JIBISM Format

The study sought to establish the influence of lean warehousing practices on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The unit of analysis consisted of 138 large manufacturing firms registered with the Kenya association of manufacturing under the category of large scale manufacturing firms; the unit of observation consisted of the Heads of Supply chain, Production and Logistics. Data was collected using questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics aided by Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Bivariate regression model was used to show the relationship between the variables. The study findings indicated a positive significant influence of lean warehousing on performance of large manufacturing firms. The study recommends the need by manufacturing firms in Kenya to practice lean ware housing practices such as implementing optimal storage, automated picking system and adopting integrated order receiving to a very great extent so improve their performance more. There is a need for the firms to enhance adoption of the lean production practices such as having a continuous improvement programs in terms of production, automation and use of just in time concept to a great extent so as to improve performance significantly.

The study sought to establish the influence of lean production practices on performance of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The unit of analysis consisted of 138 large manufacturing firms registered with the Kenya association of manufacturing under the category of large scale manufacturing firms; the unit of observation consisted of the Heads of Supply chain, Production and Logistics. Data was collected using questionnaires. The approaches to ensure validity were content validity and construct validity. Data reliability was measured using Cronbach " s alpha. The data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics aided by Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Bivariate regression model was used to show the relationship between the variables. The study findings indicated a positive significant influence of lean production on performance of large manufacturing firms. The study recommends the need by manufacturing firms in Kenya to enhance adoption of the lean production practices such as having a continuous improvement programs in terms of production, automation and use of just in time concept to a great extent so as to improve performance significantly.

The study focused on the effect of financing decision on financial performance of listed companies at Nairobi Securities Exchange. The specific objectives were capital structure, liquidity decision, dividend decision and investment decisions. The study targeted 66 listed firms at the NSE. Data spanning five years, 2012 to 2016 was collected. Multivariate regression approach was used for analysis. The study findings showed that capital structure has a positive but not significant effect on ROA but a positive and significant effect on ROE. Liquidity decision has a positive and significant effect on both ROE and ROA. It was also established that investment decision has a positive and significant effect on both ROA and ROE. However, dividend decision has a negative and not significant effect on both ROE and ROA. The study recommends that since debt to equity ratio can significantly affect returns on equity and assets significantly; there is a need for listed firms to balance their financing using debts and equity. There is a need to revise the financing policies to incorporate financing with less equity and more debts since it improves the returns. The study also recommends that since liquidity decision has a positive effect on financial performance of listed firms, there is a need for the listed firms to have a balance in their liquidity decisions by ensuring that they have enough current assets to offsets the current liabilities. This enables the day to day running of the business to be more easier and sustainable thus improving performance. The study also recommends that since investment decisions affect performance positively and significantly, there is a need for the listed firms to invest more in firm machinery, plants, equipment and property, so as to enhance the returns form these investments.

The study aimed at determining the Causes of Loan delinquency in small and medium Enterprises operating in Dar es Salaam Tanzania with a focus on factors touching on the SMES that is , funds utilization practices, owner management competence, entrepreneurial risk taking behaviour and level of innovativeness. The Study followed an inductive process where both primary and secondary data collection tools were used to achieve the results. Both descriptive and inferential analysis (Correlation and regression analysis) was used. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22 and the findings revealed that funds utilization practices positively and significantly affect loan delinquency among SMEs in Dares Salaam town. This implies that an increase in loans utilization practices such as borrowing funds to expand into new markets, using loans whenever there is a need to diversify and using borrowed funds to undertake new ventures increases loan delinquency. The study findings also indicated that management competence negatively affects loan delinquency among the SMEs investigated. It was also established that innovativeness has a negative and not significant relationship with loan delinquency among SMEs in Dares Salaam. This implies that experimentation and introduction of new products or services anytime and incorporation of the employee’s ideas into the organization leads to a small effect on reduction of loan delinquency.
Key Words: Funds Utilization Practices, Owner Management Competence, Entrepreneurial Risk Taking Behaviour, Level of Innovativeness, Loan Delinquency, Small and Medium Enterprises, Dares Salaam Tanzania

