From ancient civilizations, societies have sought to increase agricultural productivity by making use of farming techniques and strategies. Poverty and declining agricultural productivity are deeply related problems in Kenya and all are likely to be exacerbated by the impacts of population increase, land fragmentation and climatic change. The objective of the study was to establish strategies used by small scale farmers in Ainabkoi, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The theories that this study were resource-based view theory and the Schlossberg’s transition theory. Descriptive survey research design was adopted by the researcher. The target population of the study was 11,436 small-scale farmers and 4 extension officers located in the Ainabkoi subcounty department of agriculture. The researcher sampled 390 respondents. The researcher used stratified random sampling to select the respondents that participated in the study. The study used self-administered structured questionnaires to collect data. A pilot test enabled the determination of the reliability of the research questionnaire and ensure its validity. Content validity and face validity of research questionnaire was achieved through consultations with the supervisor. Reliability of the research questionnaire was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The study findings indicate that it was generally agreed that the number of animals stocked, integration of animal and crop farming has enhanced productivity. There was general agreement that they practice horticulture crops which have increased income in the farm. The researcher established that it was consented that the use of automated equipment, internet accessibility, use of electric gadgets and use of automated machines has boosted productivity. The study found out that it was generally agreed that type of quality seeds used, type of feeds given to animals, types of breeds and type of crop inputs has led to increased productivity. Firstly, the study concludes that farmers have increased number of animals, done mixed farming and practiced horticulture in transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. Secondly, it is concluded that automation of equipment and machines, internet access and use of electronic gadgets enhances agricultural productivity in transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. Thirdly, the researcher concludes that the use of quality seeds and breeds increases productivity in transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. It was recommended that land use transition strategy, use of modern technology and use of quality seeds and breeds should be enhanced in order to improve productivity. To future researchers and academicians, this study recommends that a study should be done in other regions to examine the effectiveness of strategies used by farmers in enhancing productivity.

Different scholarly works have assessed the effect of financial leverage on profitability at the NSE and in different sectors giving conflicting findings. Moreover, few researchers have focused on combined agriculture and manufacturing sectors as a context of their study. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of financial leverage on the firm’s profitability in agricultural and manufacturing firms at the NSE. An Unbalanced panel data was gathered for a period of 10 years, that is between January 2009 to December 2018 after sorting and cleaning. Secondary data was acquired from the audited financial statement of agricultural and manufacturing firms at the NSE for the ten years published in NSE handbook. The research design employed was descriptive. The specific data collected was profitability of the firms in terms of ROA, financial leverage in terms of total debts divided by equity, liquidity in terms of current ratio, and size of the firm in terms of the natural log of market capitalization for firms listed under agricultural and manufacturing at the NSE. The three-technique employed for analysis are descriptive, correlation and regression analysis. Specifically, LSDV with fixed effect regression model was used after determining it is the appropriate model to use after carrying out Hausman test. The finding was that financial leverage and firm size had a negative but statistically insignificant effect on profitability. In contrast, the current ratio had a positive but statistically insignificant effect on the profitability of firms in agricultural and manufacturing at the NSE. The study conclusion was that the effect of financial leverage was insignificant in firms under agricultural and manufacturing firms at the NSE. Further research is required to be carried out on the different sector of the economy to establish how the effect of financial leverage influence profitability besides firms agricultural and manufacturing firms at NSE.

The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of service innovation on the competitiveness of Kenyan commercial banks. The research employed Schumpeter's theory of dynamic capacity and innovation. To evaluate the link between service innovation and competitiveness of Kenyan commercial banks, a descriptive survey technique with means and standard deviation was employed. The census research included a sample of 43 commercial banks, and the data obtained from the study was put to basic regression analysis to examine the relationship between the variables. On service concept innovation, nearly the respondents agreed with all statements except customer care operators with service experience. On customer value, strong collaboration with customers, improvement of service operations and benchmarking service outcomes with rivals were all strongly supported. It was further indicated that most of the banks innovated their channels using web and mobile banking. Use of bank agents and partnering and use of direct mails were also highly supported as methods of channel innovation. Use of automated teller machines was not so highly supported aa a means of attaining competitiveness. For organizational learning innovation all statements were highly supported except changes in organizational routines. The regression analysis results indicate that 57.9 % of the dependent variable was explained by service innovation. ANOVA test revealed a statistically significant link between service innovation and competitiveness. It is concluded that the findings support the theories anchoring the study. Recommendations are finally made for practice, policy and future research.

