The Role of Information Quality on the Performance of Hotel Industry in Kenya

In recent years there have been various studies investigating factors that influence hotel performance in Kenya mostly in coastal region. These studies have analyzed the drivers and factors influencing performance focusing at reasons why some hotels perform outstandingly while other do not. This study focused on how information quality affects the hotel performance. Resource base View theory was used in formulating the study framework. The study adopted a survey design which allowed easy sampling and analysis of data. The Target population was employees of 3 to 5 star rated hotels as classified by Hotel and Restaurants Authority (HRA) as its responses, with a sample of 324 from a population of 9,208 employees. SPSS software was used in analyzing and interpreting data that was collected. The sampling technique used was stratified random sampling. Primary data was collected by use of structured questionnaire instrument and a pilot study was conducted to check for the reliability and validity of the research instruments which were administered through drop and pick method. The results showed that firms need to align their supply chain practices with the level of their information quality in order to achieve enhanced overall business performance. Based on these study findings the researcher concluded that Information Quality has a significantly influenced on hotel Performance to very a great extent. In order for hotel managers to sustain their customer and retain the customer base , there is need to take into consideration on the quality and security of information they make available to their customers as well as their potential customers in order to make right decision e.g. on purchase, price, accommodation, service reservations among other services offered in hotels

Employee Perceived Interference and Professional Ethics on Non-Compliance with Public Procurement Regulations, Evidence from Kenya

Public procurement is one of the governmental key areas which emphasises on the acquisition of goods and services. Governmental organizations across the world tend to spend between 8% and 25% of GDP on goods and services. Owing to the enormous amount of money involved and the fact that the money comes from the public, they demand accountability and transparency. Rules on public procurement have been enacted, however compliance by public procuring entities is still a challenge, hence the study seek to establish the underlying factors that leads to public non-compliance to procurement regulations in the public sector. An explanatory research design was utilized in the study, the target population being procurement officers of government parastatals in Kenya. A sample size of 119 respondents was used, which translated to a response rate of 90.2 %. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The study findings revealed that non-compliance is affected by factors relating to; familiarity with public procurement regulations, employee professional ethics, and perceived interference. The correlation statistics also revealed that there was a positive relationship between dependent variable (non-compliance to procurement regulations) and all the dependent variables (employee perceived interference and professional ethics). This study has highlighted several recommendations that will be of use to public procuring entities and their employees to improve compliance with the procurement regulations in place. Finally the respondents in this study are purchasers; future study could include a sample of other respondents other than purchasers, for instance the tender committee members. Keywords: public procurement, non-compliance, employee perceived interference, professional ethics and procurement regulations

Mediating Effects of Financial Innovations between Behavioral Factors and Financial Inclusion of Micro Enterprises in Kenya

Purpose: Understanding the mediating role of the adoption of financial innovations on the relationship behavioral factors and utilization of formal financial services was the main aim of this research.   The behavioral factors examined were self-control, confidence and social proof. The study is premised on behavioral finance theories. Design/Methodology: The positivist approach and explanatory research designs were adopted to understand the relationships between the variables under investigation. A sample of 486 owners/managers of licensed micro-enterprises in Nairobi, Kenya were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes and Zhao approach for mediation analysis. Findings: The results showed that financial innovations mediated the relationship between each of the behavioral factors and financial inclusion, that is; self- control (β =.0941, ρ= .00), confidence; (β = .1019, ρ = .00) and social proof (β = .1036, ρ = .00).  Practical implications: The study has brought into fore the mediating role of financial innovations on the relationship between the three behavioral factors and financial inclusion. Thus, practitioners are encouraged give due attention to behavioral factors and financial innovations in policy formulation and programs geared towards optimal utilization of financial services

The Effect of Ethical Corporate Social Responsibility on Consumer Identification in Safaricom Limited Company: A Case of Kajiado County

