MEM Theses and Dissertations (2020)

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11071/10205

Browse

Now showing 1 - 5 of 6

Influence of third-stream activities on university sustainability: a comparative study of Bidii and Zurii University
(Strathmore University, 2020-10) Ngenoh, Dorcas Chepkoech
Higher education institutions today face a demanding and complex financial context in which traditional modes of funding have been transformed. The pressure to maintain quality and competitive standards in the face of rising financial constraints has been the primary challenge facing universities worldwide. The increasing costs in majority of the universities has left most of them in financial crisis this is due to overdependence on first and second stream funding with little exploration on third stream funding. This study sought to investigate third-stream activities, challenges that arise in these activities, viability of university activities and roles of different actors. This was done in two universities that is Bidii and Zurii Universities which are fictitious names. The study used resourced based theory and from its tenets objectives were developed on human resource, tangible and intangible resources. It adopted a mixed method research approach and thus a sequential method was used. The data collection methods included questionnaires, interviews and analyzing financial records. The study targeted administrators, lecturers and head of departments in the two universities. The researcher sampled 120 respondents in Zurii while 100 in Bidii university. Quantitative data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20 while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. In Zurii university the study found that there is a positive significant correlation between the university’s utilization of tangible resources and finacial sustainability. In Bidii university there is a significant relationship between the institution’s use of tangible and agricultural resources and financial sustainability. In both institutions study findings indicated critical resource as a main third-stream activities is human resource. Significant positive correlation between university engagement in linkages and selling software, and financial sustainability was also observed in the both institutions. The study was crafted as a comparison of a pubic and private institution. The areas for further research can be to research on reasons as to why most staff members are unaware of the finances that universities make. A deeper examination of the role of human resource in financial sustainability of universities needs to be done in terms of the staff development, remuneration and separation. Effect of management style on financial sustainability of universities, there is need to examine how management of universities influences its sustainability.
Establishing a management system for Pink Gems School: an action research approach
(Strathmore University, 2020) Munyi, Magdalene Wambere;
Pink Gems Kindergarten was started in the year 2011 and construction of the school completed a year after. The land on which the school was built was on a leasehold agreement for a period of 5 years from 2012 to 2017. For a period of 5 years since its commencement, the school did not have a management structure and operated with the proprietors as the acting directors and a few teachers. the resulting issues that followed included misappropriation of school funds as well as theft, lack of records both academic and administrative, little to no follow up on the legal processes and non-compliance to the ministerial requirements. All these issues led to a grave disagreement between the proprietors and the land owner which led to an auction and eventual demolition of one part of the school. The study focused on establishing a management system for Pink Gems School, and this was done between September 2019 and April 2020. It involved the three directors and three teachers. I used the Action Research four-phase approach. Phase I was planning and it included a brief overview of different management structures with specific context to global, regional and local settings with a view to highlighting the goals and management structures applicable for pink gems school. Phase II was acting, where, together with my critical peer, we operationalized the goals and management structures for Pink Gems. Phase III was Observation, where we had detailed monitoring, and recording of progress and any change requiring intervention. Phase IV was Reflection, to concretize the goals and management structures that had been setup. The goals and management structures established for Pink Gems included classroom experience, motivation and seamless administration, as well as focus on rules, focus on hierarchy, clarity of roles and certification and innate capacities respectively. These goals were very specific to Pink Gems and were the foundational point of establishing a management system, and it will be useful to other school owners particularly those whose schools need to establish a management system and those that are family run.
Business succession and organizational performance: a study of selected family-owned schools in Kiambu County, Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2020) Wambugu, Melisa Waithiegeni
This study sought to find out the factors that influence business succession and organizational performance in selected family owned schools in Kiambu County. The study was guided by four objectives namely; to determine if elimination of redundancy in management structure influence performance of family owned schools, to establish whether grooming selected internal candidate influence performance of selected family-owned schools in Kiambu county, to identify if conflict management in swift leadership change influence performance of selected family-owned schools in Kiambu county and to find out how planning of successor influence performance of selected family-owned schools in Kiambu county. Primary and secondary sources of data were used in this study where primary sources of data were collected by use of closed ended questionnaire after a pilot test had been conducted. The collected data was analysed using SPSS to compute both descriptive and inferential statistics including frequencies, charts, regression and correlation. The results were thereafter presented in form of tables, graphs and charts. The research received a response rate of 88% which