Hotel facilities’ management practices and employee performance in Kenya

This study investigated the efficacy of hotel facilities’ management practices on employee performance. A descriptive research survey was applied, while  the study area was Nairobi County. The sampling techniques applied were a census, stratified, purposive and simple random sampling which gave a  sample size of 144 employees. Study results show that sufficient lighting to allow ease of working and moving around safely gave the highest mean value  among maintenance management factors (3.95), while work surfaces and head-height beams yielded the highest mean (3.95) among hotel  workplace design factors. Nonetheless, health and safety had the majority (40%) of respondents among the hotel facilities regulations and standards.  Finally, hotel maintenance management gave the greatest contribution in the relationship between hotel facilities management practices and employee  performance (Β = 0.572, t = 4.637, p < 0.001), while hotel workplace design gave the least contribution (B = −0.299, t = −2.576, p = 0.011).&nbsp

A CUSTOMER-EMPLOYEE ENCOUNTER: A REVIEW OF CUSTOMER QUALITY CONTROL ON RESTAURANT FOOD SERVICE

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study review was to fill the literature gap into the customer quality control on restaurant food and beverage service, with the objective of identifying customer quality control methodologies within the hospitality’s food and beverage operations. Methodology: For purposes of carrying out the study review, the concept of customer employees encounter in the process of not only creating and offering goods and services but also the quality control aspect, and the various methodologies in doing so were considered and reviewed. The study employed a meta-analysis in gathering, analyzing, presentation and discussion of the study results. Main Findings: The study review findings reveal that hospitality organizations are facing a drift from the conventional restaurant standard operating procedures in reference to foodservice quality control with the customer taking a central position in the production and presentation of food services. Limitations: This is a study review and therefore the study findings were arrived at in consideration of mainly secondary sources. Some studies are traditionally region and/ or country-specific and therefore much caution is needed when generalizing the study findings. Social implications: There is a myriad of ways through which restaurant food service quality control can be integrated into the customer employee service encounter. They reviewed three main methodologies in this study review may provide the best tools not only for quality control function but also build confidence among the customer base, thus yielding customer satisfaction and retention on the one hand, while creating business sustainability on the other hand. Originality: This study will, therefore, help the hospitality restaurant business to appreciate the role of customers in the process of quality services provision, thus enable organizations to achieve a strategic business competitive position

STUDY OF FOOD SECURITY THROUGH FOOD WASTE AND LOSS CONTROL MECHANISM IN KENYA

Food waste within the hospitality’s restaurant operations contribute immensely to the global food wastes, and studies reveal that it contributes 45% of wastes through food preparation and production processes, 21% through food spoilage as a result of poor storage and 34% through food leavers as observed from customer plates. Further, research confirms that food wastage has directly resulted in the starvation of over 842 million people, with over 1.3 billion tons documented as food wastages, while substantial amounts of this food waste and losses taking place within the larger hospitality restaurant’s operations. The factors influencing these food waste generation included; the type of service, the type of food served, the expected and actual numbers of customers, the season and the food service organization, which are addressed by this study in an attempt to propose ways of reducing food waste and losses, and hence promoting food security. The study narrows down to the prevention solutions approach, which was employed on the basis of; menu design, portion choices and customized dishes, use of smaller plates during service, procuring optimized quantities, proper application of product specifications, and employment of waste tracking and analytics methodologies, which when appropriately applied in the restaurant food operations business will significantly reduce food waste and losses, and by extension global food insecurity

Pragmatic restaurant tipping in star-rated hotels in Kenya

Tipping can be traced to Tudor England in the sixteenth century. This act transformed into a custom, spreading to many countries. However, tipping is observed differently from one country to the other and thus is not homogeneous from a global perspective. The act of tipping is thought to be motivated by various predictors, which were studied and are thought to influence peoples’ tipping behaviour. They include gender, income level, religion, nationality, hospitality exposure, alcohol consumption and the weather conditions of the day. The study applied a cross-sectional survey design and was carried out in Kenya during from December 2019 to February 2020 in eight star-rated hotels. A questionnaire was applied in this study. The study has results showing that data is distributed close to the mean values. Further, the study results show that the independent variable explains 78.4% of the variability in the tipping practice. Thus the variable of “Patronage frequency” gave the strongest significant and unique contribution in explaining the dependent variable (B = 0.515, Sig. = 0.000, t = 15.363). However, religion gave the weakest unique and non-significant contribution (B = 0.013, Sig. = 0.770, t = 0.293). For hotel restaurants to achieve high levels of tipping, there is a need to adjust these predictors depending on the effect of each on the outcome variable. Thus, the study established a significant relationship between the determinants of tipping and the tipping practices in the sampled star-rated hotels in Kenya

