This research investigates the influence of celebrity endorsement on customer loyalty, using the case of Econet Company. Most literature sources are available on developed countries, with a few on developing countries. A pragmatic philosophical approach involving the use of the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research design was adopted to fully understand the research questions. Quantitative results were complemented by qualitative data obtained from interviews. In conducting the survey, a sample of 130 respondents was selected using the Krejice and Morgan (1970) sample estimation tables. The targeted respondents included the Econet Company customers. A Likert scale structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Spearman coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse data with the aid of the Social Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Cronbach Alpha test was performed, and all the values were greater than 0.7, which was therefore accepted (Nunnally and Bernstein, 1994). It was revealed that independent variables (celebrity reliability, celebrity expertise) and the mediating variables (customer satisfaction and customer trustworthiness) have a positive influence on customer loyalty according to the Spearman Correlation test, which yielded a minimum correlation coefficient of 0.58 and a maximum of 0.78 leading to the rejection of the proposed null hypothesis. The study recommended that Econet Company select celebrity endorsers based on the celebrity’s reliability, attractiveness, and expertise, as this contributes significantly to customer satisfaction and trustworthiness, which will result in customer loyalty. Furthermore, Econet Company must perform a well-thought screening and choose wisely the celebrity endorsers who align correctly with the image and values of the company’s brands or products. It must also avoid using celebrities with any kind of negative publicity. The study contributed not only to the literature on celebrity endorsements but also to filling the gap in the literature, providing immense usage for these techniques. Finally, the conclusion suggests that further research be carried out on a larger sample size and done on another

This paper evaluated the influence of contractors’ selection attributes on public construction project performance in Kenya. This research contends that an investigation into contractors’ selection attributes at the tender evaluation stage is important to enhance the likelihood of public construction project success performance. The study used a survey method and administered questionnaires to 263 respondents selected through stratified sampling. One hundred and eighty-nine (189) practitioners and professionals in state agencies returned filed questionnaires representing a 71.86% return rate. The literature review and interview reveal thirteen contractor selection variables and six project performance criteria. SPSS was used to analyse the data set obtained for reliability, normality, correlation, and logit regression test. Logit regression analysis reveals the omnibus test of model coefficients converged (Chi-square=26.116, df=13, p=0.016). The model summary reveals Nagelkerke R^2 of 0.246 indicating a relationship of 24.6% between the thirteen predictor variables and project performance indicators. It was found that contractors quoted tender price (Exp (B) = 1.866), innovation (Exp (B) = 2.808), and occupation health and safety (Exp (B) = 0.358) significantly influence the performance of public construction projects when all other contractor's selection variables are controlled. This indicates that the contractor’s quoted tender price, innovation, and occupation health and safety explain well the success of the public construction project from thea six (performance by budget, time, procuring entity satisfaction, environmental sustainability, quality specifications, and fulfilling public need) project performance indicators

The successful construction of roads plays a pivotal role in driving Kenya’s economic development, aligning with the objectives outlined in Kenya’s Vision 2030. However, the suboptimal performance of road construction projects in Nairobi County can be attributed to the continually evolving environmental factors. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the relationship between technological factors and performance of roads construction projects in Nairobi County. The theoretical foundations guiding this study encompassed open system theory. Utilizing a positive research philosophy, the study adopted a descriptive and explanatory research design. This research focused on a target population comprising 176 concluded roads construction projects within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, executed by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA). The unit of analysis focused on the completed roads construction projects in Nairobi County. The unit of observation included road engineers, project planners, and directors associated with KERRA, along with road supervisors, inspectors, surveyors, contractors, and members of project implementation teams. Proportional stratified sampling was employed to determine a sample size of 253 respondents. Data collection involved the use of a structured questionnaire. The study embraced descriptive and inferential statistics. The results were presented through tables, and inferential statistics were carried out using linear regression. The study unveiled a positive and significant relationship between technological factors (t=2.270, p<0.05) with project performance. In conclusion, the study establishes a discernible relationship between technological and project performance. The research recommends that managers are urged to embrace digitization and automation, leveraging on technology to address complex technicalities before and during construction

