MBA Theses and Dissertations (2019)

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11071/6650

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 66

Assessing the factors influencing the use of Mpesa: a case of paratransit service providers in Nairobi
(Strathmore University, 2019) Gitonga, Irene
While the use of Mpesa is well established across different service industries 111 Kenya, the preferred mode if payment in the paratransit sector is cash. Smart and integrated ticketing through payments systems such as Mpesa would improve efficiency in the sector. The purpose of this research was to assess the factors influencing the use of Mpesa in the paratransit service industry. The objectives were to assess the technological factors affecting the use of Mpesa by the paratransit service providers; evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions put in place by Safaricom to encourage use of Mpesa; and to determine the impact the paratransit operational environment had on the use of Mpesa. The research focused on paratransit service providers and in particular sought the view of the conductors and office administrators who collect fare from passengers. The study administered questionnaires to respondents and through the use of descriptive statistics, the quantitative data was analysed and presented using mean; standard error and correlation matrix. The key findings were that the Mpesa system is deemed to be useful and easy to use, and that system-up-time levels and support processes for errors and reversals are acceptable. The inference was that an improvement in these technological aspects, would have little to no bearing on the use of Mpesa. On the other hand, interventions by Safaricom had a statistically significance impact on use of Mpesa. These interventions included; 1) Advertising 2) Zero-Rating the cost of Mpesa transactions 3) Introduction of gadgets such as Mpesa Tap to help quicken the speed of collection of fare 4) Lowering commission charges for use of Mpesa 5) Consumer and trade promotions 6) Introduction of the functionality: Mpesa Till which allowed direct payments to the business and 7) Introduction of loan functionality. Finally, environmental factors; including internal and external conditions had a minimal impact on the use of Mpesa by paratransit service providers. The study recommends that mobile money operators such as banks and telecommunication companies seeking to provide or enhance the use of their mobile money payment services in the paratransit sector should deploy a payment system similar to Mpesa and spend more time on interventions that will influence the use of the mobile payment system.
Factors influencing customers’ choice of online shops in Kenya: a case of Jumia
(Strathmore University, 2019) Bachoo, Shaffi Simiyu
Online shopping is considered to be a very convenient and helpful way of buying products and services through the internet. Consumer needs to make a decision when they want to purchase from the websites selling identical products. The main objective of the study was to establish factors influencing customer’s choice of online shops in Kenya, with special focus on of Jumia. Specific objectives were; to determine the influence of personal characteristics, consumer attitudes and convenience on choices of online shops in Nairobi County. This study adopted a descriptive research design. Study target population was 10,000 online customers with a sample size of 385 online customers. Convenience sampling was used in selecting the participants of the study. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means and standard deviation were applied to analyze numerical data gathered using closed ended questions. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the study variables. The data was presented in form of tables, 2-D figures and pie charts. The study established that personal characteristics, consumer attitudes and convenience influence the choices of online merchants in Nairobi County. The study concludes that increasing personal characteristics, consumer attitudes, and convenience is positively related to choices of online merchants in Nairobi County.
Effect of personal and non-personal factors on tax evasion among Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi County, Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Ndichu, Ruth
Tax evasion affects various sectors of an economy and heaps adverse effect on an economy as a whole. This study assessed the effect of personal and non-personal factors on tax evasion among SMEs in Nairobi County. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of tax rates on tax evasion among SMEs in Nairobi County; the effect of economic factors on tax evasion among SMEs in Nairobi County; and the effect of demographic factors on tax evasion among SMEs in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. This study collected primary data from the field using questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was done where measures of central tendencies (frequencies, means and percentages) were used to carry out the analysis. Inferential statistics including correlational analysis and regression analysis were also used. It was established that tax rate has moderate, positive and significant effect on tax evasion. Economic factors have strong, positive and significant effect on tax evasion. Demographic factors have strong, positive and significant effect on tax evasion. The study concluded that tax rate, economic factors and demographic factors are key drivers of tax evasion among SMEs. The study recommends that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) should come up with innovative ways of collecting revenue without necessarily raising the rates. The government should come up with sound economic policies (including macro and micro economic policies) which would increase the taxpayers ' incomes hence more taxes. KRA should consider the male and female attributes when designing taxation policies. Penalties for noncompliance may be more stringent to men as compared to women due their differences in willingness to comply with taxes.
