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This paper aims to develop a critical approach to the conceptualization of start-ups in emerging markets from a Kenyan perspective. This study used a theoretical route to conceptualize start-ups in emerging markets like Kenya. From the findings, it is important to note that the conceptualization of start-up is based on western concepts and might be flawed and poorly applicable to businesses in Kenya. Hence in the Kenyan context, a start-up should be viewed as an innovative business entity, which is scalable and has survived up to 3-5 years. To support the growth of the start-up ecosystem in Kenya, policymakers should promote start-ups through the formation of relevant legislation and provide incentives that stimulate their survival and growth. The study has brought out some interesting findings which can generate more debate. The study used an exploratory research design which is not conclusive in nature therefore future research should consider using a research design that is conclusive in nature and robust.

This paper discusses how a Strategic Plan (SP) can be monitored and evaluated using the balanced scorecard (BSC). The BSC is a useful tool that is based on four measures: the financial measures emphasize cost efficiency and high profitability; the customer measure considers the ability of the firm to provide quality services to the customer; the internal business processes measure focuses on the internal processes that lead to financial success and customer satisfaction, while learning and growth measure include the ability of the employees’ quality of information systems, leadership, the culture, and alignment to teamwork processes. This paper employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. The SP’s operational objectives were aligned with the four measures of the BSC. Each measure was given a score that formed the basis of evaluation and analysis. The results show that the SP scored an aggregate of 71%, which is a fair score. The highest score was found in the learning and growth measure, followed by internal processes then the customer service, and lastly the financial measure. The scores are consistent with a non-profit making enterprise. This paper concludes that the BSC is a perfect tool for the evaluation of an SP.

The study sought to explore the impact of generic strategies on competitive advantage in the medical training colleges in Kenya. The research was guided by the Dynamic capabilities theory, Resource-Based View theory and Knowledge-based view theories. The target population was 183 members of staff in the 4 medical training colleges in Nyeri County, Kenya. Data on 42 participants from the population was gathered from the top-level management, middle-level management and low-level management in these colleges using questionnaires. The research adopted a descriptive research design. Quantitative data analysis was conducted by use of descriptive statistics. Additionally, inferential statistical analysis on the observations was carried out. Qualitative data were analyzed by use of content analysis. Tables, bar graphs, and pie charts were employed for data presentation.  The analyzed data revealed that cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategies positively contributed to the colleges’ competitive advantage with cost advantage having the greatest effect. The study recommends that colleges and other institutions employ the application of porter’s generic strategies since they have proved to be effective in contributing to competitive advantage.

The primary intent of this study is to establish the role of transformational governance on millennials’ dedication to level - 5 private hospitals in Kenya. A mixed methods study was applied using a cross-sectional exploratory survey design with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample comprised millennials and their leaders working in level - 5 private hospitals. The sample size was 415 respondents. Five-level multi-stage cluster sampling and purposeful sampling were used. The study findings indicated that individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation influenced millennial dedication. This study has provided actionable insights into leading millennials to safeguard millennial engagement in Kenyan healthcare. Furthermore, to be dedicated, millennials require close monitoring and support. The millennials’ values differ from those of other generations, and they prefer challenges when they get bored with routine work. However, there are two categories of millennials; the older millennials are more responsible and resilient than the younger millennials, who are not dedicated.

Knowledge management is becoming indispensable in organizations since it is a powerful weapon for achieving competitive advantage. However, there is still a dearth of literature for employees and managers in organizations to link their investments in knowledge management and the value the organization gets in terms of employee engagement. This study was designed to assess knowledge management and employee engagement in the hospitality industry in the North Rift region of Kenya. An explanatory research design was adopted with a target population of 580 employees from star-rated hotels in the North Rift region out of which a sample size of 234 respondents was picked. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 25.0 for quantitative data and thematic analysis of interview data. From findings, knowledge management explained a 50.4 percent variation in employee engagement. A coefficient of .728 indicated that a unit change in knowledge management leads to .728 units of positive change in employee engagement. Knowledge management significantly affects employee engagement thus the rejection of the null hypothesis. The hospitality business should invest in proper employee knowledge-sharing initiatives to enhance employee competence and motivation, resulting in high levels of engagement. The finding of this study can help major stakeholders in the hospitality industry to strengthen knowledge management for employee engagement.

The study sought to examine the effect of Accounting Information and Communication control on the financial performance of Sacco’s in Kenya. The study employed a mixed research design targeting 175 Sacco’s with 875 respondents. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the CEOs, Finance Managers, Risk Managers, ICT Managers and Internal auditors. Data were collected by the use of both primary and secondary techniques. Primary data collection was using questionnaires, while secondary data detailed document analysis of audited accounts to capture information on financial performance. A pilot study was conducted in Nairobi County. Content and construct validity were tested at a KMO value of 0.870, which signified that factor analysis was appropriate. Cronbach Alpha was applied to establish reliability, ranging from 0.859 for accounting information and communication control to 0.916 for financial performance. Data were analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive analysis included; frequencies, Mean, Standard deviation and percentage, while inferential analysis involved regression analysis. The results showed a significant positive relationship between Accounting Information and Communication control and financial performance (r=0.661, P=0.000). Accounting Information and Communication control explained 43.7% (R2 =0.437) of variance in financial performance; the beta value for Accounting Information and Communication control from the regression model was 0.551 at p< 0.05.  The study concluded that Accounting Information and Communication control has a significant positive effect on financial performance. The study recommended that SACCOs conduct periodic reviews of the effectiveness of its accounting information and communication system to ensure management receives timely, relevant, and reliable reports for decision-making.