THE TIPPING CONSEQUENCE ON HOSPITALITY’S RESTAURANT FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE RESPONSIVENESS IN KISUMU COUNTY - KENYA

Purpose of study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the tipping consequence of restaurant food service responsiveness. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive survey approach within Kisumu County in Kenya, with a focus on classified hotel restaurant (dependent). A simple random sampling methodology was applied in the selection of restaurant clients, with a sample size of 384 respondents. Main Findings: According to the study, tipping was found to have an effect on foodservice responsiveness (P ˂ 0.05), and thus a clear indication that foodservice responsiveness is dependent on tipping within classified dependent restaurants in Kisumu County, Kenya. Limitations: The study captured dependent restaurants in star-rated hotels within Kisumu County. Therefore, the results of the study may be applied with caution outside the scope of the study. Social Implications: Since its inception, tipping has been thought of as an incentive towards quality food service provision, hence customer satisfaction and retention. However, tipping has had a negative influence on foodservice responsiveness and therefore a compromise on food service quality, customer satisfaction and retention. Originality: There is insufficient literature on the topic, although with a handful on the relationship between service quality and tipping. This study will, therefore, fill the gap and used as a benchmark for other studies within not only the hospitality industry but the entire service industry. As a result, the study will be utilized both in policy and practice

Analysis of the prevalence of HTLV-1 proviral DNA in cervical smears and carcinomas from HIV positive and negative Kenyan women

The oncogenic retrovirus human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic in some countries although its prevalence and relationship with other sexually transmitted infections in Sub-Saharan Africa is largely unknown. A novel endpoint PCR method was used to analyse the prevalence of HTLV-1 proviral DNA in genomic DNA extracted from liquid based cytology (LBC) cervical smears and invasive cervical carcinomas (ICCs) obtained from human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+ve) and HIV-negative (HIV−ve) Kenyan women. Patient sociodemographic details were recorded by structured questionnaire and these data analysed with respect to HIV status, human papillomavirus (HPV) type (Papilocheck®) and cytology. This showed 22/113 (19.5%) of LBC’s from HIV+ve patients were positive for HTLV-1 compared to 4/111 (3.6%) of those from HIV−ve women (p = 0.0002; odds ratio (OR) = 6.42 (2.07–26.56)). Only 1/37 (2.7%) of HIV+ve and none of the 44 HIV−ve ICC samples were positive for HTLV-1. There was also a significant correlation between HTLV-1 infection, numbers of sexual partners (p < 0.05) and smoking (p < 0.01). Using this unique method, these data suggest an unexpectedly high prevalence of HTLV-1 DNA in HIV+ve women in this geographical location. However, the low level of HTLV-1 detected in HIV+ve ICC samples was unexpected and the reasons for this are unclear

No Biological Evidence of XMRV Infection in Cervical Smears from HIV/ HPV Positive and Negative Kenyan Women

BACKGROUND: XMRV (xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus) is a gammaretrovirus first discovered in human prostate carcinomas and later linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Emerging conflicting data and lack of reproducibility of results within the scientific community has now led to the association of XMRV with CFS being discounted. Indeed the case for an involvement with any human disease has been questioned with the suggestion that XMRV is a laboratory generated recombinant virus. The fact that not all published positive findings can be easily explained as contamination artefacts coupled with the observation that XMRV may have a sexually transmitted mode of infectivity and can be infectious for primates, where it preferential resides in cells of the reproductive tract, prompted us to look for evidence of XMRV in the cervical cells of a cohort of Kenyan women both with and without pre-existing HIV/HPV infections. RESULTS: Using a highly sensitive and selective triplex PCR approach we analysed DNA from the liquid based cytology (LBC) cervical smears of 224 Kenyan women. There was no evidence of XMRV expression in any of the sample population irrespective of HPV and/or HIV status. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented show no indication of XMRV infection in any of the cervical samples screened in this study. Approximately 50% of the women were HIV positive but this did not influence the findings signifying that XMRV does not act as an opportunistic infection in this cohort nor is it related to HPV status. Our results therefore support the findings that XMRV is confined to the laboratory and does not currently represent an infectious agent for humans, with a cautionary adage that such potential zoonotic viruses should be carefully monitored in the future

