Public Universities In Kenya Research Articles

The Relationship between Knowledge Sharing Capability and Competitiveness of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between knowledge sharing capability and competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Universities are knowledge intensive environments, and play a central role in the creation and dissemination of knowledge that they generate. Accordingly, it would be expected that such institutions would adopt proactive approaches to the incubation of knowledge management capability and strategies, and that they would have better insight on how to achieve and optimize the value of their knowledge assets. However, research has shown that this is not the case, and that the approaches adopted by universities are passive and inconsistent. In addition, although there is a strong body of research in the area of knowledge management in commercial environments, and growing interest in knowledge management in public sector organizations, there has been little research on knowledge management capability in universities. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The population of the research consisted of 31 chartered public universities authorized to operate in Kenya as at December 2020. The study adopted a census methodology while purposeful and convenient sampling was adopted to select respondents amongst the middle level management staff. The study used both secondary and primary data. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. Out of 155 questionnaires that were sent out, 123 were filled and returned. Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study used regression model to estimate the level of significance which yielded a positive and significant influence of knowledge sharing capability on competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Findings: The findings pointed out that knowledge sharing capability significantly influenced competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. The public universities should therefore entrench knowledge management practices in their day to day operations in order to remain competitive. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that public universities should embrace knowledge sharing practices in their operations as it enhances competitiveness. One of very important factor in knowledge sharing is that university stakeholders should be accorded with formal, informal and virtual space to interact with each other for knowledge exchange.

Knowledge Organization Capability and Competitiveness of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya

Purpose: Knowledge has increasingly become one of the most critical determining factors for organizational competitiveness. In order to acquire and sustain a competitive advantage, it is vital for an organization to develop effective strategies that foster knowledge creation, transfer and integration in the performance of the organization. Knowledge organization refers to activities such as document description, indexing, and classification that provide systems of representation and order for information and knowledge materials. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between knowledge organization capability and competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The population of the research consisted of 31 chartered public universities authorized to operate in Kenya as at December 2020. The study adopted a census methodology while purposeful and convenient sampling was adopted to select respondents amongst the middle level management staff. The study used both secondary and primary data. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. Out of 155 questionnaires that were sent out, 123 were filled and returned. Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study used regression model to estimate the level of significance which yielded a positive and significant influence of knowledge organization capability on competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Findings: The findings indicate that organizational initiatives such as effective knowledge collaboration and utilization, deployment of information technology systems that support knowledge organisation and easy access to information and data contribute to a healthy environment conducive for knowledge management. Owing to the foregoing, the study concluded that knowledge organization capability had a significant positive impact on competitiveness of chartered public universities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that public universities needed to embrace knowledge organization capability in order to obtain sustainable competitive advantage.

Employee Perceptions and Intention to Leave Among Academic Staff in Public Universities in Kenya

Purpose: The specific objectives of the study included perceived organizational support, commitment, performance and perceived organizational support as predictors of intention to leave. Methodology: The descriptive survey research designs was adopted. The population consisted of all cadres of academic staff in the chosen three public universities in Western Kenya. Yamane’s (1967) formula was utilised in determining a sample size of 121 respondents. Purposive sampling technique was utilised in coming up with the sample. Questionnaires were used to obtain primary data for analysis. A pilot study was done on 5% of the sample and Cronbach’s alpha helped in testing reliability. Both face and content validity of the research instrument were checked. Descriptive and inferential statistics of frequencies, means and standard deviation and inferential technique were utilised to analyse quantitative data using SPSS. Findings: The results revealed that perceived organizational support had a negative significant relationship with intention to leave. Perceived commitment, performance and manager support were all positively related with intention to leave. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommends that universities should assess and improve employee perceptions if they want to influence them to stay longer with the firms.

