AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BUSINESS, ECONOMICS AND INDUSTRY (AJOBEI)

Effect of strategic human resource management practices on performance of public Universities in Kenya – a need for hr-driven adaptive leadership

Mwaura R. S. N. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:12:58 +0100

As organizations cope with a myriad of operational challenges driven by the ensuing political and economic trends, the need for strategic human resource management has become pertinent. It is in this context that this study addresses Adaptive Leadership and Societal Development. Like all other organizations, public universities in Kenya have human resource management units, which are meant to ensure optimal utilization of their employees as the most critical asset. However, the extent to which the leadership of public universities creatively adapt and leverage on their human resources towards the achievement of their mandates, should be a matter of great concern for the universities and their stakeholders. The two-pronged objective of this study was to determine the effect of strategic human resource practices (SHRMPs), singularly, as well as jointly, on the performance of public universities in Kenya. The bundle of SHRMPs conceptualized and tested is rigorous recruitment, staff training, reward strategies and performance management. The study was philosophically hinged on positivist ontology, mainly based on the resource-based theory, and designed as a cross sectional descriptive survey. Targeting all public universities in Kenya, data was collected from 31 public universities, aided by a self-administered questionnaire. Out of the 117 questionnaires distributed, 110 were returned, representing a 71% response rate. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. There was a statistically significant relationship between each SHRM practice in the studied bundle of SHRMPs, and performance of public universities in Kenya, rigorous recruitment being most impactful of the four practices studied. There is need for public universities to strategically prioritize and leverage more on their human resource management functions as represented by the bundle of four practices studied. This would potentially lead to improved performance, in terms of developing and delivering more and better learning programmes, achieving increased student enrolment rates, attainment of enhanced learner graduation rates, generate more research outcomes, as well as enhancement of the much-sought-after staff career promotion rates. Thus, embracing strategic human resource management potentially presents a means to attaining and sustaining competitive levels of performance, towards becoming autonomously self-supporting, as expected.

Inventory management practices, retailer-supplier collaboration and supply chain performance of retail stores in Nakuru county, Kenya

Mwangi P. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 10:42:47 +0100

Retail chain stores in Kenya are facing unprecedented change in the external environment disruption affecting supply chains motivating integration of inventory management practices with retail-supply chain collaboration to achieve expected supply chain performance. The objectives of this study were to determine influence of continuous replenishment to establish inventory optimization and supply chain collaboration on supply chain performance in retail chain stores in Nakuru County. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design and surveyed 106 retail chain stores in Nakuru County. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential statistics techniques, correlation and regression analysis. Results revealed that continuous replenishment contributed significantly (B₁= 0.576, PV = .001<0.05) to supply chain performance in retail chain stores in Nakuru County. There was a strong, significant and positive (B₂=0.307, PV=.001>0.05) relationship between inventory optimization and supplier chain Performance. Combining inventory management practices, continuous replenishment and inventory optimization with retailer-supply chain collaboration resulted in an increase in RSquared of model 1, 0.440 to 0.459 demonstrating that joining continuous replenishment and inventory optimization with supply chain collaboration has a significant positive impact on supply chain performance. Successful continuous replenishment and inventory optimization together with retailer-supplier chain collaboration resulted in supply chain efficiency.

Role of educational technology in behaviour change among students in private Universities in Kiambu county, Kenya

Nderitu N. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Educational technology plays an important role in improving classroom pedagogy in many institutions of higher learning. It enhances sharing of information among lecturers and students and reduces instructional time wastage. However, educational technology has been abused by students leading to behavior change. Many students get distracted from their academic work, rarely concentrate in class but are constantly on their mobile phones attending to issues not related to their academic activities. This study sought to assess the extent to which educational technology has influenced behavior change among students in private universities in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the theory of planned behavior. The study adopted a mixed methodology and applied a concurrent triangulation research design. The research targeted 6996 respondents comprising 349 lecturers, 113 Heads of Departments, and 6534 students which a sample of 379 respondents (30 lecturers, 12 HoDs, and 337 students) was determined using Yamane’s Formula. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically along the objectives and presented in narrative forms. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis in Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS 23) and presented using tables. The study established that, despite the noble role of technology in improving teaching and learning activities, 56.9% of students in private universities in Kiambu County have witnessed a change in their behavior. Over 65.8% of the students rarely concentrate on class activities with over 80.1% constantly busy with their mobile phones. There is need for students to embrace responsible use of educational technology for their academic benefit and spend little time on non-academic issues. The university management should formulate and enforce ICT policies that restrict the use of technology gadgets such as mobile phones during lectures

