Assessment of Participatory Management in Strategy Implementation: Case of Mabati Rolling Mills Company Limited, Mombasa

Most studies on reasons for good and poor performance in companies in Kenya and the world over have been done and findings and recommendations made whose adoption have not aided in enhancement of the profit margins of the said companies. Most of the recommendations have been focusing on methods like retrenchment, diversification and concentration strategies which have not been effective in improving the companies’ performance as envisaged in their strategic plans. These studies have failed to consider the management styles whose adoption could lead to improved output by all employees. This study looked into the detailed relationship between participatory management and employee commitment towards strategy implementation with an aim of resolving the question that “Does participatory management payoff in terms of employee performance in strategy implementation?” Research results in this area clarified the relationship. This, it achieved through an analytic study of the employee participation in management as well as the level of strategy implementation at the company. The study used cross sectional descriptive involving systematic collection and presentation of data to give a clear picture of the situation with participative management as the independent variable and strategy implementation as the dependent variable. The design was preferred because it allowed deep analysis of the units under study. Data was collected at two levels namely; management staff and junior staff levels in MRM. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 to determine the relationship between the two main variable namely extent of participatory management and performance. The study established a positive and significant relationship between employee participation in management and strategy implementation and formulation at the company. This implies that, the more satisfying the employee involvement in the management of the affairs of the company the greater the extent of strategy implementation in a company. Overall, employee participation in management influences significantly strategy formulation and implementation at MRM. It would be of interest to consider how the company involves other stakeholders such as suppliers in its strategic plans’ formulation and implementation as well as find out the effect of the risk of not involving employees in the management process with an aim of assessing the costs and benefits of implementing stakeholder focused strategic plans for the company. Key Words: Participatory Management, Strategy Implementation, Mabati Rolling Mills Company Limited, Mombasa

Effect of sustainable relationships on the growth of technology hubs in Kenya

A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Masters of Business Administration at Strathmore University Business SchoolThe number of technology hubs coming up in Africa has been on the rise in the recent past, as depicted by several studies herein. However, despite the upsurge in the number of hubs, there is limited expansion and advancements in most of them, hence prompting the need to examine factors affecting their growth. Past studies have established that sustainable relationships influence growth in organizations. The studies have also singled out collaboration, coopetition, and differentiation aspects in sustainable relationships. The current study sought to establish the effect of collaboration, coopetition, and differentiation on the growth of technology hubs in Kenya. The study was grounded on the resource-based view theory and the firm growth theory. The study design was a descriptive research with the unit of analysis being 40 Technology Hubs in Kenya, with two managers each, being considered. The study sampled the 80 respondents drawn from the 40 Tech Hubs. The study relied on quantitative data using a structured research questionnaire. The study adopted a drop and pick and online google forms in the data collection process. The collected research data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential techniques. The analyzed data was presented graphically. The study was able to obtain a response rate of 91% of the sample participants. The study indicates that 49% of the Tech Hubs were involved in coopetition, 43% in collaboration, and 8% had undertaken differentiation. The study concludes that collaboration, coopetition, differentiation, and business environment are positively related to the growth of Tech Hubs in Kenya. The research recommends that management of Tech Hubs embrace collaborative and coopetitive efforts as these will be critical to their growth. The study further recommends that they develop alliances with other regional Tech Hubs for service focused development. The study also recommends that the government should create awareness within the public on the benefits that can be achieved by embracing digitalization within the various economic sectors

