Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) was used. The firms had 14 subcategories based on the products they manufactured. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and smart PLS4 were used for data analysis, and regression analysis was used for conclusive results. The findings reveal that firm characteristics have a sizable impact on the association between innovation and firm performance
Manufacturing firms' performance and operational innovation: The impact of the external environment
No full textModerating Effects of Macro Environment on Strategy Implementation and Performance in Energy Sector Institutions in Kenya
No full textThe business environment is characterized by turbulence, unpredictability, and ever-changing circumstances. This compels organisations to revisit their strategic planning in order to adjust to the dynamic and complex environment that is ever changing. The influence of strategy implementation on performance is subject to soft, hard and mixed factors. Soft factors consist of human capital factors like commitment, communication, and consensus. The hard factors consist of hierarchy of positions in the organizational and administrative systems. Strategy implementation is a highly complex and interactive process and the success in strategy implementation depends crucially on the human or people side of project management, and less on organization and systems related factors. Most organizations do not report good performance outcomes because the organizations and their managers forget the vital role of strategy implementation. Strategy implementation is a connecting loop between formulation and control. Implementing strategies require the identification of the gap in skills and figure out how to bring those skills into the organization. The concept and practice of implementing strategies has been embraced worldwide and across various sectors because of its perceived contribution to organizational effectiveness and improvement in performance by organizations. This paper was anchored on the expectancy theory and buttressed by the open systems theory and resource-based view theory. This paper adopted positivism view with the aim of predicting and generalizing about the relationship between strategy implementation and performance of Energy sector institutions as moderated by macro environment. The target population was the 68 institutions under the energy sector. The pilot test was carried out on twenty managers from different departments of the selected firms. The Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22). The study results showed a statistically significant relationship between strategy implementation and performance. The study findings also indicated a positive and a statistically significant relationship between macro environment and performance. The paper recommends continued scanning and analysis of macro environment attributes as they are important to firms in coining strategies.
Keywords: Strategy implementation, Macro Environment, Organizational performanc
Influence of Organisational Resources on Performance of ISO Certified Organisations in Kenya
Full text linkThis study aimed at examining the influence of organisational resources on organisational performance of International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) certified organisations in Kenya. The study was based on Total Quality Management (TQM) theory. A cross-sectional research survey design was adopted. Primary data was collected from a sample of 282 ISO certified organisations by use of a questionnaire, and secondary data was obtained from financial statements of 27 ISO certified organizations sampled. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze proportions of the variables and multiple regression model was used to estimate the effect of organisational resources on the performance of ISO certified organizations. The findings show that abundant organisational resources reduce performance. The study, therefore recommends that the management of ISO certified organisations should employ limited organisation resources available efficiently and train their staff in managerial skills in order to improve performance of their organizations
Corporate governance, firm characteristics, external environment and performance of financial institutions in Uganda: A review of literature
No full textMain Objective of the Study: Examine the relationship among corporate governance, firm characteristics, external environment, and performance of financial institutions in Uganda. Value of the Study: The paper is expected to create value to different categories of groups like: the central bank, as a regulatory body; financial institutions that can benchmark with the views of different scholars; the public can make suitable decisions regarding choices where to bank and borrow; the academia in terms of research; and the government in terms of planning, policy formulation, and budgeting for the country. The paper is expected to make significant contributions to theory building by affirming to current theories. The paper made policy recommendations aimed at enhancing firm performance within the sector, given the magnitude of corporate governance, firm characteristics, and the external environment. The paper provided a different perspective of understanding firm performance of financial institutions by integrating, the agency theory, resource dependence theory, transaction cost theory, and the stakeholder theory. Theoretical Foundation: Agency theory, transaction cost theory, stakeholder theory, and resource dependency theory
