Effects of Remuneration System on Organizational Performance of Teachers Service Commission, Kenya

Remuneration systems provided in an organization should aim at motivating, attracting and retaining employees in an organization to enhance better performance, However in many public organizations in Kenya, remuneration systems continues to be a major problem resulting to divined organizational performance. The general objective of the study was to establish the effects of remuneration system on organizational performance in public organizations with reference to Teachers Service Commission. The study specifically  the effects of employees’ turnover on organizational performance in Teachers Service Commission. The study applied a descriptive research design and the target population was 1,500 employees of Teachers Service Commission (TSC) headquarters in Nairobi with a sample size of 316 respondents. The main data collection instruments were questionnaires and a pilot study was carried out to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics data analysis method was applied to analyze data aided by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to compute responses frequencies, percentage mean and standard deviation results. Finally Multiple Linear Regression model was employed to establish the significance of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The findings were presented using tables. The study findings thus showed that employees employee’s turnover   affected the organizational performance. The study found out that employees that are highly contented with their work; employees that are highly motivated; regular review of reward systems; employees commitment and conducive working conditions affected organizational performance in the organization. The study drew conclusions that the effects of remuneration system that affected organizational performance in public organizations included; employee’s turnover. The study recommended that the organization management should review and increase the employee’s remuneration and rewards and in addition provide more benefits to the employees. Good working environment should also be provided and proper working conditions should be provided to all employees. The organization management should offer competitive remuneration packages in order to encourage employees not to leave the organization on basis of remuneration, employees work life balance should be well enhanced, exit interviews should be frequently conducted in the organizations to determine the causes of turnover and to provide direction on the nature of employee retention strategies that should be employed. The management should improve on employee job tasks allocation in order to ensure that employees accomplish set targets on time and work assignments should be effectively allocated. Keywords: Employee Turnover, Remuneration, Performanc

Bridging representational gaps in functionally diverse teams: the roles of information elaboration and perspective taking on team creativity

As a result of differences in knowledge, conflicting interpretations of new knowledge, and incompatible views among team members, problem-solving in organizations may be difficult, and be further impeded by the lack of or limited sharing of knowledge. It is vital for team members to leverage the differentiated knowledge in order to make the different perspectives more compatible and complementary to achieving team goals. With limited research on the often underestimated interaction processes between team members during problem solving exercises, this study examined information elaboration and perspective taking as interaction processes that team members engaged in during a problem-solving exercise. Data collected from an organizational behavior simulation conducted using the Lego® Serious Play™ was used to examine the interaction processes, and their effect on team creativity

Leading causes of death and high mortality rates in an HIV endemic setting (Kisumu county, Kenya, 2019)

Background In resource-limited settings, underlying causes of death (UCOD) often are not ascertained systematically, leading to unreliable mortality statistics. We reviewed medical charts to establish UCOD for decedents at two high volume mortuaries in Kisumu County, Kenya, and compared ascertained UCOD to those notified to the civil registry. Methods Medical experts trained in COD certification examined medical charts and ascertained causes of death for 456 decedents admitted to the mortuaries from April 16 through July 12, 2019. Decedents with unknown HIV status or who had tested HIV-negative >90 days before the date of death were tested for HIV. We calculated annualized all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates grouped according to global burden of disease (GBD) categories and separately for deaths due to HIV/AIDS and expressed estimated deaths per 100,000 population. We compared notified to ascertained UCOD using Cohen's Kappa (κ) and assessed for the independence of proportions using Pearson's chi-squared test. Findings The four leading UCOD were HIV/AIDS (102/442 [23.1%]), hypertensive disease (41/442 [9.3%]), other cardiovascular diseases (23/442 [5.2%]), and cancer (20/442 [4.5%]). The all- cause mortality rate was 1,086/100,000 population. The highest cause-specific mortality was in GBD category II (noncommunicable diseases; 516/100,000), followed by GBD I (communicable, perinatal, maternal, and nutritional; 513/100,000), and III (injuries; 56/ 100,000). The HIV/AIDS mortality rate was 251/100,000 population. The proportion of deaths due to GBD II causes was higher among females (51.9%) than male decedents (42.1%; p = 0.039). Conversely, more men/boys (8.6%) than women/girls (2.1%) died of GBD III causes (p = 0.002). Most of the records with available recorded and ascertained UCOD (n = 236), 167 (70.8%) had incorrectly recorded UCOD, and agreement between notified and ascertained UCOD was poor (29.2%; κ = 0.26). Conclusions Mortality from infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, is high in Kisumu County, but there is a shift toward higher mortality from noncommunicable diseases, possibly reflecting an epidemiologic transition and improving HIV outcomes. The epidemiologic transition suggests the need for increased focus on controlling noncommunicable conditions despite the high communicable disease burden. The weak agreement between notified and ascertained UCOD could lead to substantial inaccuracies in mortality statistics, which wholly depend on death notifications

