Business Process Outsourcing and Firm Performance of Selected Real Estate Firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Today’s ever-increasing competitive environment requires firms to seek for better ways to create value. In the organization era, firms continue to face tougher competition in the business environment and business process outsourcing is a critical strategy that improves a firm’s competitive capabilities by delivering value to customers. Business process outsourcing has emerged as a widely adopted strategy among firms in various sectors. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of business process outsourcing on organizational performance of real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of Information Technology Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Administration Support Systems and Project Management Skills Outsourcing on performance of selected real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The study was founded on Transaction Cost Economics, Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory. The population of interest in this study comprised of 245 real estate firms in Nairobi City County registered in accordance with the Estate Agents Act while the respondents of the study comprised of the real estate manager. The study used primary data that was obtained using questionnaires administered to real estate firm managers. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences will be used qualitative and quantitative data analyses. The findings of the study showed that real estate firms in Nairobi City County outsource information technology outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing, administrative support systems outsourcing and project management skills to a great extent. The study concluded that Information Technology Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Administration Support Systems and Project Management Skills Outsourcing positively and significantly influence performance of selected real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The study recommended that in order for real estate firms in Nairobi City County to improve their performance, there is need to outsource information communications and technology (ICT) infrastructure such as IT support services, software applications, computer network infrastructure, IT security infrastructure and IT training consultancy. The study also recommended real estate firms to outsource knowledge processes including managing performance and legal obligations, contract management and law, business and market research, building and research as well as research and development.

Internal Environment and Organizational Performance of World Vision in Nairobi City County, Kenya

World vision in Nairobi operates in a very dynamic environment. These changes that keep happening in the environment whether anticipated or not determine the strategic objectives that World vision in Nairobi adopts in order to remain relevant in relation to its mission and vision. The general objective of this study was to investigate the influence of internal environment on organizational performance of World Vision in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study specifically sought to examine the influence of organizational culture, employee competence, organizational structure and leadership style on the organizational performance. The study was guided by resource based view theory, Durkheim’s theory of culture, contingency theory and expectancy theory. This study used descriptive survey research design. The unit of analysis was World Vision in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The accessible population was 95 respondents comprising of 10 managers and 85 support staff. The study conducted a stratified sampling method to sample the accessible population so as to ensure that all the cases are well represented. Simple random sampling method was used to select the respondents. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. The pilot study was conducted to 10 respondents who did not participate in the actual study to assess the face and content validity of the research instruments. The pilot study will also measure the characteristic of the reliability of the research instruments over the period of the research. Content analysis technique was used to analyse information obtained from the open-ended questions and reported in narrative form. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and presented in form of tables and figures. Inferential statistics such as correlation analysis and multiple regressions were used to determine the relationship between variables. The study found that organizational culture, employee competence, organizational structure and leadership styles had a positive and significant relationship with the organizational performance. This study concludes that a work environment that possesses organizational culture is driven by purpose and clear expectations. Competence among employees ensures that organization-funded training and professional development activities are cost-effective, goal-oriented and productive. The flow of information with an organizational structure can be used to promote faster decision-making. Leadership style develops structured and organised pathway for decision making which makes target more visible and clear. The study recommends that the organization’s leaders must communicate not only the values, but also the expected behaviors associated with each value to help the employees understand what is expected, which reduces uncertainty and ensures everyone is aligned on how things should be done at the organisation. In order to improve competencies, the organization should provide enough resources and motivate its employees. The organization should look at the current organizational structure and analyze whether its employees know their exact duties, who they supervise and whether they are being used to their maximum potential. The organizational leaders should take time throughout the day to reflect to improve leadership style and skills and the managers should improve their leadership style by setting examples.

Effect of Technical Expertise Engagement in Monitoring and Evaluation on Performance of Residential Construction Projects in Kajiado County

Performance of residential construction projects in Kenya has had a bumpy ride resulting to unfinished stalled buildings, cost and time overruns, low quality houses and lack of health and safety considerations. The research study pursued to ascertain the influence of technical expertise engagement on performance of residential construction projects in Kajiado County. The study used resource dependency theory. Moreover, the research utilized descriptive research methodology. The scope was residential construction projects completed in the year 2020 within Kajiado County. The target population consisted of 124 registered building works in Kajiado County that are 95% complete as a performance indication. A sample of 37 projects was considered which consists of 30% of the total population. Non probabilistic sampling techniques were employed. Research participants included clients, contractors as well as consultants involved during project implementation. Questionnaires were deployed to obtain data. The researcher delivered them and collected at a later date. Results of the study established a positive correlation between technical expertise engagement and residential construction projects’ performance. The study gave a conclusion that M&E practices had impact on residential construction projects’ performance. The study recommends that stakeholder engagement sessions should be carried out to ensure all the interested parties play their roles efficiently especially in project scope, identification and implementation to avoid delays. Experienced and competent project managers should be hired to ensure the project is delivered on time and with the best quality.

