Strategies.

Functional Strategies and Performance: Empirical Evidence from Commercial Banks in Nakuru County in Kenya (Published)

Business environment is characterized by high turbulence in organizational performance. Functional strategies play a role as banks aim at customer retention, increased profits, increased sale volumes, efficiency and increased market share. The research established the effect of operational, marketing, finance and human resource management strategies on organizational performance. The study used descriptive research design with a target population of 205. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data which was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. Findings indicated that operational, marketing, finance and human resource management strategies affected the organizational performance. The correlation between the operational strategies and marketing together with human resource management strategies was negative and insignificant. The correlation between operational and finance strategies was positive and insignificant. Operational, finance, marketing and human resource strategies were not significant to organizational performance. It is recommended that functional strategies be improved.

Citation: Ken Njogu  and Kipkorir Sitienei Chris Simon (2022)  Functional Strategies and Performance: Empirical Evidence from Commercial Banks in Nakuru County in Kenya, International Journal of Business and Management Review, Vol.10, No.4, pp.17-36

 

 

 

 

Keywords: Commercial Banks, Organizational Performance, Strategies.

Behavioral Anchored Rating Scale and 360 Degrees: Performance Appraisal Strategies for Achievement in Healthcare Facility (Published)

The central concept of the study was achievement in terms of employee engagement, teamwork and time management. The objectives were, to investigate the effects of 360 degree appraisal and behavioral anchored rating scale on achievement. The target population was 206. Stratified random sample was used to select a sample size of 60 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of statistical package for social science. The findings revealed that behavioral anchored rating scale and 360 degree appraisal had a positive and significant effect on achievement. The study concluded that appraised employees accomplish targets, set goals and organization good at time management hence achievement. Employee performance depends on level of management and 360 degree evaluation and behavioral anchored rating techniques. The healthcare facilities should appraise employees periodically, review, revise and align performance appraisal strategies towards achievement of goals and objectives.  It is also recommended that feedback mechanism be reviewed, simplified and improved to reflect prevailing performance levels in the organization.

Citation: Keter Leonard Kiplangat, and Kipkorir Sitienei Chris Simon (2021)Behavioral Anchored Rating Scale and 360 Degrees:  Performance Appraisal Strategies for Achievement in Healthcare Facility, International Journal of Business and Management Review, Vol.9, No.5, pp.1-21

 

 

Keywords: Achievement, Healthcare, Performance, Strategies.

Effect of Communication and Complaints Handling Strategies on Customer Loyalty at Almasi Beverages Limited, Kenya (Published)

Competition in business has gained a whole new dimension due to global consumerism, rapidly changing consumer buying patterns and high technological innovation. Consequently, the market players have switched focus from customer attraction to customer retention than at any other time in the recent past. Communication and complaints handling has become an area of interest to scholars, marketers and organizations operating in various sectors of the economy from which customer satisfaction and loyalty can be secured. Therefore, customer complaint management and effective communication form the decisive test of organization’s customer focus that eventually affects customer satisfaction and loyalty. In spite of the vast literature on the effect of communication and complaint handling strategies on loyalty, exhaustive empirical research has not been directed towards the retail setting in the FMCG industry. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of communication and complaints-handling strategies on customer loyalty at Almasi Beverages Limited (ABL) in Kenya. The study was guided by the following research questions: What is the effect of communication on customer loyalty at ABL? What is the effect of the complaints-handling strategies on customer loyalty at ABL? A survey research design was employed and the target population was the Coca-Cola retailers who sold through the company-owned Cold Drink Equipment (CDEs) for over a period of three years. The sample size was 369 respondents. Data was collected through the use of structured questionnaires and content validity of the instruments was achieved by incorporating the views and recommendations of marketing experts who assessed the research instruments. Data collected was analysed through quantitative statistics and presented in charts, graphs and frequency tables. The study adopted chi-square to test the hypotheses. The findings established that effective communication and satisfactory complaint-handling strategies are vital in developing and nurturing healthy business relationships that subsequently lead to loyalty. The study concludes that when an effective communication and complaints-handling oriented program is implemented correctly, an organization begins to focus more on managing its customers rather than its products. This enables companies to establish strong performance that lead to long-term profits and increased competitive edge as result of stable partnerships. Evidently, organizations are confronted with complaining customers and despite the precautionary measures taken by an organization to avoid conflict with customers; problems are bound to occur in the relationship. Therefore, the study recommends that companies should focus effective communication and proper complaints handling in order to keep the customers delighted. One implication of this study is that companies like ABL need to have in place proper mechanisms for registering and addressing customer complaints.

