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Institutionalization of Knowledge Management in Manufacturing Enterprises in Kenya: A Case of Selected Enterprises
(Research Gate, 2012) Kemboi, Cosmas; Jagongo, Ambrose; Owino, Edward Otieno
In the fast changing business environment, knowledge has turn out to be the basis of every organization in creating and sustaining competitive differentiation. This study sought to examine factors that influence institutionalization of Knowledge Management (KM) in manufacturing enterprises in Kenya. A sample of 60 senior managers in the three selected manufacturing enterprises revealed that there are two critical factors that influence institutionalization of knowledge management. These factors are organizational practices and technological infrastructure. This paper concludes that the organizational practices have the highest influence and therefore when a comprehensive view is taken in instituting knowledge management practices, organizational practices be considered first and technological infrastructure second.
Language Communication And Marketing: Contextualising the Rise of Sheng’ Language in Advertising Platforms in Kenya
(IISTE, 2014) Wanyama, Leonard L
Commercial advertisers have turned to an extensive use of Sheng’ to market their products. The entrepreneurial class in Kenya has now woken up to the economic advantages that Sheng’ presents as the language of the youth. This paper first discusses the distribution and spread of Sheng’ in Kenya, and secondly, it shows the need for use of Sheng’ in marketing communication. The paper finally concludes by suggesting ways in which language spread can be a useful element to society and by showing how Sheng’ can be incorporated in advertising without compromising the communication objectives and negatively impact on society.
Effect of Entrepreneurial Finance on the Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya
(IISTE, 2014) Bunyasi, Gladys N W; Bwisa, Henry; Namusonge, Gregory
SMEs account for over 95 % of the business population, and are therefore an increasingly dominant form of business organisation in all countries. Access to finance is a key determinant for business start-up, development and growth for Small and Medium-Enterprises. The objective of this paper was to assess the effect of access to entrepreneurial finance on the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya. A sample of 142 SMEs was used for the study to represent the entire population. Out of the 142, there were 132 respondents which is 92.96%. Primary data was collected using interview guides, structured and Semi structured questionnaires which were administered to the owners and managers of SMEs. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The study found out that access to entrepreneurial finance has a positive influence on the growth of SMEs. The study recommends that the government should support the legal and regulatory framework that strengthens the financial infrastructure at the same time build capacity of the financial institutions to enhance SMEs access to finances.
Strategic Utilization of What Organizations Know for Value Creation: the case of Kenyan Financial Regulatory Enterprises
(Research Gate, 2014) Kemboi, Cosmas; Owino, Edward
With the increasing uncertainty in business-operating environment in the knowledge-driven economy, organizations should not only know what they know, but know it well for effective strategic utilization. This study sought to find out the extent to which organizations know what they know and whether they strategically utilize that knowledge for value creation. This study used descriptive approach which revealed that organizations know what they know to a great extent but strategically utilizing it to some extent. The respondents gave varying score rates on the extent of strategic utilization of knowing capability especially on the highly tacit knowledge. The study found out that managing knowledge as a strategic asset has not received strategic focus and attention. The study argued that not knowing your critical knowledge in a knowledge driven economy is a serious capability problem. This study was limited to financial regulatory enterprises in Kenya. However, we gave insight that can stimulate discussion and further research on knowing capability and value creation using diverse population in diverse industries
Managing Knowledge in a Knowledge Economy
(Management Magazine, 2015) Kemboi, Cosmas
Countries should develop explicit policies on how to utilise knowledge leadership to drive business innovation and competitive advantage.