Organization Restructuring and Performance of Commercial Banks in Mombasa County, Kenya

Organizational restructuring is very important especially for firms that operate in a dynamic environment characterized by high competition. Implementation of restructuring strategies should be carried out carefully and with great keenness to ensure that it serves its intended purpose. This study aimed at determining what effects organization restructuring has on performance of commercial banks in Mombasa County. The subvariables included determining the effects of departmentation , HR restructuring, decentralization of processes and mergers and acquisitions on the performance of commercial banks that operate in the County of Mombasa. The reviewed literature on the relevant theories and perceptions brought forth several objectives that guided the research which included that of departmentation, human resource restructuring, decentralization of processes and mergers and acquisitions. With regards to research methodology, the research design adopted by this study was the survey research design and it was instrumental in bringing out structured perceptions of the respondents with regards to organizational restructuring. Collection of primary data was done in all banks located in Mombasa county, using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data collected and it included findng the mean and standard deviations as well as inferential statistics. The study was expected to contribute knowledge in areas of organization restructuring and organizational performance. The findings from the study established that the banks had adopted various restructuring strategies over the recent past where the organizational restructuring parameters that were adopted to a great extent included departmentalization, humanresource restructuring and decentralization of processes, with mergers and acquisition being adoted to a much lower extent. This research concluded that the commercial banks had adopted organizational restructuring in the recent past by implementing different parameters and that this had resulted in improved performance. From the findings, the researcher recommends the enhancement of communication channels as well as review their existing structures and culture to ensure that it supports the restructuring efforts that are being adopted by the organization.

Corporate Governance Practices and Performance of Kenya Revenue Authority, Nairobi County

Corporate governance can potentially impact every aspect of how we conduct business today and more so, many companies internationally are willing to take the risk because results are great and outstanding. Adherence to corporate governance especially for public institutions can result in enormous reductions in cost or removal of unnecessary steps that cut down on time. The main research objective is to establish the influence of corporate governance practices and performance of Kenya Revenue Authority. The specific objectives of the study was to establish the influence of board structure on performance of Kenya Revenue Authority, to examine effect of ethical practices on performance of Kenya Revenue Authority, to establish the influence of CEO duality on performance of Kenya Revenue Authority, and to determine the effect of audit committees on performance of Kenya Revenue Authority. This study was guided by three theories which include the resource dependency theory, stewardship theory, and agency theory. The present study employed a case study approach and adopted descriptive research design. This study targeted all the employees at KRA (Kenya) which currently has a pool of 289 employees based in the Headquarters (Times Towers) (KRA, 2017). Simple random sampling technique was used to select 60 personnel from the population which represents 20.76% of the whole population. This study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected through interviews while secondary data involved other sources of evidence such as internal company documents and company websites. Questionnaires were administered to the respondents through a drop and pick method. The researcher left the respondents to fill the questionnaire at their own time and collect the completed form within one week. This availed the respondents enough time to read, understand and fill the forms with maximum concentration. The Data obtained from the field was checked. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data. For the quantitative data, regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the variables. The qualitative data was first organized into themes corresponding to the study objectives. Content analysis of qualitative data included text analytics and document analysis. The validity of the data was measured by data obtained from senior managers of various departments of KRA. The significance of the study is that it would help researcher understand how corporate governance affects organizational performance. From the findings, the performance of Kenya Revenue Authority is significantly influenced by the corporate governance practices employed by the governance committee which also scrutinize all matters relating to corporate governance in the company and meets at least once during the year. There is also a nomination committee that lead the process for board appointments, make recommendations to the board and be involved with succession planning in the company. The researcher recommends that, the management should maintain and develop a responsible, creative, innovative board and a more appropriately elected and governed boards since transparency is one of the most essential indicators for evaluating corporate performance.

