MBA Theses and Dissertations (2024)

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Browsing MBA Theses and Dissertations (2024) by Author "Kadima, W. O."

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    Evaluation of how universities are seeking relevance through industry-led programmes in Nairobi, Kenya
    (Strathmore University, 2024) Kadima, W. O.
    The overarching aim of this research was to evaluate how Universities are achieving relevance through industry-led programs (ILPs) in Nairobi, Kenya. The research was centered around Institutional Theory and The Resource-Based Theory (RBV), which underpin ideas on how organizations change and tend to become similar over time as well as the view on organizational resources and capabilities; with a key emphasis of this research being around structures, systems, industry linkages and the changing value propositions. In doing this, the research utilized a mixed-method approach to examine how universities achieve relevance through ILPs. A total of 198 respondents consisting of deans, academic directors, strategy officers, business development managers, and faculty were surveyed in the study, with both primary and secondary data collected. The data analysis comprised thematic analysis, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Reliability and validity were achieved through the evaluation of the plausibility of the variables in relation to the existing knowledge of their effect on performance within organizations. The novelty of the study can be viewed in the following ways; seeking to first enhance understanding of the changing value proposition of universities driven by industry programs and hence a framework upon which relevance can be built, and secondly to generate evidence on the variables relating to University-ILPs and their interplay to relevance within Universities. The research is also expected to contribute to the continuing discussion on curriculum development and the pre-existing government-research-teaching triple helix which seems to be broken. Findings suggest that, overall, ILPs contribute to university relevance. industry linkages, systems, structures, and value propositions all have a positive influence on university relevance. However, it is only industry linkages that have a significant impact. This research, therefore, proposes paying special focus on industry linkages for universities that wish to grow their relevance. Keywords: Relevance, Industry-Led Programs, Universities, Higher Learning Institutions, Resource Based View.