Analysis of critical factors affecting enterprise development in Kenya: a case of 2017 top 100 mid-sized companies in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Patel, Jaymit S.
Enterprise development is one of the most important ingredients of economic growth. In particular, SMEs contribute 45% to the GDP in Kenya. Despite the economic contributions of enterprises among the SMEs in Kenya, little information is available on the impact of some of the critical factors affecting enterprise development in Kenya. This study sought to determine the effect of the critical factors on enterprise development based on SMEs in the country. To do this, primary data was collected using structured questionnaires from the 2017 Top 100 mid-sized companies in Kenya listed by KPMG. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. The results of the study show that infrastructure, access to affordable capital and credit, fiscal policy alignment, interest rates, balance of payments, government debt, workforce development and export trade had a significant impact on enterprise development. The findings also outlined that there were strong correlations amongst the factors under study and a change in any one factor would lead to a snowballing effect resulting in a significant impact on enterprise development. Customizing policies with a strategic focus on some of the key factors identified in the study will significantly impact enterprise development. The study will also guide policy makers to understand implications on SMEs before making policy related decisions.
The Influence of service quality on market performance: a case of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) freight services from a clearing agent perspective
(Strathmore University, 2019) Akivaga, Diana Imali
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is the most expensive infrastructure project Kenya has embarked on since it gained independence in 1964. The project is largely funded through debt and it is expected that revenues from the railway operations shall be used to repay the loan. One product offered on this infrastructure is SGR freight services. Market performance of this product is therefore a critical success factor for the project. The objective of the study was to establish the influence of service quality on market performance of SGR freight services from a clearing agent perspective as measured through intention to buy. Data was collected from 273 clearing agents using a structured questionnaire. A modified SERVQUAL instrument was used to capture customers' perception of service quality. The instrument further captured information on the influence of WOM on intention to use SGR freight services and the influence that each SERVQUAL dimension has no intention to use SGR freight services. Data was then analysed using descriptive, correlational and inferential techniques. A factor analysis was conducted to distinguish dimensions from the customer's perspective, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient applied to draw conclusions on the influence of WOM communication and Binary logistic regression was used to predict the probability that each service quality dimension influences market performance of SGR freight services. The study revealed that there is a positive relationship between service quality and market performance of SGR freight services as determined by intention to buy/ use the services. Other findings revealed that disconfirmation was negative for SGR freight services across all service quality dimensions and that there was a moderate positive relationship between WOM communication and future purchase intention for SGR freight services. Further, it determined two dimensions as distinguished by customers namely accessibility & effectiveness and service encounters and determined tangibles and responsiveness to be the largest source of influence on use of SGR freight services. The study recommended that service improvement strategies focus on these areas. This study contributes to the body of academic knowledge by providing evidence of the relationship between service quality and market performance for SGR (train) freight services in Kenya.
The Influence of operations strategies on customer satisfaction among automotive component manufacturers in Nairobi County
(Strathmore University, 2019) Mugambi, Glory Kajuju
With the increasing business competition and the need to become adaptable to the changing customer needs, firms are integrating operations strategies to improve and retain their customers. Due to different challenges facing automotive industries, these firms are not able to capitalize on their operations in order to deliver products and services as required by customers. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of operations strategies on customer satisfaction with a focus on automotive component manufacturers in Nairobi County, with specific objectives being five, focusing on influence of quality, cost reduction features, delivery speed, flexibility and innovation on customer satisfaction. The study adopted the use of descriptive and inferential research design to analyze the collected data. The population consisted of 25 automotive component manufacturers in Nairobi County listed with Kenya Association of Manufacturers, while the focus was the employees of the firms, holding positions in either operations or marketing. The findings of the descriptive test indicate that the most commonly applied strategies are delivery speed and flexibility, while innovation and cost reduction features as least. The correlation analysis indicates that there is an overall significant strong positive association between operations strategies and customer satisfaction. The study recommends that automotive component manufacture firms should channel and ensure a proper management structure to implement operations strategies since they highly contribute to the operationalization of the firm and ensure focus on customer’s requirements.