The purpose of this study was to establish the effects of resource management on academic achievement of students in public secondary schools in Garissa Sub-County, Kenya. The study‟s objectives were to examine the effects of human resources and the influence of financial resources on students‟ academic achievement in secondary schools in Garissa Sub-County. The researcher employed survey research design and all the 8 public secondary schools where 8 principals and 40 Heads of Departments (HODs) were used as a target population. The sample comprised of 8 principals and 20 heads of departments on which interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. Reliability of questionnaire items was ensured by use of Cronbach‟s alpha index and was found to be 0.749 while validity was ascertained with the assistance of supervisors. Data collected through questionnaires was analyzed using Pearson r with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while that from interviews was reported verbally. Interpretation of results was based on an alpha of .05 and a df of 20. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significant relationship between academic achievement and human resource and financial resources management. Out of this study recommendations were made to the national government and Garissa county government.

The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of supply chain risk management practices on performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study specifically looked at the effect of risk identification and hedging on performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. The target population included 494 large manufacturing firms licensed under the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. A sample size of 138 firms was determined through a formula and sampled using stratification. The study used primary data sources collected through structured questionnaires. The collected data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to reveal that supply chain risk management practices (risk identification and hedging) positively and significantly affected performance manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study recommended the need for manufacturing firms to put in place better risk identification practices such as continuously conducting pre-screening of suppliers’ capacity, inventory forecasting and also conducting periodic procurement analysis so as to detect and hedge against risk thus improving their performance. There is also a need to ensure that there exist between hedging practices such as increasing buffer stock, reducing order cycle times and sharing supply chain costs with partners through outsourcing in order to improve their performance.
Keywords: Risk Identification, Hedging, Performance of Manufacturing Firms

The study sought to establish the effect of reward management practices on employee turnover in commercial private health institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study specifically focused on career development practices and remuneration practices. The study was hinged on Abraham Maslow theory and Equity Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted and the target population comprised of the 23 commercial private health institutions within Nairobi County. A total of 124 respondents were sampled. The study used quantitative data collected from respondents using a 5 point Likert scale questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 and the findings indicated that the relationship between reward management practices (career development practices and remuneration practices) and employee turnover is positive and statistically significant. The study recommended a need for commercial private health institutions to increase the extent of adoption of career development practices as well as remuneration practices as a strategy of reducing employee turnover.
Key Words: Reward Management Practices, Career Development Practices, Remuneration Practices, Employee Turnover

The study sought to analyse the relationship between strategic alignment and firm performance focusing on the telecommunication sector in Kenya. The indicators of the strategic alignment the study specifically focused on include employees‟ alignment, key processes alignment, IT alignment and customer alignment. A descriptive research design was used in this particular study. Since the study population was small (10 firms) the study opted for census survey where all the elements of the population were included in the sample size. Hence the study sample remained 50 heads of key departments from the 10 telecommunication firms in Kenya. The findings revealed that strategic alignment significantly influenced firm performance of telecommunication firms in Kenya. The study established that employee‟s alignment, key process alignment, IT strategic alignment and customer alignment positively and significantly affected the firm performance in telecommunication sector in Kenya. The study concluded that firms that have aligned their employees, key processes, information technology and customer to their long term strategy have a clear direction on what the firm what to achieve and who is responsible. The study recommends that organisation should ensure that all the departments within the organisation are aligned to different objective in the long term strategy hence ensuring every objective is realized.
Keywords: Strategic Alignment, Employees, Key Processes, IT, Customer, Telecommunication