Knowledge management and business performance: global experts’ views on future research needs
(emerald insight, 2016) Heisig, Peter; Olunifesi, Adekunle Suraj; Kianto, Aino; Kemboi, Cosmas; Perez Arrau, Gregorio; Nasser, Fathi Easa
This paper aims to examine the views of the global knowledge management (KM) community on the research area of KM and business performance and identify key future research themes
Recognition, Measurement And Reporting For Cap-and-trade Schemes In The Agricultural Sector
( Academia, 2016) Maina, Peter N
The pressing global demand to transform to a low-carbon business community, which is required by the urgency of mitigating climate change, significantly alters the operating procedures for carbon emitters and carbon revenue generators alike. Although agricultural activities are not considered as heavy carbon emission source, the increased public focus on climate change has catapulted the exploitation of sustainable agricultural land management mitigating strategies as intervention by the sector. Additionally, the focus on market-based mechanism to address climate change, which has led to the evolution of cap-and-trade schemes, makes the agricultural sector become a source of low-cost carbon offsets. However, the fact that cap-and-trade schemes in the agricultural sector are voluntary has resulted into not only very diverse farming practices but also diverse accounting practices. The consequences of the diversity practices are that the impacts on financial performance and position are not comparable. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to investigate the recognition, measurement and disclosure for cap-and-trade schemes in the agricultural sectors This study was conducted through literature reviews and empirical test. A qualitative research approach utilizing constructivist methodology was employed. Primary data was collected in Kenya by administering three sets of semi-structured questionnaires to drafters of financial statements, loan officers and financial consultants. Secondary data involved content analysis of financial statements and reports of listed entities across the globe. It was established that proper accounting for cap-and-trade schemes adaptation activities is critical to the success of an entity’s environmental portfolio. Additionally, a model for valuing an organization's carbon capture potential as suggested by this study enables entities to better report the impact of the adaptation activities on the financial performance and financial position. The outcome of this study enables entities to integrate the carbon capture potential on an entity sustainability reporting framework.
Correlates of compliance with recommended levels of physical activity in children
(Springer, 2017) Onywera, Vincent O; Gomes, Thayse Natacha; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Hedeker, Donald; Fogelholm, Mikael; Kuriyan, Rebecca
The purpose of this study was to describe children’s daily compliance with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendations across a week in different parts of the world, and to identify individual- and school-level correlates that may explain differences in daily MVPA compliance. The sample included 6553 children aged 9–11 years from 12 countries, and multilevel statistical analyses were used, including both child- and school-level variables. Most children did not comply with the MVPA guidelines on a daily basis: Chinese children complied the least, whereas Finnish, Australian, Colombian, UK, and Kenyan children complied the most. Boys (rate ratio [RR] = 1.47) and children with higher unhealthy diet scores (RR = 1.08) complied more, but overweight/obese children (RR = 0.81), earlier maturing children (RR = 0.93), and those who spent more time in screen activities (RR = 0.98) and sleeping (RR = 0.96) had the lowest compliance. At the school level, children with access to playground or sport equipment (RR = 0.88, for both) tended to comply less, whereas those with access to a gymnasium outside the school hours complied more with the MVPA guidelines (RR = 1.14). Significant between-country differences in children’s daily MVPA compliance were observed, reflecting not only site characteristics, but also the importance of individual traits and local school contexts.
Thresholds of physical activity associated with obesity by level of sedentary behavior in children: Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and obesity
(Research Gate, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Tremblay, Mark S; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Olds, Tims; Lambert, Estelle Victoria; Barnes, Joel D
It is unknown whether moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) thresholds for obesity should be adapted depending on level of sedentary behavior in children.
