The Future is in Our Hands

A lot has been said and written about leadership theories and the effectiveness of the same. No other major contributor to organisational performance is focused on than leadership. But each individual is unique in her/his own ways. In the Kenyan context, the landscape has been turned upside down. From a male dominated sector where all vice chancellors of the public universities were men, now plethora of female vice chancellors can be counted from the public to the private universities almost in equal numbers. The performance of management of the various universities has ranged from mediocre to exceptional. Some management systems and leadership styles that could be replicated must be hidden somewhere. In this realm of knowledge, it therefore portends great danger if one was to prescribe a one-fits-all dose of the applicable leadership style in our higher education set up. But that is the very essence of science, to search and discover the discernible patterns that can be replicated across the line for posterity. Being the custodians of knowledge and disseminators of the same, the various complaints emanating from students, lecturers, staff and other stakeholders on how universities preach water and take gallons of wine in the field of management is a complaint that needs serious consideration. Further, having seen the problems that other learning institutions have had in management mostly traced to the fact that most administrators were plucked from class and given positions of leadership without orientation, then it behoves those in the scholarly world of management and leadership to synthesise some bitable bits that could assist those in positions of authority to appreciate the scientific approach to management. We conclude that time might have come when leadership in universities will not be reserved to academicians but to corporate executives capable of inspiring the whole institutions to great heights of performance excellence

Organizational Structure and Customer perspective of Large Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

The specific objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization structure on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational structure on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational structure had influence on customer perspective. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies

Determinants of Sugar Market Performance under Imperfect Market Conditions: Empirical Evidence from Kenya

This study investigates market (supply and demand) factors causing high pricing, which influences performance of the locally manufactured sugar from the six (n=6) manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was based on Industry competitiveness model (Siggel, 1995, Markusen, 1992 and; Kasekende, 1994). Empirical results reveal that consumption of sugar in Kenya varies from an average rate of about 2.2% whereas sales of sugar registered an average of 2.1%. From this analysis the study unveils a market deficit of locally produced sugar that falls below market demand. Correlation analysis between sales and consumption of local sugar for the same period (1996-2006) shows a negligible 0.155 but with significance of 0.67. The study concludes that price related factors significantly contribute to poor performance of local sugar manufacturing firms under the prevailing imperfect market conditions in Kenya. The study recommends that diversifications are crucial for sugar subsector if the sugar firms have to maximize revenues and become more competitive both at local and regional markets

Enhancing Access and Equity in Higher Education amongst the Rural Folks

The expansion of educational opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa is not a new phenomenon. For example, Africans have ventured far and wide worldwide in search of education in a period stretching as far as a half a century ago. The demand for higher education has been, and still is, rife in the region hence the high rate of the growth of universities. Great investments in education have greatly increased and has resulted in improved school attendance, capacity to learn, promotion of life-long education and skills for life. People of employable ages have greatly increased their employability, bargaining power and competence by accessing higher education. Due to lack of adequate opportunities in higher education, the rural population has not fared well. Some of the rural population possess even better qualifications compared to their urban peers. Without the availability of the facilities for higher education; the rural populations are indefinitely compromised and limited, while their counterparts in the urban areas remain on a higher rate of social mobility associated with access to higher education. This paper seeks to identify and explore strategies for enhancing access and equity in higher education by mature students in the rural society. The implementation of the identified strategies will boost access and equity in higher education among rural populations who are interested, able and qualified to pursue higher education

Quality and Relevance in Higher Education - Nurturing Integral Habits of Mind

By recognising learning as the most natural and creative of all human endeavours, my contribution to this discussion makes a call for a radical new story of learning and schooling. I am of the opinion that our current processes and structures of schooling have restrained our access to all of who we are by creating false proxies for deep learning. We are immersed in learning environments and schooling systems disconnected from our deepest learning needs. These environments stifle natural learning and great thinking; they diminish curiosity and constrain our natural capacities to explore, create, imagine, and make genuine contributions to our communities and our world while we are young. My discussion therefore draws attention to this absence of a holistic context of purpose, meaning, and connection in our current system of higher education. Central to my discussion will be a call to reconnect learning to life. It is a call to heal the intellectual, emotional and spiritual fragmentation caused by denying the legitimacy of all we are in learning. Life is about freedom, interdependence, creativity, novelty, relationships, exploration, and discovery – and so is learning

Impact of TVET institutions as Drivers of Innovative Skills for Sustainable Development in Kenya

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions have been identified as the channels through which youth can acquire innovative skills for adaptation; innovations as well as for either salaried or self employment. Consequently and in recognition of the role that TVET graduates are expected to play in achievement of the Kenya Vision 2030 among other achievements in the Kenyan economic development, the government has put in place interventions geared towards enhancing technical capabilities amongst the youth. These interventions include improvement of the business environment through appropriate policy frameworks for the TVET graduate owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to thrive. This study aimed at: determining innovative skills prevalent amongst TVET graduate businesses; investigating effects of innovative skills to TVET graduate business performance; and discovering challenges faced by TVET graduate enterprises in applying innovative skills for sustainable development. The study focused on micro and small enterprises owned by TVET graduates in Embu District of Kenya. A descriptive research design was used to carry out the study. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to select the sample. A questionnaire and a focused group discussion were the main methods applied for data collection. Quantitative data was electronically analyzed using the Excel computer software. From the study, it was found that despite a lot of relevant skills being imparted to the youth in TVET institutions, access to credit, technical support, and access to technology and information still remain the main impediments to growth and sustainability of TVET graduate enterprises. Among key recommendations from the study are that TVET graduate enterprises need to be provided with adequate finances, tools and equipment and frequent field visits to performing enterprises for benchmarking and to upgrade their business skills