Studies on the determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have identified several factors like economic, philanthropic, ethical and legal. Little is known about consumer identification with these factors more so with the ethical factor. Furthermore these relationships have lacked evidence on consumer’s ability to appreciate these programs, which may well depend on consumers personality trait, the surface trait that affect their everyday choices. To fill this gap the study hypothesizes that Ethical CSR has no significant effect on Consumer Identification. Personality trait may also not moderate the above relationship hypothesized. The world business council (2000) looks at ethics and economic issues, in that majority of the council members are concentrating on economic development in emerging nations, CSR is therefore focusing on development agendas. Sustainability is seen as a replacement of CSR in the world commission on environment and development report, where CSR is defined as a term to mean that the needs of the present generation are satisfied as well as the protection of the future generations needs. Marrewijk, (2003) argues that a debate among consultants, academicians and corporate executives, on the definition of CSR is a more humane, ethical and a transparent way of looking at issues in the organization. These individuals have coined concepts such as sustainable development, corporate citizenship, sustainable entrepreneurship, triple bottom line, business ethics and corporate social responsibility. This study sought to establish the effect of ethical corporate social responsibility on Consumer identification among Safaricom Company limited n Kajiado County. Cluster sampling was used to obtain a sample size of 325 respondents who were used in the data collection procedure by use of administering questionnaires. The study found out that there was a strong positive correlation between ethical CSR and consumer identification rejecting the applied Hypothesis. Keywords: ethical corporate social responsibility, consumer identification, Safaricom limited, ethics, stakeholder

The effect of Network Quality on Customer Retention Among mobile phone users in public Universities of Western Kenya Region

Customers have become more sophisticated and they are enjoying more alternative options of brands, for any organization, either it’s a public sector; private sector or semi-public, there is a need to understand what kind of service or products it offers, and for whom. Despite tremendous growth, telecommunication industry has continued to record an increase in the number of unsatisfied subscribers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Network Quality on Customer Retention among mobile phone users in public Universities of Western Kenya Region. This study was guided by the social exchange theory which focused on the fundamental principle that humans in social situations choose behaviors that maximize their likelihood of meeting self-interests in those situations. In taking such a view of human social interactions, social exchange theory includes a number of key assumptions for example; social exchange theory operates on the assumption that individuals are generally rational and engage in calculations of costs and benefits in social exchanges.  Explanatory research was utilized in this study. The target population of this study was geographically located in Public Universities in Western Kenya Region. A sample size of 250 respondents was sampled from the population. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics; specifically regressions were used to test the hypotheses. There was need to use a multiple regression analysis so as to determine the effects of each of the variables on customer retention.  Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used to ease the analysis. Analyzed data were presented in tables. The results reveal that Network quality had negative relationship with customer retention. The study recommends that service providers should identify critical network quality which can help in creating sustainable relationship. The service providers should involve users in designing the appropriate network quality. The study provides new theoretical insight into factors influencing customer retention. Further research should be simulated to other service industries. Future researchers may use other models such structural equations among others to test the hypotheses. Keywords: Network, quality, customer retention, mobile phone, User

Role of Dynamic Capabilities in the Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Nairobi County, Kenya

The advent of globalization has brought with it drastic changes to the operating landscape for firms in the manufacturing sector. The need for transformational changes so as sustain competitive advantage has been on  the rise. Firms are expected to continuously re-engineer their business models and operations to catch up with the turbulent environment. Previous studies have investigated the contribution of manufacturing firms in economic growth. Some have concentrated on the preferred approaches that countries should take, whether protectionism or free market. However, empirical studies investigating direct impact of dynamic capabilities on manufacturing firms’ performance have been minimal. The general objective of the study was to examine the influence of the three dimensions of dynamic capabilities (sensing capabilities, seizing capabilities and reconfiguration capabilities) on firm performance. The study was grounded on the Resource-Based View theory. An explanatory research design was used for the cross-sectional survey. Primary data was obtained from 271 out of 369 firms sampled from a population of 1,496 manufacturing firms in Nairobi County, Kenya, using a structured questionnaire instrument through drop and pick. The questionnaire was completed by the firms’ CEOs. Reliability and validity tests were carried out on the research instruments and study measures. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis results, namely: - sensing capabilities (B=0.215, P<0.01), seizing capabilities (B=0.194, P<0.01) and reconfiguration capabilities (B=0.182, P<0.001). These three variables combined, contributed 25.9% (R2=0.259) of the variance in firm performance. The study concluded that deployment of dynamic capabilities has significant influence on firm performance

