Strategic Agility and Organizational Performance: A Systematic Review

Journal ArticleThis systematic review explores the critical link between strategic agility and organizational performance in dynamic business environments, highlighting critical components such as environmental sensing, resource fluidity, and collective commitment. Findings reveal that environmental sensing enhances decision-making efficiency by 25%, while resource fluidity improves operational performance by 12% and competitive outcomes by 33%. Collective commitment fosters a 25% increase in team collaboration, enabling agility in dynamic markets. These factors collectively drive innovation, adaptability, and sustained organizational performance, underscoring their importance in navigating volatile business environments. The review is informed by Contingency Theory, Dynamic Capabilities Theory and Organizational Agility Theor

Strategic Alignment and Service Delivery Excellence in Level Six Hospitals in Kenya: An Empirical Review.

Journal ArticleThis study sought to explores the link between strategic alignment and service delivery excellence in Level Six hospitals in Kenya. An empirical review of peer-reviewed articles published in the last decade was conducted, focusing on databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review synthesized empirical data to uncover themes related to strategic alignment and hospital performance. Findings highlight that hospitals with aligned strategies and operational processes show higher patient satisfaction, driven by timely services, quality care, and staff professionalism. However, disparities exist between urban and rural hospitals. In terms of performance, strategic alignment leads to improved financial outcomes, operational efficiency and resource management. Yet, rural hospitals face infrastructure challenges that hinder performance, while aligning strategies with national policies remains difficult due to budget and staffing limitations. This review emphasizes the critical need for strategy alignment to enhance patient satisfaction and hospital performance and calls for addressing regional disparities and policy alignment for service excellenc

Open Science Forum | Day 1

DocumentaryAn international gathering convened under FOSTER Project, themed “Advancing Open Science ecosystem for Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The event brought together participants from Kenya, Tanzania, and Europe, including esteemed speakers from partner institutions across Africa and Europe

An Empirical Survey on the Effect of Strategic Thinking on the Performance of Agribusiness Companies Listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya

Journal ArticleThe Agribusiness sector in Kenya is the backbone of the economy and contributes to about 30% of the annual GDP. However, although the agribusiness sector plays an important role in the economy, and the government is putting great efforts into supporting it, there have been myriad challenges. From the literature reviewed, the impact of strategic thinking on the performance of Agribusiness Companies has not been fully ascertained. Against this scholarly gap, this study sought to investigate the effect of strategic thinking on the performance of agribusiness companies listed on the Nairobi securities exchange in Kenya. The study applied a mixed research method and was anchored on the Liedtka Strategic Thinking Model and the Balanced Scorecard Model. The target population was all the six-agribusiness companies listed on the Nairobi securities exchange in Kenya. The respondents were 120 management staff including the directors, the heads of departments, middle and lower or supervisory level managers. Quantitative data from the close-ended questions were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 28.0). Qualitative data gathered from the open-ended questions were clustered into themes and then broad categories developed. To determine the strength of the model, R2 was used. F – Statistic computed at 95% confidence level and hypothesis test based on P-values of 5% significant level. The results indicated that strategic thinking positively affects the performance of agribusiness companies listed on the Nairobi securities exchange in Kenya. The study recommends that strategic thinking be enhanced in organizations by investing in leadership development programs that promote cognitive and analytical skills, enabling leaders to identify opportunities and mitigate risks, while envisaging possible solutions to unknown future challenge

Regulating Community Wellbeing through Traditional Mourning Rituals: Insights from the Luhya People of Kenya

Journal ArtileBackground and objectives: Rituals have been reported to serve as a vital mechanism for expressing grief and fostering communal support worldwide. Despite these benefts, use of rituals in Indigenous communities is threatened by missionization, globalization, and westernization. This study sought to examine the relevance of traditional mourning rituals in community morality and well-being. Anchored in cultural evolutionary theory, the study employed an ethnographic research design. Methodology: Data were collected from 45 community elders, 30 bereaved adults, 30 bereaved adolescents, and 8 religious leaders through focus group discussions and interviews. Results: The study established fve mourning rituals practiced by the Luhya people, each potentially serving an evolutionary function for community survival and well-being. Our fndings show that Luhya traditional mourning rituals play an important role in community well-being, though not all members may beneft equally from these efects. Conclusions and implications: The study established confict over rituals with difering viewpoints from religious leaders, cultural leaders, and the western biomedical approach to mental well-being. Yet, the bereaved reported that both Luhya and religious rituals helped them process their grief. To address mental health issues fully, it is important to establish collaboration between western models, religious approaches, and cultural approaches. Lay Summary Rituals are important practices that help people express their grief and provide support within communities around the world yet in most indigenous communities across the world, yet these rituals are being replaced by western biomedical approaches. This study focused on the signifcance of traditional mourning rituals among the Luhya people of Kenya and how these practices contribute to community morality and well-being. The study interviewed community elders, bereaved adults and adolescents, and religious leaders. The fndings revealed that traditional rituals are crucial for the community's health, although not all members experience the same benefts. There were difering opinions about the rituals from religious leaders, cultural leaders, and those who follow western medicalapproaches to mental health. Despite these conficts, many bereaved individuals reported that both Luhya and religious rituals helped them cope with their grief. To efectively address mental health issues, the study suggests a need for collaboration between western mental health models, religious practices, and cultural traditions. This approach could create a more comprehensive support system for those experiencing loss

