Effect of Training and Development on Corporate Performance of Selected Touring Companies in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County

Tourism is a significant aspect of the world economy, and is heavily influenced by climatic conditions, economic activities, human behavior, and seasonal fluctuations. Tourism is considered one of the most significant industries in Malindi Sub-County in Kilifi County. Globalization and liberalization are pushing organizations into steep competition ,requiring high skills and attitudes that employees may not have. Thus, a framework for aiding employees in developing their own organizational and personal skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes is provided through training and development. The general objective of the study was to examine effect of training and development on corporate performance of touring sub-sector in Kenya.  Specifically, the study analyses effect of staff training and staff development has on corporate performance of touring sub-sector. The research anchors on reinforcement theory and social learning theory.  This research adopted a descriptive research design as a frame of reference. The overall population composed of employees of touring companies registered with the Tourism Regulatory Authority as at August 2020.   The researcher employed survey method.  The researcher employed a likert scaled questionnaire with a range of 1 to 5, which was administered to the employees of 8 chosen tour operators companies. The mean, standard deviation, and analyzed data were then displayed in tables, graphs, and charts. The 8 selected touring companies were selected through purposive sampling techniques.  To establish validity and reliability of research tool pilot study was carried and reliability of the tool tested using Cronbach alpha, and the all variables achieved a value greater than 0.7. Validity was tested using Human Resource experts and Researcher’s supervisors. Ms Excel and Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) software version 25 was used to analyze collected data. Results showed relationship between corporate performance and Staff development as positive and statistically significant (r = .333; p = .000; N=111).  However, Staff training were positively and significantly correlated to overall corporate performance (r = .341; p = .000; N=127).The study concludes that results presented implied that staff training and staff development affect corporate performance since there is some sort of training employees of touring companies received even if there is no specific time for some. The research study recommends that there should be regular and specific time for training. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-17-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

Influence Of Principals’ Autocratic Leadership Style On Students’academic Achievement In Kenya Certificate Of Public Secondary Education Examinations In Awendo Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya

Ordinarily, every educational institutional leaders, especially the principals are called upon to exercise strong instructional leadership in their schools. They are faced with the task of increasing student achievement while maintaining order through acceptable student behaviour which may require changing school performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of principals’ autocratic leadership styles on students’ academic achievement in KCSE in Awendo Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya. This study was anchored on the contingency theory of leadership suitable for assessing the leader according to underlying traits; situations faced by the leader and construct a proper match between the two. This model was used to determine principals’ styles effectiveness in schools. The study was conducted using a descriptive survey research design. The population for this study consisted of 42 principals and 547 teachers, in public secondary schools in Awendo Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya. The researcher used purposive sampling technique to get 42 principals and 5 Zonal Quality Assurance and Standard Officers (ZQASOs) because they are the only ones who existed in the study area. The target population of teachers was 547 and 30 percent of this was 164 teachers sampled. Questionnaires were used as the tools for collecting the data from both the teachers and principals. The researcher used the test retest method to enhance instrument reliability which yielded .078. The results of data analysis were presented in mainly tables, and pie-charts. The study found out that 69.9 percent often drive hard when there is a job to be done and easily get recognized as the leader of the group. Another 83.3 percent often act without consultations. The study recommended that Principals need to involve all stakeholders in decision making and running of the schools. The researchers endeavored to adhere to all ethical requirements including plagiarism and confidentiality among others. Keywords: Kenya, principals, autocratic, leadership, styles, students, achievement

Subjective well-being buffers the effects of social exclusion and expression of in-group favouritism in real groups

