Private Universities In Kenya Research Articles

Lecturers learning to teach: the role of agency

ABSTRACTLecturers may be exposed to the same Academic Development Programme but their course of action at personal and professional level vary. In this paper, I analyze the lecturers’ contribution in shaping their learning to teach. I interviewed twenty-five lecturers in four private universities in Kenya using semi-structured interviews. The analysis showed that the onus to learn how to teach lies with the individual lecturer (agency) especially in contexts that lack a systematic approach to lecturers’ learning. Academic developers may be interested in understanding how the exercise of agency in learning how to teach leads to variations in lecturers’ actions.

Cuilture as an Antecedent to Orgаnizаtional Performancе: A Case of Private Universities in Kenya

Cuilture as an Antecedent to Orgаnizаtional Performancе: A Case of Private Universities in Kenya

Rethinking the Quality and Relevance of University Education in Kenya from Entrepreneurial Perspective

Many stakeholders have expressed concern about the many graduates from Kenyan universities who after qualifying, not only fail to get jobs but also fail to venture into alternative forms of engagement to earn their livelihood, a scenario that raises question as to the quality and relevance of University education they got. The concerns being raised calls for rethinking of the quality and relevance of university education in Kenya. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the propensity of university education in Kenya to inculcate entrepreneurial culture in graduates. The theory of planned behavior formed the theoretical foundation of the study. The study adopted a triangular design approach where views relating to entrepreneurial culture were sought from final year students from one public and one private university. The study targeted 3146 final year students drawn from University of Kabianga, (2272) and Kabarak University (874). From this, a sample of 614 students proportionately distributed among the two universities was drawn. Entrepreneurial environment was found to be more or less the same in both private and public universities recording moderate score. However, public university scored slightly higher. In conclusion, there is no significant difference in the levels of preference for entrepreneurship when comparison is made between public and private universities in Kenya. Arising from the current finding, the study recommends provision of better entrepreneurial support system. It will be preemptive to conclude that University education in Kenyan universities nature entrepreneurial culture Keywords: Entrepreneurial culture, Quality, relevance, University education DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-9-03 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

Influence of Quality Management System Practices on Performance of Private Universities in Kenya

Service quality is a key antecedent to customer satisfaction and that quality service is considered as an essential strategy for success and survival in today's competition (Wirtz, 2008). Internal Quality Assurance emphasizes the development of each institution's statements of expected outcomes and its own means of gathering evidence of their achievement. The main objective of the study was to analyze the influence of quality management system practices on performance of selected private universities in Kenya. The study adopted system theory, total quality management theory, balance Score Card theory and Strategic Clock Model as the main theories and models of the study. The study targeted 18 Chattered Private Universities in Kenya. People to be targeted will be 245 Deans and Employees Working in Quality Assurance Departments of the 18 Chartered Private Universities in Kenya and 170 third and fourth year students in the 17 Chattered Universities. Further, the study will apply sampling formula by Yamane (1967) to arrive at the 153 Deans and Employees Working in Quality Assurance Departments a sample size appropriate for the study. The number of students was arrived at through cluster sampling. Both the students and university employees will be subjected to questionnaires and interview guides. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data collected. Closed questions will be analyzed through the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software by assigning numbers to responses for analysis of qualitative data, as it is efficient. Open ended questions were analyzed through percentages, frequencies, tables and bar graphs. The inferential statistical method used in the study was simple linear regression and multiple regression analyses. The study established that quality management system influenced performance of private universities in Kenya.

Influence of Programmes Differentiation on Performance of Private Universities in Kenya

The main objective of the study was to analyze the influence of programmes differentiation on the performance of selected private universities in Kenya. The study adopted system theory, total quality management theory, balance Score Card theory, and Strategic Clock Model as the main theories and models of the study. The study targeted 18 Chattered Private Universities in Kenya. People to be targeted will be 245 Deans and Employees Working in Quality Assurance Departments of the 18 Chartered Private Universities in Kenya and 170 third and fourth year students in the 17 Chattered Universities. Further, the study will apply the sampling formula by Yamane (1967) to arrive at the 153 Deans and Employees Working in Quality Assurance Departments a sample size appropriate for the study. The number of students was arrived at through cluster sampling. Both the students and university employees will be subjected to questionnaires and interview guides. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Closed questions will be analyzed through the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software by assigning numbers to responses for analysis of qualitative data, as it is efficient. Open ended questions were analyzed through percentages, frequencies, tables, and bar graphs. The inferential statistical method used in the study was a simple linear regression and analysis. The study established that the quality management system influenced the performance of private universities in Kenya.

