Strategic management research has demonstrated that strategic planning coupled with implementation is instrumental for superior performance. However, strategy formulation on its own may not achieve any results against the turbulent and dynamic nature of the environment, unless backed by a clear and well aligned implementation process. The impact of strategy implementation on organizational achievement could be dependent on other variables such as available resources and operating environment. The main focus of this study was to assess the influence of strategy implementation, organizational resources and operating environment on performance of Kenya owned State Corporations. The study was rooted in the Institutional Theory and supported by Resource Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), and the New Public Management (NPM) Theory. The population of this study comprised all the 249 Kenya owned State Corporationss. Out of these, 181 managed to respond, representing a 72.7 per cent response rate. Data, collected through a structured questionnaire, was processed for reporting of descriptive and inferential statistics both of which were tied to the specific objectives of the inquiry. The study established that State Corporations formulate strategies and implement them effectively. The regression analysis results revealed that strategy implementation had a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. This finding was well grounded in the DCT, Institutional Theory, NPM theory and was corroborated by numerous other studies. Both organizational resources and operating environment were found to have no moderating effect on the relationship between strategy implementation and performance. However, the complexity dimension of operating environment was found to significantly influence the relationship between strategy implementation and organizational performance. The results also showed that the joint effect of strategy implementation, organizational resources and operating environment was less than the sum effect of the independent variables in isolation. The study has made important contributions to policy design and management of Kenya owned SCs. Managers need to ensure reconfiguration of the structure and culture of the organization in a manner that promotes successful outcomes. They also ought to have a grasp of organizational changes so as to design the necessary structural changes for supporting the strategy implementation process. This may advice on the need for policy thrust to shift more to strategy implementation over and above strategic planning by putting in place measures to monitor and evaluate implementation. The study has also contributed to the existing body of knowledge by interlinking the NPM Theory, DCT Theory, Institutional Theory and the RBV. The study has several limitations, among them the fact that the variables applied only accounted for 51.7 per cent variation in organizational performance. The rest of the performance could be explained by other factors outside this study. The study also focused solely on public organizations which may face different challenges from those faced by State Corporations. The study recommends that future researchers could consider exploring the influence of other factors on organizational performance in addition to replicating the study in organizations within the private sector.

The relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance (FP) has attracted attention of scholars and policy makers. There is no convergence in the existing literature as to whether CSR directly leads to improved FP or it enhances corporate image which eventually translates into better FP. Moreover, it is not clear whether CSR-FP linkage is contingent upon the size of the firm. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among CSR, corporate image, firm size and performance of firms listed at the Nairobi securities exchange (NSE). This study is anchored on legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, resource based theory and signaling theory. Regarding philosophical orientation, the study is grounded on positivist research paradigm. Descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted where a census survey of 61 firms listed at the NSE was undertaken. The data gathered was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics involved computation of the mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values. Inferential statistics entailed the application of regression analysis as the principal estimation technique. From the hypotheses tested, numerous findings were reported. First, there was a positive significant linkage between CSR and FP. Secondly, corporate image fully mediated the relationship between CSR and FP. Thirdly, firm size moderated CSR-FP relationship and synergistic interaction was reported. Lastly, there was a significant joint effect among CSR, image size and FP. The study made significant contribution to theory development, policy formulation and management practice. The findings complemented the key propositions of stakeholder theory, resource based view, legitimacy theory as well as signaling theory. On the policy implication, policy prescriptions were made recommendations on development of CSR performance indices as well as image indices tailored for the local context as well as providing a framework for mandatory CSR activities by the corporate bodies based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Concerning management practice, implementation of better CSR practices helps in fostering good relationships with key stakeholders which improves corporate image which in turn translates into better FP. The study had numerous limitations such as, the study being carried out in a single country context hence inhibiting generalizability of findings; study being cross-sectional in nature hence failing to consider what happens after the snapshot and finally lack of universally accepted metrics for operationalizing CSR, corporate image and FP. Finally, the study made suggestions for areas for further study such as testing the bi-directional CSR-FP relationship; using different metrics to operationalize the study variables; using cross-country samples in empirical investigations; using distinct mediating and moderating variables; and finally using longitudinal datasets for analogous studies.

