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Fraud is a thorn in the flesh of many organizations in both local and global business ecosystems, more so in the financial sector because of the liquid nature of their services. To curb this menace, Financial Institutions including Microfinance institutions implemented fraud risk management practices. While larger financial institutions afford raft measures for curbing fraud, MFIs contend with less sophisticated practices in spite of them being the most susceptible to financial improprieties. Further, the determination of the overall effect of these practices on financial performance is critical in evaluating their success. The objective of this study therefore was to find out how fraud risk management practices affect the financial performance of Microfinance Institutions in Kenya. The study was anchored on the fraud management life cycle theory and focused on twelve deposit-taking Microfinance Institutions that were in operation in the Nairobi region of Kenya between 2016 to 2020. The study adopted a descriptive research design using cross-sectional data computed from the average financial results for five years 2016-2020. The study used purposive and stratified Random sampling methods to select a sample of 281 respondents from finance, ICT, operations, Audit, and Litigation managers and staff. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data. The results showed that fraud risk management positively and significantly affected financial performance by curbing incidents of fraud and concluded that to improve financial performance microfinance institutions should implement fraud risk management since they had a positive and significant effect on financial performance. The study recommended that firms should invest substantially in fraud risk management to reduce incidences of fraud and improve financial performance. Further, the management of Microfinance Institutions should continually evaluate and update their practices to keep abreast with the ever-changing fraud antics.

The study investigated the role played by the dimensions of organizational culture in a strategic management process to help organizations in the hotel industry realize business recovery in a post-COVID-19 period. The conceptualization of the study relied on the strategic thinking lens preceding strategic management processes to situate the role of organizational culture in the strategic management processes undertaken at the strategy formulation phase. The element of organization's mission was argued to be the relevant practice for anchoring culture into the strategy formulation process. Four types of organizational culture were studied in business recovery. Three objectives guided the study focusing on the extent of the adoption of culture types, levels of business recovery attained and the effect of the level of adoption on the level of business recovery attained. A sample of 57 hotels was selected and 189 respondents were drawn from functional units in each of the hotels. The study reports that the level of adoption of the culture is at a high level while the extent of business recovery is at a moderate level of between 20-40% growth. Innovation culture does not have a significant statistical effect while market, customer orientation and adhocracy cultures have a significant statistical effect on the level of business recovery. The study concludes that the relevant cultures were responsible for aligning culture with the strategy formulation phase through the component of the mission of an organization and that the process needs to embrace combined attributes of the underpinning theories of RBV and the organizational culture theory. The study calls on future research to integrate more aspects of strategic thinking and consider using more objective sources of research data.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of capital mobilization on the operational outcomes of medium-sized hotels located in urban areas of Kenya. The research was grounded in the framework of dynamic capability theory. The study employed a pragmatic research paradigm that utilized mixed methodologies and employed a contemporaneous triangulation research methodology. The sample consisted of 534 medium-sized hotels. The researchers employed a stratified random sampling methodology to ascertain a sample size of 229 hotels. The research was grounded in the theoretical framework of the natural resource-based perspective. In order to examine the goal hypothesis, the researchers calculated the beta coefficient and conducted a t-test to assess the association between capital mobilization and the performance of medium hotels in Kenya. The significance level for this test was set at 5%. The null hypothesis was rejected based on the statistically significant estimated beta value (0.698, p = 0.000), indicating a confirmed substantial association between capital mobilization and the performance of medium hotels in urban areas of Kenya. The performance of a firm is influenced by the amalgamation of employees' knowledge and abilities, which are integrated through various processes and procedures. This integration not only shapes the structure of the organization but also facilitates the generation of value. The study suggests that it would be beneficial to focus on implementing lean-green practices during capital growth, as these practices have been shown to align with improved performance. Additionally, it is recommended to place greater emphasis on incorporating the concept of 5S into entrepreneurship courses at all levels of education.