Influence of Adaptive Leadership on Crisis Preparedness by Public Universities in Kenya

Influence of Adaptive Leadership on Crisis Preparedness by Public Universities in Kenya

The contribution of leader–member exchange (LMX) to organisational sustainable development: Results and implications from Kenyan public universities study

We aimed to establish the contribution of leader–member exchange (LMX) to sustainable development of public universities in the emerging country of Kenya. The participants were 320 employees from public universities in Kenya (female = 43.1%; middle level managers = 47.8%, top leadership team = 26.6%; mean year of service = 13 years, SD = 3.6 years). They completed measures on LMX, innovative work behaviour, organisational engagement and sustainable development. Following structural equation modelling, findings showed that high quality LMX characteristics exhibited between leaders and followers significantly contributed to organisational sustainable development. High quality LMX also significantly contributed to employee organisation engagement. The results further revealed that innovative work behaviour was positively associated with sustainable development in that high LMX relationships between leaders and their followers inspired workers to be more innovative in their jobs. Our findings suggest a need for emerging countries’ public universities to incorporate LMX in their policies and procedures for their sustainability. The results indicate that high LMX is a key factor for driving successful public universities in developing country settings.

Work-Life Balance Practices and Employee Performance in Public Universities in Kenya

Purpose: The study examines the influence of work-life balance practices on the employee performance of public universities in Kenya. The specific objective is to find out how work-life balance constructs (work-family conflict, flexible work arrangements, stress, burnout, psychosocial support) influence employee performance at public universities. Methodology: Descriptive survey design was used guided by Spill over theory, and a positivism philosophy. The target population of the study comprised all employees in 30 accredited public universities in Kenya with a total population of 35,502 employees. A sample size of 385 employees was obtained using the statistical formula of Fisher for calculating sample size and respondents were chosen using a stratified random sampling technique. Results: The study found that there was a significant positive correlation between work-life balance and employee performance with a regression coefficient of (β = .844, p ˂ .000). Work-life balance constructs accounted for 71.1% variation in employee performance. This means that when work-life balance practices are well managed, employee performance is likely to increase. Conclusion: The study recommends that public universities in Kenya should focus on improving their work life balance practices to improve their employee performance.

Procurement Process and Financial Performance in Public Universities, Kenya

The poor financial performance of Kenya's public institutions has resulted in campus closures and an ever-increasing backlog of unpaid debts for a number of years. The academic institutions have encountered difficulties in recruiting sufficient faculty members to meet the demands of the curricula. The study aimed to establish the relationship between the procurement process and the financial performance of Public Universities in Kenya. The study adopted a correlational research design, and the target population was the public universities in Kenya with a purposive sample of 155 managers selected from three categories of universities according to their age and when they were chartered. The primary data was collected using questionnaires, and secondary data was collected using an Excel schedule and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The correlation findings indicated that the procurement process had a positive and significant relationship with financial performance (r = .674, p = .000<.05). The R-square value of 0.454 indicates that the procurement process explains 45.4% of variations in the financial performance of public universities. Regression results revealed that the procurement process had a positive and significant influence on financial performance (β = 0.589, p=.000<.05), and this implies that the procurement process significantly enhances the financial performance of public universities in Kenya. The study concluded that the procurement process contributes significantly to the enhanced financial performance of public universities. The study recommended that the management of public universities should strengthen aspects relating to the procurement process. There is a need to ensure that the quality of goods and services purchased is up to standard. There should be inspection and verification of goods and services. There is also a need to involve experts in the evaluation and awards of tenders.