Assessing Institutional Repositories As Enabler Of Research Output In Academic Institutions In Kenya: The Case Of Kca University
(KCA University, 2018) Njoroge, Regina Wakaro
The study assessed the role of institutional repositories as enabler of research output in academic institutions in Kenya with special reference to KCA University. Objectives of the study were to: assess the level of awareness of IR as enabler of research output in academic institutions, investigate the usage of institutional repository by the researchers in academic institutions, explore the role of the university management in adopting institutional repository in academic institutions and propose an appropriate model for embracing IR as enabler of research output in academic institutions. The study employed descriptive design where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Cluster and purposive sampling methods were used to get the target population. Data was collected by means of questionnaires and interview guides. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data from 62 postgraduate students, 88 fulltime academic staff and 14 library staff while an interview was conducted on the 6 senior library managers. Cluster sampling was used to select 62 postgraduate students while census sampling was used to select all the 88 fulltime academic staff. Library staff and senior library managers were purposively selected because of their knowledge and experience of using the IR. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data from open-ended questions and interviews. Quantitative data in the questionnaires was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences and information presented in form of tables, percentages, pie charts and graphs for better interpretation. Findings from this study established that lack of skills to use the repository, lack of awareness, legal and copyright issues were the main challenges that hindered the adoption of institutional repository. The study also revealed that IR is an effective tool that supports widespread circulation of research work and increases value to published scholarly work. The study, therefore, recommended the need for promoting and marketing the platform though library orientation, workshops and trainings as a way of creating awareness. The study further recommended, the university management to review the available policies and to provide relevant guidelines on the use and access of materials. Management also to recognize the staff members who have deposited their work in the repository as a way of encouraging others. Finally, the study recommended an appropriate model for enhancing research productivity.
Functionality of Elderly Persons: A Comparison Between Institutionalized and Non – Institutionalized Elderly Persons in Nairobi City County, in Kenya
(Science Publishing Group, 2018) Onywera,Vincent; Mugo, Judy Wairimu; Waudo, Judith; Otieno, Ochieng George
This study compared the Functionality of Institutionalized elderly persons and that of the elderly persons living with their family and or community members using the Modified Barthel Index. Two hundred and seventy elderly men and women who met the inclusion criteria were sampled, 135 from 4 Institutions namely Mji wa Huruma, Nyumba ya Wazee Ruaraka, Kariobangi Cheshire home and Mother Teresa in Huruma and 135 from Gumba, Kariobangi, Huruma and Kawangware divisions. Data were coded and entered using EPI Info version 9 and were analyzed using SPSS version 17. There were more totally dependent elderly at Institutions (13.6%), compared to 3% who were Non-institutionalized. The majority of those who were able to independently go in and out of their house and in and out of bed or wheel chair were living in the Institutions of the elderly. There were no gender differences in performing ADLs. More men than women were found to have pressure sores and bed sores. The study will reference for similar studies in Kenya and other parts of the world and prompt tertiary institutions of learning to design new training programs and review existing programs to address the Functionality needs of the growing population of Elderly persons.
Development and convergent validity of new self-administered questionnaires of active transportation in three African countries: Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.
(BMC Public Health, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Larouche, Richard; Oyeyemi, Adewale L.; Prista, Antonio; Akinroye, Kingsley K.
Background There is currently a rapid physical activity transition taking place in developing countries that includes a decrease in active transportation. Building on findings from an earlier systematic review, this paper describes the development and convergent validity of self-administered child and parent questionnaires assessing active transportation of children in three African countries: Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. Methods A pilot study was conducted to examine the convergent validity of the developed questionnaires by comparing responses between children and their parents (N = 121; n = 43 for Mozambique, n = 24 for Kenya and n = 54 for Nigeria). After modification, the questionnaires were then administered to a larger convenient sample of both children and parents from Kenya (n = 1123), Mozambique (n = 1097) and Nigeria (n = 831) which defined the main study. The questionnaires assessed active transportation to/from 8 categories of destinations including school, friends’ and relatives’ home/houses, parks and playgrounds among others. Twenty items were used to assess child - and parent-perceived barriers to active transportation, and the parent questionnaire inquired about parent education and availability of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Spearman’s rho was used to compare children’s mode of travel in the pilot study while the prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) coefficient was used to compare convergent validity between children’s and parents responses on active transportation in the main study. Results Findings of the main study show that convergent validity for active transportation to and from each destination in the combined sample ranged from 0.472 (from school) to 0.998 (to other places). Convergent validity for challenges/barriers to active transportation to school ranged from fair (0.30 - The route does not have good lighting) to substantial (0.77 - My child has a disability). It varied between countries from fair (n = 11-items) to moderate (n = 9-items) agreement in Kenya and from poor (n = 2-items) to fair (n = 16-items) agreement in Nigeria. Data from Mozambique was however missing and therefore could be included. Conclusions The questionnaires provided valid information on the number of trips to/from various destinations and show acceptable and modest convergent validity for measuring barriers to active transport in a sample of children from three African countries. These questionnaires may be suitable for future research on active transport among school children in Sub-Saharan African countries.
