EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY AMONG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

The competitive global marketplace has compelled organizations to transform themselves in the way they conceptualize and conduct business. Pharmaceutical firms have been forced to think and act as global enterprises as they face the economic, technological, and market challenges of the modern era. It should be noted that some firms tend to see sustainable competitive advantage as the enabler of superior profitability. The study objective was to establish the effect of differentiation strategy on customer loyalty among Pharmaceutical companies in Nairobi County. The research was carried out through descriptive survey design. This design refers to a set of methods and procedures that describe variables. The research targeted 119 pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County, dealing with manufacturing and distribution of drugs as listed in the Kenya medical directory. The sample size was computed using 30% of the target population which gives a sample size of 35.These 35, were randomly selected from the list of 119 pharmaceutical companies. The study used questionnaires as an instrument of collecting data. From the results, all the measurers of differentiation strategy were found to have effect on the customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. Differentiation strategy had a positive effect on customer loyalty and it was a good indicator that increases in differentiation strategy improves the customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. This meant that there is need to invest resources in differentiating products to effectively attract loyal customers in the pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. From the study it recommends that firms using the differentiation should concentrate on investing in and developing such things that are distinguishable and which customers will perceive. In addition, what makes an organization different from a competitor’s should be established.  Article visualizations

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY AMONG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

The competitive global marketplace has compelled organizations to transform themselves in the way they conceptualize and conduct business. Pharmaceutical firms have been forced to think and act as global enterprises as they face the economic, technological, and market challenges of the modern era. It should be noted that some firms tend to see sustainable competitive advantage as the enabler of superior profitability. The study objective was to establish the effect of differentiation strategy on customer loyalty among Pharmaceutical companies in Nairobi County. The research was carried out through descriptive survey design. This design refers to a set of methods and procedures that describe variables. The research targeted 119 pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County, dealing with manufacturing and distribution of drugs as listed in the Kenya medical directory. The sample size was computed using 30% of the target population which gives a sample size of 35.These 35, were randomly selected from the list of 119 pharmaceutical companies. The study used questionnaires as an instrument of collecting data. From the results, all the measurers of differentiation strategy were found to have effect on the customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. Differentiation strategy had a positive effect on customer loyalty and it was a good indicator that increases in differentiation strategy improves the customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. This meant that there is need to invest resources in differentiating products to effectively attract loyal customers in the pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. From the study it recommends that firms using the differentiation should concentrate on investing in and developing such things that are distinguishable and which customers will perceive. In addition, what makes an organization different from a competitor’s should be established.  Article visualizations

Elevated serum osteocalcin levels as a surrogate marker of primary osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Background: Primary osteoporosis is increasingly becoming a major public health concern in African populations. Complications arising from this condition can be catastrophic; ranging from hip fractures to lumbar spinal injuries. Early diagnosis and prevention are useful in mitigating its effects. The Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan is not a widely affordable and accessible diagnostic tool to many in our setting. There is need for an alternative, affordable and accessible marker for early screening of osteoporosis.Objective: To correlate serum osteocalcin level with DXA findings in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.Design: This was an analytical cross-sectional study.Setting: Orthopaedic outpatient clinic of the Kenyatta national Hospital.Participants: 61 postmenopausal women aged 50 years and above were assessed for both neck of femur and lumbar vertebrae DXA bone mineral density and serum osteocalcin levels.Results: Twenty-eight (46%), 11 (18%) and 22 (36%) women had normal, osteoporotic and osteopenic bone mineral density levels respectively. Serum Osteocalcin levels for normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic groups was 12.51±2.5 ng/ml, 22.14±5ng/ml and 31.46±8ng/ml respectively (p=0.00). There was a negative correlation between osteocalcin levels and DXA femoral neck bone mineral density (Coefficient – 0.68, P = 0.00). Women with Osteoporosis (T-score ≤ -2.5 SD) consistently had osteocalcin levels of ≥ 25.1 ng/ml.Conclusion: Serum Osteocalcin levels are predictive of DXA findings and elevated levels can be considered as a surrogate marker of primary osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Analyzing the significance of the impact of political unrest and terrorism on Kenya's tourism industry: an event study approach