Every organization develops and keeps a completely unique culture which influences the whole organization. Thus, strategic reactions in an organization depict sudden major changes and results in multiple uncertainties. When organizational culture is changed within the Kenyan commercial banks, most activities in the bank are affected. The objective of this study iwas ito establish the effects iof organizational culture ion strategic reactions of commercial banks in Kenya. This study was anchored on two theories namely; Deal Kennedy Theory and Miles and Snow Typology. The research hired descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The study population consisted of all commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya to carry out business in Kenya and also that participate directly in the clearing house. A census on the 46 registered banks was carried out. Primary data was collected through close-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire was made of two sections, that is, organization culture and strategic reactions. The questionnaires was issued via the drop and pick method. The researcher employed descriptive statistics. Regression model was also be used to predict the effects of organizations culture on strategic reactions of commercial banks in Kenya. The results further revealed that organizational culture of commercial banks in Kenya positively correlate with the strategic reactions. Also, the results reveal that the organizational culture positively affect the strategic reactions of commercial banks in Kenya. The study recommended that the management of commercial banks in Kenya should work towards a better culture that includes its employees in decision making and that encouraged its employees to take risks for the betterment of the banks. The study also recommended that the Kenya Bankers Association as the authority that oversees the operations of commercial banks in Kenya should support the commercial banks in Kenya in implementation of organizational cultures that will positively impact of the strategic reactions.

Since Operation Linda Nchi started, the war has claimed several lives, especially some Kenyan soldiers deployed in Somalia. Some Kenya Defense Forces soldiers have been left paralyzed, while others still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders. Some returnees have found it difficult to integrate into society on return, while some feel abandoned by the state after such fierce combat. In all the cases, the families of these soldiers seem to be suffering both psychosocially and economically. There is evidence that, upon return, the soldiers tend to suffer more than deployment. Some of the family members also end up spending huge sums of money to treat their beloved ones. Therefore, this study arose against this backdrop to explore the psychosocial and economic impacts of Operation Linda Nchi on KDF soldiers and their families. Specifically, the study assessed the challenges facing soldiers’ families before, during, and after the operation, the economic effects of Operation Linda Nchi on soldiers’ families, and the psychosocial effects of Operation Linda Nchi on soldiers’ families. The study was guided by Abraham Maslow’s need theory, which attempts to interrogate the human being’s needs and ways in which he or she tries to achieve these needs. The study employed qualitative and quantitative techniques to collect data in the military, ex-soldiers, soldiers' families, war journalists, foreign policy practice, and technology. Desk research was also embraced where in-depth interviews were used for qualitative information. The study used 60 respondents as the sample size where key informant interviews; group discussion based on quantitative research technique; in-depth interviews based on the qualitative research method; government, non-government, and other research institutions records; and, library research was conducted. From the results and responses of the respondents, it emerged that military families were the first casualties when it comes to matters of conflict. It was concluded that the challenges experienced because of this war were such as lack of regular communication, separation from families, and education of their children. They also received many other benefits, for example, subsidized health care, tuition assistance, and housing allowances. It was also concluded that isolation was experienced among the soldier’s families in the deployment cycle, which resulted in high rates of depression among the spouses, marital strain, PTSD. From these findings, it was recommended that the service providers and policy informers must comprehend the social setting and the requirements of soldiers’ spouses and their children to improve the military’s programs and soldiers’ families. Further, effort needs to be made towards providing counseling services to permit both the military officer and his family to access the respective services with convenience and confidentiality. Also, there is a necessity to stabilize bereaved families before compensation money is received and to transition from a military family to a civilian one. Moreover, the responsibility of taking care of those left behind, particularly the children, should be taken over by the society that the soldier was protecting. As a way of expressing gratitude for the sacrifices made, the responsibility to educate children whose fathers died while defending the nation should be taken over by the state at public expense as is the practice in other advanced militaries; that KDF adopts a one-for-one policy whereby a sibling or any other close relative to the deceased soldier is recruited into the military so that there is continued financial support, enhanced hope, and reduced stress to the families. Such a policy would portray KDF as an empathetic organization and appreciate the sacrifices made by its members. Finally, KDF needs to develop well-researched intervention programs for military children to promote the military family's general well-being.

Work-life balance techniques enable workers to effectively manage their job and family responsibilities. This encourages attitudes and behaviours, including organizational dedication, happiness at work and desire to continue working. Organizations have used methods such as flexible working hours, leave policy, family care and support programs to encourage employees to improve performance. The main aim of this research was to analyze the influence of work life balance on performance of academic staff at the University of Nairobi. This research adopted the Spill Over Theory, Work/Family Border Theory and Social Exchange Theory. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The 2220 academic staff at UON served as the research population. Sample size was 339 respondents arrived at using Yamane formula. This research relied on primary data collected through questionnaires. Google forms were made use of in the questionnaire administration. The collected data was converted into quantitative format to make analysis using statistical package for social sciences. The statistics generated were descriptive statistics which included mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics which included both correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between Health and wellness programmes, Employee assistance programmes, Leave programmes, Flexible working arrangement and employee performance at UON. Regression analysis revealed that 46.1% of changes in employee performance at UON were attributed to the four variables selected in this study. In conclusion Health and wellness programmes, Employee assistance programmes, Leave programmes, Flexible working arrangement are essential in enhancing employee performance. Based on the findings, flexible working arrangement had the greatest influence on employee performance followed by leave programmes while employee assistance programmes and health and wellness programmes had the least influence. As a result, it is recommended that UON managers and policymakers should continue utilizing work life balance, as this improves their employee performance.