Effects of Customer Experience Management on customer churn in the Telco industry in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Mwaura, Edna Thama
The primary objective of the study was to examine the effects of customer experience management on customer churn in the Telco Industry in Kenya. The specific objectives were: to determine the effect of social environment on mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry, to examine the effects of service interface on mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry, to ascertain the effect of retail environment on mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry and to determine the effect of price on mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry. The study adopted a survey based descriptive design. The study sample size was 195 staff from the Telco Company’s selected using stratified random sampling. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results were presented using percentages, graphs and tabulations. The study found that social environment had significant positive relationship with mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry; service interface had significant positive relationship with mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry; retail atmosphere had significant positive relationship with mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry and price had significant negative relationship with mitigation of customer churn in the Telco Industry. The study recommends management of Telco industries to have in place diffusion process that exploits social influences affecting customer churn; management of the Telco industries should improve the quality of their customer interface and this includes customization, interaction, convenience and character, and this will contribute significantly in improving loyalty. The study also recommends the management of the Telco companies to improve the atmosphere of their companies by improving the design of their offices ensuring that it’s appealing to its customers. The study also recommends the management of the companies to develop plans that are price friendly to its customers; they can also have regular promotions that will motivate their costumers to stick to their brand.
The Effect of innovation capability on competitiveness within listed insurance firms in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Mungo, Oliver
The insurance sector in Kenya has been lagging behind in adopting innovation. This has seen insurance penetration levels within the sector stagnate at very low levels. This study seeks to examine the effect of innovation capability on competitiveness of listed insurance firms in Kenya. The study specifically sought to determine the effect of market innovation, technical innovation and product innovation on competitiveness of listed firms. The research was premised on the resource-based view theory and innovation diffusion theory. The unit of analysis of the research was the six listed insurance firms in Kenya. The unit of observation was drawn from 8 senior managers within the listed firms. The sample size for the study was 48 personnel within the listed firms. The study collected primary data using a structured questionnaire administered electronically through google forms. The study was able to obtain a response rate of 95%. The research conducted a pilot test with 4 of the sample respondents. The research data collected was analysed through use of descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and inferential analysis. Findings of the research indicated that innovation capability explained 10.9% (R2=.109) of the variations of competitiveness in the insurance industry. The study concludes that listed insurance firms can enhance their competitiveness by leveraging on their innovation capabilities. The study recommends that the firms should enhance their infrastructure development, integrate new technologies in marketing and foster their product development.
Effect of e-commerce elements on organization performance of Small and Medium Enterprises: evidence from fashion firms in Nairobi City County
(Strathmore University, 2019) Kidenda, Abba
The fashion and clothing industry is one of the most vibrant unit of the Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi County. However just like any other small and medium enterprise firms the businesses face a great chance of failure within the highly competitive industry. Research evidence shown that adoption of e-commerce elements has a significance and positive effect on the performance of firms. The current study sought to examine the effect of e-commerce elements on the organization performance of fashion firms in Nairobi City County. The study specifically examined the effect of online marketing, e-procurement and e-customer management affect organization performance. The research was premised on the technology acceptance model. The study utilized a descriptive research design with the unit of analysis being the fashion firms operating within Nairobi City County. The unit of observation was the managers/business owners of the fashion firms. The sample respondents of the study were 71 managers/owners. The research relied on both primary and secondary data. Primary data was sourced using a semi-structured questionnaire while the secondary data was corrected from journals and government reports. The research relied on descriptive and inferential analysis for the quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. The analyzed data was presented using percentages, charts, figures and tables. The study was able to obtain a 92% response rate. Findings of the research indicated that all the predictor variables were positively correlated to organization performance. The overall regression results indicated that a positive effect of e-commerce applications on organization performance as indicated by coefficient of determination R2 = . 206. The research concluded that increased utilization of e-commerce applications was critical to enhancing organization performance. The study recommends that small businesses should foster their adoption of e-commerce applications to spur their growth. The findings of the study are expected to further policy formulation and the managerial practice.