A Research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Science in Actuarial Science at Strathmore UniversityTourism is one of the key drivers of Kenya's socio-economic development. The total contribution of the tourism industry to Kenya's Gross Domestic Product was 9.8% in the year 2016 while the total employment contributed by the tourism industry in Kenya was 9.2% of total employment in Kenya. The tourism sector is therefore a sensitive area that could cause significant socioeconomic disasters in an economy if negatively affected. Because tourists are sensitive to the negative image of a tourist destination, events of violence can affect a tourist destination long after the event has passed and stability has, in effect, been restored. Perceptions of political instability and safety are a prerequisite for tourist visitation. Violent protests, social unrest, civil war, terrorist actions, the perceived violations of rights, or even the mere threat of these activities can all serve to cause tourists to alter travel behavior. Over the past 20 years, Kenya has experienced notable and painful ordeals of terrorism and political unrest. Some of the events that claimed a great number of casualties are the United States Embassy bombings of 1998, the 2007-2008 postelections violence, the 2013 Westgate tenor attack and the Garissa University massacr

Census and ear-notching of black rhinos (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya

This paper updates the status of the black rhino population in Tsavo East National Park (NP). Data were acquired through aerial counts of the black rhino between 3 and 9 October 2010 using three fixed-wing husky aircrafts and a Bell 206L helicopter in an area of about 3,300 km2. Based on previous sightings of rhinos, the area was divided into 14 blocks, with each block subdivided into 400 m transects. An aircraft flying at about 500 m above the ground was assigned to carry out the aerial survey following these transects within each block. Observers scanned for rhinos about 200 m on either sides of the flight paths. Intensive searches in areas with dense vegetation, especially along the Galana and Voi Rivers and other known rhino range areas was also carried out by both the huskies and the helicopter. The count resulted in sighting of 11 black rhinos. Seven of these individuals were ear notched and fitted with radio transmitters and the horns were tipped off to discourage poaching. Three of the seven captured rhinos were among the 49 animals translocated to Tsavo East between 1993 and 1999. The other four animals were born in Tsavo East. Two female rhinos and their calves were not ear-notched or fitted with transmitters. It is recommended that another count be carried out immediately after the wet season as the rhinos spend more time in the open areas while the vegetation is still green. The repeat aerail count is to include blocks north of River Galana

Pin tract infection after uniplanar external fixation of open fractures at a national, teaching and referral hospital

Background: Pin tract infection is the most common complication of external fixation accounting for 43% of complications. The presence of a pin tract infection leads to subsequent pin loosening and fixation failure. It also delays conversion of an external fixator to internal fixation until clearance of the infection is achieved. The incidence of pin tract infections in our setting is not known. This study was aimed at determining the incidence and microbe profile of pin tract infection in patients who have undergone uniplanar external fixation following open fractures at Kenyatta National Hospital.Methods: Consecutive sampling of patients who had undergone uniplanar external fixation at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) was done between September 2016 and December 2016. 73 patients were recruited. Data concerning presence of pin tract infection was collected. Patients with discharging sinuses had a culture and sensitivity done while those with major pin tract infection had immediate x-rays done to rule out radiological changes.Results: Incidence of pin tract infection was 87.7% (64 of 73 patients). Staphylococcus aureus (30.2%) and coagulase negative staphylococci (16.3%) were the commonest causative organisms.Conclusion: The incidence of pin tract infection after uniplanar external fixation is high. Better surgical technique and pin-site care is recommended. Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of pin site infection