Strategic Leadership Practices and Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kericho County, Kenya

Academic performance among learners has been pulled into much consideration in the worldwide field in this manner, requiring the execution of the essential procedures to help improve and keep up performance in auxiliary schools. Strategic leadership practices are fundamental in schools due to the changing climate, unpredictable, dubious, and vague. It stays to be one of the significant impacts on the academic performance of understudies in auxiliary schools. The examination tries to discover the strategic leadership practices and academic performance in open auxiliary schools in Kericho County, Kenya. The essential objective of the study was; to inspect the impacts of strategic leadership styles, the stakeholder's involvement, resource allocation, and school laws and guidelines on academic performance in public secondary schools in the Kericho county. This investigation was founded on Path-goal theory, transformational leadership approach, and trait leadership theory. The investigation utilized a descriptive examination design because the design focuses on finding relationships between variables. A stratified random sampling method was utilized to choose the respondents from the sampling outline. The objective populace for the examination was 540 subjects. The sample size of the examination was 108, including 18 school heads, 36 departmental heads, and 54 class educators in optional schools in Kericho County. Information was gathered utilized an organized survey with both open and closed questionnaires. Information was dissected by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics with the guide of SPSS software. The outcomes were introduced in different configurations, including diagrams, pie graphs, and recurrence tables. Cronbach's alpha was used to estimate the degree of reliability of the exploration instruments. The ANOVA and T test were used in data analysis to generate quantitative reports through tabulations, percentages, frequencies and measures of central tendency. The study found out that there is a significant relationship between strategic leadership practices and academic performance. The study found out that the leadership style, stakeholder’s involvement, resource allocation, and school rules and regulations greatly influence academic performance in public secondary schools in Kericho County, Kenya. According to the study, the principal should use the most appropriate leadership styles that facilitate collective responsibility in order to create a conducive environment for teaching and learning; school management should develop capacity building programs to empower both the principal and teachers in their leadership skills and styles; and teachers should be involved. To guarantee that academic performance in the region is improved, the principal should work closely with school boards of management and the ministry of education. Besides, there is need for keen management of schools and continuous meetings between the principal, teachers, and the parents for planning and monitoring academic progress of the pupils. Lastly, the recruitment of principals and teachers should be taken as a serious practice by the teacher’s service Commission to ensure the deployment of the most qualified and experienced principals and teachers.

Influence of Supply Chain Management Strategies on Performance of Medical Supply Chain Organisations in Kenya

Institutions within the medical supply sector have consistently faced substandard supply chain results because of failure of timely deliveries on the part of suppliers failing to quickly respond to deliver medical shipments. This indicates the procurement role having inadequacies as a key component of an organization since it does not deliver on maximized effectiveness and a reduction of costs based on poor supply chain management plans. A critical purpose of the study was the intention to identify influence of supply chain management strategies on performance of medical supply chain organisations in Kenya. More so, the analysis deals with the degree information integration impacts on Organization performance; to evaluate the impact of warehousing on performance; to examine the impact of outsourcing on performance; and to evaluate the influence of lean supply chain on performance of medical supply entities across Kenya. Direction will through be relying on the resource-based theory as well as the supply chain constraints principle. The analysis will adopt a descriptive study approach; with the targeted size comprising of 30 medical supply entities. The study participants included 2,529 staff of pharmaceutical supply chain entities within Kenya. Determination of the sample group was by Yamane’s concept that led to to a group of 345 participants. Accessing the participants was by stratified and simple random sampling approaches. Towards indicating dispersion and central tendency, standard deviation and respectively, with the inferential statistics being analysed by multiple regression and correlation analysis. The study findings reveal that performance of medical supply organizations in Kenya was significantly related with supply chain information integration (p < 0.05), warehousing (p < 0.05) and outsourcing. Despite this, the association among differentiation strategy and performance was insignificant at p > 0.05 but only significant at p <0.1). It was also found that while lean supply chain had a negative influence on performance (t = -.528, p >0.5) information integration, warehousing and outsourcing had positive influence on performance (information integration: t = 16.461, p <0.05; warehousing: t = 19.671, p <0.05; outsourcing: t = 15.528, p <0.05). The result of these outcomes is that the leadership across medical supply organizations in Kenya need to adopt information integration, warehousing, and outsourcing, which would positively contribute to performance. Medical supply organizations in Kenya should continue emphasizing on supply chain strategies. The outcomes of the study may assist organisations in drawing plans or improving existing strategies governing supply chain management across institutions.

Assessment of the Influence of Selected Procurement Practices on the Performance of Devolved Government Units in Kenya: A Case of Machakos County Government

In the devolved units in Kenya, despite the formulation of strategic plans, majority of the counties remain underdeveloped with the employees remaining reluctant thus citizens’ demand for better services remain un met. The devolved systems of governments in Kenya have also been experiencing major challenges in the execution of procurement practices. Counties continue to be criticized for corruption cases, stalled projects, under-development and massive wastage of public resources. All these aspects have been strongly linked to weak procurement management practices which raises concern. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of contract management practices and procurement policies practices, on performance of Machakos County government. The methodology was descriptive research design that guided the study. The study was carried out in County government offices. The target population and unit of observations was 77 employees in procurement department in Machakos County comprising of senior managers and procurement employees, head of other departments as well budget committee members who were selected using a purposeful sampling approach. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires which were self-administered. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis using SPSS version 24. Tables and figures were used in presenting the data. The study found out that Contract Monitoring and, Procurement policies had a positive influence on the performance of Machakos County. The study also concluded that for Machakos County to perform, the procurement department must be able to properly implement, monitor and evaluate these practices. The study recommends that the management of the county to improve on the level of compliance with procurement regulations compliance.

