Elegwa Mukulu

Relationship Between Strategic Product Development Practices and Financial Performance of Telecommunication Firms in Kenya

Product development is a crucial factor that determines success or failure of firms in the telecommunication industry. The success and sustainability of any organization in a competitive environment is determined by its product development strategy. The highly competitive nature of the telecommunication sector as well as globalization of markets has made it increasingly difficult for firms to differentiate their products on the basis of cost and quality. On the other hand, new product development is now a dominant driver that shapes the landscape of how these firms compete, with the possibility of new product failure also being high. It is therefore necessary for telecommunication firms to master the product development strategies that scale up their product and service portfolios that are likely to capture a wider market and therefore make more profits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the relationship between strategic product development strategies and financial performance of telecommunication firms in Kenya. The population of interest for this study was 290 top level employees of the three telecommunication firms in Kenya, namely Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom. A sample of 145 employees was randomly selected to participate in this study after applying 50% criterion in selection. The study used a mixed research design, which allowed for both quantitative and qualitative data capture. Primary data was collected through questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as, mean, frequencies and inferential statistics (regression and correlation analysis) were used to analyze data. The study recommends that the management of telecommunication firms should simultaneously scale up their product attributes to fit customers’ needs and minimize time to market if they are to compete in the ever growing market. This will give them competitive edge over other market competitors therefore attaining superior firm performance.

Influence of Procurement Capabilities on Firm Performance of Manufacturing Entities in Kenya

Affective pictures are being used in different neuropsychology and neurophysiology studies for the assessment of cognitive function including attention and emotion. This research aims to determine the arousal domain of normative affective pictures from International Affective Picture System (IAPS) with Malaysian population using Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) then to develop and customize an additional set of affective picture database with Malaysian population using SAM. There were 72 completed data from Malaysian participants were selected to rate a total of 166 pictures in the arousal (low to high) domain of affective dimension using SAM. Rating of the arousal domain of normative affective pictures from IAPS with Malaysian population revealed Malaysian population showed higher score significantly (p

Entrepreneurial Self Efficacy Influence on the Creation of University Spin-off firms in Kenya

Entrepreneurship researchers have over the years pointed out the critical influence of self-efficacy on different aspects of a new venture creation process. In combination with environmental factors within and without university, entrepreneurial self-efficacy enables individuals to successfully perform the tasks and roles of an entrepreneur and hence meeting his/her expectations towards creating a new venture. This paper examines the influence of university context on the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and creation of university spin-off firms in Kenya. The sample comprised of 323 students and staff form top ten universities in Kenya. Results suggest that academics have a high intention to be entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy ESE has a strong effect on creation of spin-off firms. The results of the study were compared with a previously published study conducted in the Turkey and Malaysia.

Can performance measurement systems be used to measure effectiveness of the procurement function in an organization

There has been mixed feelings about the importance of the procurement function in organizations. The function has been classified as a support functionnot as important as production, finance or marketing. Some organizations have even considered outsourcing this function in order to cut costs. This state of affairs has been contributed by a lack of standard measures that can clearly indicate the contribution of effective procurement towards the organizational performance. This theoretical review aims at establishing a case for the use of performance measurement systems to show the contribution of effective procurement towards the achievement of an organization’s objectives.