MCOM Theses and Dissertations (2018)

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    The Effects of organizational culture on the adoption of technology: a study of multinational corporations in Nairobi
    (Strathmore University, 2018-06) Gacheri, Nancy Mburugu
    Business dynamics in this century have been as a result of development in globalization. The reality of the global markets and competition is prevalent. The number of multinational corporations investing in the country has been increasing and thus all multinational organizations have the objective of maintaining a competitive edge over others. This is the reason to give focus to the organizational culture of multinationals. Adoption of technology offers a platform for MNCs to compete. Adoption of technology that is rapidly changing is one the critical issues that face organizations in the global society. Further, organizations function in undefined, networked, decentralized business environments, where adoption and use of technology have become paramount to fulfilling organizational goals. Firms often seek to create an advantage out of the evolution of technological applications. To benefit from the technological applications, the culture of an organization should be flexible to ensure its adoption. This study had the objective of exploring the effects of organizational culture on the adoption of technology among multinational companies operating in developing economies; case of Nairobi, Kenya. The researcher identified four constructs that can be used to conceptualize organizational culture. These are adaptability, consistency, involvement and mission of organizational culture. These constructs were examined to understand the extent to which they affected technology adoption. Data was collected by use of questionnaires with the target population of 43 multinational corporations which had their Africa regional headquarters in Nairobi. Descriptive statistics correlation analysis and multiple correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Adaptability, consistency, involvement and mission were examined against adoption. Finding from the study revealed that there was a positive relationship between organizational culture and adoption. Moreover, the findings revealed that all the constructs were significant in influencing adoption. The study concluded that the organizational culture owned by multinationals was critical in the adoption of technology introduction. The study recommends that multinationals should observe a culture that encourages adoption of technology and that managers should develop tools that cultivate and enhance a culture that encourages adoption. The study limitations were that it considered multinational corporations in Nairobi County. This research suggested that future research could extend to other business Sectors.
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    The Influence of social media platforms on consumer purchasing decisions among Strathmore University students
    (Strathmore University, 2018) Mutisya, Claudia Ndinda
    The growth of online social networks around the world has created a new place of interaction and communication among people. Individuals can share their knowledge, opinions, and experiences with one other due to the online social networks provided features and may have an impact on people’s behaviour in terms of communication and purchasing. Studies conducted on social media and its effect on purchasing decisions showed mixed findings as some agreed that the social media platforms did have an effect on consumer purchase decisions while others disagreed and others showed that there was no relationship between the two constructs. This study focused on students in Strathmore so as to gain better insight on the extent to which social media platforms influenced purchasing decisions. It examined the relationship social media platforms and purchasing decisions by looking at specific factors that drove consumers particularly university students into purchasing products through social media. The study found that Instagram was the most widely used by Strathmore University Students in making their purchase decisions related to their product, brand and dealer choices followed by YouTube and finally Facebook. The study also found that YouTube and Instagram had a significant influence on product, brand and dealer choices while Facebook did not significantly influence brand choice. The study findings also showed that the three social media platforms had a positive and significant influence on the overall consumer purchase decisions of the students. Hence, a conclusion was made that businesses and firms that were able to capitalize on these social media platforms were likely to influence the consumer purchase decisions of their consumers and that various consumers including students who used the various social media platforms were likely to be influenced when undertaking their purchase decisions.
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    Effects of financial leverage on stock returns of non-financial companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange
    (Strathmore University, 2018) Tangut, Juliet Chelagat
    The aim of this study was to find out the effects of financial leverage on stock returns of non-financial firms listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Secondary and primary data was used for analysis. Financial statements and reports of the listed firms was the source of the secondary data and questionnaires were used to collect primary data for analysis. Panel data pertaining over the period 2002-2016 and STATA statistical software was used to perform the panel regression analysis. Actual stock returns and leverage figures in form of debt ratio, debt equity ratio and firm characteristics of size and growth are used in the calculations. The results indicate the variables debt ratio and debt equity ratio are significant determinants of stock returns for the firms under consideration but negatively affect returns. This implied that the more debt the firms used as a source of finance they experienced low returns on stock. The study also found the relationship between Size and stock returns to be positive and significant affected the investor’s returns on stock. The results concludes, in contrast with a majority of fundamental theories, that there is a negative relationship between leverage and stock returns which indicate that investors are not being compensated for the extra risk they are taking on when investing with high-leveraged firms. Several previous empirical studies has come to the same conclusion. The findings also revealed that most investment managers considers a company’s debt ratio and debt equity ratio before investing on their stock and size of a firm as a very significant factor in deciding on their investments. As the scope of study is limited to the non-financial firms and the sample size is small, the findings of the study must be interpreted with caution and the results may not be generalized for all listed firms. These findings should be of interest to investment managers and policy makers on decisions regarding stock investments on the NSE.