Human beings are social animals. People need to connect with one another in order to thrive and survive. Yet people are socially excluded by others on a daily basis. A growing body of research reveals that such outcomes can (a) thwart the basic psychological needs of self-esteem, meaning, control and belonging and (b) promote negative outcomes such as prejudice, hostility and in-group favouritism. In spite of such findings, it is also true that not everyone, who experiences exclusion or ostracism, will become depressed or respond negatively to others via hostility and prejudice. As it stands we know little about the factors that determine reactions to ostracism. The primary aim of this thesis was to redress this issue by assessing the extent to which subjective well-being might serve as buffer in reducing the negative effects of ostracism on psychological needs and in-group favouritism. To this end four experiments were conducted. Study 1, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism amongst men and women. The results showed that, (a) low baseline levels of subjective well-being were associated with greater patterns of in-group favouritism and (b) greater patterns of in-group favouritism led to increased levels of well-being. Study 2, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism, following threat manipulated through progressive ostracism amongst minimal groups. The findings revealed that participants tended to show in-group favouritism regardless of psychological threat, and that people with high well-being showed more in-group favouritism. Study 3 compared the differences in psychological threat as a function of progressive ostracism as opposed to constant ostracism. The data suggest that the latter was more psychologically threatening. Although there were no differences in perceived exclusion between the two methods of ostracism, participants subjected to constant ostracism reported lower levels of control and meaningful existence. Study 4 used constant ostracism to subsequently test the extent to which subjective well-being, in the context of exposure to pleasant media, buffered the expression of in-group favouritism and threats to psychological needs. The findings indicate that (a) the in-group was evaluated less favourably than the out-group, and the more excluded participants felt, the lower they rated the in-group and (b) exposure to pleasant media content, prior to ostracism feedback served to buffer psychological needs. Ostracised participants with higher (as opposed to lower) well-being, reported higher levels of control and meaningful existence when exposed to pleasant media content

A global information system for the conservation and sustainable use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA)

Poster presented at 2008 Annual Meeting of TD WG-Biodiversity Information Standards. Fremantle ( Australia), 19-24 Oct 200

Challenges to generating political prioritization for adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Kenya: A qualitative study.

BackgroundDespite the high burden of adverse adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, it has remained a low political priority in Kenya. We examined factors that have shaped the lack of current political prioritization of adolescent SRH service provision.MethodsWe used the Shiffman and Smith policy framework consisting of four categories-actor power, ideas, political contexts, and issue characteristics-to analyse factors that have shaped political prioritization of adolescent SRH. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 14 members of adolescent SRH networks between February and April 2019 at the national level and conducted thematic analysis of the interviews.FindingsSeveral factors hinder the attainment of political priority for adolescent SRH in Kenya. On actor power, the adolescent SRH community was diverse and united in adoption of international norms and policies, but lacked policy entrepreneurs to provide strong leadership, and policy windows were often missed. Regarding ideas, community members lacked consensus on a cohesive public positioning of the problem. On issue characteristics, the perception of adolescents as lacking political power made politicians reluctant to act on the existing data on the severity of adolescent SRH. There was also a lack of consensus on the nature of interventions to be implemented. Pertaining to political contexts, sectoral funding by donors and government treasury brought about tension within the different government ministries resulting in siloed approaches, lack of coordination and overall inefficiency. However, the SRH community has several strengths that augur well for future political support. These include the diverse multi-sectoral background of its members, commitment to improving adolescent SRH, and the potential to link with other health priorities such as maternal health and HIV/AIDS.ConclusionIn order to increase political attention to adolescent SRH in Kenya, there is an urgent need for policy actors to: 1) create a more cohesive community of advocates across sectors, 2) develop a clearer public positioning of adolescent SRH, 3) agree on a set of precise approaches that will resonate with the political system, and 4) identify and nurture policy entrepreneurs to facilitate the coupling of adolescent SRH with potential solutions when windows of opportunity arise

'A bite before bed': exposure to malaria vectors outside the times of net use in the highlands of western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: The human population in the highlands of Nyanza Province, western Kenya, is subject to sporadic epidemics of Plasmodium falciparum. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) are used widely in this area. These interventions are most effective when Anopheles rest and feed indoors and when biting occurs at times when individuals use LLINs. It is therefore important to test the current assumption of vector feeding preferences, and late night feeding times, in order to estimate the extent to which LLINs protect the inhabitants from vector bites. METHODS: Mosquito collections were made for six consecutive nights each month between June 2011 and May 2012. CDC light-traps were set next to occupied LLINs inside and outside randomly selected houses and emptied hourly. The net usage of residents, their hours of house entry and exit and times of sleeping were recorded and the individual hourly exposure to vectors indoors and outdoors was calculated. Using these data, the true protective efficacy of nets (P*), for this population was estimated, and compared between genders, age groups and from month to month. RESULTS: Primary vector species (Anopheles funestus s.l. and Anopheles arabiensis) were more likely to feed indoors but the secondary vector Anopheles coustani demonstrated exophagic behaviour (p < 0.05). A rise in vector biting activity was recorded at 19:30 outdoors and 18:30 indoors. Individuals using LLINs experienced a moderate reduction in their overall exposure to malaria vectors from 1.3 to 0.47 bites per night. The P* for the population over the study period was calculated as 51% and varied significantly with age and season (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, LLINs offered the local population partial protection against malaria vector bites. It is likely that P* would be estimated to be greater if the overall suppression of the local vector population due to widespread community net use could be taken into account. However, the overlap of early biting habit of vectors and human activity in this region indicates that additional methods of vector control are required to limit transmission. Regular surveillance of both vector behaviour and domestic human-behaviour patterns would assist the planning of future control interventions in this region