Investigating the role of educational technology in behaviour change

Majarawanda A. V.N. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

This study suggests that for the perceived change of behavior due to technology, one has to use it regularly. The study focuses on the impact of technology on students and personnel in various levels of education and seeks to expose the behavioral changes due to integration of educational technology. Apparently, integration of educational technology has brought about both pedagogical and behavioral changes desirable to education systems. Technology is thus used to ameliorate learning. However, there is unequal access to technological achievements. Not all schools have trained ICT teachers hence the resulting different sets of behaviors. This paper explored the disparity between the technological advancement and behavioral reasons for the lack of universal technological behavioral changes and the reason for low competency in technological issues. Due to technology, motivation is enhanced, students look forward to the next lesson, learning becomes exciting, efficiency and effectiveness is increased, performance is enhanced, research is enhanced and it helps the users to understand the world better. Qualitative research was used to explore the behavior changes due to technology. Both interviews and questionnaires were used to explore the benefits of technology in schools. The paper expounded the link between educational technology and behavioral changes and how technology can be incorporated into everyday classroom practice.

Impact of tourism on the economy of Rwanda: social accounting matrix (sam) analysis

Odunga P. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of tourism and assess the strength of tourism inter-industry linkages in Rwanda’s economy for the year 2013/2014. The SAM model was used to estimate the impacts and linkages of tourism in terms of output production, employment generation, labor income earnings and total value creation. The economic models identified and quantified the linkages between different sectors of the economy. The relationships between expenditure and output, and income and employment (direct and indirect) were described by multipliers. Data for analysis was sourced from EORA multi-region input-output table (MRIO) database: http://www.worldmrio.com/. All impacts have a starting point in the economy, defined as the direct effect. The direct effect sets off iterations of indirect (inter-industry production). Total tourism expenditure/consumption, which triggers direct effects, consists of internal tourism consumption. Internal tourism consumption is an aggregate that describes the size of direct visitor acquisition within a country of reference. Therefore, internal tourism expenditure (a portion of internal tourism consumption) was used as a basis for calculating tourism multipliers and their associated effects. There are several different types of multipliers depending on the secondary effects included and the measure of economic activity used. The common multipliers computed were associated with output, income, value addition and employment in the economy for the years 2013/2014. Multipliers were decomposed into their various multiplier effects: initial and production effects. About $286 million worth of internal tourism expenditure/consumption in the economy created 72,000 jobs (13% of economy-wide employment) and generated $195 million in labour income (6.4% of national labour income), $381 million in total value addition (6.8% of national total value) and $803 million in output (7.3% of national output).This study analyzed the effects of changes in tourism expenditure/consumption, effects of policies and regulations that affect tourism activity either directly or indirectly, resource allocation, policy and management of tourism development strategies. Internal tourism expenditure (a portion of internal tourism consumption) was used as a basis for calculating relevant multipliers and associated effects. Future studies should estimate the multipliers by considering internal tourism consumption in its entirety and a more robust methodology such as Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models be considered for further analysis.

Enhancing logistics operations through optimal warehousing design

Koech B., Wasike J.N. — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 07:40:22 +0100

Warehousing plays a vital role in sustaining global supply chains. This study examined the effect of warehouse design optimization on the logistics operational performance of the Nairobi Inland Container Depot, Kenya, with a specific objective to ascertain the effects of equipment layout on logistics operational performance. The study is grounded in systems theory. It employed a correlational design and conducted a census. Respondents were drawn from the warehousing management, transportation management, and customer care departments. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The overall model was interpreted using F-value results; the F-statistic was 3.2 against a critical F-value of 2.67. Results showed that equipment layout significantly influences the logistics operations of the Nairobi Inland Container Depot. Future studies should use surveys to examine warehouse optimization and map all containers as part of reverse logistics to assess performance of port activities in Kenya.

Supplier sourcing practices on service delivery at state department for devolution in Nairobi, Kenya

Kibet J., Wasike J.N. — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 12:46:21 +0100

While many of the researchers have acknowledged that a reduction in costs is as a result of efficient buying, it has equally been challenged and agreed upon that cost alone cannot be an adequate measure of world class procurement performance. This falls short of excellence in sourcing and supplier management practices. It is also important to ensure that prospective suppliers have the capability and demonstrate a willingness to form a collaborative relationship early in the requirement definition process. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effects of supplier sourcing practices through the lens of supplier selection, evaluation and development on service delivery in the public department.