Microfinance Interventions and Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs Rural Constituencies in Kenya

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) provide its members with financial and social intermediation services to help improve their businesses. Despite a multitude of studies devoted to the topic, the effect of microfinance intervention on the empowerment of women entrepreneurs in rural constituencies remains largely unexplored in Kenya. This paper seeks to bridge the gap by establishing the effect of microfinance interventions on empowerment of women entrepreneurs in Mogotio Constituency in Kenya. It focused on three specific objectives to: determine the effect of micro credit on empowerment of women entrepreneurs, examine the effect of micro savings on empowerment of women entrepreneurs and, finally establish the effect of training on empowerment of women entrepreneurs. The paper adopts a causal survey research design through which 80 members of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the study area were selected and data collected from them using a structured questionnaire. Linear multiple regression was used to determine the MFI intervention constructs that affected micro finance intervention. SPSS was used to generate the frequency distribution.  Results show that except for microfinance saving, other MFI interventions such as microfinance credit and microfinance training significantly and positively affect empowerment of women entrepreneurs.  The study makes policy recommendations to guide development of microfinance interventions that are beneficial to the clients and other stakeholders of the MFI institutions. Keyword: Microfinance Interventions, Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs;  Constituencies in Kenya

Learning company for sustainable competitiveness: Towards a model and theory development

Previous studies on learning organizations do not provide a strategic framework of adapting organizational learning for sustainable competitiveness. This paper reviews various contributions on developing learning companies with an objective of proposing ideal management practices for sustainable competitiveness. Based on existing literature review, the essence of integrating business strategy with learning which helps the organization realize sustainable competitiveness. The paper holds that managers need to identify learner’s needs and provide conducive learning opportunities and nurture knowledge sharing as part of organizational culture. Further, existing incentives should enhance the desire to learn, as well as developing appropriate mechanisms, leadership and management approaches. The paper adopts the systems approach to exhibit how organizational learning may be adapted within organizational settings. Based on existing theories and previous discussions, the paper seeks to show how organizational learning may be modeled and implemented in developing countries within large and small firms in the 21st century. In conclusions drawn and recommendations for further research emphasis is laid on the need to link organizational learning to performance as a grey area to be explored

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Performance: Evidence from Small and Micro-Enterprises in Kenya

Entrepreneurial orientation is a significant determinant of firm performance. The multifaceted nature of EO prompted a need for a more insightful study to bring to fore the extent of effect it has on performance. Nonetheless, past research has shown that simply examining the effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation on firm performance provides an incomplete picture. To stimulate the relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and firm performance, there is need to control internal and external contingent factors. Using data from 333 Small and Micro-enterprises (SMEs) in Uasin-Gishu County in Kenya, the study showed that innovativeness (β1= 0.632, p value = 0.000) and pro-activeness (β2= 0.246, p value = 0.000) have positive effects on firm performance; however, risk-taking  negatively  effects  firm performance (β3= -0.163, p value = 0.002). The study makes significant contributions to the understanding of the relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and performance of SMEs. This knowledge is invaluable to both SME owners and policy makers in designing and shaping firm and industry-level strategies that are appropriate for positive outcomes of entrepreneurship. Keywords: Entrepreneurial orientation, Innovativeness, Pro-activeness, Risk-taking, Firm Performanc

Selected Job Characteristics and Performance of Nursing Employees in National Referral Hospitals in Kenya.

As a nation’s largest group of health professionals, nurses play an important role in the delivery of quality and cost effective health care. As a result of focusing on the need for nurses to work to their full potential, health care system efficiency should be optimized and so to retention of nurses. This study examines the effect of selected job characteristics (task identity and autonomy) on nurses’ performance in the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Kenya. This study is based on the goal setting and job characteristic theories. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of task identity and autonomy on nurses’ performance. The study was an   explanatory survey which drew a sample of 320 nurses  using simple random sampling techniques. A structured questionnaire consisting 5-point likert scale items was used to collect data which was later analyzed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis) and inferential statistics (Pearson Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis). Two null hypotheses that there were no effects of task identify and autonomy on nurses’ performance tested and based on the results were rejected. The results showed that autonomy had a higher significant effect on nurses’ performance (?2= 0.443; p = 0.000) than task identify (?1=0.12; p = 0.024). The paper recommends that the hospital management should embark on the nurses’ job redesign as a strategy to enhance positive job outcomes through committed and satisfied nurses. Keywords: Job Characteristics, Autonomy, Task Identity, Employee Performance. Nursing Employee