Women's role in agroforestry : a case study of Embu district, Kenya

Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record

International Trade Barriers Faced By Nairobi Automobile Traders

A Research Project Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to identify the international barriers of trade affecting the Kenya second hand automobile traders who own motor dealerships in Nairobi. The study also sought to identify the challenges and risks the traders face locally. The study was guided by three research objectives: (i) what are the importing practices practiced by the automobile traders in Nairobi? (ii) What international barriers of trade do the traders experience when dealing with the vehicle sellers abroad? And (iii) what challenges and risks do the traders face locally? This study was quantitative in nature and employed a descriptive research design. This is because the study is intended to provide a description that is factual and accurate. The target population in this study comprised 240 motor dealerships in Nairobi. Due to the nature of motor dealership; it was more practical and financially logical to carry out the research from a sample rather than from the entire organization. Other motor dealership outside the Nairobi may be inaccessible, the more the reason the choice of Nairobi area was justified. The study adopted census approach and 144 of the target population was the sample size of the study. The study used quantitative techniques in analyzing the data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 program was used for analysis. Descriptive analysis was employed; which include; mean standard deviations and frequencies/percentages. Inferential statistics such as correlation and regression analysis was used. The results were presented using tables and pie charts. The first finding of the study was that majority of the car dealers import products without the authorization of the trademark or copyright owner in a country; importation of second hand spare parts of motor vehicles are allowed in Kenya. Further, traders exercise great care in selecting foreign automobiles manufacturers, and importation of second hand automobile products is checked and they also enhance strict measures on the selection of second hand automobile imports. Traders also engage in the inspection of foreign manufacturing facilities, and traders deal directly with the automobile manufacturer and avoid dealing with representatives. The second finding was that tariffs are imposed on automobiles in order to increase government revenue; taxes imposed on imports affect the automobile trading, tariffs created by the government protect local businesses from low-priced competitive products and that Kenya imposes relatively high tariffs on automobiles imports. The third findings were that investment regulations locally frustrate trade expansion of second hand automobile dealerships; investment regulatory policies reduce the second hand vehicles in the market. Currency fluctuation is the greatest challenge traders face in automobile trading business which affects performance in the automobile sector, and foreign relations and trade sanctions among countries substantively affect second hand cars importation in Kenya The study concluded that international trade practices practiced by the automobile traders in Nairobi enhance efficient importing among Nairobi automobile traders. The international trade barriers affecting Nairobi automobile traders are the non-tariffs, and finally, the Nairobi second hand automobile traders were affected by a number of challenges which the government has control over. In line with study results, the second hand automobile traders should strictly adhere to the international importing practices. The study recommends that the government should reduce the taxes imposed on second hand automobile products; the government should also lift or reduce the quota on the importation of second hand automobile goods. Automobile traders should also adhere to the standards of automobiles set by the government in order to enhance safety. The study further recommends that government of Kenya should create an enabling environment for local traders. Investment regulation and policies made by the government should be favorable for trading. The Kenyan government should strengthen their international trade relation

Importance of Financial Literacy on Management of Personal Finances among Millennials: Case Study USIU-Africa

