Small And Medium Enterprises Training For Survival In A Competitive World

This study explored the influence of Total Quality Management practices on performance of Small and Medium Enterprises. Youth Projects in Kajiado County, Kenya were used as the target population. One of the key TQM management practices is training of employees. The study sort to determine the influence of training of employees on performance on SMEs. The study was carried out on 168 youth group projects in Kajiado County.Questionnaires and interviews were used as research instruments. For triangulation purpose, the interview schedule was used to confirm the information captured by the questionnaire. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The study used mixed method approach in the collection and analysis, to capture both the qualitative and quantitative data.Spearman’s correlation was used to test the relationship between training and performance of SMEs. The analyses indicated a moderately positive relationship between training and performance of SMEs in Kajiado county which was statistically significant rs=0.400, p=0.600.Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, it is recommended that to improve the performance of the youth groups, they should strive to ensure their product in the market is superior. This can only be ensured by equipping their employees with proper skills, knowledge and values through training

Top management commitment for successful small and medium-enterprises(SMEs): A hoax or a reality?

The role of small and medium enterprises in any country’s economic development cannot be under estimated. It is important for all countries especially the developing ones to note that the key to having a sustained development is to improve the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This ensures economic growth is inclusive of all people. The success of these enterprises should be the concern of all governments that are interested in not only alleviating poverty as a major threat to sustainable development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of top management commitment as a Total Quality Management (TQM) practice on performance of small and medium enterprises. The study concentrated on youth group projects in Kajiado north sub county, Kajiado County, Kenya. Youth projects were randomly selected from Kajiado north sub-county, in five wards. The study used mixed method approach in the data collection and analysis, to capture both the qualitative and quantitative data. The design is descriptive. The target population was 210 youth that were involved in youth group projects. Spearman’s correlation was used to test the relationship between the variables. The analyses indicated that there is significant relationship between top management and performance

Essays on gender issues, food security, and technology adoption in East Africa

ThesisThis thesis consists of five self-contained papers.This paper uses household- and plot-level data to test whether there are systematic gender differences in the adoption of joint sustainable intensification practices in Kenya. Using a multivariate probit model, we find that gender differences in the adoption of some technologies do exist. Women plot managers are more likely to adopt maize-legume intercropping, but less likely to adopt minimum tillage and apply animal manure relative to male plot managers. However, we find no gender differences for adoption of maize-legume rotation, improved seed varieties, and application of inorganic fertilizer. The results further show that the adoptions of agricultural technologies are strongly influenced by plot characteristics and household factors such as plot size, plot ownership, soil fertility, extension service, access to credit, and age

Lessons for School Principals from Transformational Leadership Characteristics

This study was carried out in selected public secondary schools in Kenya. It is on the realization that the work of the school Principal is not easy and many find themselves in leadership without proper preparation for the hard task. The school principals’ work is a high-stress job especially because he or she has to do virtually everything related to students, teachers, parents, subordinate staff and the community at large. This kind of leader would require extra-ordinary characteristics to be able to be successful. Majority of principals perform decimally in all the areas that spell success in secondary schools especially in discipline and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to find out how principals’ transformational leadership characteristics were correlates to effective school performance. Kouze’s and Posner’s leadership Practices Inventory(LPI)  “self” questionnaire  was used to measure  Principals’ transformational leadership style. LPI “others” was used to triangulate the principals’ response with the teachers. The target population consisted of 72 Principals in public schools and 139 principals in private schools.  There were also 1210 teachers in public secondary schools and 1500 teachers in private secondary schools in Nairobi County. The findings indicated positive correlations between the Principals’ transformational leadership characteristics with effective school performance. Keywords: Secondary schools, transformational leadership, modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, encouraging the heart, enabling others to act. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-12-06 Publication date: April 30th 201

The man in the room : an anthology of short stories

The thesis The Man in the Room is an anthology of short stories that explore themes of race, xenophobia, class and religious conflict, all within the context of immigrant life in the United States, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Kenya. The book was written as a commentary on what life is like for African migrants living in the diaspora. This is a work of fiction. The people, events, circumstances and institutions depicted are fictitious and the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance of any character to any actual person, whether living or dead, is purely coincidental. Please note an excerpt of The Beauty of the Nigerians has been published in the literary journal, Type/Cast