The Impact of Military Reforms in Post Conflict Reconstruction: A Case of Jonglei State in South Sudan Between 2018 And 2023

Master of Arts in Diplomacy, Development, and International SecuritySouth Sudan has been characterized by a history of protracted conflict and instability that demands an in-depth assessment of military reforms and their impacts on the post conflict reconstruction. The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of military reforms on post-conflict reconstruction of South Sudan between 2018 and 2023 using the case study of Jonglei State. The specific objectives included assessing the impact of military reforms on post-conflict reconstruction in Jonglei State, South Sudan between 2018 and 2023, evaluating the challenges experienced in implementing military reforms in post-conflict reconstruction in Jonglei State, South Sudan between 2018 and 2023 and exploring alternative military reform strategies in post-conflict reconstruction of South Sudan. The study was underpinned by Democratic Peace Theory and Galtung Peace theory. Democratic Peace theory posits that democratic governance structures contribute to peaceful behavior in international relations. On the other hand, Galtung Peace Theory offers insights into strategies for achieving sustainable peace through structural change, nonviolent conflict resolution and the promotion of positive peace. Exploratory mixed methods research design was adopted with stratified sampling and purposive sampling being used to select personnel form SPLA, local government staff, UNMISS, UN agencies and I/NGO personnel. Key informant interviews and questionnaires were used to source data. The qualitative data was analyzed based on content analysis while quantitative data collected via questionnaire and statistics from documents was analyzed based on descriptive statistics with the assistance of Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The study established that even though alternative military reforms such as re-integration, unifying of army factions, hybrid command restructuring, disbarment, demobilization and professional training have been undertaken in Jonglei State, military reforms had not contributed significantly to post conflict reconstruction. This was evidenced by the vast areas of Jonglei State that have remained volatile with very little security and continued proliferation of dangerous weapons among the civilians. The dismal contribution of military reforms to post conflict reconstruction is linked to varied challenges the government of South Sudan is facing in instituting military reforms. The major challenges included inadequate resources to support the reform processes such as the re-integration and unification of army factions, resistance from factions within SPLA in opposition for various reasons such as mistrust, political instability and fragmentation among political elites in the country, lack of local ownership of the military reform processes with the processes being dominated by external partners. The study recommends Government of South Sudan to source and allocate adequate financial resources towards alternative military reforms. Fast-tracking unification of the SPLA into one unified army that is devoid of affiliation to ethnic groups and political class should also be prioritized. Finally, the government of South Sudan should also institute raft economic reforms in the areas of employment, currency, infrastructure among others.Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Science

PSY 640X: Personality Theories

PSY 640X: Personality TheoriesDaystar Universit

Open Science Forum| Day 2

DocumentaryAn International gathering convened under FOSTER Project, themed “Advancing Open Science ecosystem for Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The event brought together participants from Kenya, Tanzania, and Europe, including esteemed speakers from partner institutions across Africa and Europe

COM 600X: Corporate Communication

COM 600X: Corporate CommunicationDaystar Universit

Business Model Innovation – A Determinant of Business Sustainability among Micro-Lending Institutions in Kenya: Empirical Review.

Journal ArticleThe purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on the effect of business model innovation on business sustainability among microlending institutions in Kenya. Microlending institutions operate in a competitive business environment full of major financial institutions thus the need to be very innovative. Tapping into the capabilities of technology and increased penetration of mobile connectivity, microlenders can innovate their business models toward the unbanked and underserved population in Kenya. Since sustainability is beyond profit only but people and the planet, it is critical for such entities to rethink their business models to deliver the triple bottom line strategy within their business operations. The extant literature reviewed in the area of business model innovation and business sustainability reveals a nuanced mutuality. Microlenders that deploy their innovative business model increase their customer base, especially among the unbanked. The review also reveals that innovative business models within the broader triple-bottom-line framework can increase their profits without harming the planet and the people. Findings also showed that business model innovation can cut costs, reduce employee turnover, and increase social investment for microlending institutions. However, microlending institutions still face some challenges to business sustainability including initial costs, inadequate policies, and legislation to operationalize the triple bottom line framework in Kenya. These gaps therefore present further opportunities for scientific inquiry into solutions that can spur business sustainability among microlenders in Keny