Project Appraisal and Financial Performance in Public Universities, Kenya

Kenya's public institutions have had poor financial performance for a number of years, which has resulted in campus closures and an ever-increasing backlog of unpaid debts. Universities have had difficulty recruiting enough faculty members to meet the demand for their programs. The study aimed to determine the relationship between project appraisal and financial performance of the Public Universities in Kenya. The study adopted a correlational research design, and the target population was the public universities in Kenya with a purposive sample of 155 managers selected from three categories of universities according to their age and when they were chartered. The primary data was collected using questionnaires, and secondary data was collected using an Excel schedule and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The correlation findings indicated that project appraisal had a positive and significant relationship with financial performance (r = .626, p = .000<.05). The R-square value of 0.392 indicated that project appraisal explains 39.2% of variations in the financial performance of public universities. Further, regression results showed that project appraisal had a positive and significant influence on financial performance (β = 0.585, p=.000<.05), implying that project appraisal significantly enhances the financial performance of public universities in Kenya. The study concluded that project appraisal contributes significantly to the enhanced financial performance of public universities. The study recommended that the management of public universities should strengthen aspects relating to project appraisal. There is a need to ensure that projects are implemented as per the contract schedule. Projects should be diligently monitored to ensure quality. Further, projects should be appraised using scientific methods to ensure that there is a constant flow of cash to finance projects according to budget.

Effect of Emergency Preparedness on Security in Kenyan Universities: A Case Study of Garissa University

Security emergencies and threats have lately been on the increase, with public universities in Kenya reporting many incidents of insecurity. Despite investigation efforts by university management, the high prevalence of insecurity has continued, pointing to the need to determine the relationship between security emergency preparedness and security management in public universities in Kenya. This paper explores the existing types of emergency situations, the existing types of emergency response approaches, and the level of institutional emergency preparedness and their influence on security at Garissa University. Utilizing the emergency Management Theory, the paper points out that the common type of emergency situation in the study institution is terror-related attacks. Training is the common emergency situation response strategy that the university is utilizing in readiness to face emergency situations, and strict checking at the gate is the most common plan that the university has used to deal with emergency situations within its compound and emergency planning in the study institution has enhanced security through control of movement. The study recommends that the university invest in modern and advanced information technology infrastructure and systems to avert incidences of insecurity.

Modelling Institutional Characteristics that Influenced Implementation of Blended Learning in Public Universities in Kenya

Modelling Institutional Characteristics that Influenced Implementation of Blended Learning in Public Universities in Kenya

Revenue Diversification on Financial Sustainability of Public Universities in Kenya

Public universities play a critical role through academic empowerment of the citizens and actively participating in knowledge dissemination and research in society. However, despite being the centers of knowledge creation and development, one of the significant challenges facing public universities in Kenya is financial sustainability. This is evidenced by growing debt from financial institutions, unremitted statutory deductions, and shrinking government grants. Whereas proponents of sound financial management practices including revenue diversification hold the practices as possible solutions for financial sustainability of every organization, few studies have been done to ascertain this position in Kenyan public universities. Therefore, this paper sought to assess the effect of revenue diversification on financial sustainability of Kenyan public universities. The study used modern portfolio theory and financial sustainability model to discuss the variables. A descriptive research design was adopted while targeting 41 public universities for the study. Random sampling approach was applied to select 22 out of the 41 public universities. Using a secondary data collection template, secondary panel data was collected from the office of auditor general for the financial years 2018/2019 to 2022 / 2021.The study found revenue diversification had a negative significant impact on financial sustainability using gearing ratio and a positive significant effect on financial sustainability using sustainability ratio in Kenyan public universities. The study recommends that public universities should explore innovative alternative sources of revenue and close revenue-generating units whose marginal costs are higher than marginal revenues.

Electronic Ordering and its Effect on Tendering Process Efficiency in Public Universities in Kenya

E-procurement, indicated as an emerging trend in procurement, promises various benefits including cost reduction, improved efficiency, and transparency. However, its uptake and effectiveness within the tendering processes of public institutions in Kenya have been limited. The purpose of the study was to analyze the adoption of electronic ordering and its effect on tendering process efficiency in public universities in Kenya. The study was grounded on the Technology Acceptance Model. The study applied a descriptive research design. The population of the study was 136 employees of thirty-four public universities in Kenya. Slovin's formula was used to determine a sample size of 102 respondents and purposive sampling was employed to select three respondents from each university targeting Heads of Procurement, Finance, and ICT departments because they are responsible for handling the University's day-to-day procurement tasks and ensuring compliance with procurement policies, will constitute the targeted population. They regularly engage with procurement systems and play a key role in managing electronic procurement matters for the University. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, the researcher applied Cronbach's Alpha formula. Primary data was collected by a structured questionnaire employing a five-point Likert scale. Subsequently, the data was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for descriptive and inferential statistical, and the findings were presented in tables. The results indicated that electronic ordering was found to be statistically significant in predicting tender process effectiveness, with a p-value of 0.000. The study recommends that to enhance the effectiveness of electronic ordering systems, institutions should allocate resources toward training and capacity-building initiatives for individuals involved in procurement activities.