Most of the payment systems in the global landscape have been evolving over a number of years. Changes that have arisen from those evolution have been observed to be generating from a number of forces among them; the ongoing digital and technology revolution that has caused an ever-increasing penetration of smart phones and internet on mobile phone payment, free entry of several non-banking institutions that offers alternative payment solutions, constant customer demands for instantaneous and one touch payment solutions. Classification of any cashless payment system can be done according to the transaction type or the process by which a transaction is executed. This study focused on establishing the effect of cashless payment systems on cash management of county referral hospitals in Kenya. The researcher sought to establish the effect of electronic fund transfer payment, mobile money payment, credit card payment and Cheque payment systems on cash management of county referral hospitals in Kenya. The findings of this research if adopted may be beneficial to academician, the government, administrators of health facilities and the management of the county referral hospitals in Kenya. The study was anchored on the following theories liquidity preference theory, technology acceptance theory, Baumol‟s optimal cash conversion theory, stochastic cash conversion theory and Diffusion of innovation theory. The researcher applied a descriptive study design in conducting this research and analyzed only secondary data that was obtained from the facilities‟ financial statements of between 2014 and 2018. A census method was applied in determining the sources of data where all the 47 county referral hospitals were targeted. Analysis was conducted using SPSS and descriptive, correlation and regression methods were applied. The results of the study established that the facilities recorded greater amounts being transacted through the cheques payment systems as compared to all other cashless platforms. Besides, most of the facilities are not able to comfortably settle their creditors from their cash and cash equivalent sources since they recorded a cash ratio of less than 1.00. It was also evident that EFT, MMP, CCP and CPS had a strongly positive and significant effect on cash management of the facilities. In order to improve their cash management, the study recommends that the county health referral hospitals should invest in improving and increasing the utilization of electronic fund transfer, mobile money payment, credit card and cheque as modes of payment in their transactions.
Key Words: Electronic Fund Transfer Payment, Mobile Money Payment, Credit Card Payment, Cheque Payment Systems, Cash Management, County Referral Hospitals

Reliable and accurate health information is important for monitoring health and for evaluating and improving the delivery of healthcare services and programmes. Studies on Health Information Systems in resource poor countries often document problems with reporting such as incomplete records and untimely reporting. These systems are the source of data that can be used for continuous and routine monitoring of health programmes. The objective of the study is to determine the influence of monitoring and evaluation of writing of health reports on the quality of service delivery in health facilities in Nyandarua County, in Kenya. Descriptive design was used in order to determine the relationship between the completeness and accuracy of health reports and quality of healthcare. Under the design, in-depth information about how health workers practices, in relation to weekly and monthly health reports, affect the quality of healthcare provision will be understood. Majority of the health workers reported their ability to report using the tools comfortably. Some of the respondents revealed that they had challenges when writing reports as they did not understand the reporting tools adequately. Healthcare workers are seen to be conversant with the data collection and reporting tools. Findings therefore demonstrate that those who are not conversant with the reporting tools are likely to give inaccurate data. The study established that when monitoring and evaluation of health report-writing is not carried out, the quality of service is affected. For example, in relation to staff deployment, commodity procurement and disease management .

Lack of adequate corporate governance and transparency within the Sierra Leone network of corporations, banks, and financial institutions motivated the study to determine the current pathway of improvement. The study sought to determine to what extent corporate governance mechanisms affect the financial performance of commercial banks in Sierra Leone. The focus within this empirical study is on causal connections and tangible, identifiable links between corporate governance standards and institutional performance. Based upon this research agenda, a methodological approach was developed to systematically and comparatively assess the role which governance plays in performance, exploiting variations and inconsistencies in institutional outcomes across a network of banks in Sierra Leone.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing Board of Management member‟s decisions on effective management of teachers in public secondary schools in Garissa Sub-County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine the extent to which board of management exposure to in-service training and their levels of education influence their effective management of teachers in public secondary schools in Garissa Sub-County. The study employed survey research design. The target population composed of 117 BOM members and 9 school principals from the nine public secondary schools in Garissa Sub-County. Simple random sampling was used to obtain 54 BOM members out the nine public secondary schools in Garissa sub-county while census method was used to obtain 9 principals from the 9 public secondary schools in Garissa sub-county. Data was collected by use of Questionnaires and interviews. Cronbach‟s alpha index was used to test questionnaires‟ reliability and was found to be .810 while interview‟s was done by highly restructuring the interviews items. Quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson r, while that from interviews were analyzed thematically. The study findings may be useful to BOM, education officers and principals as it will give them an insight on their roles to ensure effective management of teachers.
Key words: Board of Management, Workshop / Seminars, Effectiveness, Efficiency