Enhancing Equity to Higher Education via Educational Vouchers

Dissatisfaction with the existing system of financing education has led to a number of suggestions for change, and perhaps the most prevalent of these changes has been the provision of vouchers for financing education. A voucher system exists when Government makes payments to families that enable their children to join public or private institutions of their choice. The purpose is to increase parental choice, efficiency and allow low income families access to education. This paper is based on the premise that there cannot be equity in higher education unless there is equity in access to secondary education. The financing of education in Kenya has been characterised by partnership between the Government and the beneficiaries of education. Due to poverty levels, there has been high dropout rates and non enrolment in secondary and tertiary levels. The Government introduced fee guidelines and bursary funds to enhance accessibility of the poor to education. However, the bursary scheme has not been effective and efficient in meeting its objective as expected. Inadequate financing to provide for all eligible and deserving needy students; structural weaknesses in administration systems as evidenced by delays in disbursement, non-remittance of bursary funds to some schools; and delays in communicating the awards to beneficiaries, among other factors, are noted as key challenges that have not been addressed even in CDF. Tuition free secondary education has not made things better. The secondary sub-sector continues to face challenges, particularly the low participation rates, unsatisfactory level of transition from primary to secondary and from secondary to tertiary levels as well as serious gender and regional disparities. The quality of secondary education also remains low. Policy documents indicate a target transition rate of 70 percent from primary to secondary schools by 2008, and with doubling of enrolments by 2010 and tripling by 2015. Such an ambitious target can only be met by devising an appropriate mechanism for financing secondary education in Kenya. Hence the suggestion for the introduction of a voucher system of financing education in Kenya secondary and tertiary education as this system has enhanced equity, efficiency, parental choice and quality of education in the countries that are using a voucher system of financing education

Contributions of Module II Programmes to Improvement of University Resources for Improved Quality of Education

Universities in Kenya have embarked on marketing their education services throughout the country on what they know best by identifying their resources and ways of exploiting them commercially. This has formularised their organisational structure in terms of improving their provision of quality education by their faculties for conventional academic and research (Kiamba, 2003). This paper seeks to establish the current state of affairs as regards quality of education by examining the factors and resources that affects quality and effects of Module II Degree Programmes on them. The data collection instruments used included Questionnaires, Interview Schedules, Observation Guides, and Documentary Analysis Guide. The instruments were tested for content and construct validity and reliability during a pilot study after which research assistants were trained and deployed to personally administer the instruments and collect data. A total of 1,630 students enrolled in public universities in Kenya, collaborating colleges, lecturers and administrators were sampled. 484 responded to the questionnaires, which were deemed to be enough response for the analysis. The study employed a Survey Methodology with Constructivism as Its Epistemology Underpinning the Study. The Data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively using SPSS Program. The study findings obtained indicates that the students are significantly dissatisfied with all indicators of improvement of resources at the universities for the sake of improvement of the quality of education offered, except for the qualification of their lecturers where they seem to be unsure n (t=0.485, p=0.628) at the 95 percent confidence level. This suggests that, according to the students not much of the money received from Module II is directed towards improvement of quality of education. The study recommends that there is need for the Government to speed up efforts that will see Module II Programmes Students ge

INVESTIGATING THE DYNAMICS AFFECTING CORPORATION GOVERNANCE ON FINANCIAL PERFOMANCE OF CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND SAVING IN EMBU COUNTY

These research project is meant to identify the dynamics affecting financial performance in savings and credit cooperative societies in Embu County. Another specific objective is to point out the impact of the board of director on the performance of Sacco’s. The study also noted the effects of regulations on Sacco’s. The study also ascertained the impact of integrity of CEO on performance of Sacco’s. It also determined the impact of shareholders on performance of Sacco’s. The researcher used the descriptive research design. The target population was Sacco staff, Sacco members and board of directors selected within Yoken Sacco. The target population was 100 respondents who consisted of 9 Board of Directors, 15 staff members, 76 delegates. The sample size was 33 members. The researcher used stratified random sampling to get the respondent. Data was collected using questionnaire which the respondents freely gave their opinions. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used in Data analysis which was carried out using descriptive statistics. The researcher made conclusions on the findings and giving the necessary recommendations to the end users so that they can improve their organizations through improved corporate governance. Corporate governance is a strategy which is very crucial in the current world so as to sustain the increasing level of competition while maintaining market share and growth at the same time. During election of the board of directors, shareholders should ensure that they elect credible leaders who are vision able and can drive the organization to greater heights. The study concludes that the financial performance of SACCOs is greatly affected by the Board of Directors. It is also evident that the education level and monitoring of various activities done by the management staff via the Board of Directors plays a very big part in ensuring the success of Sacco’s. The study concludes that the regulatory framework bears a great impact on the performance of the Sacco financial in the sense that the cost of compliance is very high and also there is lost business opportunity as the regulations limits the Sacco diversification so as to increase its business capacity. From the research, the researcher found out that the CEOs integrity had a great effect to Sacco and it was important for the board of directors to ensure that the staff members being led by the CEO should observe ethical issues. Shareholders are the pillars of any given entity globally. In the research, the researcher found out that accountability of the shareholders is the key to the success of the Sacco. The board should perform thorough Financial monitoring which should lead to the adoption of a constitution that clearly points out the steps to follow when choosing or replacing the directors and the CEO