Marketing Communication Tool on Consumer Buying Behaviour in Selected Supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Consumer purchasing habits have remained a challenge for marketers to grasp, and studies have suggested that the construct can be best grasped through marketing communication stimulus that is planned and implemented in the organization. However, empirical research into consumer purchasing behavior in retail supermarkets has been limited and anecdotal, particularly in Kenya, where several stores have gone bankrupt and others are trying to stay afloat. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to look at how marketing communication tools affect consumer purchasing behavior in selected supermarkets within Nairobi City County, Kenya. The tools in marketing communication adopted included; sales promotion, personal selling, direct and digital marketing. Descriptive together with the explanatory research design were applied. Customers were the study's population, with a sample size of 370 customers established using the Yamane method. The respondents for the study were chosen using the convenience sample method. Questionnaire were used in obtaining the study’s primary data. The instruments’ validity and reliability were evaluated to identify the acceptability and adequacy of the research items. The collected information was analyzed utilizing descriptive and inferential analytical methods. The data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. At the 0.05 level of significance, the multiple regression approach was employed to examine the significant influence of the hypotheses formulated in this study. Research results have shown that in a sample of Nairobi City County supermarkets, consumer purchasing behavior has been significantly influenced by the integrated development of advertising communication technologies. Personal sales, direct marketing, and digital marketing, according to the findings, have had a substantial impact on consumer shopping behavior at selected supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Advertising and sales promotions, on the other hand, were shown to have no effect on consumer behavior in a few supermarkets. Although the lack of a link between advertising and sales promotion and consumer buying behavior is indicated by the findings of insignificant effects, marketing firms may still need to focus their efforts on increasing advertisements and promotion in sales as instruments in attracting customers' desires on what is offered in the market. It is recommended that Kenyan supermarket managers use the findings to better understand people's perceptions of market offerings and information exchange on what defines public behavior.

Organization Social Practice and Performance in the Kenya National Police Service: A Case of Central Police Division, Nairobi

The National Police Service of Kenya has gone through numerous transformations which are aimed at making it more effective and socially aligned to the needs of the Kenyan population. The transformation has seen the renaming of the policing unit from Kenyan Police Force to its current name. The Strategy such as renaming the institution to National Police Service implies that the institution is improving its commitment to improve service delivery to the citizens in a favorable social framework. However, minimal studies have been done to determine the existence of any relationship between organizational social practices and performance of the police institution. Therefore, the current study was formulated to establish the influence of organizational social practices on the performances of the National Police Service. The independent variables of the study included leadership style, organization structure, professionalism, and organization politics. Practice and system theories were reviewed alongside relevant sources of empirical literatures were reviewed to give the current studies sound theoretical and empirical foundations. Descriptive research design was used to guide collection, analysis, and interpretation of the research data. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data was collected from 150 police officers who were purposively sampled from Central Police Division in Nairobi County. A combination of descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to establish the current trends of the study variables and relationships thereof. The study found out that the respondents were in agreement with almost statements on the four organizational social practices including leadership style, organization structure, and professionalism and organization politics. Leadership style and professionalism were established to have the highest impact (0.300; p= 0.000) and the least impact (0.093; p=0.000) respectively. Organization politics, on the other hand had a significant negative impact (-0.254; p=0.001) on the NPS performance. The study concludes that the main belief or attitude influencing leadership style is the perceived manager versus subordinates’ role. Effective decision making is improved by decentralization, narrow control span and efficiency relate positively, task routine positively and negatively affect productivity. A respectful culture is fostered by professionalism, which ensure proper handling of conflicts. Boundaries are clearly understood and minor issues solve efficiently and respectfully by professional employees. Workers are motivated with the hope that there won’t be hampering of their interest due to existence of organizational politics. Employee’s indiscipline may be resisted by the organizational politics’ help. The study recommends that transactional and transformative leadership be embraced by national police service to assist in tapping the workers’ potential, they should be involved in making decisions and new idea be welcomed into the system for positive contribution to the entities’ exponential performance. National police service should adopt an efficient, simple and universally accepted organizational structure. Employees at national police service should exercise workplace expectations and rules by following all workplace rules, completing all projects and tasks and understanding what is expected of them. Delegation of duties depending on employees’ academic achievements, specialization and interests. Transparency must be maintained at all levels to reduce politics.