Economics of cucumber production in Rivers State, Nigeria

Cucumbers are very easy to grow and make for a delicious treat. They are naturally low in calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium. The study aimed to determine the profitability of cucumber production in two local government areas of Rivers State. The specific objectives of the study included examining the socio-economic characteristics of cucumber producers, ascertaining the profit level and determinants of cucumber production in Rivers State as well as identifying the major constraints to cucumber production in the area. Purposive sampling technique was used as the farmers were sampled from selected communities that are known for cucumber production. Primary data was collected from randomly sampled farmers. The study employed descriptive statistics in examining the socio-economic characteristics of the cucumber farmers; gross profit margin analysis in examining profitability and the Garrett ranking technique in establishing the challenges faced by the farmers. From the study analysis, it was observed that the gross profit level of cucumber production was high ( ₦1,909,292) and likewise the gross margin at 0.90. The study also revealed five major constraints affecting cucumber production in the study area and they included pest and disease attacks, poor funding and unfavourable climatic conditions. It is suggested that it is necessary for extension workers to create awareness among cucumber farmers on the best farming practices to deal with pest and diseases as well as cope with unfavourable climatic conditions.Keywords: Economics, cucumber, farmers, profitability, gross margi

Setting-up of GPS reference stations and investigating the effects of antenna radome

With the shutting down of Selective Availability (S/A) in year 2000 , accuracies as better as 5 to 9 metres in the horizontal and 8 to 9 metres in the vertical have been guaranteed in GPS positioning using code measurements in Single Point Positioning (SPP) mode. Although the accuracies attainable through unassisted SPP are sufficient for most applications such as navigation, GIS and recreation, a whole range of experience has shown that millimetre accuracies can be attained through performance of GPS surveys using enhanced satellite systems, improved equipment and streamlined field procedures. Such concepts include the tendency to use reference stations (i.e. relative Positioning) to generate DGPS corrections and maintenance of reference frames. The precisions and accuracies at which the reference stations are established and monitored are very high. All the possible sources of error to which the antennas and receivers at the site are susceptible to, must be identified and minimised or eliminated. This include Phase Centre Variation (PCV) and multipath. To protect the antennas from bad weather and vandalism, reference station antennas are usually covered. The PCV patterns are further complicated from the fact that addition of antenna covers (radomes) are known to have effects on the positions and the existence of several correction models. In this study, two reference stations were established and an investigation on the effect of conical radome on one of the reference stations was carried out. A baseline of about 5 metres was set-up on top of the building housing the Institute of Navigation on Breitscheid 2. At one end of the baseline was station 1, mounted with a choke ring antenna, and the other end station 2, mounted with a compact L1/L2 antenna. Twenty four hour GPS observations at a data rate of 2 seconds were carried out in six consecutive days. The antenna setting for every two days was the same. Part of the data files collected on day 1 was used to fix the positions of the two reference stations with respect to the SAPOS network. A further analysis was done with the six day data files to determine the effect of the radome and the radome mount plate on station 1. The solutions obtained show that the reference stations were successfully established and that the conical radome has a negligible effect of about 1.5 mm on the height component of station 1.Die Ausschaltung von Selective Availability (S/A) im Jahr 2000 ermöglicht bessere Genauigkeiten (5m bis 9m in der Horizontal und 8m bis 9m in der Vertikal) in einzelpunkten GPS-Positionierung mit Code Beobachtungen zu erreichen. Obwohl die Genauigkeiten erreicht, sind für meiste Anwendung des GPS zum Beispiel im GIS, Navigation und Freizeitgestaltungen hinlänglich, um mm-Genauigkeit zu bekommen, man muß GPS Positionierung mit weiterentwickelt Satellitensystem, aufgebessert Geräte und windschnittige (windschlüpfige) Beobachtungsverfahren machen. Beispiele Konzepte sind die Benutzung von Referenzstationen (bzw. Relative Positionierung) um DGPS Korrekturdaten zu generieren und die Erhaltung von Referenzsystemen. Die Präzision und Genauigkeiten der Einrichtung von Referenzstationen sind hoch. Man muß alle möglichen Antennen- und Empfänger-fehlereinflüsse eliminieren. Die Phasen Zentrum Variationen (PCV) und Mehrwegeeffekt eingeschlossen. Um die Antennen von Unwetter und mutwillige Zerstörung zu schützen, sind sie manchmal bedeckt. Aber Einfügung von Antennenbedeckungen (Radome) macht die PCV-Schemata noch kompliziert. Wir Wissen schon daß die Einfügung der Radome verändert die PCV-Schemata und daß es verschiedene PCV-Korrekturmodellen gibt. In dieser Arbeit sind die Einrichtung zweien GPS-Referenzstationen gemacht und der Einfluß eines Radoms untersucht. Auf dem Dach des Institutsgebäudes ist eine Basislinie circa 5m mit zwei Antennen, eine Choke-Ring und eine Compact L1/L2, ausgerüstet. Insgesamt sind sechs mal 24 Stunde GPS-Daten mit einer Datenrate von 2 Sekunden durchgeführt und aufgezeichnet. Der Aufbau der Antennen waren gleich für jeden zwei-täglich Datenblöcke. Die erste Teil der Aufgabe war die Bestimmung der Position zweier Referenzstationen bezüglich des SAPOS Netzes. Die zweite Teil war die Untersuchung zum Einfluß des Antennenradoms der Choke-Ring Antenne. Die Auflösungen zeigt daß die Einrichtung zweier Referenzstationen erledigt ist und daß der Einfluß des Antennenradoms im Höhe etwa 1,5 mm ist und er geringfügig ist