Reward Strategy and Employee Commitment: Moderated by Empowerment

Organizational commitment also termed as employee commitment continues and remains to be an important element in any sector in the economy. Interest in triggers and stimulants of employee commitment has ramped up among researchers and organizations due to intensified competition for highly skilled and talented staff brought about by free labor market. The study set to find out the effect of reward strategy on employee commitment. Secondly, it also sought to establish the moderating effect of employee empowerment on reward strategy and employee commitment. Social exchange theory in this study illustrates the connection between reward strategy and employee commitment through the reciprocity principle. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 394. Regression analyses was used to test the hypotheses. The results were that reward strategy applied by the commercial banks had a positive significant effect on employee commitment. Further, it was established that employee empowerment had a moderating effect on reward strategy and employee commitment therefore validating the aims of the study. From these findings, organizations should leverage on reward strategy and empowerment to bolster and strengthen commitment in their employees. The implications, recommendations and conclusion have been comprehensively discussed in the study. Keywords: Reward Strategy, Employee commitment, Empowerment, Moderation. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-22-10 Publication date: November 30th 202

Moderating Effects of Networking Capabilities on Marketing Capabilities and Performance of Small Firms in Kenya

Marketing and Networking have separately occupied research for a long time.  Yet the two compliment and or supplement each other especially in small firms in driving superior firm performance.  Hence, this study focused on the two concepts and sought to determine the moderating effect of networking capabilities the relationship between marketing capabilities and performance of small firms. The resource-based view and social capital theories were used as bases for this study.  The results from an explanatory survey of a sample of 384 small firms in Nairobi, Kenya are discussed. Data was collected by use of self-administered questionnaires. Multiple Regression analysis results showed that both marketing and networking capabilities positively influence small firm performance but networking capability does not significantly moderate the relationship between marketing capabilities and small firm performance. The study recommends to managers and advisory service providers that small firms can improve performance by developing both marketing and networking capabilities because each of the capabilities has exclusive influence performance. Key words: Marketing capability, network capability, small firm performance

The Level Of Corporate Dividend Payout To Stockholders: Does Optimal Dividend Policy Exist For Firms Quoted At The Nairobi Stock Exchange?

The objective of this study was to determine the level of corporate dividend payout to stockholders and establish if the optimal dividend policy exists for the firms quoted at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE).  An analysis was done for the all the 43 firms trading in the main investment market at the Nairobi Stock Exchange.  Secondary data was obtained from the Nairobi Stock Exchange library, Internet & company libraries. Companies that were quoted at the stock exchange for a period of thirteen years and paid and/or did not pay dividends during that period were sampled. According to the findings of this study, the aggregate dividend payout ratio for the Kenyan market was obtained to be 44.14% for the period between 1991- 2003. The findings of this research suggest that the average corporate dividend payout to stockholders for 40% of the firms is low and stable and that 28% of the firms quoted paid out high and stable dividends. It was also observed that most of the firms that paid high and stable dividends are the blue chip firms, which are the main movers of trading at the NSE. The dividend model provides a summary of the factors that influenced and continue to influence the dividend decisions for this market including and not limited to the tax systems, clientele preferences, signaling, sustainability, low liquidity, high growth, ownership control and dividends as residual etc. From the model it is possible to predict the likely dividend decisions of the firms in future

Moderating Variables On SMEs Strategies And Competitiveness For International Trade: A Survey Of Horticultural Traders In Urban And Peri-Urban Areas In Kenya

Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) strategy and competitiveness in international trade in developing countries context have not been fully explored. This paper posits that SMEs competitiveness as a result of its strategy is moderated by an array of internal and external factors. Accordingly, this paper examines key moderating variables on the SMEs strategies as a construct that influence enterprise competitiveness. The objectives of the paper are three fold: to identify the moderating factors on SME strategies and competitiveness, to evaluate the level and extent of moderation of such variables and to evaluate the relationship between enterprise strategy and competitiveness. The hypotheses were developed and tested using data collected using survey of traders in the urban and peri-urban areas of Uasin Gishu District, Kenya. Systematic random sampling technique was used to pick 50 of the 200 traders in the market. Data was collected using self-administered structured questionnaire to the respondents. Factor analysis was used to extract latent factors and provide an understanding of structures and identify the moderating factors. Further, linear multiple regression analysis was performed on the extracted factors against sales volume as a measure of competitiveness. This was used in the assessment of various dimensions of the enterprise performance of SMES. Ten factors with high eigen values of more than one were extracted. The regression model could not provide conclusive results on the effect of strategy on competitiveness, but could be indicative of the complexity of the underlying interactions