Scholars appear to agree on the need for foreign direct investment for a country's prosperity, but their views on its influence differ. The main point of their divergence is how foreign direct investment affects the performance of local economy a concern that need to be reflected on before developing policies to spur foreign investment. The general objective of the research was to look into the effect of foreign direct investment, absorption capacity, and the business environment on performance of manufacturing firms in Kenyan. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of foreign direct investment on performance of manufacturing firms, the mediating and moderating roles of absorptive capacity and the business environment respectively on the relationship. The joint contribution of foreign direct investment, absorption capacity and the business environment on performance of Kenyan manufacturing firms was also investigated. The study was based on eclectic theory, dynamic capabilities theory, knowledge based theory and resource dependence theory. An empirical gap in the literature of foreign direct investment, absorptive, and business environment was identified to guide the formulation of the conceptual framework. The study included 100 firms that were registered with KAM and had 10% or more foreign ownership. The Chief Executive Officers or their appointed officers in the organizations were the respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to acquire primary data. The data was found to be reliable by Cronbach's Alpha reliability tests. The study received a response rate of 75%, which was higher than the recommended response rate of 50%. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Diagnostic tests were performed prior to regression analysis and the data found to meet all of the required conditions. The findings of the study confirmed the link between foreign direct investment and performance of manufacturing firm. Furthermore, the research affirmed that absorptive capacity mediated and the business environment moderated the relationship between foreign direct investment and manufacturing firm performance. These findings add to our understanding of foreign direct investment inflows and support the significance of foreign direct investment in the economic development of Kenya. According to the findings, the country's authorities should be concerned not only with attracting foreign direct investment but also with ensuring spillover to domestic businesses. Furthermore, they should ensure that concerns such as absorptive capacity and business environment that impede the flow of capital, technology, and expertise to domestic enterprises from foreign direct investment are fully remedied. The study contributes to our knowledge by proposing a model that links foreign direct investment, absorptive capacity, the business environment and firm performance. Future research could include more respondents from different levels of the organization and improve generalizability by focusing on organizations in similar industries and with similar levels of foreign direct investment.

Somalia is one the lowest countries in the world with access to clean and improved water supply projected at 32% while access to improved sanitation is about 24%. Because of limited regulation of private water suppliers in Somalia, most of them do charge high prices that are not sustainable to most of the poor people. The outcome of this is that majority of the families are forced to fetch water in open waters that are highly prone to health challenges occasioned by open defection due to poor sanitation facilities in the country. The inquiry aimed atestablishing the influence of M&E on performance of water supply and sanitation projects using a case of KBUWS&SP. More specifically, the study examined the influence of M&E planning, M&E tools, M&E reporting and M&E results utilization on performance of KBUWS&SP. The theory of change and realistic evaluation theory were used to underpin this study.Descriptive survey and correlational research designs were adopted targeting 47 project staff of KBUWS&SPworking in the M&E department and census was used. Primary data was gathered using questionnaire that had undergone pilot testing to determine reliability. Validity was ensured through the review of the questionnaire by the supervisor and the experts. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS version 24 using means and percentages as well as regression analysis and presented through tables. The study established that M&E planning (M=3.81, β=.021 p<0.05), M&E tools (M=3.79, β= .051, p<0.05), M&E reporting (M=3.83, β=.099 &<0.05) as well M&E results utilization (M=3.78, β=.123 p<0.05) were significant predictors of performance of Water Supply and Sanitation Project. The study concludes the M&E is a significant predictor of sanitation and water projects in Somalia. The study recommends that the M&E officers and managers working with KBUWS&SPshould come up with clear plans to guide the M&E The project managers of KBUWS&SPshould adopt modern tools for collection and analysis of data