Health status of senior citizens vis-à-vis the National Health Insurance Scheme in Nigeria

The need to increase comprehensive health services to senior citizens in Nigeria after serving their fatherland cannot be over-emphasized; and the recent efforts of the government to encourage this through the National Health Insurance Scheme (hereafter referred to as (NHIS) is highly commendable. The objective of the paper is to examine the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) vis-a-vis the health status of these senior citizens to see how they can benefit from the scheme after their service years. A doctrinal approach is adopted in this paper which relies on references from primary and secondary sources relevant to this work. The paper finds the need to review the NHIS to enable the senior citizens benefit from the scheme for sustainability of their health as provided in similar programmes for their counterparts in some other countries. It is concluded that the extension of this NHIS specifically to senior citizens will go a long way in the management of their health by their dependants as well as paving way for remarkable changes in the efforts to protect and safeguard their health. The paper recommends a review of this scheme to accommodate the management of the health services of the senior citizens in Nigeria as well as subsidizing same in tandem with practices in some other climes.Keywords: Nigeria, Health, Senior Citizens, National Health Insurance Schem

Distribution of Biomphalaria Snails in Associated Vegetations and Schistosome Infection Prevalence Along the Shores of Lake Victoria in Mbita, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma mansoni remains a major public health problem and cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa despite the implementation of control programmes. More than 6 million Kenyans are at risk of infection. Regarding control measures, Biomphalaria snail species, which are the obligatory intermediate hosts for transmission of S. mansoni, have been neglected. Mbita subcounty in Homa Bay County, western Kenya, along Lake Victoria basin, has a high prevalence of S. mansoni infection despite mass drug administration. This study aimed to determine the abundance of Biomphalaria, with their associated vegetation and schistosome infection rates, along Mbita shoreline.   Methods: Sixteen purposively selected sites along the Mbita shoreline were sampled for Biomphalaria snails using a 30-minute scooping technique. Global positioning system technology was used to map selected sites. The associated vegetation at sampling sites were collected and identified. Schistosome infection status among the snails was determined via the detection of cercaria shedding.   Results: A total of 3,135 Biomphalaria sudanica snails were collected. The number of snails collected differed significantly between the 16 sites (F=11.735; degrees of freedom [df]=15.836; P<.001). Significant mean differences (MD) were also observed in terms of the number of snails collected per vegetation type (F=7.899; df=5.846; P<.001). The mean number of snails collected from Cyprus gracilis was significantly higher than that from Enydra fluactuants (MD= 2.03; P<.001), Eichhornia crassipes (MD=4.15; P<.010), and E. fluactuants mixed with E. crassipes (MD=2.516; P<.010). A total of 21 (0.67%) snails shed human cercariae, while 27 (0.86%) snails shed nonhuman cercariae, despite 14 sites having human faeces contamination.   Conclusion: Although the schistosome infection prevalence among the snails was low, these sites may still be important exposure sites. C. gracilis is the main vegetation type associated with a high abundance of Biomphalaria snails. Molecular techniques are necessary for verification of schistosome positivity among the snails