Physical Education Classes, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior in Children
(Pub Med, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Silva, Diego Augusto Santos; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Fogelholm, Mikael; Sarmiento, Olga L
This study aimed to examine the associations between participation frequency in physical education (PE) classes and objective measures of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in children from 12 countries at different levels of development.
Inequality in physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep duration and risk of obesity in children: a 12-country study
(Pub Med, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Chaput, J.P; Tremblay, Mark S; Sarmiento, OL; Tudor-Locke, C
Studies examining associations between movement behaviors (i.e. physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep duration) and obesity focus on average values of these movement behaviors, despite important within-country and between-country variability. A better understanding of movement behavior inequalities is important for developing public health policies and behavior-change interventions. The objective of this ecologic analysis at the country level was to determine if inequality in movement behaviors is a better correlate of obesity than average movement behavior volume in children from all inhabited continents of the world
Screen-based sedentary behavior and adiposity among school children: Results from International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) - Kenya
(PLOS, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Wachira, Lucy-Joy M; Ocholla, Sophie A; Tremblay, Mark S
Background High levels of sedentary behaviours have been independently associated with several negative health indicators, including obesity. Screen time (ST) is often used as a contributing measure of sedentary time. It is recommended that children spend no more than 2 hours on recreational sedentary screen-based activities daily. We describe screen-based sedentary time of urban school children and examine the associations between body mass index (BMI) and percent Body Fat (%BF) with ST levels. Methods Data were collected from 563 children aged 9 to 11 years attending 29 non-boarding primary schools in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE). Data were analysed to test for associations between ST and sex, type of school attended (public verses private), Socioeconomic status, adiposity, and access to electronic devices. We also assessed participants’ ST on school and weekend days. Results Of the participants recruited, 15.5% had high ST levels, 67.9% spent no more than 2 hours in recreational screen activities on school days while 74.2% did not meet the guidelines on weekend days. Participants sex was associated with daily ST (t = 3.5, p<0.001), ST on the weekend (t = 3.9, p <0.001) and total ST per week (t = 3.5, p<0.001) with males having higher ST than females. ST was associated with type of school for daily ST (t = 3.6, p <0.001), ST on the weekend (t = 4.5, p<0.001) and total ST per week (t = 3.6, p<0.001) where private schools pupils had higher ST. ST was not associated with BMI. ST was not associated with %BF except on weekend days (p = 0.038) where those classified as overfat/obese (fat) had higher ST. Conclusions A large proportion of children spend more time than recommended on screen activities particularly on weekend days. Strategies to improve healthy living should focus on the reduction of sedentary ST for school-aged children.
Outdoor time and dietary patterns in children around the world
(Pub Med, 2018) Onywera, Vincent O; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Tremblay, Mark S; Sarmiento, Olga L; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; G LeBlanc, Allana
Whether outdoor time is linked to dietary patterns of children has yet to be empirically tested. The objective of this study was to examine the association between outdoor time and dietary patterns of children from 12 countries around the world.
Relationships Between Outdoor Time, Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Body Mass Index in Children: A 12-Country Study
(Pub Med, 2019) Onywera, Vincent O; Sarmiento, Olga L; Tremblay, Mark S; Larouche, Richard; Standage, Martyn; Fogelholm, Mikael
This study investigated the relationship between outdoor time and physical activity (PA), sedentary time (SED), and body mass index z scores among children from 12 lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income, and high-income countries.