The main purpose of this study was to determine the influence of external environmental and managerial discretion on the relationship between Top Management Team (TMT) characteristics and Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) of Chinese Multinational Corporations (CMCs) in Kenya. The empirical studies conducted on TMT characteristics influence on SCA have produced mixed results some agreeing and others disagreeing, thus these empirical studies are inconclusive. On the same line, there is no agreement on the moderating influence of external environment on the relationship between TMT characteristics and SCA. The intervening influence of managerial discretion on the relationship between TMT characteristics and SCA is also not conclusive. Thus, there was a need to establish that existence of these association between and among these variables. The present study covered CMCs in Kenya and the broad objective of this study was establish the influence external environmental and managerial discretion on the relationship between TMT characteristics and SCA of CMCs in Kenya. From the broad objective, the study specifically had four objectives, which were to assess the influence of TMT characteristics on SCA; determine the influence of external environment on the connection between TMT and SCA; assess the influence of TMT characteristics and managerial discretion on SCA; and the joint influence of TMT characteristics, external environment, managerial discretion on SCA of CMCs in Kenya. A cross-sectional design was employed where data was gathered from 72 CMCs in Kenya using a semi-structured questionnaire. The respondents in the study were top managers in 72 CMCs operating in Kenya for more than three years. Two questionnaires were sent to each of the 72 CMCs adding up to a total of 144 questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was employed to analyze the data and the formulated hypotheses were subjected to tests using Chi squares. The analysis of the findings revealed that TMT characteristics had a statistically significant influence on SCA of CMCs in Kenya. Similarly, on the moderating influence of external environment on the relationship between TMT characteristics on SCA and the intervening influence of managerial discretion on the relationship between TMT characteristics on SCA were found statistically significant. Further, the study revealed that when TMT characteristics, external environment and managerial discretion were combined all together, they statistically influence SCA of CMCs in Kenya. The findings of the study partially supported the agency, contingency, upper echelon and competitive advantage theories, respectively. This study gives to contributions in terms of knowledge to strategic management by influence of external environmental and managerial discretion on the relationship between TMT characteristics and SCA. The respective managers are to adopt the findings of the present study in ensuring that their firms embrace TMT characteristics to interpret the environment properly and formulate appropriate strategies for SCA and ensure that clear dimensions of managerial discretion are integrated in decision making process.

Energy is one of the critical factors to achieve sustainable development. Africa's development vision, as contained in African Union Agenda 2063, requires, inter alia, the provision of affordable, durable, and reliable energy. However, unsymmetrical resource, capital, and technological endowments at the global and regional level call on countries to increasingly cooperate and integrate their energy systems. Fittingly, the African Union's First Ten Years Implementation Plan (2014 – 2023) identifies regional energy cooperation through the implementing regional power pooling as a remedy to alleviate energy poverty and achieve socioeconomic development in the continent. Half a century after Africa embraces energy trade and two decades after instituting Regional Power Pools (RPPs), energy poverty remains to be a critical challenge undermining Africa's development. The study examined the roles of RPPs in fostering energy cooperation for socioeconomic development in Eastern and Southern Africa. In doing so, the study compares the state of energy cooperation by examining the implementation of power pooling in the two regions. The study targeted 100 leaders and senior experts from the regional power pools, regional economic communities, financial institutions, scholars, the African Union, and the United Nations. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, while quantitative data was analysed via descriptive and inferential analysis. Simple linear regression models were used to test the hypotheses. The study utilises the theory of liberal institutionalist theory of international relations to analyse the roles of regional power pools in addressing the cross-border challenge of energy security. From the findings, energy cooperation has been confirmed as the viable approach to energy security in Africa; in Eastern Africa, weak power pool arrangement has contributed significantly to the prevailing energy insecurity whereas strong regional power pool in Southern Africa contributes to energy security, thus depicting that strong regional power pool is a key predictor of energy security in the region; the study could not confirm that the challenges and opportunities are similar; and the existence of bilateral electricity trading arrangements does not necessarily undermine the development of regional energy trade. The study concludes that the institutionalised attempt to energy security in Africa can address most of Africa’s energy security challenges. However, Africa must embrace the role of these energy cooperation institutions by pursuing a deliberate policy to strengthen them so that its overall integration project, as stipulated in the African Union Agenda 2063, can be materialised.