Firms are driven to maximize profits, requiring specialized techniques to improve performance. Firms can handle chaotic conditions by acting strategically. Global studies show high early-stage SME death rates. Hospitality studies have not examined how lean-green methods boost performance and competitiveness. Lean-green methods affect the entrepreneurial spirit and performance of medium-sized hotels in Kenyan cities. The paper relies on discovery and dynamic capability theory. The article used mixed-methods, concurrent triangulation, and pragmatic philosophy. 534 medium hotel managers in Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kisumu were studied, and 229 were sampled using stratified random sampling. Data was collected by questionnaire and saved in MS Excel for case-variable screening and cleaning. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis. Pearson's correlation and regression models analyzed quantitative data. In Kenyan cities, entrepreneurial attitude positively affects medium hotel performance (=.775, t = 17.499, p.05). Lean-green synergy positively impacted performance (? =.527, t = 12.497, p ?.05) and moderated the connection between entrepreneurial mentality and business performance. The study found that lean-green techniques boost performance. Lean-green production strategies are recommended by the study. These findings benefit hotel entrepreneurs, managers, academia, and legislators. The study proposes studying other industries besides hospitality to see whether comparable findings are found.

Despite the effort to increase financial inclusion, women-owned Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) continue to face challenges in the uptake of financial services. Low financial uptake is strongly associated with business failure leading to low income and living standards among women entrepreneurs in marginalized areas. Market system strategies are crucial in determining businesses' level of financial uptake. The study investigated the effect of market system strategies on the financial uptake of women-owned MSMEs in the informal settlement of Nyeri County. Specifically, it investigated the effect of business readiness, financial literacy, investor relationships, and investment impact on financial uptake among women-owned MSMEs. The study variables were anchored on Ricky Griffin's model, Theory of Change, and Refinancing theory. The study used a descriptive research design, specifically a cross-sectional design. The target population was 890 women-owned MSMEs in the informal settlements of Nyeri county. Proportionate stratified and random sampling were used to obtain a sample of 275 businesses representing approximately 30% of the study population. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. A pilot test was conducted using ten individuals to test and improve the study questionnaire Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha, where an alpha of 0.7 was the acceptable threshold. Regression analyses indicated that the market system strategies, business readiness, financial literacy, impact investment, and investor relationship positively and significantly affected financial uptake, with p-values lower than 0.05 alpha. The study found that businesses with better market system strategies have a higher financial uptake. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that policies and interventions aimed at improving financial uptake among women-owned MSMEs should focus on enhancing business readiness and financial literacy and building strong impact investment and investor relationships. The county government, NGOs, and others interested stakeholders should encourage women entrepreneurs in informal settlements of Nyeri county to seek training and support to develop their business skills and increase their understanding of financial uptake. Furthermore, the county and national governments should connect women-owned MSMEs with impact investors and establish relationships to provide funding, support, and mentorship. Finally, policymakers and stakeholders in the financial sector should consider creating an enabling environment that supports and incentivizes impact investment in MSMEs, especially those owned by women, to increase their financial uptake.

This paper aims to examine the effect of strategic leadership, resource allocation, information technology, customer focus, and differentiation on the performance of microfinance institutions in Nairobi City County. The study was founded on a resource-based view, dynamic capability and life-cycle theories. A target of 300 employees was targeted from which a sample of 172 research participants was recruited. The sample was selected through a combination of both stratified and sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used for primary data collection. Analysis used both descriptive and multiple regression analyses. The findings of the study indicated the urgency for microfinance organizations to adopt growth strategies that encompass innovative digital advancements, the introduction of novel products, innovation-focused strategies, and the digitization of services. The findings further highlighted the pivotal roles played by strategic positioning, strategic leadership, information technology integration, and differentiation in significantly shaping microfinance institutions’ performance. The findings also indicated that a unit enhancement of strategic positioning indicator had a significant enhancement on their individual performance. However, the effect of customer focus and resource allocation did not exhibit the same level of significance. The study recommended the reinforcement of strategic positioning, optimized resource allocation, embracing technological integration, and an unwavering focus on customer needs. The study recommended the exploration of diverse leadership styles, resource allocation strategies, and the undertaking of comparative analyses to draw insights into the effects of these factors on microfinance institutions.

Coffee production in Kenya has plummeted, hurting the economy and worsening social inequality and poverty. Kenyan coffee marketing cooperative associations have failed to boost exports. Coffee is Kenya's main cash crop. Coffee is the country's principal foreign exchange earner, rural employment source, food security source, and revenue source. The reduction in coffee export earnings shows that coffee marketing cooperatives are inefficient and less flexible. This study examines how shared vision affects organizational ambidexterity. This transformational leadership-based study used exploratory and cross-sectional survey methodologies. The target audience was Kenyan coffee marketing cooperatives. The sample size was 242 Kenyan coffee marketing cooperative societies. A self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire collected primary data from cooperative society managers. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that shared vision favorably impacts organizational ambidexterity (R = 0.547, R2 = 0.299), explaining 29.9% of variation. Further, shared vision significantly affected organizational ambidexterity (P-value = 0.00). The study found that shared vision affected organizational ambidexterity. Thus, managers of coffee marketing cooperative societies should constantly discuss their vision with other employees to improve ambidexterity.  