This study examined the factors affecting loan repayment performance among smallholder tobacco contract farmers in Mashonaland East Province in Marondera District, Ward 21. The study was a quantitative research. A total of 222 respondents were administered with structured questionnaires to provide the relevant information. The information was gathered from respondents in Ward 21 Marondera District using the multistage sampling technique. A Linear regression model was applied to analyse factors that affected tobacco output and a Probit model was applied to analyse factors that affected loan repayment performance among smallholder tobacco farmers. The majority of the respondents who participated were males and they were the ones making household financial decisions. Results from the linear regression model showed that of the 9 variables that were tested, education level, tobacco land irrigation land and farm experience were significant at a 5% level of significance. Results from the probit model showed that of the 27 variables that were tested, household size, land size, experience, other loans due, other crop enterprise, loan purpose, other sources of income and side marketing were found statistically significant at a 5% level of significance. Therefore, it is recommended that the lenders pay much attention to land size, experience and the size of households of the farmers before extending credit to them as these were found to be contributing the highest variance in loan repayment performance

As publicly funded institutions, public universities are expected to follow a competitive and systematic tendering process when procuring goods or services. Despite legislation and regulations aimed at ensuring adherence to international best practices and promoting integrity and accountability, there have been instances of inefficiencies in the tendering process, particularly within public universities. The purpose of this study was to assess the moderating effect of internal controls on the relationship between supplier pre-qualification and procurement performance in public universities in Kenya. The study was anchored on stakeholder theory. A positivist research philosophy and a correlational research design was adopted. Target population of the study was 1,016 employees from the selected public universities. The study adopted stratified and simple random sampling to select a sample of 287 respondents. Primary data was obtained using a structured questionnaire, which was self-administered using a drop-and-pick later technique. The validity of the research instrument was ensured through an extensive literature review and consultation with subject experts and supervisors from the procurement department. The reliability of the instrument was examined through a pilot study involving 29 respondents from the University of Kabianga where a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.834 was obtained. The obtained quantitative data was analysed descriptively using means, frequencies, and standard deviation, and inferentially, correlation and regression analysis were used. The study established that internal controls had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between pre-qualification (R2, change of 0.075; p<0.05), and procurement performance. The study concluded that pre-qualification of suppliers, was an important factor in determining the procurement performance in public universities because it significantly explained the change in procurement performance. Therefore, the study recommends that public universities improve internal controls to ensure efficiency in the supplier pre-qualification process as well as the procurement performance in public universities in Kenya. The study findings could be significant to the management of public institutions and policymakers in public procurement, enhancing knowledge in academia and theory development in procurement activities

Employee motivation is a universal concept that is accepted by human resource practitioners as a tool to improve organizational performance. This study sought to examine the effects of employee motivation in improving performance in local governments in Tanzania. The study aims at examining the contribution of employee motivation to local governments in Tanzania. This paper adopted a research case design whereby Mvomero District Council was the case study. A sample size of 78 respondents was taken for the study. The study adopted a mixed approach whereby qualitative and quantitative approaches in the data collection process. The data was collected through key informant interviews and questionnaires. The findings revealed that the majority of the respondents were negative about the employee motivation provided in Mvomero District Council, especially at ward and village levels. The findings also, found that there is a positive relationship between employees’ motivation and employees’ performance. The higher the employee’s motivation the higher the employee’s performance. The study indicated that employees are motivated by financial motivation rather than non-financial motivation. The study concluded that there is a greater relationship between employee performance and employee motivation and employees in rural settings are less motivated compared to their counterparts in an urban setting. The study recommended that the government incentives policies should be reversed not only to motivate top management levels and consider middle and lower levels employees. The study also, recommended for the Mvomero District Council to improve the working conditions of the employees who are working in remote areas