Epidemiological Transition in Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Children
(Human Kinetics, 2019) Onywera, Vincent O; Barreira, Tiago V.; Broyles, Stephanie T.; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Standage, Martyn
To determine if children’s moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time varied across levels of household income in countries at different levels of Human Development Index (HDI), consistent with the theory of epidemiological transition. Methods: Data from 6548 children (55% girls) aged 9–11 years from 12 countries at different HDI levels are used in this analysis to assess MVPA and sedentary time (measured using ActiGraph accelerometers) across levels of household income. Least-square means are estimated separately for boys and girls at the estimated 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of HDI for the sample. Results: For boys, time in MVPA is negatively associated with income at the 10th and 50th percentiles of HDI (both P < .002). For girls, time in MVPA is negatively associated with income at the 10th and 50th percentiles of HDI (all P < .01) and positively related with income at the 90th percentile (P = .04). Sedentary time is positively associated with income at the 10th percentile of HDI for boys (P = .03), but not for girls. Conclusions: Results support the possibility of an epidemiological transition in physical activity, with lower levels of MVPA observed at opposite levels of income depending on the HDI percentile. This phenomenon was not observed for sedentary time
The “New York City Marathon”: participation and performance trends of 1.2M runners during half-century
(Taylor and Francis, 2019) Onywera, Vincent O; Onywera, Vincent O; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Villiger, Elias; Knechtle, Beat
The aim of the present study was to examine trends in participation, performance, age and nationality during a ~ 50-years period in the largest dataset ever studied in the “New York City Marathon”. We analyzed 1,174,331 finishers (women, n= 349,145, age 39.7 ± 8.7 years; men, n= 825,186, 41.7 ± 9.2 years). The overall participation increased across calendar years for all nationalities, and this increase was more pronounced in women, which resulted in a decreasing men-to-women ratio. Men were faster and older than women. Ethiopians and Kenyans were the fastest and youngest in women and men, respectively. Japanese were the slowest and Germans were the oldest in both sexes. Race time increased across years. Coaches and fitness trainers should be aware of these trends and should emphasize the development of training programs for older and slower runners
Association between breakfast frequency and physical activity and sedentary time: a cross-sectional study in children from 12 countries
(Springer Nature, 2019) Onywera, Vincent O; Zakrzewski-Fruer, Julia K.; Gillison, Fiona B.; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Mire, Emily F.
Background Existing research has documented inconsistent findings for the associations among breakfast frequency, physical activity (PA), and sedentary time in children. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations among breakfast frequency and objectively-measured PA and sedentary time in a sample of children from 12 countries representing a wide range of human development, economic development and inequality. The secondary aim was to examine interactions of these associations between study sites. Methods This multinational, cross-sectional study included 6228 children aged 9–11 years from the 12 International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment sites. Multilevel statistical models were used to examine associations between self-reported habitual breakfast frequency defined using three categories (breakfast consumed 0 to 2 days/week [rare], 3 to 5 days/week [occasional] or 6 to 7 days/week [frequent]) or two categories (breakfast consumed less than daily or daily) and accelerometry-derived PA and sedentary time during the morning (wake time to 1200 h) and afternoon (1200 h to bed time) with study site included as an interaction term. Model covariates included age, sex, highest parental education, body mass index z-score, and accelerometer waking wear time. Results Participants averaged 60 (s.d. 25) min/day in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), 315 (s.d. 53) min/day in light PA and 513 (s.d. 69) min/day sedentary. Controlling for covariates, breakfast frequency was not significantly associated with total daily or afternoon PA and sedentary time. For the morning, frequent breakfast consumption was associated with a higher proportion of time in MVPA (0.3%), higher proportion of time in light PA (1.0%) and lower min/day and proportion of time sedentary (3.4 min/day and 1.3%) than rare breakfast consumption (all p ≤ 0.05). No significant associations were found when comparing occasional with rare or frequent breakfast consumption, or daily with less than daily breakfast consumption. Very few significant interactions with study site were found. Conclusions In this multinational sample of children, frequent breakfast consumption was associated with higher MVPA and light PA time and lower sedentary time in the morning when compared with rare breakfast consumption, although the small magnitude of the associations may lack clinical relevance.