Environmental goods collection and children’s schooling: evidence from Kenya

ArticleThis study examines the link between environmental goods collection and children schooling in Kiambu District, Kenya. The study was carried out against the increasing consensus in the literature on household dependence on natural resources and the suggested consequences on households investing more time in collection of those scarce resources especially firewood and water. Children schooling is measured as the child’s school attendance and performance in school. Our study uses data collected from 200 households using a detailed questionnaire. The sample had 609 children from Lari, Ndeiya and Kikuyu Divisions of Kiambu District. The descriptive statistics indicates that children are involved in both decisions of resource collection and school attendance. Since the two decisions are jointly determined we first estimate the bivariate probit model. In addition, possible endogeneity of resource collection work in the school attendance equation is corrected for, using instrumental variable Probit estimation. The probit model was also estimated for the performance model. The results support the hypothesis of a negative relationship between children resource collection work and their likelihood of attending school. The results also suggest that performance in school does not depend on environmental goods/resource collection work of children. Finally the study recommends ways of increasing water supply to reduce the time children spend on collecting it and ways of substituting firewood.This study examines the link between environmental goods collection and children schooling in Kiambu District, Kenya. The study was carried out against the increasing consensus in the literature on household dependence on natural resources and the suggested consequences on households investing more time in collection of those scarce resources especially firewood and water. Children schooling is measured as the child’s school attendance and performance in school. Our study uses data collected from 200 households using a detailed questionnaire. The sample had 609 children from Lari, Ndeiya and Kikuyu Divisions of Kiambu District. The descriptive statistics indicates that children are involved in both decisions of resource collection and school attendance. Since the two decisions are jointly determined we first estimate the bivariate probit model. In addition, possible endogeneity of resource collection work in the school attendance equation is corrected for, using instrumental variable Probit estimation. The probit model was also estimated for the performance model. The results support the hypothesis of a negative relationship between children resource collection work and their likelihood of attending school. The results also suggest that performance in school does not depend on environmental goods/resource collection work of children. Finally the study recommends ways of increasing water supply to reduce the time children spend on collecting it and ways of substituting firewood

Experimental Study of the Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Compression Ignition (CI) Engine Using Syngas-Diesel Blend

The research is financed jointly by TUM and Self. The content contained herein is my original work. Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the performance and emissions characteristics of the compression ignition engine when operated with several blends of syngas-diesel fuel. The aim is to identify the best conditions of fuel-blend proportion, compression, fuel ignition timing, speed and load under which the engine is to be operated for maximum power output and minimum emissions. Syngas used was generated from a bench-scale gasifier and mixed with air at mixing unit before the mixture is supplied to the engine combustion chamber for the mixing with a controlled amount of neat diesel. The gas was first cleaned and cooled before delivery to the mixing unit. Tests were done for fuel consumption, power output and emissions for each aforementioned condition.  It is known, coal has been a major source of energy for many countries of the developed world, especially where coal deposits exist. This situation is expected to persist for a long time to come; more so, in light of the rapid depletion of the world’s oil reserves, underdevelopment of conversion equipment for renewable energy and the uncertainty of nuclear energy. However, coal has been the major contributor to global warming and the greenhouse effect. These problems associated with coal have necessitated carrying out of studies under the clean coal technology and green coal programs. Both aimed at reducing its negative environmental impact and health hazard in power and industrial plants, and as an alternative fuel in ICE engines. This is partly achieved through the gasification of existing coal to produce a combustible gas called synthetic gas (syngas). Syngas can meet energy needs in an economical and environmentally friendly way, especially in the areas where coal is available, the price of petroleum fuels is high, or where supplies are uncertain. This study has established that a CI engine using syngas, though generates less power than an engine operated with neat diesel, emits less and fewer emission(s) and therefore is promising and even cost-competitive alternative to the conventional diesel fuel engines. Therefore, this paper has included information on the performance and emissions of CI engine when using syngas-diesel blend and compared it with when the engine is operated on neat diesel. Keywords: Brake thermal efficiency (BTE), emissions, Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) specific fuel consumption (BFC), Synthesis Gas (syngas). DOI: 10.7176/JETP/10-1-07 Publication date: March 31st 202

Generalized storage-yield-reliability relationships for analysing shopping centre rainwater harvesting systems.

The objective of this study was to develop guidelines for analysing rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems of shopping centres in South Africa. A model consisting of three dimensionless relationships relating rainwater supply and demand to storage capacity, yield and reliability was formulated. Data from daily simulation of potential RWHsystems of 19 shopping were used to obtain the relationships. The simulations revealed within-year storage behaviour with considerable variation of annual yield. By applying the Weibull plotting position formula, yield-reliability relationships were derived. The aim to maximize yield and reliability whilst minimizing storage identified Pareto-optimal combinations of the three variables and these combinations were used to develop two dimensionless relationships. An additional relationship based on the dependence of the slope of the yield-reliability plots on yield was formulated to enable analysis of hydrologically non-optimal systems. Verification tests using four RWH systems obtained results that matched those from simulation and the model could therefore be applied for RWH feasibility analysis and preliminary design. This study highlights the need to incorporate inter-annual variability in RWH analysis and shows how reliability can be used to quantify this. This study further demonstrates how reliability can be fully integrated into regression relationships for generalized RWH analysis.MvdH2017http://www.mdpi.com/journal/wate