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Culture and the participation of women in small-scale mining in Zimbabwe
(International Journal of Current Research, 2026) Muzamani, Rudo S.; Waswa, Fanice N.
This study examines the role of culture in women's participation in the small-scale mining sector in the Bindura District, Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe. The research explores the influence of cultural beliefs, the effects of a patriarchal value system, and the social status of women on their ability to actively engage in and participate in gainful activities in the small-scale mining sector. The research is anchored in the glass ceiling theory, the biological theory, and the symbolic interaction theory. These theoretical frameworks were instrumental in shaping the understanding of the systematic challenges women encounter in a typical male-dominated environment. The study adopted a descriptive research methodological approach, selecting a population of 60 women actively engaged in small-scale mining activities in the Bindura District. Judgmental and snowball sampling approaches were used to identify specific women in the small-scale mining sector as respondents to this research. Data were collected via questionnaires using a drop-and-pick method and analysed in SPSS version 25 using descriptive statistics. Respondents’ demographics included gender, age, education level, and marital status. Findings showed that cultural value systems systematically excluded women from male-dominated work environments. The findings also indicated that though religion reinforced cultural value systems that limit women, acculturation has improved their chances of participating in the small-scale mining sector. The rising level of education is also enabling some women to attain leadership positions.
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Communication as a Driver of Job Attraction and Retention: Evidence from Generation Z Employees in Kenya’s Private Sector
(The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 2026) Waswa, Fanice N.; Wilson, Mukwa R.
This study examines the role of communication as a determinant of job attraction and retention among Generation Z employees in Kenya's private sector. Positioned within a labor market characterized by rapid digital transformation and intensifying competition for talent, the study adopts a qualitative, interpretivist design to explore how communication practices are experienced and evaluated by young employees. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and focus group discussions involving 240 participants across Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret. The findings demonstrate that communication functions as a continuous evaluative mechanism through which employees assess organizational credibility, relational intent, and prospects. Specifically, timely and transparent communication during recruitment enhances organizational attractiveness, while consistent feedback and accessible communication structures sustain engagement and strengthen retention. In contrast, delayed, ambiguous, or hierarchical communication creates uncertainty, weakens trust, and contributes to cumulative disengagement and turnover intentions. The study further shows that digital communication, though efficient, introduces interpretive challenges when misaligned with message complexity. By integrating job attraction and retention within a single communication-based framework, the study extends existing human resource and organizational communication literature and offers practical implications for improving workforce stability in emerging economies.
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Strategic Action After Succession: The Behavioral Governance of CEO Trait Divergence
(Wiley Online Library, 2026) Waswa, Fanice; Wamalwa, Lucy S.; Munene, Laiboni
Research Question/Issue: CEO succession is a pivotal governance event that can entrench existing strategies or catalyze renewal. This study examines how psychological trait divergence between outgoing and incoming CEOs—across conscientiousness, openness, extraversion, agreeableness, and locus of control—shapes strategic change versus continuity in firms' competitive actions. Conceptualizing succession as a relational behavioral- governance process, we analyze how trait alignment and divergence jointly condition post succession outcomes. Research Findings/Insights: Using dyadic data from 304 Kenyan enterprises, we find that divergence in extraversion, open ness, and locus of control is associated with greater post succession strategic change, whereas similarity in conscientiousness sustains stability but may constrain flexibility. Curvilinear effects indicate diminishing returns at very high trait levels, whereas agreeableness exhibits context- dependent effects, underscoring the nonlinear nature of trait interactions. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The study extends Upper Echelons Theory by advancing a dyadic, trait- divergence framework that conceptualizes succession as a relational cognitive process rather than an individual effect. It also refines imprinting theory by showing how predecessor dispositions embed behavioral norms that condition successor adaptation. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Boards and nomination committees can actively manage psychological continuity and selective divergence to balance institutional memory with strategic flexibility and long- term competitiveness.
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Investment diversification and financial performance of Deposit taking saccos in Kenya
(KCA University, 2026) Mugwe, Pauline W.
The study sought to investigate the relationship between investment diversification and the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the effect of investments in bond market, real estate, and FOSA products on financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study was guided by Keynesian Theory of Investment, Prospect Theory, Modern Portfolio Theory, and Theory of investments. The target population was 178 SASRA licensed deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya and sample size was 36. Secondary was collected from the 36 SACCOs over a period of five years. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This data was analyzed using descriptive and regression analysis to investigate the relationship between investment strategies and financial performance. Different indicators, were deployed with Return on Assets (ROA), serving as the dependent variable. Diagnostic tests of multicollinearity, Hausman test, normality test, heteroskedasticity, test unit root test, confirmed the reliability and validity of the collected data. The descriptive statistics revealed the suitability of the sampled data. The inferential analysis demonstrated that investment in bonds, real estate and FOSA products have varying positive and significant relationships with financial performance of SACCOs with all the three variables having p-values less than 0.05. The coefficient of determination, R2 was 0.818 which indicates that the estimated regression equation can predict only 81.8% of the variation. The adjusted R2 was 0.815 which tells us there was 81.5% variation in the financial performance of SACCOs due to changes in investment in bonds, real estate and FOSA products. The research therefore recommends that SACCOs should strive to give top priority to integrating and utilizing investment portfolio, such as bonds, real estate and FOSA products in order to improve the financial performance and profitability of SACCOs in Kenya. The study suggests that research on other determinants of investments should be revisited to evaluate their effects on corporate performance and profitability in SACCOs.
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Financial management practices and financial performance of technical and vocational education and training institutions in Kenya
(KCA University, 2025) Joseph, Patrick M.
This study examined the relationship between financial management practices and the financial performance of technical and vocational education and training institutions in Kenya. The TVET sector plays a key role in equipping learners with the technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills necessary to support Kenya’s socio-economic transformation and the realization of Vision 2030. Despite increased government funding, many public TVET institutions continue to face significant financial and sustainability challenges due to weak fiscal oversight and resource mismanagement. This study aimed at examining the influence of financial planning, budgeting, internal controls, financial reporting and evaluated the moderating role of governance on the financial performance of these institutions. A descriptive, mixed-method research design was used to collect data from principals and finance officers across the 42 sampled public TVET institutions. Descriptive and regression analyses showed that financial reporting had the strongest positive effect on financial performance, followed by internal controls, financial planning, and budgeting. The results also indicated that effective governance significantly enhanced the relationship between these financial practices and overall institutional performance. The study concluded that effective financial management practices while reinforced by good governance practices are essential for accountability, transparency, and sustainability in TVET institutions. The study recommends continuous capacity building for principals and finance officers, participatory budgeting and automation of financial systems to strengthen institutional performance. These measures are critical to strengthening institutional performance and ensuring that public resources are utilized efficiently to meet the nation's human capital development goals.