Effect of customer data analytics on delivery of customer experience in commercial banks in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Ouko, Joseph Onyango
Classical economic theory has for quite some time now assumed that the customer is a very logical thinker who makes purchasing decisions while being influenced by rationality. This is to mean that core product perspective, are seen to be the main tenets that inform consumer decision making bearing in mind the fact that tangible product qualities influence the purchasing decisions of a consumer. Use of data and analytics helps the organizations understand the customers more for example by knowing what customers want, what their motives are, as well as what influences certain behaviors in customers The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of customer data analytics on delivery of Customer experience (CX) among commercial banks in Kenya. The study was guided by the following research objectives: To examine the effect of customer sentiments analytics on delivery of customer experience in commercial banks in Kenya, to determine the effect of customer satisfaction analytics on delivery of customer experience in commercial banks in Kenya and to analyze the effects of sales channels analytics on delivery of customer experience in commercial banks in Kenya. The research methodology in this study entailed the adoption of a descriptive research design. The population of the study was business executives from all 43 commercial banks in Kenya. The research approach was survey based. Survey based research enables the researcher to target a given population through sampling of the population. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Key findings of the study revealed that delivery of customer experience is influenced by, customer sentiment analytics, customer satisfaction analytics and sales data analytics. The study further revealed that of the three types of analytics, customer sentiment analytics has the highest influence. Finally, the study revealed that success in customer experience was determined by the ability of the commercial bank to adopt data analytics. The study recommended that a possible area for further research is to employ a longitudinal research design in carrying out the study. This will give more clarity to the findings as it will consider the influence of the customer data analytics on delivery of customer experience over time. Further research may also consider expanding the scope to include other financial institutions such as insurance and Sacco’s that operate in Kenya.
An Assessment of the cost of diabetes disease among patients attending a level four facility in Nyeri Town Sub- County
(Strathmore University, 2019) Githua, Lucy Wamuyu
Diabetes is a life- long illness that requires close monitoring. The increasing cost of care could hinder access to quality care consequently leading to high morbidity, mortality and productive losses. The main objective of this study was to estimate the cost of illness of diabetes for patients receiving medical care at Mt. Kenya Sub County Hospital, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the direct healthcare and non- healthcare cost of diabetes and their impact on health and economic well- being on diabetic patients in a level four facility in Nyeri County. The study employed a descriptive design. The total direct healthcare costs were estimated to be Kshs. 13,261 per month while total direct non- healthcare costs were estimated to be Kshs. 3,088 per month, against an average monthly income of Kshs. 6,498. Due to the high cost of care in relation to income, patients developed coping mechanisms such as non- compliance to the recommended lifestyle and consequently were at risk of adverse health outcomes. The results of the study will be useful for the hospital administration to ensure comprehensive health promotive and preventive education on diabetes to patients. For patients and their families, the results of the study may be used to lobby for better home based care, fidelity to treatment and a health- promotive regimen and reconsideration of options for payment of health services. Finally, for policy makers the results of the study offer an opportunity to revisit and strengthen policies on diabetes prevention, and financing for non - communicable diseases in general and diabetes in particular.
Factors influencing software as a service enterprise resource planning system implementation - case: Small and Medium Enterprises in manufacturing industry in Nairobi County
(Strathmore University, 2019) Njaaga, Lydia
Software as a service is a model that has recently been used to offer software systems in the world. The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors influencing implementation of ERP system as a SAAS among Small and Medium enterprises within the Manufacturing Industry in Nairobi County. Specifically, the study sought to establish the organizational, environmental and technological factors influencing the implementation of ERP system as a SAAS among SMEs within the manufacturing industry in Nairobi County. This research used a descriptive survey design. The study population consisted of all the 134 SMEs registered with Kenya Association of Manufacturing (KAM) within the manufacturing sector in Nairobi, Kenya. The study sampled all the SMEs registered with KAM and then selected one respondent who was to be selected randomly to represent each SME. Hence, the sample size was 134 respondents. This study used primary data obtained from the original sources using questionnaires. The questionnaires were self-administered using the drop and pick later method and email. Data collected from the questionnaires was prepared, converted from responses to quantitative format for ease in analysis using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The statistics generated were descriptive statistics which included frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics which included correlation matrix and multiple linear regression. A multiple linear regression model was used to show the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. A pilot study was conducted in order to establish the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. In this study, the questionnaire was tested on 10% of the sample to ensure that it is relevant and effective. The subjects participating in the pilot study were not included in the final study to avoid survey fatigue. The study results revealed that environmental factors and implementation of ERP system were positively and significantly related. The results revealed that organization factors and implementation of ERP system were positively and significantly related. The study concluded that technological factors and implementation of ERP system were positively and significantly related. The study concluded that SMEs within the manufacturing industry in Nairobi were faced by financial constraints. The study recommended that the ministry of industrialization and enterprises development must strive to improve employees’ knowledge and skills to ensure successful ERP implementation. This can be done through user training before the system goes live and continuous training post implementation to fill the knowledge gaps. Top management should also provide leadership during the implementation process and provide support to the project team.