contributed towards gathering of sufficient data that could be generalized to represent the opinions of respondents in the family owned schools in Kiambu on the sought study problem. The study concluded that the selected family owned schools in Kiambu County have implemented succession management. The businesses are aware that succession planning is essential for any firm and positively related to the overall performance and success of the business. The study also concluded that family owned schools in Kiambu County work towards eliminating redundancy in the management structure. This is achieved through the presence of formal structures and the board of directors working towards steering the business in a successful direction. The schools also groom selected internal candidates through motivation and trainings by other retiring executives. Grooming helps to prepare the successor for future activities and enhances their competency. Planning for the retiring executives also pave way for grooming the selected candidate. The study further concludes that succession planning has a positive and statistically significant effect on the organizational performance of family owned schools in Kiambu County. The study therefore recommends that in order to improve performance of these schools, the management should consider having established and well-defined succession plans.
Factors influencing truancy of boys in public primary schools in Nyali Sub County, Mombasa County, Kenya
(Strathmore University, 2020) Magonda, Winnifred Wangari
The general objective was to determine the factors influencing truancy of boys in public primary schools Nyali Sub-County, Mombasa County, Kenya. Four research objectives were developed from which research questions were drawn to be answered by the study. Specifically, the study sought to determine the institutional factors influencing truancy, examine the community factors influencing truancy, determine the socio-economic factors influencing truancy and to examine the student factors, influencing truancy among boys in public primary schools in Nyali Sub-county. The study was guided by the Social control theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological theory of human development. The study employed a Causal research design approach that incorporated a cross-sectional data approach. The study targeted all the 12 public primary schools in Nyali Sub-County, whose population was approximately 11, 078 pupils. A random sample of 3 schools was selected from which a proportional sample that comprised of 45 boys (learners), 18 class teachers and 45 parents/guardians were drawn, making a total of 108 respondents Three questionnaire tools were used to collect the required information. Findings were that classes in the sub-county are largely overcrowded with very high learners to teacher ratio. Three key institutional factors influenced truancy these are: lack of textbooks impacted most on truancy followed by classroom congestion and lastly lack of exercise books. Poverty was found to be the single most significant community factor influencing truancy. Lack of school fees significantly influenced truancy. Student factors did not influence the truancy of the boys at all. Overall, institutional factors, community factors, socio-economic factors and student factors contributed up to 77.2% of the variations in the truancy of the boys in public primary schools in the sub-county. The study was limited to factors in a school set up and did not study the entire concept of truancy because of its complex and multi-dimensional, therefore ends suggesting further research on the aspects that could have been missed out. Recommendations were that accelerated learning programmes be introduced, Infrastructure expansion programme is implemented in the sub-county, the 100% transitioning policy for learners finishing primary education be implemented, that bottlenecks curtailing smooth progression of learners between ECDE and form four be removed, that school feeding programmes be introduced. Further research is necessary to ascertain the additional variables responsible for truancy beyond the four that this study has investigated namely institutional, community, social-economic and student factors. Further research is also necessary to examine the influence of truancy on performance.
Motivational factors influencing teacher retention in private primary schools in Murang’a Diocese
(Strathmore University, 2020) Muriithi, Paul Muriuki
Human resources play a key role for the success of any organization. Within the school context, teachers greatly contribute to achievement of the school’s objectives. Schools should therefore strive to recruit and retain good teachers by putting in place mechanisms that ensure such retention especially at an era where staff turnover is posing a challenge to many organizations. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivational factors influencing teacher retention in private primary schools in the Catholic Diocese of Murang’a. Specifically, the study sought to assess the influence of compensation, work environment, recruitment procedures and school leadership characteristics on teacher retention in private schools of Murang’a Diocese. The study was premised on Hierarchy of needs theory advanced by Abraham Maslow and Equity theory advanced by John Stacey Adams. The study used descriptive survey design approach. The target population of the study was 270 teachers from 20 schools from where a sample of 108 was drawn. Specifically, 106 teachers participated in this study. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data. Pilot test was conducted on 10% of the respondents to ensure validity and reliability of the instruments. Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used to get descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that compensation, working environment and leadership characteristics have great influence on teacher retention. The study noted that most teachers were not offered salaries that were commensurate with the amount and quality of work, many head teachers are not supportive, and teachers generally feel unsupported and unappreciated by the school management. The study recommends that the private primary schools should strive to improve compensations, provide a more conducive working environment, promote team work among teachers, ensure teachers have a reasonable workload and have job security.

Browse

Recent Submissions