The study sought to determine the effect of portfolio management strategies on the financial performance of the Unit Trusts listed on the NSE. To achieve this objective, the investigation used both correlational and descriptive research designs. The target population for this investigation were the 56 Unit trusts registered in the NSE. The financial information to analyze comprised of five years from the year of income 2015 to 2019. Inferential statistics was used to ascertain an underlying influence linking predictor variables to the output variable. Findings from the regression analysis showed that 4% of the variations in ROA was due to passive management portfolio, active management portfolio, firm size, leverage and inflation rate. This implied that 96% of the variation in ROA was due to other factors. Findings from the ANOVA showed that the model fitted with passive management portfolio, active management portfolio, firm size, leverage and inflation rate was a good fit and statistically significant to predict ROA. Further, results from the regression analysis pointed out that passive management portfolio, active management portfolio, firm size and leverage had positive impact on ROA as indicated by the correlation coefficient of 0.190. The study also concluded that portfolio management strategies had a negative impact on the ROA of the firm. The study recommends that the various unit trusts in NSE have or adopt portfolio management strategies to enhance firm performance. The study also recommends that for companies to enhance performance of portfolios, by having in place effective systems to match investment selection to an individual’s risk objectives, and risk tolerance These systems utilize data to guide investment decisions and ensuring that sound investments would lead to an increase in portfolio. The study also recommends that the government through central Bank of Kenya come up with rigorous policies that will help curb inflation in the economy. With inflation in check investments of the companies would not be adverse affected by a struggling economy.

The study sought to determine the relationship around financial leverage and firm value of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was based on correlational form of design. The study targeted six cement manufacturing firms in Kenya between 2011 and 2020. Secondary data was mined from individual publicly available audited financial statements from the company websites. Data collection schedule containing annual total debt, total equity, total assets, total liabilities, current assets and current liabilities was used. SPSS was used to analyze the data through descriptive, correlation and regression statistics. Between 2011 and 2020, firm value as measured by Tobin Q averaged at 0.8094; financial leverage as measured by leverage ratio at 0.991; Firm size at 10.5382; and liquidity at 1.2930. From the correlation analysis, financial leverage showed a weak significant negative correlation; firm size showed a weak positive correlation coefficient; while liquidity showed a significant strong negative correlation coefficient with firm value. The model summary showed an R square of 0.718. This indicated that 71.8% of the change in firm value of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya between 2011 and 2020 was explained by financial leverage, firm size and liquidity. From the regression analysis, increase in financial leverage reduced the firm value; increase in firm size would increase the firm value while increase in liquidity would reduce firm value. The study concludes that financial leverage relates negatively with firm value of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya; firm size of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya has a positive relationship with their firm value; and that liquidity relates negatively with firm value of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study recommends that cement manufacturing firms in Kenya reduce the level of debt used in their firms; increase their levels of assets; and reduce the level of current liabilities while increasing the current assets in their portfolios.

Top management team diversity is a concept that firms are recently embracing to ensure that they have a competent top management team that can set strategies and decisions to drive the firm towards achieving performance. This research was set out to establish the relationship between top management diversity and the performance of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited. A case study design was employed to enable the researcher to conduct an in-depth investigation of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited through establishing the influence of top management team diversity and performance of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited. An interview guide was applied to collect primary data by interviewing eight Heads of the following Departments: human resource, finance, marketing, procurement,business development, engineering, operations, and directorate divisions, making it a total of eight participants and data analysis was done using content analysis. The study concluded that the most commonly applied top management team diversity practices were functional experiences, educational qualifications, gender, and age. Through top management team diversity practices, the company made better decisions and strategies, which propelled the firm towards enhancing performance. The study further established that using top management team diversity practices enabled the firm to enhance its performance by producing undervaluing products and services that resulted in customer satisfaction, minimising customer complaints. Being a state corporation that has the responsibility of transporting, storing, and delivering petroleum products to the consumers of Kenya by its pipeline system and oil depot network, the interviewees largely attributed this achievement to TMT diversity, which resulted to quality of decisions and strategies that led to the success of the corporation. This research was limited to scope because of resource and it me constraints forcing the researcher to conduct a case study of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited. Thus, it would be advisable for future researchers interested in this field to replicate this study to include all oil industry firms in Kenya; findings can then be compared, and conclusion will be drawn based on facts.