Integrating Individualized Consideration on Academic Performance of Selected Universities in Kenya

Abstract

The contribution of university education to sustainable development of society has become one of the most important activities of universities in Kenya. Universities in Kenya have expanded from one institution in 1974 to over 74 universities in 2020. Despite the rapid growth in university education in Kenya, there are serious concerns about quality and relevance of services from the higher education sector. While highly valued and acclaimed by all, University education currently faces great challenges with a potential impact on the sector’s contribution to the country’s development. This has necessitated the need for the higher education sector to consider individualized consideration practices between the leaders and their followers so as to enhance performance. This study therefore sought to establish the effect of individualized consideration on academic performance of selected universities in Kenya. The study was anchored on transformational leadership theory. Positivism research philosophy was adopted where explanatory and descriptive research designs were used for guiding the collection and analysis of data. Primary data was collected from deans of schools and chairmen of departments in the selected universities. The study established a significant positive effect of individualized consideration on academic performance of universities at p<0.05; t=6.749 and hence concluded that inspirational motivation positively affects university academic performance of selected universities in Kenya. The study recommends that deans of schools and chairpersons of department should make an effort to practice the attributes of individualized consideration in universities in Kenya as this was found to positively impact on academic performance.