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    The Influence of marketing on customer satisfaction: a case of mini supermarkets in Nairobi County
    (Strathmore University, 2018) Lukhanyu, Moses Wamalwa
    The study investigated what influence does marketing m1x strategies have on customer satisfaction in the Mini Supermarkets in the county of Nairobi. The aim of the research was to establish the marketing Mix element most valued by Customers and also to determine the connection between the marketing mix strategies and the satisfaction of customers. The marketing mix strategies included the 7Ps of marketing which are Price, Process, place, product, promotion, people and physical evidence strategies. The sample size included I 00 respondents who were the customers from the selected 20 supermarkets in Nairobi. Data collection for this study was administered using questionnaire. The research was faced with challenges during data collections where some respondents were busy and not willing to respond . Data was analyzed descriptively with the aid of SPSS software (version 21 ). This helped to yield mean, standard deviation, tables and charts which were used in the analysis of the data and presentation. Data analysis entailed preparation of the collected data, coding, editing and cleaning of data in readiness for processing using SPSS and Microsoft office excel. Findings on the marketing mix strategy that most influence customers to shop in mini supermarkets in Nairobi County revealed that price was the most influential marketing mix element followed by place and product respectively.The least intluential Marketing mix strategy was promotion. On the other hand, process was found to be the most significant element when it comes to what contributes more to satisfaction of customers. It was followed by price and place. Physical evidence was found to be significant at I 0% but at I% it was not significant. This study recommends additional study to find out why people have no significant influence on customer satisfaction in mini supermarkets when all the variables are tested together. In this study, marketing mix strategy will be used interchanging with marketing mix elements
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    Influence of mergers and acquisitions on financial performance of firms listed in Nairobi securities exchange
    (Strathmore University, 2018) Kimotho, Terry Ndunyu
    The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of Mergers and Acquisitions on financial performance of firms listed in the NSE. The study was guided by three specific objectives; to compare financial performance of NSE listed companies during Mergers and Acquisitions; to compare financial performance, synergy effects, risk diversification and market share of companies listed in the NSE during Mergers and Acquisitions; and to assess managerial perspectives regarding determinants of Mergers and Acquisitions of NSE listed companies. The study adopted the synergy theory and behavioural theories to guide the study. The study adopted positivist approach to research and utilised a descriptive research design. The study targets managers and heads of finance, risk and compliance, credit, internal audit, and operations departments of the 19 sampled firms. The target population of the study was 190 respondents. The established sample size was 129 respondents but the actual sample size was 102 participants. The study incorporated both primary and secondary data. A questionnaire was used to collect the primary data and secondary data was collected from financial statements of the sampled firms. The first stage of analysis was conducted using descriptive analysis of primary data which showed that market share had a higher overall mean score, followed by risks diversification, and synergy. The secondary analysis findings show a positive and statistically significant relationships between the synergy, risk diversification, market share and financial performance. The findings show that market share had the greatest effect on financial performance of the firms. The findings also show that there was a statistically significant difference between financial performance of sectors listed in the NSE pre-merger and post-merger. This difference was experienced in terms of their market share post-merger. This finding suggests that different sectors experienced changes in their financial performance before and after undergoing M&As. The study concludes that financial performance of firms increased in the post-merger era; that market share determined financial performance of NSE firms post-merger; and that market share was the greatest motivation for firms’ to merge and acquire. The study recommends that companies with little market share should engage in M&As to improve their performance and maximize the shareholders wealth; that companies on different lines of production and different industries should engage in M&As to take diversify their risks; and that companies should therefor adopt this as part of their strategy to improve performance. The findings revealed that there was a statistically significance difference in the market share of firms post-merger. The study therefore suggests for further study to determine the difference of each sector in terms of market share after merger and acquisitions.