Worldwide, startup businesses are essential for any country's economic development. Despite the rapid growth of start-ups, their likelihood of success and viability remain low. This trend is more observed in developing countries due to the low uptake of business incubation services such as Kenya. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of networking services, physical incubation, and management mentoring on the growth of start-ups in Kenya. The study was based on the social network theory, the theory of the firm, the stochastic theory and the trait theory of entrepreneurship. A cross-sectional research design was used. A sample size of 227 respondents was selected from a total population of 567 respondents using proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed with multiple linear regression with the help of SPSS. The finding of the study indicated that there was a positive and significant effect between networking services, physical incubation infrastructure and management mentoring and growth of startups. The study suggests that startups should join associations like the Associations of Startups and SME Enablers of Kenya and the Association of Countrywide Innovation Hubs to access incubation infrastructure. This will allow access to investor networks, civil society programs, and government agencies, accelerating business growth. Additionally, business incubators can partner with universities for specialized research in areas like health, agriculture, and climate change through the triple helix model.

The study explores the impact of entrepreneurial passion on process innovation and firm performance, based on self-efficacy theory. Relevant hypotheses were proposed, and the promotion mechanism of entrepreneurial passion on process innovation and enterprise performance was analyzed. A survey of 150 Kenyan firm owners/managers was conducted, and the results showed that process innovation has a significant positive effect on performance. Entrepreneurial passion is a significant moderator of the relationship between process innovation and performance, with firms with higher levels of passion achieving greater performance from implementing process innovation. This suggests that entrepreneurial passion can guide entrepreneurial persistence and promote enterprise performance by stimulating positive emotions and creativity. The study suggests that effective management of process innovation can enhance performance and encourage more entrepreneurial behavior in competitive business environments.

This paper aims to examine the effect of selected factors that link to completion of NSSF construction projects and how they are influenced by the various critical factors. The main objective was to establish the critical success factors and their effects on performance of construction projects. Four theories namely Game theory, Principal-Agent theory, Construction Management, and Soft Value Management (SVM) theory served as the foundation for this research.  Descriptive research design was employed for data collection, analysis, presentation and interpretation.The target population was 512 stakeholders from six complete commercial and residential projects. Purposive sampling was used to select 84 participants for the study. Semi-structured questionnaires were used in the study to collect data. The data was analyzed using SPSS whereby descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The results show that the R-square value was 0.282 and R was 0.531. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was significant at p=0.001 with an F statistic of 9.961 indicating that the model used was fit for the data. The data also revealed that client variations (p= 0.05), financial availability (p = 0.047), and construction disputes (p = 0.001) are statistically significant determinants affecting the performance of NSSF construction projects. The main findings of the study demonstrate that the key critical success factors used in this study affected the performance of NSSF-completed construction projects either positively or negatively. The study recommends that companies should adhere to the principles that safeguard project management to adequately manage the critical factors and ultimately minimize project delays.

The Kenya Airport Police Unit has started using smartphones to deter crime, but there are still reservations about their potential impact on policing. The study sought to identify the factors that influence police officers' adoption and use of smart phone applications for crime prevention. The police officers assigned to the Kenya Airport Police Unit (1382) were the study's target group. For this study, a sample of 274 police officers was selected using a simple random sampling approach. The study was guided by the Mobile Technology Acceptance Model (M-TAM), which discovered that smartphones were useful instruments for crime prevention. Police officers discovered that programs such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, emails, and short text messages helped to prevent crime. The study suggests that tailored police smart phone applications be developed, as well as officer capacity training, to improve their utilization and help to crime prevention efforts.