A Research Project Report Submitted to Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA)The purpose of the study was to assess the importance of financial literacy on the management of personal finances among Millennials. The study was guided by the following research objectives; to establish the level of literacy among the millennials, to explore the relationship between financial literacy and good money management practices and to explore the financial strategies employed by millennials to ensure future security after retirement. A descriptive quantitative research design was adopted for this study and the data received from the questionnaire, used to interpret, with the aim of understanding the relationship of financial literacy on the management of personal finances among the Millennials. The select target population of this study consisted of USIU- Africa master’s students based in Nairobi. Determination of the sample size was made possible using the Slovin Formula, taking into consideration the confidence level and the confidence interval of the population. A sample size of 100 respondents was identified for this research study, with the response rate being 86%. The data obtained was analyzed using the statistical tools, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. The questionnaire consisted of both open ended and closed ended questions and the results were presented in the form of tables and figures. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables and multiple linear regression analysis was also used to analyze the findings. Based on the first objective, which was to measure of the level of financial literacy among the millennials. The study has shown that most students in the master’s program havea basic understanding of financial literacy yet they engage with finance related decisions on a day to day as they manage their finances, this includes budgeting and saving, The second objective was to explore the relationship between financial literacy and good money management practices. The data analyzed shows that there is a strong correlation between financial literacy and good money management practices. The findings show that the respondents do practice some form of good management practice like saving for emergencies and budgeting. The final objective was to explore the financial strategies employed by millennials to ensure future security after retirement. The study has shown that masters students at USIU- Africa have investments, pension plans and insurance as part of their financial planning strategies, however they have a low satisfaction rating with the investments they currently hold. The study concludes that financial literacy is very important to ensure millennials are able to navigate this fast-paced financial industry. With the current economic landscape investing, saving and retirement planning has shifted from being a government or employer concern to being an individual’s responsibility, it is due to this shift that financial literacy should be taken seriously. The study therefore, recommends that education bodies should include practical financial education programs with real life simulations in the high school and university curriculum to ensure students are well equipped with financial knowledge when they enter the workplace. Employers should also offer financial planning courses as part of its training portfolio for employees to be able to take charge of their current financial situation and avoid financial distress due to lack of financial planning skills. Further studies should be carried out on individuals in the informal sector to examine what major issues they face in their financial journey, what tools they require, and analyze the impact financial literacy can have on the management of their personal finance

Microbial ecology of Kenyan soda lakes.

A combination of geological, geographical and climatic conditions; favour the evolution of stable alkaline environments, such as the soda lakes of East African Rift Valley. These lakes are often saline as well as alkaline. Soda lakes are potentially the best sources of alkaliphilic microoganisms, but they are virtually unexplored. The few studies done indicate that soda lakes have very high primary productivity, due to the dense population of phototrophic microorganisms, either cyanobacteria or phototrophic eubacteria or both. Soda lakes are therefore, likely to support a large population of organotrophic bacteria. A quantative study of major nutrients, cyanobacteria and organotrophic bacteria was undertaken from Oct. 1988 to Sept 1989 on Lakes Bogorla, Elmenteita, Nakuru and to a lesser extent Lake Magadi. The cyanobacteria, especially Spirulina platensis were the major primary producers in the less saline lakes (Bogorla, Nakuru and Elmenteita), while the photosynthetic bacteria probably Ectothiorhodospira are the major primary producers in the more saline Lake Magadi. The algal population was significantly limited by phosphate, nitrogen and conductivity levels. The population of alkaliphilic organotrophic bacteria in the Kenyan soda lakes was 10s CFU/ml (viable count) and total bacterial count of l0'.;-l0'.;bacteria/ml. The organotrophic bacterial populationwas also limited by total phosphate, total nitrogen and conductivity levels, and was determined more by the water chemistry than by organic carbon availability. Majority of the aerobic organotrophic bacteria were Gram-negative comprising of six distinct clusters when analysed using the procedures of numerical taxonomy. These Gram-negative alkaliphilic bacteria formed clusters distinct from any of the known gram-negative bacteria tested and are likely to be totally new organisms. Chemotaxonomic studies showed that these organisms possesed ubiquinones with 7 or 8 isoprene units, and the polar lipids lacked glycolipids but had large amounts of phosphclipids. The % mol G+C of the gram-negative alkaliphiles ranged from 53.1 to 65.0 (Tm). Organisms in the same cluster group were related at 60% homology by DNA-DNA hybridization; indicating that the majority of the Gram-negatives may belong to a large supraspecific grouping. The few Gram-positive isolates formed less distinct clusters, and two Gram-positive isolates N12 and N16 formed spores and closely resembled isolates WN11 and WN13 (Weisser & Truper, 1985) from Wadi Natrun which have been positively identified as Bacillus spp. Arcbaeobacteria were not isolated Lakes Bogoria, Elmenteita and Nakuru. In the more saline Lake Magadi, eubacterial haloalkaliphlies dominated at low conductivity and archaeobacterial haloalkaliphiles dominated at high conductivity. A new haloalkaliphilic archaeobacterium which has rod-shaped, gas-vacuolated cells and different polar lipid patterns from the 3 Natronobacterium species already described (Ross, et al, 1985) was isolated from Lake Magadi. A new species, 'Natronobacterium vacuolata' is proposed. A coccoid Gram-positive organism, MU5 was also isolated from Lake Magadi, and resembled the type species in the genus Natronococcus. However, polar lipid patterns and SDS-PAGE gels show that MU5 is not identical to SP4