The study conceptualized a relationship between employee rewards, employee job related attitudes, organizational leadership, work environment and employee performance in the Kenya Police Service. Employee rewards has been proposed to influence employee performance, however there is lack of consensus with regard to this position which called for further empirical studies. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of employee rewards, job related attitudes, organizational leadership and work environment on employee performance in the Kenya Police Service. In order to achieve this objective, five specific objectives were set and corresponding hypotheses formulated. The study was anchored on four theories, that is; Expectancy theory supported by Social Exchange Theory; Transformational & Transactional Leadership theory and the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity (AMO) theory. The study used descriptive cross sectional research design. The population was all police officers and a sample of 397 officers was selected using stratified random sampling method. Data was quantitative and collected using structured questionnaire. The hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression, path analysis, stepwise regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The findings indicated that employee rewards significantly influence employee performance, employee job related attitude mediates the relationship between employee rewards and employee performance. Organizational leadership style and work environment has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between employee rewards and employee performance. The results of the study further supported expectancy theory, social exchange theory, transformational & transactional Leadership theory and the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity (AMO) theory. The study contributed to the knowledge in the area of human resource by establishing the effects of employee job related attitude and organizational leadership styles; work environment through mediation and moderation on the relationship between employee rewards and employee performance. Human resource managers could use the findings of this study to improve employee performance through putting in place key employee rewards, right employee attitudes, good leadership style and conducive work environment. For policy makers this study justified incorporating rewards, job related attitudes, organizational leadership and work environment when designing performance improvement policies.

Despite various initiatives both from state and non-state actors to empower urban refugees and provide them with protection systems upholding their rights and privileges, there still exist significant gaps in their ability to support themselves and have an impact on host communities. The study sought to assess urban refugee protection project strategies on the socioeconomic development of host communities in Nairobi County. Objectives for the study were hinged on four variables namely, advocacy support, finance and donor funding, human capacity building, social capital support and how these four influences the socioeconomic development of urban refugees’ host communities. Refugee aid and Development theory and the World Society Approach were used. Descriptive survey research design was applied. It targeted, urban refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff in Nairobi, Government officials from the Department of Refugee Services and staff from NGOs involved in Refugee Protection programmes. The study used 128 participants. All these were selected through purposive sampling. The study adopted purposive sampling to obtain the sample of respondents from each of the subjects under study. Questionnaires and the interview guides were used. To evaluate various indicators of the variables, methodological changes to instrument rollout or administration, and the efficacy of research instruments and methodologies, a pilot study was conducted on a small sample of 10% of the sample size. Urban refugees and other participants from the target population were given questionnaires, but they were not included in the sample. To examine the degree of consistency of the results, questionnaire was divided into two parts and distributed to participants, with the results statistically connected using the Spearman correlation method. The composite mean for all the constructs for the dependent variable was 3.67 with a standard deviation of 0.708 implying that majority of the respondents agreed that the refugee protection project strategies had a positive impact on the socioeconomic development of host communities in Nairobi County. From the findings, all the independent variables greatly affected socioeconomic development of urban refugees’ host communities. All the variables had positive correlations with advocacy support having the highest correlation of 0.774. The study recommended that in order to lessen the financial burden that refugees place on the host economy, the Kenyan government and international refugee organizations should work together to improve refugee inclusion in national, regional, and global development projects. To do this, they should allocate enough financial resources and technical assistance for the construction of infrastructure and social amenities for refugees and refugee host communities. The report also recommended that rather than providing refugees with short-term humanitarian aid, the international community and the Kenyan government should come up with development-oriented measures that create employment prospects. This will lessen the over-dependence of refugees on foreign help. To help Kenya's socioeconomic development and the realization of Vision 2030, the host nation should provide employment opportunities for refugees. According to the findings of the survey, participants were unsure of the impact of donor funds on the socioeconomic growth of host communities. As a result, a study on the variable can be conducted to support the influence of financial assistance to refugees on the economic development of host communities.