Knowledge and the Extent of Integration of Climate Change and Adaptation at Universities in Kenya

Purpose: This study investigated levels of awareness on climate change in five public universities in Kenya. The study aimed at assessing levels of knowledge on climate change issues among lecturers and students and documenting levels of access to information on climate change among lecturers and students. Methodology: The study adopted a survey design. The population for the study consisted of 200 hundred undergraduates and lecturers. Data was analysed using both descriptive (frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test) and presented in forms of charts and graphs. Findings: The results showed that teaching staff and students possessed high level of awareness on the concept of climate change, have access to the sources of information and factors of personal experience, public sources and education greatly influence their awareness. There was a statistically significant association between years teaching at the University (Chi-Sq. = 72.844, DF = 3, P-Value = 0.000) and integration of climate change in the courses taught. However, we found no association between gender (Chi-Sq. = 2.534, DF = 1, P-Value = 0.111) and University (Chi-Sq. = 1.279, DF = 4, P-Value = 0.865) where a lecturer was teaching in terms of integration of climate change in the courses taught. Unique Contributions to Theory, Practice and Policy: These findings indicate the teaching staff and students in Kenya have a widespread awareness of climate change and its immediate threat to human society, while knowledge of how to deal with the challenge due to climate change is still limited. Almost half the respondents believed climate change would result in impacts on human life. Nevertheless, the teaching staff and students need regular capacity development on climate change effects and in turn upscale the knowledge to the wider society.

Employees’ Performance in Selected Public Universities in Kenya: The Paradoxical Effects of the Leadership Styles

Employees’ Performance in Selected Public Universities in Kenya: The Paradoxical Effects of the Leadership Styles

Digital Literacy as a Tool for Enhancing Access and Utilization of Digital Information - A Case Study in Kenya

Technology is pervading every aspect of our lives. Therefore, the skills to navigate and accomplish tasks through technology have to be developed. Digital literacy is a tool for promoting effective access to and utilisation of digital information. This study investigates the adequacy of digital literacy skills among academic staff in selected public universities in Kenya. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides from 113 participants comprising 86 academic staff, 23 library staff and 4 university librarians. SPSS was used to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings showed that academic staff believed to be digitally literate could not practically use the skills in accessing and utilizing digital information. The study recommends continuous digital literacy training for both academic staff and library staff.

Knowledge and the Extent of Integration of Climate Change and Adapta-tion at Universities in Kenya

Purpose: This study investigated levels of awareness on climate change in five public universities in Kenya. The study aimed at assessing levels of knowledge on climate change issues among lecturers and students and documenting levels of access to information on climate change among lecturers and students. Methodology: The study adopted a survey design. The population for the study consisted of 200 hundred undergraduates and lecturers. Data was analysed using both descriptive (frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test) and presented in forms of charts and graphs. Findings: The results showed that teaching staff and students possessed high level of awareness on the concept of climate change, have access to the sources of information and factors of personal experience, public sources and education greatly influence their awareness. There was a statistically significant association between years teaching at the University (Chi-Sq. = 72.844, DF = 3, P-Value = 0.000) and integration of climate change in the courses taught. However, we found no association between gender (Chi-Sq. = 2.534, DF = 1, P-Value = 0.111) and University (Chi-Sq. = 1.279, DF = 4, P-Value = 0.865) where a lecturer was teaching in terms of integration of climate change in the courses taught. Unique Contributions to Theory, Policy and Practice: These findings indicate the teaching staff and students in Kenya have a widespread awareness of climate change and its immediate threat to human society, while knowledge of how to deal with the challenge due to climate change is still limited. Almost half the respondents believed climate change would result in impacts on human life. Nevertheless, the teaching staff and students need regular capacity development on climate change effects and in turn upscale the knowledge to the wider society.