Keywords: Almasi beverages, Customer loyalty, Effect, Kenya, Strategies., communication, complaints-handling

Techniques for Re-Positioning Small and Medium Scale Business Enterprises in Nigeria for Economy Revitalization (Published)

This paper highlighted techniques for re-positioning small and medium scale business enterprises in Nigeria for economy revitalization. Small and medium business enterprises are the engine of growth and development of a nation. SMEs contribute to industrial development; promote growth, technological acquisition and reduction of unemployment. The paper also highlights techniques for re-positioning Small and Medium Scale business enterprises in Nigeria for economy revitalization. Financial problems, inadequate basic infrastructure, socio-cultural problems, planning problems, location/economic problems, poor accounting system:  multiple taxation and unstable policy environment are the major problems militating against the success of SMEs. It was recommended among others that there should be a practical effort in encouraging SMEs to access long-term, low rate funds from the capital market. Incentives should be given in the form of tax holidays and awards to SMEs that excel in using the capital market as an avenue of external funding and the government should continue to make SMEs a central focus of industrial policy in order to achieve economic growth and development. The monetary and fiscal policies should be made to incorporate good framework that would enhance the activities of SMEs towards development and sustenance.

Keywords: Challenges, Economy, Enterprise, Re-positioning, Small and Medium, Strategies.

Effect of Supply Chain Integration Strategies on Performance of Pork Processing Industry in Rwanda (Published)

Supply chain integration (SCI) is a useful approach to improve various measures of firm performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of supply chain integration strategies on performance of pork processing industry in Rwanda. The study employed a quantitative research design in order to address to the research objective. The target population was the 52 employees of German butchery in Kigali. Due to the small size of the population, there was no need of sampling. Therefore all the 52 employees were obtained through census method and were recruited to the study. Questionnaires were used to collect information regarding internal integration, supplier integration, customer integration and performance of the firms. Questionnaires were distributed through drop and pick method to avoid inconveniencing the respondents during working hours. Data collected was edited and analysed using SPSS. The results indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between internal integration, supplier integration, customer integration and performance of the firm. The study was about the impact of customer integration, supplier integration and internal integration on pork industry. The study recommended that the industry managers should ensure that the extents of integration of the three variables are enhanced. The study further recommended that a study that will assess the challenges affecting supply chain integration in the pork industry should be conducted in the future. Future study that will assess the barriers of implementation of supply chain integration strategies in pork industry was also recommended.

Keywords: Industry, Pork Processing, Rwanda, Strategies., Supply Chain Integration

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETITORS’ STRATEGIES OF GLOBAL SYSTEM MOBILE (GSM) COMMUNICATION FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NIGERIA (Published)

This study examines the Competitors’ Strategies of the five GSM Service providers in Nigeria. Survey questionnaire was administered to the stakeholders in order to collect the data .The purpose of this study is to identify those strategies employed by each network against its competitors and how those strategies succeeded in bringing about the realization of corporate objective, promotion, customers satisfaction and target market. We find that various strategies adopted by the GSM providers provide a significant influence on the promotions, corporate objectives, Target markets and customers satisfaction. In addition we find that there is need for GSM providers to involve in marketing research in order to create their own original promotional strategies (or products) instead of imitating or mimicking strategies by other network. Furthermore, the study recommends that they should continue to lay more emphasizes on the strategies for promotions, customer services, corporate objectives and the target market so as to achieve the organizational goal.

Keywords: GSM services providers, Promotions, Strategies., and customers’ satisfaction, corporate objectives

DRIVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES (Published)

The objective of this paper is to discuss issues and challenges driving entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. Since entrepreneurship education remain vital in the real sector and the sustenance of economic development, it has become necessary for Nigerian Government to pay attention to this sector. This paper, therefore, argues that entrepreneurship education will equip the unemployed youths with the skills with which to be self-reliant. Also, the paper recommended that educational programmes at all levels of education should be made relevant to provide the youths the needed entrepreneurial skills. It also recommended that the Nigerian Government should give adequate attention to full blown entrepreneurial education in Nigeria.

Keywords: Challenges, Education, Entrepreneurship, Issues, Strategies.