Value Innovation Strategy and the Performance of Roofing Sheet Manufacturers in Kenya

The production and uptake of locally manufactured roofing sheets have been on a steady downward trajectory over the last ten years, leading to a significant decline in revenue and employment in the sector. Kenya’s roofing sheet production fell more than 8 percent in 2019 following a decline that started with weakening demand in 2010. Value innovation strategy prescribes a path to positively sustaining performance by shifting firms from cut-throat market competition (the red ocean) to a wide-open new uncontested market space (the blue ocean). It argues that operating in "cutthroat and saturated markets" results in a "red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool." The main purpose of this study was to establish the effect of value innovation strategy on the performance of roofing sheet manufacturers in Kenya. The study adopted a mixed research method and employed a descriptive research design. The target population consisted of 241 employees drawn from all the fifteen (15) roofing sheet manufacturers in Kenya registered with the Kenya Association of Manufactures (KAM), from whom a sample size of one hundred and twenty-seven (127) employees was selected using the Krejcie and Morgan table formula. The findings of this study have illuminated a statistically significant positive effect of value innovation on firm performance, as evidenced by R-squared values of 0.687 (68.7%), with p-value of 0.00, way below the significance threshold of 0.05. The statistics imply that 68.7% of the variance in the performance of roofing sheet manufacturers can be attributed to the adoption of the value innovation strategy. Consequently, the study recommends that roofing sheet manufacturers must prioritize the adoption of need-based value innovation to ensure sustainable performance. Keywords: Value innovation, firm performance, and blue ocean DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/16-2-09 Publication date:March 31st 202

Customer Acquisition Strategy and the Performance of Roofing Sheet Manufacturers in Kenya

Over the past decade, there has been a consistent and concerning decline in the production and consumption of locally manufactured roofing sheets, resulting in a substantial reduction in both revenue and employment within the industry. Notably, Kenya's roofing sheet production experienced a decline exceeding 8 percent in 2019, marking the culmination of a downward trend that was initiated by a weakened demand in 2010. This protracted slump has raised critical questions about the sustainability and competitiveness of the domestic roofing sheet manufacturing sector. Customer acquisition strategy prescribes a path to positively sustaining performance by shifting firms from cut-throat market competition (the red ocean) to a wide-open new uncontested market space (the blue ocean). It argues that operating in "cutthroat and saturated markets" results in a "red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool." The main purpose of this study was to establish the effect of customer acquisition strategy on the performance of roofing sheet manufacturers in Kenya. The study adopted a mixed research method and employed a descriptive research design. The target population consisted of 241 employees drawn from all the fifteen (15) roofing sheet manufacturers in Kenya registered with the Kenya Association of Manufactures (KAM), from whom a sample size of one hundred and twenty-seven (127) employees was selected using the Krejcie and Morgan table formula. The findings of this study have illuminated a statistically significant positive effect of customer acquisition on firm performance, as evidenced by R-squared values of 0.623 (62.3%), with p-value of 0.00, way below the significance threshold of 0.05. The statistics imply that 62.3% of the variance in the performance of roofing sheet manufacturers can be attributed to the adoption of the customer acquisition strategy. Consequently, the study recommends that roofing sheet manufacturers must prioritize the adoption of need-based customer acquisition to ensure sustainable performance. Keywords: Customer acquisition, firm performance, and blue ocean DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/16-2-08 Publication date:March 31st 202

Leveraging Technology in Doctoral Supervision: A Complementary Approach in Kenya’s Institutions of Higher Learning

This paper examines previous empirical studies on adoption of emerging technologies in supervising doctoral students. The conceptual framework highlights the relationship between technology use and enhancing quality of supervision process, borrowing greatly from the theory of change methodology. It highlights the challenges and benefits analysis on the use of technology. The aim of this paper is to examine the efficacies of integration of the technology into the supervision process. As a result, it will provide students, supervisors, colleges of graduate boards, training institutions of higher learning, and regulatory bodies with a framework of incorporating the use of technology, based on needs assessment of respective doctoral supervision process

Enhancing Fraud Detection Through Integration of Forensic Accounting Techniques and Cyber-Security in Financial Institutions in Kenya

The rapid rise in Internet banking and mobile banking transactions has led to a new challenge facing the banking sector through cybersecurity threats. Forensic accountants' understanding of cyber security is key to winning the fight against fraud. This study sought to evaluate the effect of integrating cybersecurity into Forensic accounting on the detection of Fraud in the financial sector in Kenya. The study is anchored on Unified Technology Acceptance and Use Theory (UTAUT) and uses panel data collected on the number of cybersecurity advisories, the reported number of cyberattacks, and the percentage of fraud detections by four Forensic Accounting Techniques. The study findings showed that there was a strong positive correlation between cyber security and fraud detection and integration of cyber security and forensic accounting enhanced fraud detection. The study concluded that the integration of cybersecurity and forensic accounting enhanced fraud detection and contributed positively to financial performance. The study recommended that cyber security skills be integrated into forensic accounting training to enhance fraud detection among forensic accountants to enhance fraud detection. Keywords: Fraud Detection; Cyber Security; Forensic Accounting Techniques DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/16-5-03 Publication date: June 30th 202

Evaluation of Process Innovation Strategy Influence on Performance of Equity Bank and Safaricom PLC in Kenya: A Comparative Analysis

Though a strong relationship is known to exist between innovation and performance, many companies are more inclined to falling back to generic strategies as a default strategy though ironically it is innovation strategies that both achieve a turn-around and register stellar performance. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative study of process innovation strategy’s influence on performance of Safaricom PLC and Equity Bank in Kenya. Such tools as descriptive and cross-sectional designs, likert and semantic differential scale was used with primary and secondary data collection instruments as well descriptive statistics and inferential statistics comprising of spearman rank correlation and multiple regression analysis were used and a fifty nine (59), which translates to 56% respond rate. Findings indicated a positive and insignificant effect between process innovation strategy and performance for both entities, with Equity Bank having a stronger correlation (β =0.1299, p 0.05). Hence, one of the cardinal recommendation is the need for innovation to be entrenched in in all sectors of business, company and industry. Besides, companies must shift from use of generic strategies as default strategies and move to and be deliberate in the use of innovation strategies. Again, companies should detach innovation strategies from top management alone. Hence, companies should therefore create innovation-centric environments where it welcomes and harnesses all ideas and ideation from all staff including middle and junior staff

How trees and people can co- adapt to climate change: reducing vulnerability through multifunctional agroforestry landscapes

This book focuses on the relationship between climate-change adaptation, rural development and the roles of trees and agroforestry. Rewards' schemes for environmental services (RES) in multifunctional landscapes, which provide incentives for maintaining or restoring multifunctionality, will contribute to a likely reduction in vulnerability to climate change. Rewards may well be an efficient and fair way of investing international funds in climate-change adaptation. The voluntary, conditional and pro-poor aspects of RES will also help to bring the voice of grassroots stakeholders into international and national decision-making processes on how to deal with climate change. That can ensure realism and efficiency in climate-change adaptation, which is yet another strand to be integrated in rural development programs. The argument for such an approach is built on the underlying concepts of climate change, rural livelihoods and multifunctionality of landscapes, as well as the specific roles of trees and farmers as providers of environmental services in agricultural landscapes. However, trees themselves are vulnerable to climate change and co-adaptation is needed and is possible

Climate change, climate variability and adaptation options

This section introduces some basic concepts surrounding the climate system, climate change and climate variability. We will provide some insights into the challenges of climate modelling and what the inherent uncertainty really means for us, before exploring the way adaptation has so far been discussed and institutionalized