An Exploratory study of creating shared value in Kenya: a case study of M-Tiba
(Strathmore University, 2019) Mwangi, Samuel Mburu
The research was carried out to explore the practice of creating shared value (CSV) as a business strategy in the Kenyan context. In particular, it sought to understand how a purposefully selected company in Kenya practiced CSV and the effects on their business. Using a case study approach, the research focused on M-Tiba, a mobile service from Safaricom Limited, PharmAccess and CarePay that allows anyone to send, save and spend funds specifically for medical treatment. MTiba was recently awarded in the 2017 Loeries Awards in Durban, South Africa where it received a gold medal in the Shared Value category. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, questionnaires and document reviews. The researcher found that M-Tiba provided both social and economic value, facilitated by a transformative cross-sector partnership between a for-profit and a not-for-profit organization. The researcher concluded that for-profit and not-for-profit organizations can utilize complimentary competencies and resources to address some of the persistent social issues. Recommendations comprised of; including CSV as a core mission for organizations, setting up forums for for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to understand the social problems and possible solutions, assessing economic value using various metrics and investing strategically with a long-term view and transformational cross-sector partnerships. The main limitation of the study was the response rate ofM-Tiba subscribers engaged via SMS.
Stakeholder engagement methods applied within the wine industry in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Munywoki, Victoria Mulu
The wine industry in Kenya has been growing rapidly as a result of economic growth, technology advancement, high per capita wine consumption, improved quality, and globalization of markets. However, such rapid growth and development comes with increased scrutiny and regulation from internal and external stakeholders. The stakeholders in the wine industry in Kenya are continually evolving given the ever-changing consumer buying behaviour, economic, political, legal, technological and environment factors influencing the industry. The researcher, therefore, sought to assess the nature of stakeholder involvement in the industry. The study was based on the following specific objectives: To identify key stakeholders in within the within the wine industry in Kenya; to classify key stakeholders within the wine industry in Kenya; and finally, to determine stakeholder engagement methods applied within the wine industry in Kenya. The study employed descriptive statistics to elucidate on the state of the industry with regard to the aforementioned objectives. Findings indicated a discrepancy between literature-identified and respondent-stated stakeholders in the industry. Secondly, it was apparent that there is a polarization in classification of stakeholders with only two categories represented; high-interest, high-power, and low interest, low-power. Finally, with regard to stakeholder engagement, companies appeared to prioritise engagement with suppliers and customers. Interactions between the companies and government appeared to be one-way with companies engaging on an information-provision basis. The main inference from the study, therefore, was that there is a need for collaboration among industry players to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders.
The Effect of macroeconomic variables on stock return volatility in the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE)
(Strathmore University, 2019) Kisoso, Siongo
Under the Kenya vision 2030, the financial services sector aims at creating a vibrant and globally competitive financial sector promoting high-levels of savings and financing for Kenya's investment needs. It also aimed to ensure macroeconomic stability as well as reducing the volatility of returns in Nairobi securities exchange. This study aimed at investigating the macroeconomic variables and stock market return volatility in Nairobi securities exchange limited. The study focused on of inflation, exchange rates, economic growth, emerging markets emerging markets portfolio flows, financial account of balance of payment changes and interest rates as the macroeconomic variables under study. Arbitrage pricing theory was used to link the macroeconomic variables and the stock market return. Annual published time series data from 2007 to December 2017 was sourced from CBK, KNBS and NSE. The secondary data was analyzed by first calculating the monthly averages for each variable in Excel. The averages were then be transferred to STATA version 12.1 software for further analysis. Descriptive statistics such as mean score, skewness, kurtosis and standard deviation was estimated for all the variables. Toda and Yamamoto Granger causality was applied to establish the causal relationship between the set of macroeconomic variables and the NSE 20 share index while Power Garch model was employed to determine the volatility. Regression analysis technique is used to determine the relationship between two variables. Information was presented inform of tables. The study found that emerging markets portfolio flows, financial account of balance of payment and interest rates explained 76.4% of the changes in stock market return volatility in Nairobi Stock Exchange. It was also established that changes in emerging markets portfolio flows would lead to 0.812 increase in stock market return volatility in NSE Listed firms, that changes in financial account of balance of payment would lead to 0.743 increase in stock market return volatility in NSE listed firms and that interest rates would lead to 0.419 increase in stock market return volatility in NSE listed firms. The study concluded that emerging markets portfolio flows had the greatest impact on the stock market return volatility in NSE listed firms followed by financial account of balance of payment while interest rates had the least impact on financial account of balance of payment and interest rates. The study recommends the government through its policy makers should come up with policies that will help stabilize Foreign exchange rate, Interest rate and Inflation rate fluctuation thus creating investor confidence in the securities market. Further the study recommends that the independent regulatory bodies such as Capital Markets Authority and visionary system of government can contribute towards the development of an efficient working and development of the Kenyan Stock Market.