Determinants of Environmental Disclosure. Does Leverage Matter? Reflection from Firms Listed in the Nairobi Security Exchange

This paper aimed to examine the effect of leverage on environmental accounting disclosure among the firms listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. The research was guided by the stakeholder’s theory. The study adopted both explanatory and longitudinal research designs. The target population comprised of the 65 listed firms at Nairobi Securities Exchange from 2008 to 2017. However, inclusion criteria were the 27 listed firms consistently operating from 2008 to 2017 giving a total of 270 firm-year observations. The findings showed that leverage (β = -.16, ρ<.05) had a negative and significant effect on environmental disclosure in Kenyan listed firms. Similarly, the overall R2 showed a joint contribution of 17% of predictor variables that explain environmental accounting disclosure. The study concludes that leverage is a key predictor of environmental accounting disclosure. Firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange ought to reduce debt financing so as to increase the level of environmental accounting disclosure

Mobile Banking Service Quality and Customer Retention: A Moderated Mediation Model of Customer Perceived Value and Perceived Corporate Image

Purpose- This study examined the moderating effect of perceived corporate image on the indirect relationship between mobile banking service quality and customer retention via customer perceived value in the Kenyan banking industry Design/Methodology- The study adopted an explanatory research design, employing multistage, simple random and systematic sampling techniques in collecting data from a sample size of 400 consumers of mobile banking services in Kenya using a self-administered questionnaire Findings- The results reveal a significant mediating effect of customer perceived value on the relationship between mobile banking service quality and customer retention. Moreover, the study established that perceived corporate image moderates the relationship between; mobile banking service quality and customer perceived value and mobile banking service quality and customer retention. Finally, perceived corporate image moderates the indirect link between mobile banking service quality and customer retention via customer retention at all levels Practical Implications- These findings underscore the need for the bank’s management and policymakers to develop quality assurance policies and devise value-centered strategies and image-enhancing strategies to enhance customer retention. Originality/Value - The study’s findings bring new critical knowledge concerning the indirect effect of customer perceived value and perceived corporate image on the study variables

Moderating Effect of Information Technology Utilization on the Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction

Service quality is important in service industry and hospitality industry on classified star hotels. The aim of this study was to determine the moderating effect of information technology communication (ICT) utilization on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The target population was 6067 customers at classified star hotels in Nairobi Kenya and a sample size of 375 was obtained using proportionate sampling from categorized star hotels. Data was collected using a 5 Likert-scale questionnaire. Data was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The study established that Service Quality (β= .194, p-value = 0.003) as a relationship marketing practice is an important elements that affect customer satisfaction. The study rejected H02 since β≠0 and p-value was less than α. The study explains 4.9% of variance above and beyond the variance by Service Quality. Service quality has a significant effect on customer satisfaction in classified star hotels and an important element to consider when making decisions. Responsiveness, good environment or ambience and reliability of services are critical for classified star hotels to improve their customer satisfaction. Hotels management should pay attention to all service quality dimensions of assurance, reliability, responsiveness, convenience and empathy. Keywords: Service Quality, Relationship Marketing, Customer Satisfaction, Information Technology Utilization, Classified Star Hotel

Information Quality, Information Systems Support Capability and Performance of Hotels in Nairobi, Kenya

The economic uncertainty and technology change requires service organizations to accelerate the replacement of information systems and add new capabilities that improve customer service and enhance their performance. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of information systems support capabilities on hotel performance in Nairobi Kenya using information quality as a moderator. The study adopted a survey design and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The sample consisted of 324 respondents picked from senior employees of hotels. The collected data were analyzed by using Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicate that information support capabilities have a positive and significant effect on hotels performance. Further, information quality has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between information support capabilities and hotel performance. The study recommended that service organization and especially hoteliers need to improve the information systems support systems and enhance the quality of information because they are significant factors affecting the performance of hotels. The findings made a contribution to theory by modeling and empirically testing the interrelation between information systems support capabilities information quality and organizational performance. This study contributes to Resource Based View (RBV) especially the role information resources on enhancing organizational performance using data from Kenya