Working Capital Management and its Effect on Financial Performance of Public Universities in Coastal Region Kenya

Kenya's public universities face challenges such as budget cuts and declining enrollments. This puts pressure on institutions and highlights the need for strong financial management systems. The main goal of this research was to assess the influence of working capital management (WCM) on financial performance (FP) of coastal public universities in Kenya. The effects of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventories and the size of the university on financial performance were examined. The study utilized primary and secondary data analysis involving financial controllers and managers for primary data collection. Secondary data from 2013 to 2019 was also collected from financial reports of selected universities. The findings of this study demonstrated the beneficial effect of working capital management on financial performance. The study highlights the importance of implementing tailored financial management strategies for each institution based on their specific needs and size. Recommendations include focusing on cash management, improving receivables and payables management, optimizing inventory strategies, and considering university size when designing working capital approaches.

Equity and Social Inclusion in Higher Education: The Funding Dilemma in Public Universities in Kenya

Equity and social inclusion in education are core to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. This goal recognizes that education is a human right that should be accessible to all, irrespective of socioeconomic status. Universities are uniquely placed to contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda by guaranteeing inclusive and equitable education. As citadels of research, knowledge production, and innovation, these institutions are rationally obligated to steer the 2030 Agenda. Indeed, the growth of university education has contributed enormously to Kenya's economic development. Yet, to continue contributing to inclusive and equitable education, universities require finances to reorient, repurpose and refocus. Unfortunately, public universities in Kenya are presently experiencing challenges that threaten their contribution to sustainable development through SDG 4. Therefore, this paper sought to enquire whether funding is a dilemma to universities achievement of equity and social inclusion goals. Besides, the paper considered strategies to address access, quality, and management barriers to inclusive and equitable education in higher education. The paper used the argumentative approach to conclude that inclusive and equitable education in higher education is at the most risk due to the diminishing funding of public universities and the unilateral push by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to overhaul some of these public universities. However, these institutions have the capacity to conduct research towards viable programs. Since funding does not appear as a dilemma to achieving equity and social inclusion in these institutions, this study recommends that the government should rethink the funding strategy in public universities by looking at other strategies like financial exposure awareness, development of principles, and change preparedness in order to enhance these institutions' potential to achieve SDG 4.

Doctoral students’ satisfaction with research support services at public universities in Kenya

Research support services (RSS) play an essential role in the lives of academics and researchers. The study focused on availability of RSS and doctoral students’ satisfaction with RSS provided in public university libraries in Kenya. The success of doctoral students is often determined by the extent of RSS provided by the university libraries. Every library system's main goal is to satisfy its patrons. Specifically, the paper was guided by these objectives: to assess the extent of provision of RSS in university libraries and to determine the level of satisfaction of doctoral students on available RSS. A sample size of 372 doctoral students were selected using stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques, and 32 librarians were selected purposively from selected public universities in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive research design and used an online survey research technique to collect data from doctoral students and librarians. Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) were used to analyse the data. Findings indicate that a wide range of RSS were provided in the selected universities and that while doctoral students are satisfied with the availability of materials, they are not happy with the currency of the materials in the library. The study concludes that there were significant differences in the provision of RSS for doctoral students across the selected public university libraries and that doctoral students have varying levels of satisfaction with the research support services provided to meet their information needs at selected public universities. The study findings will help university libraries to improve their services, provide targeted services to doctoral students and develop frameworks that will guide in resource allocation.

The Moderating Effect of Internal Controls on the Relationship Between Supplier Pre-Qualification and Procurement Performance in Public Universities in Kenya

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