Recurrent traumatic posterior hip dislocation in labral avulsion: case report

Recurrent traumatic hip dislocation in adults is very rare. It is often associated with fractures of the acetabulum wall and or column. There have been very few cases of recurrent traumatic hip dislocation secondary to avulsion of the acetabular labrum. We report a patient with traumatic recurrent posterior hip dislocation who had acetabular labrum avulsion, with torn short external rotators, who benefitted from surgical repair of the labrum, with plate augmentation. Clinicians should be wary of post traumatic labral tears as a rare cause of recurrent posterior hip dislocation in the absence of acetabular fractures. They are amenable to surgical repair.Key words: Recurrent hip dislocation, Labrum avulsio

Applicability of molecular markers to determine parasitic infection origins in the animal trade: a case study from Sarcoptes mites in wildebeest

The development of non-manipulative molecular tools to determine the origin of parasite infections in the animal trade (if infected before their export or import) is of great interest worldwide for both the animal trade industry and for animal welfare. Molecular tools have a wide range of applications, including forensic identification, wildlife preservation and conservation, veterinary public health protection, and food safety. Nonetheless, genetic markers were not reported to detect the source of infection in the animal trade. In this study we tested the applicability of molecular tools to detect the origin of Sarcoptes mite infection of wildebeest imported by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) from Tanzania. Using one multiplex of seven microsatellite markers and control samples from UAE, Kenya and Italy, we demonstrated the usefulness of the multiplex STR-typing as a molecular tool of pivotal interest to help commercialist, authorities, and conservationists, to identify the geographical origin of parasitic infection

Festschrift für Hans Hisch zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet von seinen Freunden, Kollegen und Schülern. Wien: Selbstverl. des Instituts für Orientalistik 1996

BACKGROUND: One of the main aims of forensic investigation is the detection and location of people and substances of interest, such as missing people and illegal drugs. Dogs (Canis lupus var. familiaris) have had an important role in legal and forensic investigations for decades; nonetheless canines’ keen sense of smell has never been utilized in either the surveillance or control of wildlife diseases. The rapid removal and treatment of infected carcasses and/or sick animals is a key task in the management of infectious diseases, but it is usually difficult or impractical to carry out in the wild. RESULTS: In this paper we report on a study running over a period of 15 years, in which - for the first time to our knowledge - two disease-detector dogs were trained to follow the scent of Sarcoptes-infected animals and to find carcasses, even under the snow, and apparently no false positives were detected in fieldwork. Sarcoptic mange-detector dogs were used to collect the carcasses of 292 mangy wild animals and to identify, separate from their herd, and capture 63 mange-infected wild animals in the Italian Alps. CONCLUSIONS: Properly trained disease-detector dogs are an efficient and straightforward tool for surveillance and control of sarcoptic mange in affected wild animal populations

EFFECTS OF FOCUS STRATEGY ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY AMONG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Competitive strategy is about being different. This means deliberately performing activities differently and in better ways than competitors. Customer loyalty is developed over a period of time from a consistent record of meeting, and sometimes even exceeding customer expectations. Customer loyalty is very difficult to be achieved with more and more unique ways being adopted to meet the ever changing nature of the pharmaceutical industry. The study objective was to assess the effect of focus strategy on customer loyalty among Pharmaceutical companies in Nairobi County. The research was carried using descriptive survey design. This design refers to a set of methods and procedures that describe variables. It involves gathering data that describes events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts and describes the data. The research targeted 119 pharmaceutical firms and the sample size was computed using 30% of the target population which gives a sample size of 35. The study used questionnaires as an instrument of collecting data. It was found that all the measurers of focus strategy were found to have effect on the customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. The constructs were found to be of good reliability that allowed the researcher to proceed to the actual data collection. The focus strategy variable was found to have a positive and a statistically significant effect customer loyalty. This meant that increase in focus strategy facilitated the increase in customer loyalty among pharmaceutical firms in Nairobi County. It was recommended that adequate resources should be allocated for sales and marketing.  Article visualizations