Influence of Manager Personality on Strategy Implementation in Private Universities in Kenya

Influence of Manager Personality on Strategy Implementation in Private Universities in Kenya

The Effect of Mission and Vision on Organizational Performancе within Private Universities in Kenya

The Effect of Mission and Vision on Organizational Performancе within Private Universities in Kenya

Human Capital Development as a Requisite for Organizational Performance Within Private Universities in Kenya

Human Capital Development as a Requisite for Organizational Performance Within Private Universities in Kenya

Impact of Massification on Resource Adequacy in Public and Private Universities in Kenya

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of resource adequacy in public and private universities in Kenya. Massification is the rapid enrolment of students in universities. Kenya has expanded her student enrolment in universities for her development needs. Research findings raise pertinent issues touching on the quality of education in the Kenyan universities. The study adopted a causal- comparative survey research design. The respondents were students and lecturers in the eight purposely selected universities in Kenya. A sample of 399 respondents consisting of 361 students, 22 lecturers and 16 heads of Department from four public and four private universities in Kenya were selected for the study through simple random sampling technique. The inferential statistics used in the study was chi-square. The hypothesis of the study was stated as “there is no statistical significant difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities in Kenya. The study found that there is no significant statistical difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities. From the study it was concluded that there was no statistical significance difference on the impact of massification on resource adequacy between public and private universities in Kenya. The study recommends that university management in public universities should provide adequate learning, welfare services, computing services and human resources to improve the quality of education and training in the universities in Kenya.

Gender Differences in Self-Concept Among a Sample of Students of the United States International University in Africa

Background: Self-concept is a multifaceted belief system where self-evaluation is carried out in relation to one’s environment. Various research studies have found that self-concept has an impact on the psychological, physical and social wellbeing of a person. There is a dearth of studies on the relationship between self-concept and gender among students in private universities in Kenya. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between gender and self-concept among a sample of United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) students. Methods: The study was conducted in a sample of students studying either the psychology of personality or abnormal psychology courses. The sample size (n) for the current study is 57: which is 0.87% of the student population in the USIU-A. The methodology used in this study is the Tennessee Self-concept Scale (TSCS) consisting of 82 statements. The regression analysis of the six dimensions of selfconcept and gender was done using SPSS® (Version 23). Results: The current study found that personal self-concept variables explained 46.8% of the variations of overall self-concept. A regression between overall selfconcept rating and gender revealed that overall self-concept increases by 6.381% as gender changes from female to male. Conclusion: Male participants were found to have a higher overall self-concept than female participants. Among the sexes the highly suggested ways of increasing self-concept were through socialization, reading and self-awareness.

Prompts in lecturer's learning to teach in private universities in Kenya

The overall aim of the study was to use Archer’s morphogenetic approach to analyse how lecturers learn to teach in private universities in Kenya. In developing suitable academic development strategies, this approach can be useful in analysing the structural and cultural emergent powers and the emotions that prompt lecturers, in different contexts, to learn how to teach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data from twenty-five lecturers who were purposively selected. The analysis indicated that the university’s policy statements, the teaching and learning conditions and student composition presented structural and cultural limitations that lecturers had to respond to. Although their emergent structural and cultural powers prompted in lecturers a greater desire to learn to teach, the lecturers’ experience of emotions such as worry, threat, curiosity and disappointment played a greater role.

Private Universities in Kenya Seek Alternative Ways to Manage Change in Teacher Education Curriculum in Compliance with the Commission for University Education Reforms

This study investigated management of change in teacher education curriculum in Private universities in Kenya. The study employed a concurrent mixed methods design that is based on the use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A multi-stage sampling process which included purposive, convenience, cluster, and snowball sampling methods was followed. The sample comprised of 5 chartered private universities which were offering teacher education by the year 2008. The respondents were 5 Deans from the School of education, one from each of the universities;14 Heads of Departments (H.O.D s), 32 Teacher Educators and 150 Teacher Trainees, 2 staffs from Commission for University Education and 2 from Teachers’ Service Commission. Complexity Theory and Theory of Planned Change guided the study. Face and content validity was done by the expert judgment. The reliability of the questionnaire was established at Alpha of .760. Data from the questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive statistics, means and standard deviations - based on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 20. Qualitative data from the interviews and documents was analyzed for content in an ongoing process as themes and subthemes emerged. The results indicated that the universities followed due processes, recommended by curriculum experts, to implement change; but sought alternative ways where due process had failed. This was because of the complexity of teacher education program, on basis of scale, foci and clientele, and also the unique nature of private universities in Kenya. The study recommends that private universities should not only follow due process, but look out for alternative strategies in implementing changes in teacher education, as they consult closely with the Commission for University Education and Teachers’ Service Commission, and endeavor to fulfill their mission.