The use of motorcycles has increased dramatically in Africa in recent years. Motorcycles (boda boda) are often used as taxis, with riders charging a fare to carry passengers or goods by wholesalers and retailers. Motorcycle transport is certainly not without risk, including the risk of being injured in a crash. Attempts by governments to regulate the use of motorcycle taxis for safety and other reasons have largely failed, with authorities often unable to keep pace with the rapid influx of motorcycles into the continent and the high demand for their services by local populations. This study sought to establish the moderating effect of road safety and compliance training on the relationship between the motorcycle accessibility market and the performance of wholesale retail businesses in Kenya. This study was anchored on system theory. The research philosophy adopted for the study was descriptive using a quantitative approach was used. The study targeted all wholesale and retail shops in 47 counties and systematic sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select a sample size of 383 respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analysis was undertaken using SPSS software Version 28. On average, the findings noted that motorcycle accessibility to the markets had enhanced the growth of wholesaler and retailer businesses in Kenya with a score of 4.03 out of 5.0. On inferential statistics, the results indicate road safety and compliance training of motorcycle riders had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between the motorcycle accessibility market and performance wholesale retail business R squared change of 0.206 which translates to a 21.39% change in the R-square. This means road safety and compliance training of motorcycle riders’ moderate motorcycle accessibility market and performance positively and statistically significant. The findings imply that training motorcycle riders on road safety and compliance is very important in improving the wholesale and retail sector performance in Kenya. The government should formalize road safety and compliance, in this case, NTSA, should uphold and enhance official training of the commercial motorcycle delivery solution providers.

In Kenya, the wholesale and retail sector has been undergoing a difficult time that has seen some of the big retailers closing due to myriad challenges in their performance in the dynamic environment. This study sought to establish the influence of motorcycle delivery innovation on the performance of the wholesale and retail sectors in Kenya. The study was anchored on social exchange theory. The research philosophy adopted for the study was positivism. A descriptive research design using a quantitative approach was used in this study. The study targeted all wholesale and retail shops in 47 counties in Kenya that employed commercial motorcycles for their last-mile delivery of goods. Systematic sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select a sample size of 383 respondents and a questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analysis was undertaken across all variables using SPSS software. The findings indicated that there was a strong relationship between delivery innovations and the performance of the wholesale and retail businesses in Kenya (0.785). On the hypotheses, the study found that motorcycle delivery innovation had a statistically significant influence on the performance of wholesale and retail businesses in Kenya (t = 16.560, p=0.000 <0.05). The study concluded that motorcycle delivery innovations/solutions have a strong and statistically significant relationship with the performance of wholesale and retail businesses. The study recommends that wholesalers, retailers, and motorcyclists to have collaboration as they have mutual benefits. The study suggests that another study can be conducted to investigate the influence of embracing motorcycles by online businesses on their performance and growth.

This study aimed to determine the impact of interactive marketing on the marketing performance of MSEs in Kenya's Nyanza region. The research was founded on the positivist paradigm. The study employed a cross-sectional survey methodology. Targeting 2,503 MSEs and sampling 356 respondents using the Yamane formula and simple random stratified sampling The self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire used to collect the primary data was analyzed using regression analysis. Cronbach's alpha and the Shapiro-Wilk test were used to examine the reliability and normality of the data, respectively. Interactive marketing was found to have a significant impact on marketing performance (t = 19.933, p = 0.0000.05). Therefore, the study recommends extensive implementation of interactive marketing to improve the marketing performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSEs), which would ultimately contribute to increased profits and stability.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between portfolio diversification, government regulations, and the financial performance of DT SACCOs in Nairobi County, Kenya. It aims to determine the impact of financial asset investment on the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Nairobi County, Kenya; the impact of loan portfolios on the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Nairobi County; and the moderating effect of government regulations on the relationship between portfolio diversification and the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Nairobi County, Kenya. Capital market theory, modern portfolio theory, risk aversion theory, arbitrage portfolio theory, and decision-making theory will serve as the study's foundation. For the period under review, secondary data will be collected from audited annual financial statements included in SASRA reports.

The paper reports empirical findings drawn from a study undertaken to understand the dimensions of strategic leadership deployed among flower farms and the benefits that the flower farms have derived from deployment of strategic leadership. The context was selected due to its significance in contributing to the national economy and the level of turbulence experienced by the farms that requires a leadership style entrenching strategic thinking. 43 flower farms were sampled and primary data obtained using a structured questionnaire from CEOs, Deputy CEOs and heads of functional areas. Two dimensions of strategic leadership have been deployed to a low extent while two have been implemented to a moderate extent. The deployed dimensions of strategic leadership have significantly contributed to the flower farms performance by enhancing their capacity to attain growth at the rate of 15-20%. The study concluded that strategic leadership is relevant for deployment by the flower farms and raised implications for its deployment among organizations facing complex and turbulent environments. The paper called on future research to consider expanding the scope of the context of the investigation and conceptualization of the dimensions of strategic leadership based on other relevant theoretical frameworks anchoring strategic leadership.