Subjective well-being buffers the effects of social exclusion and expression of in-group favouritism in real groups

Human beings are social animals. People need to connect with one another in order to thrive and survive. Yet people are socially excluded by others on a daily basis. A growing body of research reveals that such outcomes can (a) thwart the basic psychological needs of self-esteem, meaning, control and belonging and (b) promote negative outcomes such as prejudice, hostility and in-group favouritism. In spite of such findings, it is also true that not everyone, who experiences exclusion or ostracism, will become depressed or respond negatively to others via hostility and prejudice. As it stands we know little about the factors that determine reactions to ostracism. The primary aim of this thesis was to redress this issue by assessing the extent to which subjective well-being might serve as buffer in reducing the negative effects of ostracism on psychological needs and in-group favouritism. To this end four experiments were conducted. Study 1, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism amongst men and women. The results showed that, (a) low baseline levels of subjective well-being were associated with greater patterns of in-group favouritism and (b) greater patterns of in-group favouritism led to increased levels of well-being. Study 2, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism, following threat manipulated through progressive ostracism amongst minimal groups. The findings revealed that participants tended to show in-group favouritism regardless of psychological threat, and that people with high well-being showed more in-group favouritism. Study 3 compared the differences in psychological threat as a function of progressive ostracism as opposed to constant ostracism. The data suggest that the latter was more psychologically threatening. Although there were no differences in perceived exclusion between the two methods of ostracism, participants subjected to constant ostracism reported lower levels of control and meaningful existence. Study 4 used constant ostracism to subsequently test the extent to which subjective well-being, in the context of exposure to pleasant media, buffered the expression of in-group favouritism and threats to psychological needs. The findings indicate that (a) the in-group was evaluated less favourably than the out-group, and the more excluded participants felt, the lower they rated the in-group and (b) exposure to pleasant media content, prior to ostracism feedback served to buffer psychological needs. Ostracised participants with higher (as opposed to lower) well-being, reported higher levels of control and meaningful existence when exposed to pleasant media content

Challenges to generating political prioritization for adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Kenya: A qualitative study.

BackgroundDespite the high burden of adverse adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, it has remained a low political priority in Kenya. We examined factors that have shaped the lack of current political prioritization of adolescent SRH service provision.MethodsWe used the Shiffman and Smith policy framework consisting of four categories-actor power, ideas, political contexts, and issue characteristics-to analyse factors that have shaped political prioritization of adolescent SRH. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 14 members of adolescent SRH networks between February and April 2019 at the national level and conducted thematic analysis of the interviews.FindingsSeveral factors hinder the attainment of political priority for adolescent SRH in Kenya. On actor power, the adolescent SRH community was diverse and united in adoption of international norms and policies, but lacked policy entrepreneurs to provide strong leadership, and policy windows were often missed. Regarding ideas, community members lacked consensus on a cohesive public positioning of the problem. On issue characteristics, the perception of adolescents as lacking political power made politicians reluctant to act on the existing data on the severity of adolescent SRH. There was also a lack of consensus on the nature of interventions to be implemented. Pertaining to political contexts, sectoral funding by donors and government treasury brought about tension within the different government ministries resulting in siloed approaches, lack of coordination and overall inefficiency. However, the SRH community has several strengths that augur well for future political support. These include the diverse multi-sectoral background of its members, commitment to improving adolescent SRH, and the potential to link with other health priorities such as maternal health and HIV/AIDS.ConclusionIn order to increase political attention to adolescent SRH in Kenya, there is an urgent need for policy actors to: 1) create a more cohesive community of advocates across sectors, 2) develop a clearer public positioning of adolescent SRH, 3) agree on a set of precise approaches that will resonate with the political system, and 4) identify and nurture policy entrepreneurs to facilitate the coupling of adolescent SRH with potential solutions when windows of opportunity arise