Effects of Strategic Issue Diagnosis Process (SIDP) on Profitability of Private Universities in Kenya: Case of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)

The study analyzed the effects of strategic issue diagnosis process (SIDP) on the profitability of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). The study used a census survey design of the fifty members of the top management team (TMT) of the University. The survey data was analyzed using factor analysis and regression analysis. Factor analysis using principal components and varimax (orthogonal) rotation (to maximize variable loadings to each factor) was conducted to reduce the dimensionality and identify the factors (latent variables) and labels (constructs) of both the SIDP and profitability of CUEA. The regression analysis results showed that the joint effect of the six factors of the SIDP accounted for about 30 per cent of the total variance of the profitability of CUEA, implying that about 70 per cent of the variance could be attributed to excluded university specific, higher education industry and external factors. However, the joint effect of the factors of the SIDP on the institution’s profitability was statistically significant (p<0.05). Although all the factors of the SIDP had theoretically expected signs, not all had statistically significant individual (partial) effects on the profitability of CUEA. The results show that all but the null hypotheses on communication systems and personality profile of the members of the TMT were rejected at p<0.05. The study recommended conduct of additional studies with a larger sample of universities, inclusion of the excluded variables and use of structural modeling approaches.

Challenges Facing Women Career Mobility in Public and Private Universities in Kenya.

The study aimed at investigating the challenges affecting women career mobility in educational management in private and public universities in Kenya. The main objectives of the study were; to establish the challenges hindering women from progressing in their careers in public and private universities in Kenya, to examine the interventions put in place by both public and private universities in Kenya to address the challenges facing women in their career progression in private and public universities in Kenya.The following were the main findings of the Study: Women faced insurmountable barriers as they navigated through their career path in universities in Kenya. These challenges faced by women contributed to low number of women in the realm of university management in public and private universities in Kenya. Some of the challenges included: Lack of mentors, family responsibilities, lack of social networks, lack of training and development opportunities, socialization of men and women and aspirations of women, and cultural values and attitudes that view women as inferior. The study therefore concluded that there was need to change societal attitudes and cultural situation that influenced female participation in management to make them more competitive. There was need to put into practice a criteria for recruitment and promotion of university managers and implement available policies to increase women participation in university management and reduce the challenges that they encounter in their career mobility in public and private universities in Kenya.

Brain Drain in Private Universities in Kenya: Seeking for an Innovative Solution

The problem of brain drain is a worldwide phenomenon that has been and is still being experienced by most institutions of higher learning both in the developed and developing world. This study, therefore, earmarked at finding out the causes, effects and possible innovative solutions toward retaining skilled lecturers in institutions of higher learning. This research was carried out using a descriptive survey design. Data was collected from all lecturers at University of Eastern Africa, Baraton using questionnaires on a 5 point rating Likert scale of Strongly Agree, SA=5, Agree, A=4, Uncertain, UC=3, Disagree, DA=4, Strongly Disagree, SD=1. The questionnaire was validated by experts in the Education Department at UEAB. The researchers administered the instruments. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Findings exposed low basic salary, poor administration, political instability and absence of study opportunities as major causes of brain drain. Respondents also strongly agreed that the receiving university benefit immensely in terms of: expansion of the pool of skilled lecturers; contribution to the quality of education; boosting morale of lecturers and enhancing popularity of the university. Major solutions to brain drain were improved remunerations, effective administration, stable working environment, attractive employment opportunities, national and international links promotion, opportunities for further academic developments and fair promotion procedures. Findings also showed that if these solutions are implemented at a university, such a university will be able to retain its lecturers.Key words: brain drain; private universities; higher education; pulling factors; pushing factors; innovation.

Effects of Supplier Evaluation on Procurement Performance of Public Universities in Kenya

This study sought to determine the effect of supplier evaluation on performance of procurement function of Public Universities. The Public Universities campuses in Kericho County were involved in the survey. To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher tested three hypotheses; supplier quality commitment does not have significant effect on performance of procurement functions of public universities campuses in Kericho County, financial stability of supplier does not have effect on the performance of procurement function of public universities campuses in Kericho County and supplier competence does not have significant effect on performance of procurement function of public universities campuses in Kericho County. This was a cross sectional survey study where data was collected in public universities campuses in Kericho County at a single point in time. Population of the study was the employees in the public universities’ campuses in Kericho County while the sample was selected employees in finance and procurement and accounts and finance departments. Data was collected through structured questionnaires that were administered through drop and pick technique. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS version 21. Mean and standard deviations were used to describe the variables in the study while regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of supplier evaluation on performance of procurement function of the public universities campuses in Kerico County. The findings of the study revealed that suppliers’ quality commitment, suppliers’ financial capacity and suppliers’ competence have significant effect on performance of procurement of procurement function of public universities campuses in Kericho County individually with t=3.144; p=0.003, t=1.101; p=.046 and t=4.335; p=0.000 respectively and collectively with R-square value of 0.661. From the findings, the study recommends that experts who are knowledgeable and have expertise should be consulted in conducting supplier evaluation. Supplier evaluation criteria should focus on suppliers’ quality commitment, financial capacity and competence should be considered when awarding supply contracts to suppliers. The study suggests that a comparative study should be conducted to establish if there is difference in the effects of supplier evaluation on procurement performance between physical product organizations and service organizations. Further studies should be conducted to relate supplier evaluation and procurement performance in private universities in Kenya to establish whether there is any difference. Lastly, further study may also be conducted on the application of seven progressive steps of supplier evaluation.