Tour operators have ensured the success of the Kenyan tourism sector, poised to contribute to achieving key government economic policies like the Tourism Agenda 2018-2022, the National Tourism Blueprint 2030, and the Big-Four Agenda. However, due to the volatility of the tourism industry, stiff competition, rigid tourism policies, and pandemics, tour operators’ performance has recorded a 2% steady decline since 2011. Therefore, this paper explores the upscaling of performance using a differentiation strategy among tour operator companies in Nairobi City County. The study followed a descriptive design approach, with the balanced scorecard and Porter’s generic strategies forming the theoretical basis. Fifteen (15) company owners and 210 managers participated in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews. Stratified simple random sampling was used to sample respondents from the companies while purposive sampling was used to select company owners. Data collected were analyzed in SPSS (Ver.26) using descriptive statistics to infer variable characteristics. Inferential statistics; Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and simple linear regression were used to detect the strength of the relationship and test the hypothesis. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between differentiation strategy and organizational performance (r=0.77, P=0.000), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Regression analysis revealed an adjusted R2(0.602) indicating that differentiation strategy explains 60.2% of organizational performance’s variation (b=0.594, P=.000). The study recommends that tour operator companies should develop innovative packages based on place and price and significantly invest in R&D to enhance a strong brand for optimal performance. This study provides policymakers with an avenue to scrutinize levels of organizational performance using a strategic management approach.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of public sector financial information disclosure on the quality of financial reporting in public secondary schools in Kakamega County. This study was premised on a theoretical foundation based on legitimacy theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study targeted 419 public secondary schools, from which a sample of 205 public secondary schools was obtained using a stratified random sampling technique. The study used Primary data, which was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using version 26 of the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive and inferential methods of data analysis were used. The analyzed data was presented using tables, models, frequencies and percentages. The study found that public sector financial information disclosure was significant at (? = 0.790, t = 15.488 at p<0.01) on quality financial reporting. From the R Square, it accounted for 54.7% of the variance in quality financial reporting (p = 0.000). The study concluded that disclosure of public sector financial information significantly affected the quality of financial reporting in public secondary schools in Kakamega County. The study recommended that there is a need for financial information and reports to be made available to the users in a timely fashion and in the correct format and language that can make it easy for them to analyze and interpret. This would ensure that there is adequate disclosure of going on concern information which is more comprehensive, integrated and more helpful in decision-making process.

Sustainable tourism has emerged as a growing tourism facet in recent years, gaining acceptance among tourism developers and stakeholders; as a tourism development model that is economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally friendly. Nonetheless, tourism development faces numerous challenges, including displacement of people, cultural commercialization, organic dilapidation, and economic dependency resulting from social-economic development. As a result, many countries have begun to embrace long-term sustainable tourism development goals, an essential component of achieving Vision 2030. Therefore, this paper propagates the discussions surrounding corroboration approaches, tourism infrastructure, stakeholders' role, and government policies' influence on sustainable tourism development. To support its thesis, the paper develops a conceptual framework to guide tourism practitioners and other stakeholders in understanding and dissecting sustainable tourism models and knowledge. The findings emphasize stakeholders’ collaboration framework, the need for adequate and supportive tourism infrastructure, and the foundational basis of public-private initiatives to enhance tourism growth.

This study sought to determine the influence of service assurance on customer satisfaction in the insurance industry in Kenya. The latent variable assurance was measured using four manifest variables namely, Employees instill customer confidence; Customers feel safe to transact with the company; Employee Politeness and Provision of adequate information on service requested. A descriptive research design was adopted and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample 400 policyholders from 19 composite insurance companies in Kenya. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A pilot test was conducted to check the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics. R-Gui was the leading statistical software. The study applied linear mixed-effect models of structural equation modeling (SEM) considering the multi-level structure of the data collected. Multi-level analysis was adopted to determine whether service assurance contributed to the variation in levels of customer satisfaction across insurance companies. A significant fixed effect coefficient estimate of 0.696 was established, implying that increasing the levels of Service Assurance as perceived by a customer by one unit would increase the level of Customer Satisfaction by 0.696. The study concluded that a client who perceives Service Assurance from their insurer is bound to have higher satisfaction than a customer who does not perceive it. Employee Assurance, however, was found not to significantly affect the variations in customer satisfaction across the insurance companies. The study recommended that insurance firms invest in service assurance to achieve maximum customer satisfaction.