Analysis of factors that influence adoption of design thinking innovation approach: a case of technology hubs in Nairobi
(Strathmore University, 2019) Chuaga, Catherine Wanjiru
Design thinking Innovation is very important for technological hubs to be sustainable in this 21st century. Some of the challenges associated with the traditional innovation approaches include; product centered issues because users’ needs are poorly understood and a lot of assumptions are made to develop a product. As a result, products were not well tested and verified against the expected users’ needs. Industries are adopting design thinking innovation since it has the user at the centre of product and service innovation. The purpose of the proposed study was to analyze the factors that influence the adoption of design thinking innovation approach in technology hubs in Nairobi. The research design adopted by the study was descriptive. The sample size for the study was 144 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. Questionnaire and interview guide were used in collecting primary data. Administration of the questionnaires to the respondents was done by the researcher. The researcher also interviewed the respondents where more information was required. End user representative’s data was also collected using interview guides. Open-ended questions were analyzed using conceptual content analysis. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing quantitative data including means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. The data was presented in form of tables, pie charts and 2-D and 3-D charts. The study found that design team significantly and positively relate with adoption of design thinking innovation approach. The study also found that design thinking process and adoption of design thinking innovation approach are significantly and positively related. The study also found that creative design environment and adoption of design thinking innovation approach are significantly and positively related. The study recommends that teams should apply collaborative form of work relations when integrating design thinking and should also ensure that their teams comprise of team members from various disciplines; this will ensure that the teams can effectively brainstorm, share and test ideas. Organizations should adopt the five steps of design thinking process which are; Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test as an innovation approach. This design thinking process improves the quality of products and solutions developed, reduce the time taken to develop products and most importantly increases customer loyalty and satisfaction. Organizations should also ensure that the design environment is creative because it acts as motivation to the employees and encourages collaborative and creative work, and it also encourages social interaction with the rest of the team members. This will encourage creation of innovation.
Technological innovations adoption and its influence on organisational growth among insurance companies in Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2019) Makayoto, Grace Adhiambo Akumu
The growth of Kenya's insurance industry has been erratic despite a favourable economic environment. Industry reports have shown that most of the insurance firms in Kenya have lagged in the adoption of new technologies to support their products and processes. This study sought to determine the influence of technological innovations adoption on organisational growth within the industry. The study specifically examined the effect of adoption of marketing technological innovation, product technological innovation and service technological innovation on insurance growth. The study was premised on the technology organization environment theory and the dynamic capabilities theory and adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study were the heads of the technology and marketing departments within the registered insurance firms. The unit of observation was the selected personnel. The research employed purposive sampling in selecting the chief technology officer and marketing manager. The research used a census survey of the respondents and utilised primary data. The primary data was collected using structured questionnaire. Pilot testing was conducted to enable reliability and validity testing. The collected data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysed data was be presented using tables. The findings of the research indicated a positive correlation between technological innovations adoption and insurance growth. The study concludes that adoption of marketing technological innovation and service technological innovation had a positive effect on insurance growth while adoption of product technological innovation had a negative effect on insurance growth. The study recommends that insurance firms should innovatively utilise technology to expand their service engineering, online marketing campaigns and market segmentation. The research further recommends that insurance firms should expand their offering of digitalized products to expand product innovation.