Effects of Employee Incentives on Employee Performance in Private Universities in Kenya

Human resource management is the strategic approach to the management of an organizations most vital asset, the people who contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organization. Employee incentives constitute some of the high performance work practices used by organizations to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities of current and potential employees, increase motivation and enhance retention of quality employees. Kabarak University has a number of employee incentives in place. However, there is scanty empirical study, to determine the influence of these incentives on employee performance. The study examined the relationship between specific employee incentives to employee performance in private Universities in Kenya. The study population was all the employees of Kabarak University, selected as respondents; thereby a census study was carried out .The study involved use of structured questionnaire to collect the data. Secondary data was extracted from the department of Human resource. The analysis of the collected data was done by use of Mann Whitney U test, factor analysis and Chi-square, and presented using descriptive statistics in frequency tables and charts. Financial and nonfinancial incentives are applied to a great extent to motivate the employees. Financial incentives that are perceived to have significant influence on employee motivation include: salary, insurance financing, retirement benefits, performance based rewards, holiday, overtime pay, and loan entitlement. Among the non-financial incentives with significant influence on performance were: creativity at work, organizational goals, challenging tasks, opportunity for personal development, autonomy and responsibility, teamwork, job security, professionally stimulating environment, opportunity to set performance goals, predictable work life, opportunity to lead, training and development and flexible policies. Recommendations include; the need for top management of organizations to design effective incentive schemes that comprise a mix of financial and non-financial incentives, with non-financial incentives being key, supplemented by financial incentives. The findings are vital for policy makers in human capital intensive organizations such as universities.

EFFECT OF ACADEMIC STAFF RETENTION ON QUALITY EDUCATION IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

In recent years, there has been an increase of students’ enrollment in private universities in Kenya. In effect, there has been a great need to recruit and retain quality academic staff. Studies reveal that it has been difficult to retain academic staff especially in private universities in specialized areas and required experience. A literature gap exists in Kenya on the effect of academic staff retention on the quality of education in private universities. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of academic staff retention on quality education in private universities in Kenya. A survey design was considered appropriate for this study. A sample of 336 respondents was used to collect data which included the Human resource managers, academic staff, and students of the selected universities. The sample was selected using purposive stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used to collect the data which was analyzed by use of frequencies and percentages. The study established that academic staff retention affects quality of education in private universities in Kenya. It was concluded that academic staff retention has a significant effect on quality education without which quality would be compromised. The study recommended that private universities should formulate and implement retention policies and allocate adequate resources to curb high academic staff turnover. Key words: academic staff retention, private universities, quality of academic staff, quality education, university education.

Private Twilight: Wither Private Universities in Kenya

It is a trying time for private universities in Kenya. Declining market share and attendant financial woes are ominous signs for the once vibrant sector. The article identifies the blurring of institutional distinctiveness, government policy promoting public growth and public sector resurgence through the privatization as factors precipitating the private decline.

Workplace Spirituality as a Determinant of Organizational Commitment amongst Academic Staff in the Private and Public Universities in Kenya

This study focused on workplace spirituality an intrinsic factor as a determinant of organizational commitment although most recent studies on organizational commitment have focused mostly on the extrinsic rewards such remuneration, training opportunities, promotion and other tangible monetary benefits as predictors of organizational commitment. Employees are viewed as one of the most important assets for most organizations, in particular service-based organizations like universities because of the benefits of delivering successful performances. It was therefore important to investigate whether workplace spirituality affects employee commitment. This survey study was a form of a cross-section study where both descriptive and correlational research designs were used. The study targeted all the academic staff in the public and private universities in Kenya. Stratified sampling was used where sixteen universities were selected followed by simple random sampling to select both representative department and staff from the selected departments. Data for the study was collected by administering a 25-item questionnaire to a sample of 347 academic. A total of 282 questionnaires were returned and analysis was done with the help of SPSS. Correlation and regression analysis results showed there was a significant positive relationship between workplace spirituality and organizational commitment.