Improving the diagnosis of severe malaria in African children using platelet counts and plasma PfHRP2 concentrations

Severe malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is difficult to diagnose accurately in children in high-transmission settings. Using data from 2649 pediatric and adult patients enrolled in four studies of severe illness in three countries (Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda), we fitted Bayesian latent class models using two diagnostic markers: the platelet count and the plasma concentration of P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2). In severely ill patients with clinical features consistent with severe malaria, the combination of a platelet count of ≤150,000/μl and a plasma PfHRP2 concentration of ≥1000 ng/ml had an estimated sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 93% in identifying severe falciparum malaria. Compared with misdiagnosed children, pediatric patients with true severe malaria had higher parasite densities, lower hematocrits, lower rates of invasive bacterial disease, and a lower prevalence of both sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia. We estimate that one-third of the children enrolled into clinical studies of severe malaria in high-transmission settings in Africa had another cause of their severe illness

That all may live! : essays in honour of Nyambura J. Njoroge

This volume of BiAS/ ERA is a Festschrift honouring Nyambura J. Njoroge. She is an outstanding woman theologian whose work straddles diverse fields and disciplines. Inspired by her rich and impressive œuvre, in this volume friends and colleagues of her (among them celebrities like Musa Dube, Gerald West, Fulata Moyo, Ezra Chitando, and others) explore how religion and theology in diverse contexts can become more life giving. Contributors from many countries and different continents explore themes such as African women’s leadership, theological education, HIV/ AIDS, lament, the Bible and liberation, adolescents and young women, sexual diversity and others. Collectively, the volume expresses Nyambura’s consistent commitment to the full liberation of all human beings, in fulfilment of the gospel’s promise that all may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10

An international observational study to assess the impact of the Omicron variant emergence on the clinical epidemiology of COVID-19 in hospitalised patients

Background: Whilst timely clinical characterisation of infections caused by novel SARS-CoV-2 variants is necessary for evidence-based policy response, individual-level data on infecting variants are typically only available for a minority of patients and settings. Methods: Here, we propose an innovative approach to study changes in COVID-19 hospital presentation and outcomes after the Omicron variant emergence using publicly available population-level data on variant relative frequency to infer SARS-CoV-2 variants likely responsible for clinical cases. We apply this method to data collected by a large international clinical consortium before and after the emergence of the Omicron variant in different countries. Results: Our analysis, that includes more than 100,000 patients from 28 countries, suggests that in many settings patients hospitalised with Omicron variant infection less often presented with commonly reported symptoms compared to patients infected with pre-Omicron variants. Patients with COVID-19 admitted to hospital after Omicron variant emergence had lower mortality compared to patients admitted during the period when Omicron variant was responsible for only a minority of infections (odds ratio in a mixed-effects logistic regression adjusted for likely confounders, 0.67 [95% confidence interval 0.61-0.75]). Qualitatively similar findings were observed in sensitivity analyses with different assumptions on population-level Omicron variant relative frequencies, and in analyses using available individual-level data on infecting variant for a subset of the study population. Conclusions: Although clinical studies with matching viral genomic information should remain a priority, our approach combining publicly available data on variant frequency and a multi-country clinical characterisation dataset with more than 100,000 records allowed analysis of data from a wide range of settings and novel insights on real-world heterogeneity of COVID-19 presentation and clinical outcome