Influence of talent management practices on service delivery of doctors at Nairobi City County
(Strathmore University, 2019) Onuko, Christine
The aim of talent management is to improve the availability and utilization of talented employees through streamlining the attraction, training and development and retention practices that in tum have an impact on business performance. A reliable and dedicated health workforce is required to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. However, this has not been the case as witnessed by the frequent industrial unrests by health workforce including doctors that has interrupted services in the hospitals. This research study sought to identify influence of talent management practices on service delivery of doctors in Nairobi City County. The specific objectives of the study were to detem1ine how attraction, training and development and retention practices influence service delivery of doctors in Nairobi City County. Quantitative research method was applied in the study using a questionnaire. The target population was 233 doctors. The 145 doctors chosen from the four County Hospitals as respondents were a result of stratified random sampling. Data was analyzed through SPSS and interpretation through quantitative methods as per research objectives and questions. The study found that there is a positive correlation between attraction, training and development and service delivery of doctors in the four county hospitals in Nairobi City County. There was a positive association such that any improvement in the attraction, training and development practices will lead to a significant increase in service delivery. Employee retention however did not have an association with service delivery. This study recommends that there is need to relook the employee attraction and retention and reinforce employee training among doctors in Nairobi City County in a bid to improve service delivery. This implies that talent management practices should be of great concern to stakeholders at policy, management and regulator perspectives to enable organizations to achieve high performance leading to effective and efficient service delivery.
Assessment of change management processes on the implementation of the trade information portal by Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade)
(Strathmore University, 2019) Mbithi, John
In today’s globalized and digitized trading environment, governments have been keen to ensure that trade barriers are significantly reduced through Information Technology solutions. Though these solutions adopted have reduced barriers to doing business, increased transparency and improved and access to information for citizens, these governments have had to spend resources such as time and money on change management. The purpose of the study was to assess the change management process on the implementation of the trade information portal by KenTrade. To achieve this, the study adopted Kotter’s model and focused on three specific objectives: to determine the effect of preparing for change, establishing the effect of managing change and assessing the effect reinforcing change on staff of on the implementation trade information portal by KenTrade. The study adopted a descriptive research design. In this study the target population was eight government agencies based in Nairobi County. The study assessed staff perspective on change management process on the implementation of the trade information portal using a questionnaire. Results indicated that as much as preparing for change, managing change and reinforcing change were necessary on implementation of the trade information portal, they needed to be carried out sufficiently and without partiality for success of effective implementation of the trade information portal. These results are expected to enhance policy, practice and academia and contribute positively to implementation of projects within government.
Effect of Kitui County Health Insurance Cover on the utilization of health services in Kitui County.
(Strathmore University, 2019) Atieno, Grace Rabut
Health financing systems are critical for reaching universal health coverage. This is achieved by raising funds for health, reducing financial barriers to access through prepayment and subsequent pooling of funds in preference to direct out-of-pocket payments. As Kenya renews its focus on achieving Universal health coverage by 2022, Kitui County introduced a customized insurance scheme called Kitui County Health Insurance Cover (KCHIC) in August of 2017. Being the seventh largest county in Kenya, this study focused on Kitui as a unique county with Arid and Semi-Arid climate, high poverty rate and low insurance penetration. The introduction of KCHIC is a reflective consideration of the demographic diversities that are identifiable with the healthcare needs of the county residents. The purpose of this study therefore, was to determine the effect of KCHIC on utilization of health services. The objectives were to establish the effect of antenatal care clinic attendance, post-natal care clinic attendance, family planning attendance, child welfare attendance and outpatient department attendance on utilization of health services in Kitui County. Data from District Health Information Systems (DHIS) summary form MOH 717 and hospital health services records were used. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the average monthly mean of the first four months before the introduction of KCHIC and average monthly mean of the first four months after introduction of KCHIC. A paired t-test was performed to establish whether there was any significant difference in the utilization of health services based on number of visits in all the 8 hospitals combined. The findings of the study revealed that KCHIC has had increased utilization of health services. The increased was observed in the post-natal care, child welfare care, family planning and outpatient attendance, however, utilization of services in the antenatal care clinic attendance measured in number of visits by patients had no significance difference in mean before and after the introduction of KCHIC. The study therefore recommends that other studies be carried out on all the hospitals in Kitui County offering services to KCHIC beneficiaries to analyze factor affecting utilization of services across all hospital departments. The study concluded that introduction of KCHIC has increased utilization of health services across the hospitals at independent level in Kitui County

Browse

Browsing MBA Theses and Dissertations (2019) by Issue Date

Results Per Page

Sort Options