Management innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises in South Sudan has been termed as low despite the high failure rate of the enterprises. This is despite the argument that management innovation enhances survival rate of enterprises and creates competitive advantage. This therefore triggered an investigation to find out if allocation of resources influences management innovation. The study population consisted of all the 12,654 Small and Medium Enterprises operating in Juba City whereby 96 were sampled. Primary data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression were used in analysis. The tool used was Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24. The study established that resource allocation has a positive and significant effect on management innovation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Juba City. The recommendations of the study were that Small and Medium Enterprises in Juba City should enhance the...

This study established the influence of grand strategies on performance on mobile service providers in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the influence of divestment strategy and retrenchment strategy on performance of mobile service providers in Kenya. The study was anchored on two theories namely the theory of Strategic Orientation and Static Trade-Off theory. A descriptive research design was adopted by the study. The focus was on the mobile service providers in Kenya which are four namely; Bharti Airtel, Safaricom Limited, Telkom Kenya Limited and Finserve Africa Limited. The target respondents comprised of a total of 84 respondents including 38 board members and 46 directors. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data which was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Descriptive and inferential findings were adopted by the study. The findings indicated that divestment strategy and retrenchment strategy had a positive and significant influence on performance of mobile service providers in Kenya. The study recommends mobile service providers to adopt more of divestment strategy such as restructuring of non-performing assets and quick collection of receivables and retrenchment strategy such as cost containment through standard costing and sourcing and reduction of firm expenditure on research and development.
Key Words: Grand Strategies, Divestment Strategy, Retrenchment Strategy, Performance of Mobile Service Providers.

Management innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises in South Sudan has been termed as low despite the high failure rate of the enterprises. This is despite the argument that management innovation enhances survival rate of enterprises and creates competitive advantage. This therefore triggered an investigation to find out if allocation of resources influences management innovation. The study population consisted of all the 12,654 Small and Medium Enterprises operating in Juba City whereby 96 were sampled. Primary data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression were used in analysis. The tool used was Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24. The study established that resource allocation has a positive and significant effect on management innovation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Juba City. The recommendations of the study were that Small and Medium Enterprises in Juba City should enhance their resource allocation practices such as encouraging innovative behavior to promote management innovation, measuring performance against subjective strategic criteria such as progress on product innovations and investing in technological resources such as IT infrastructure.This would in return improve the rate of management innovation among them significantly.
Key Words: Resource Allocation, Management Innovation, Juba City, South Sudan

The presence of seasonality in stock returns violates the weak form of market efficiency because equity prices are no longer random and can be predicted based on past pattern. This facilitates market participants to devise trading strategy which could fetch abnormal returns on the basis of past pattern. Fluctuations in the stock returns of firms listed at Nairobi Securities exchange motivated this study. In the Kenyan context, studies conducted on market anomalies in different markets have continued to yield different results in the majority of the investigated markets including the Nairobi Securities Exchange. This paper examines whether there is a significant variation in the average daily stock returns at the NSE and compares the findings to the previous empirical works on the topic. The paper tested for the presence of the Monday effect, differences in mean return across the five trading days, January effect, differences in the mean return across the five trading months and also provided the day-today and year-to-year behavior of stock return at the NSE. The study employed daily data from the year 2001 to 2015 to do analysis. The method of analysis was t tests and ANOVA. Policy recommendations are afterwards presented to aide the investors in making key investment decisions.