Updating of a clinical protocol for the prevention and management of postpartum haemorrhage at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) affects 6% of births and accounts for almost 30% of maternal deaths. The use of clinical protocols for preventing and treating PPH is recommended by WHO. Protocols should be evidence-based, regularly updated, widely available and routinely adhered to.Broad Objective: To update the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) PPH prevention and management protocol based on latest recommendations, and ensure its dissemination and use by providers.Materials and Methods: A literature search identified selected PPH-related guidelines which were assessed using the AGREE-II tool for guideline quality. A matrix was created to compare recommendations across  guidelines. Recommendations included in the KNH protocol were based on agreement across guidelines, guideline quality, publication year, and  contextual factors in our setting. To aid implementation, an updated KNH protocol document, a clinical algorithm and a PPH management checklist were developed. These were reviewed and accepted as best practice by KNH and University of Nairobi.Results: Six PPH-related guidelines were used (WHO, FIGO, RCOG, ACOG, FOGSI, and the Kenya National Guidelines for Quality Obstetrics and  Perinatal care). The KNH protocol covers PPH prevention, including: active management of third stage, oxytocin after vaginal or caesarean delivery, other drugs for prevention (when oxytocin is not available), controlled cord traction and delayed cord clamping. It also covers PPH management (supportive and definitive measures).Conclusion: An updated PPH prevention and management protocol for KNH was developed. Implementation and adherence will help standardize PPH-related care and improve health outcomes for women

A Single-Arm, Proof-Of-Concept Trial of Lopimune (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) as a Treatment for HPV-Related Pre-Invasive Cervical Disease

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common female malignancy in the developing nations and the third most common cancer in women globally. An effective, inexpensive and self-applied topical treatment would be an ideal solution for treatment of screen-detected, pre-invasive cervical disease in low resource settings. METHODS: Between 01/03/2013 and 01/08/2013, women attending Kenyatta National Hospital's Family Planning and Gynaecology Outpatients clinics were tested for HIV, HPV (Cervista®) and liquid based cervical cytology (LBC -ThinPrep®). HIV negative women diagnosed as high-risk HPV positive with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) were examined by colposcopy and given a 2 week course of 1 capsule of Lopimune (CIPLA) twice daily, to be self-applied as a vaginal pessary. Colposcopy, HPV testing and LBC were repeated at 4 and 12 weeks post-start of treatment with a final punch biopsy at 3 months for histology. Primary outcome measures were acceptability of treatment with efficacy as a secondary consideration. RESULTS: A total of 23 women with HSIL were treated with Lopimune during which time no adverse reactions were reported. A maximum concentration of 10 ng/ml of lopinavir was detected in patient plasma 1 week after starting treatment. HPV was no longer detected in 12/23 (52.2%, 95%CI: 30.6-73.2%). Post-treatment cytology at 12 weeks on women with HSIL, showed 14/22 (63.6%, 95%CI: 40.6-82.8%) had no dysplasia and 4/22 (18.2%, 95%CI: 9.9-65.1%) were now low grade demonstrating a combined positive response in 81.8% of women of which 77.8% was confirmed by histology. These data are supported by colposcopic images, which show regression of cervical lesions. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the potential of Lopimune as a self-applied therapy for HPV infection and related cervical lesions. Since there were no serious adverse events or detectable post-treatment morbidity, this study indicates that further trials are clearly justified to define optimal regimes and the overall benefit of this therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry 48776874

Compatibility between Calpurnia aurea leaf extract, attraction aggregation, and attachment pheromone and entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae on viability, growth, and virulence of the pathogen

Metarhizium anisopliae sensu stricto (ss) (Metsch.) Sorok. isolate ICIPE 07 is being developed as biopesticide for the control of ticks. In addition, leaf extracts of Calpurnia aurea Benth, and the attraction aggregation and attachment pheromone (AAAP) are being used as ticks’ attractant. The three agents are being considered for use in combination in an autodissemination approach, whereby ticks that are attracted to semiochemicals are infected with the inoculum. Experiments were therefore conducted to evaluate in vitro the compatibility between C. aurea, AAAP, and the M. anisopliae on vegetative growth, conidial production, and spore viability. Calpurnia aurea leaf extract was compatible with the fungus at all the concentrations tested, whereas AAAP inhibited all the fungal growth parameters. The virulence of M. anisopliae formulated in emulsifiable extracts of C. aurea was also tested against different developmental stages of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus in laboratory bioassays. No significant differences in virulence were observed between M. anisopliae applied alone and M. anisopliae formulated in different concentrations of C. aurea leaf extracts. These results suggest that C. aurea leaf extracts is compatible with M. anisopliae and could be mixed together for “spot-spray” treatments as low-cost and environmental-friendly technology to control ticks in grazing field, while AAAP should be used separately.Bioscience Eastern and Central Africa Network (BecANet) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).http://link.springer.com/journal/10340hb2013mn201