Literature has shown that firms have failed due to financial performance issues linked to funding structure with firms that adopt wrong funding structure mix experience reduction in their financial performance. The trade-off theory, pecking order theory, and Modigliani and Miller (M&M) theory were all used in this research. A descriptive survey design was adopted in this investigation. Paper’s target population was all the registered MFBs in Kenya between 2012 and 2021. According to CBK (2021) there were 14 registered MFBs in Kenya as at the year 2021. The investigation made use of secondary related sources on the study variables. A data capture sheet is used to obtain the information. The data was collected from CBK’s bank supervision report for the period between 2012 and 2021. Investigation employed descriptive and inferentially articulated methods. The study employed a multiple regression to establish the impact of predictors on dependent. This investigation made use of SPSS tool for for generation of statistics. The regression analysis was done to establish the effect of funding structure on financial performance. The study findings indicated that funding structure has a positive and significant effect on financial performance among MFIs (β = 0.158; P-Value < 0.05). It was also established that firm size has a positive and significant effect on financial performance among MFIs (β = 0.044; P-Value < 0.05). However, liquidity did not significantly determine financial performance of MFIs. Based on the findings that funding structure has a positive effect on financial performance of Microfinance banks in Kenya. This study recommends the MFIs to come up with avenues of attracting more equity from external investors. This is because an increase in equity ensures that MFIs have more funds to loan out hence increasing their interest income which ultimately increased ROA. In addition, more equity ensures that the MFIs have more funds to invest in other investments which can generate more income. There was hence a need to attract more equity through investors. Given the findings that firm size positively affects the financial performance of Microfinance banks in Kenya, the study recommends the management of MFIs in Kenya to invest towards increasing their firm size through increased assets. This is because bigger MFIs were established to perform better because of economies of scale. In addition, bigger MFIs are able to cushion themselves against bad loans in cases where there is a high rate of non-performing loans. Furthermore, bigger MFIs had more assets to liquidate in cases where there was an urgent need to invest or cushion the firm in cases of short term liabilities hence boosting performance.

Research on the interactions between budgetary compliance and economic performance has turned inconclusive results on the actual interplay of the variables. Generally budgetary compliance is used as a financial performance measure in government institutions but particularly it is not the only determinant of performance as other factors also account to the overall achievement of its goals. The excellent performance of an organization can be realized starting from mounting of clear objectives, accounting of true financial performance and evaluation of performance based on consistency of the budget with the set goals. The main intention of this research was to examine budgetary compliance influence on performance of county governments in Kenya. Agency theory, modern decentralization theory and attribution theory were adopted to anchor the study. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The target population was the 47 county governments in Kenya. Secondary data was obtained from the Office of the Auditor General and individual county governments annual reports for a 5 year period (2017 to 2021). Upon collection of the data, inferential as well as descriptive statistics generated included frequencies and percentages and simple and multiple linear regression respectively. The regression results produced an R square of 0.2472 which implies that 24.72% of the changes in performance among county governments in Kenya can be explained by the four selected variables for this study. The overall model was found to be statistically significant as exhibited by a p value of 0.000 which was less than 0.05. The study further revealed that revenue transfer and local revenue collection had a positive and significant effect on performance of county governments in Kenya. Budgetary compliance and recurrent spending had no significant effect on performance. This study concluded that revenue transfer and local revenue collection are essential for county governments’ performance. “The study recommends that policy makers such as members of parliament should come up with policies that increase revenue transfer to the counties as this will lead to an increase in performance of devolved units. County heads should also advocate for an increase in revenues allocated to the counties. The study further recommends that heads of devolved units should develop strategies aimed at increasing local revenue collection without hurting the businesses as an increase in local revenue leads to a rise in performance. Members of the county assembly should also develop policies aimed at increasing the local revenue tax base.