Quality Assurance for Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) In the Morgue: The Impact of SOP Domestication on Implementation and Practice of Universal Safety Precautions in Kenya

The growing need for mortuary services in sub-Saharan Africa amid competing priorities poses occupational health and Safety (OHS) challenges to industry stakeholders.  OHS Administration (OSHA) in the healthcare sector in sub-Saharan Africa has not only been overlooked on the assumption that the sector is a ‘safe zone’ given that “health” is its core mandate, but morgues have been sidelined in resource allocation losing out to presumed priority areas like maternal and child health. Quality implementation of universal safety precautions is however critical in such risky work environments as the morgues. While deliberate morgue safety quality assurance (QA) efforts have been made, emerging data raises an alarm.  In over 2.3 million fatalities reported annually in hospital environment related accidents and diseases, morgues are a contributor.  However there is lack of information on OHS exposures among mortuary workers in the light of rapid expansions.  This study investigated the quality assurance for OSHA in morgues specifically the impact of standard operating procedures (SOP) domestication on practice of universal safety precautions in government mortuaries in Kenya. This was a cross-sectional survey targeting a saturated sample of 39 facilities out of a population of 97 randomly sampled from 3,448 government health facilities.  A research model instrument, the Morgue OHS-Hazard Identification Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) survey comprising 30 variables developed from the principles of universal mortuary safety precautions was used to collect data.  100% (39) response rate was achieved.  The tool tested the presence and implementation of the universal precautions in a scale of 1-5 and the variables used for stratification to identify factors that correlate with major constructs and relationships between factors determined by Spearman’s rank correlation analyses.  The result shows cases of “Universal Precautions fully in Place” at 9.8%, “Universal Precautions Partially (Certain Elements) in Place” 27.8%, while cases of “No Universal Precautions in Place” at 62.4%.  In addition, a correlation was observed between the presence of SOPs and the practice of universal precautions in the morgues (P£0.05).  Regression analysis revealed approximately 70% (r=0.7) of variance in presence of SOPs as the determinant factor and the practice of individual elements of universal precautions namely; staff protection through vaccination (P=0.502**) Appropriate ventilation systems (P=0.535**) provision of appropriate equipment e.g. power-saws (P=0.658**); Use of additional PPE when gross contamination is anticipated (P=0.664**) and Respiratory protection measures at (P=0.726**) among others. This study confirms an empirical relationship between SOP domestication and the practice of universal precautions in government owned morgues in Kenya. Results show that morgues which had SOPs were largely compliant with universal safety precautions as opposed to those without SOPs.  The findings are significant in improving quality assurance for OHSA in the mortuaries and healthcare sector in Kenya. Keywords: Practice, Occupational Safety and Health (OHS), Universal Precautions, Mortuary/Morgue, Workers, Public Health Facilities

Nutrition in agricultural development: The case of irrigated rice cultivation in West Kenya

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The role of dedicated instrumentation in total hip arthroplasty

Tissue-sparing surgery is a surgical strategy aimed to reduce tissue damage in joint replacement. This can be achieved by reducing soft tissue trauma, performing minimally invasive access routes and limiting bone removal with implantation of conservative prostheses. In order to facilitate mini-approaches, special instrumentation was developed to avoid impingement of the soft tissues and provide an easier and more correct placement of the components. We performed an analysis of the literature and a research of the instrumentation available today, to evaluate the actual utility of dedicated tools