Compensation Management Practices and Quality of Health Care at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital

Organizations are known to provide a high quality health care when its human resources are compensated properly. When a health care institution compensates its clinical and non-clinical staff efficiently, it results into improved quality of healthcare. However, recent strikes globally, and in Kenya specifically, suggests inappropriate compensation management practices of the healthcare workers in the Country. It’s against this background that the study sought to investigate the effect of compensation management practices on the quality of healthcare at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of; competitive salary, financial incentives and group bonuses; on the quality of healthcare at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu County, Kenya. The research was underpinned by the human capital, resource-based view; person fit environment theories, and the service performance model. The two populations of interest consisted of the permanent clinical and nursing staff and patient complaint data on responsiveness and reliability of clinicians and nurses, for the third quarter of the 2017/2018 financial year. The research was grounded on a principle of mixed methods pragmatism, exploiting the sequential explanatory mixed methods design. Phase one surveyed the opinions of a systematic random sample of 97 respondents from a target population of 130 permanent clinicians and nurses.Phase Two involved a content analysis of patient complaints data for an explanation of the quantitative relationships established in the quantitative strand of the study. During Phase One, summary statistics, that informed inferential and subsequent qualitative analysis, were presented using tables and charts. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the significance of the relationship amongst the log10 of predictor and log10 of the outcome variable. The log-log regression model shows that the compensation management practices explain 22.1% of the variance in the dependent variable. Hypothesis tests revealed that compensation management practices had statistically significant relationships with quality of health care. Qualitative data provided further evidence on the importance of compensation management practices in ensuring that the technical quality of healthcare was maintained. Most complaints derived from delay in test results, and waiting before the consultation. The shortage of clinicians and nurses were to blame for delays in serving patients. The study concludes that teaching and referral hospitals can improve the quality of healthcare by addressing challenges relating to compensation. Adoption of a strategic approach to compensation management could remedy HR deficiency and solve the problem of strikes in teaching and referral hospitals in Kenya and beyond

The Influence of Investment Public Relations Strategy on the Performance of Large Motor Vehicle Dealers in Nairobi, Kenya

The Motor Vehicle Companies in Nairobi, Kenya have played a major role in the contribution to job creation and economic development. Despite their role in economic development, these dealers face intense competition from imported second-hand vehicles. The purpose of the study was to investigate the value of investment public relations strategy on the performance of Large Motor Vehicle dealers in Nairobi, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study included; to establish the effects of; resource investment strategy and inter-reliance strategy on the performance of Large Motor Vehicle dealers in Nairobi, Kenya. A descriptive research design was used where the target population was 15 large motor vehicle firms operating in Nairobi, which are members of the Kenya Motor Industry Association. The unit of analysis was the large motor vehicle dealers while the unit of observation was the four strategic public relations strategies including; openness, stakeholder involvement, investment and commitment strategy. The study used primary data sources and secondary data. Primary data was collected using open ended and closed questionnaires. Content and construct validity was achieved though seeking expert opinion. Reliability was ascertained using Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Descriptive statistics and multiple regressions were used to analyze the quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Data was analyzed using tables and figures.The study findings confirmed that majority of the large motor vehicle dealers in Nairobi had improved firm performance as a result of the implementation of investment public relation strategy which guarantees the effectiveness of strategic public relations. This proves that majority of the large motor vehicle dealers in Nairobi applied investment public relations strategies in their operations to ensure their improved performance. Finally, the study recommended that the management of the Large Motor Vehicle dealers need to monitor their financial investment in public relations to guarantee value for money

Challenges of Performance Appraisal Implementation and their Effects on Service Delivery in Public Secondary Schools in Githunguri Sub-county of Kiambu County, Kenya

Performance contract in public service is a freely negotiated performance agreement between the Government, acting as the owner of a Government Agency, and the management of the agency. It is part of the broader public reforms aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness in the management of public services. In so doing, the process clearly specifies the intentions, obligation and responsibilities of the two parties, that is, the employer and the employee. In Kenya, performance appraisal came into effect in the last two years despite constant resistance from teachers through their unions. The introduction of performance appraisal in the education sector followed public concerns of deteriorating standards of education. It is for this reason that the study sought to evaluate the existing challenges in the implementation of performance appraisal and their effect on service delivery in public secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-county of Kiambu County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to establish; the influences of inadequate training, conflict between appraisers and appraisees and dishonesty in awarding scores, on the implementation of performance contract in public secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-county of Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted a survey research design. The target population for the study was 31 public secondary schools, 31 principals and 604 public secondary school teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission.The study adopted stratified sampling and simple random techniques to select 20 schools to form part of the sample. Purposive sampling technique was then employed to select all the 20 principals of the sampled schools. Stratified sampling technique was also employed to divide teachers into four departments namely: mathematics and science, languages, humanities and technical. Simple random sampling was then employed to select 160 teachers to form part of the sample. Data from sampled principals was collected using an interview guide while data from sampled teachers was collected using a questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Findings from the study revealed that implementation of performance appraisal in public secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-county of Kiambu County, Kenya are bedeviled by myriad of challenges which ultimately affect service delivery in the schools. The study recommended the need to educate teachers and all stakeholders on the importance of implementing the system. Care should be taken to avoid the scenario where the system is viewed as punishing teachers. The system should rather be seen to reward teachers who attain their set goals. Improvements should also be made incorporating teachers as well as all stakeholders’ views to further improve the tools. All the appraisers should be adequately trained on the use of the tools to ensure that they are not used as a formality or to settle differences

Consumer Behavior and Choice of Housing in Kenya: A Case of Selected Residential Rental Estates in Nairobi City County

Consumer decisions are those decisions consumers make in the market place transactions and activities. This may vary depending on their level of buying decision behavior as well as level of product involvement. Hand in hand is consumer behavior which is identified with a consumer during the consideration, purchase and usage of a product. Available and affordable housing for every Kenyan across all age and income groups is one of the aspects of development in reference to the Kenya Vision 2030. However with the recent trend of continuous rural to urban migration/ urbanization, housing needs still remain a thorning issue more so in urban and town areas as portrayed by population census reports 1989. 1999, 2009. Rental consumers in urban/town areas of Kenya, particularly middle to low income earners vary in their choice of formal housing depending on consumer behavior set of factors such as consumer tastes, preference, search activities and evaluation of product information on housing decisions. This therefore formed the basis of the study of relationship between consumer behavior and choice of housing in Kenya.  As insight from this study would enable developers in the housing market particularly the government and marketers incorporate consumer trends as they seek provision of decent housing to its population. The study used descriptive research design and targeted middle to lower income rental consumers in Nairobi North, Nairobi East and West lands as population under study. The study used partly stratified random sampling and partly purposive sampling technique in choosing respondents for primary data collection. The findings were then analyzed by the use of Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) software to obtain the descriptive and inferential statistics.From the findings, the study established that consumer tastes and preferences strongly influenced choice of rental housing, whereas search activities and evaluation of product information were weak influencers of choice of rental housing. The findings were presented by tables