School of Business and Economics (SBE)

Effect of Outsourcing Recruitment and Selection on Organizational Performance at TotalEnergies in Nairobi, Kenya

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Effect of Outsourcing Recruitment and Selection on Organizational Performance at TotalEnergies in Nairobi, Kenya Muyumia Mediatix Yvonne, Justus Wesonga, Dr. Daniel Naikuni Purpose: This study examined the association between outsourced recruitment sources and organizational performance at TotalEnergies in Nairobi, Kenya. Methodology: A descriptive correlational, cross-sectional design was adopted. The target population comprised 135 employees across top, middle and lower management levels. A sample of 101 was drawn using purposive and proportionate stratified sampling. Data were collected between January and March 2025 via a structured five-point Likert questionnaire administered electronically. Cronbach’s alpha for the recruitment-sources scale was 0.793 and for the organizational-performance scale was 0.81. Of 101 questionnaires distributed, 81 were returned (80% response rate). Organizational performance was dichotomized at the median of the composite score into high versus low performance. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used. Findings: Respondents reported moderately positive perceptions of outsourced recruitment sources (aggregate mean = 3.74, SD = 0.62 on a 1–5 scale). Binary logistic regression showed that a one-unit increase in the recruitment-sources score was associated with higher odds of high organizational performance (B = 0.65, Exp (B) = 1.92, 95% CI [1.61, 2.30], p < 0.001). The Hosmer–Lemeshow test indicated acceptable model fit (χ² = 9.806, df = 8, p = 0.278). Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study provides empirical evidence on recruitment outsourcing in a multinational energy firm in Kenya, linking Resource-Based View and Human Capital Theory to sourcing-channel quality. Practically, it highlights the value of agency expertise and the need for stronger internal–external communication. Limitations include a single-firm sample, cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported perceptual data.

Resource Mobilization Efficiency of Household Biogas Potential in a Pastoral Economy: The Case of Mt. Suswa, Kenya

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Resource Mobilization Efficiency of Household Biogas Potential in a Pastoral Economy: The Case of Mt. Suswa, Kenya Parsariro Agnes Naini, Maurice Ochieng Ombok, Job Ochieng Ogada Despite abundant cattle-dung resources, household biogas adoption remains low across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid pastoral zones. Only 0.5% of Narok County households use biogas as their primary cooking fuel, and prior research has not examined how efficiently pastoralist households can mobilize this feedstock. This study assessed feedstock-mobilization efficiency and its determinants among pastoralist households in Mt. Suswa, Narok County, Kenya, using a non-experimental, cross-sectional design grounded in Production and Efficiency theories. A census of 150 livestock-keeping households was attempted, and 114 complete questionnaires (76.0%) were analyzed. Potential biogas yield was derived from herd size, assuming 9.0 kg of dung per head per day and 50% collection efficiency. It was modelled as an ex-ante resource-mobilization frontier using a Battese–Coelli Translog stochastic frontier with an inefficiency-effects component. Likelihood-ratio tests favored the stochastic Translog specification over both OLS and Cobb-Douglas. Mean mobilization efficiency was 67.04%, revealing a 32.96% structural gap, and 28.1% of households fell below 60% efficiency. Returns to scale were strongly diminishing (0.55 under individual grazing and 0.38 under communal grazing). A significant negative water-access-by-grazing-distance interaction pointed to compounding spatial constraints. Livestock maintenance cost and grazing distance raised the frontier, while communal grazing lowered it by 24.68%. Cultural compatibility with dung-derived energy reduced inefficiency, whereas formal education increased it, a pattern interpreted through life-cycle and Chayanovian accounts of livestock accumulation. Modern cooking-energy use and technology awareness showed marginal, opposing effects. Closing half the efficiency gap could yield about 208 m³ of additional biogas per household annually, displacing roughly 1.26 tonnes of firewood worth KES 18,303. These results suggest that clean-energy deficit stems from spatial, environmental, and institutional frictions. Biogas policy should therefore target household-level mobilization constraints, through culturally anchored extension, co-location of water and energy infrastructure, and localized paddocking, rather than aggregate biomass availability.

Influence of Project Planning Practices on Cost Overruns in The Construction of Trunk Roads in Kenya

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Influence of Project Planning Practices on Cost Overruns in The Construction of Trunk Roads in Kenya Joachim Aloo, Patrick Gudda, John Troon In ideal situation, road infrastructure projects should be completed within the planned budget, schedule, and scope to ensure efficient utilization of public resources and timely delivery of transport services that support economic growth and social development. Currently, cost overruns are a persistent challenge in Kenya’s road construction sector, particularly in national trunk road projects, where final expenditures frequently exceed planned budgets. These overruns undermine timely project delivery, strain public finances, and reduce value for money, hindering the achievement of Vision 2030. This study examined the influence of project planning practices that is scope definition, design planning, and funding allocation on cost overruns in national trunk road construction. The study was guided by the Systems Theory, Design Structure Theory, and Contingency Theory, the study adopted a retrospective design using secondary data from 46 KENHA projects implemented between 2005 and 2023. Data were extracted from KENHA and Kenya Roads Board. Document reviews were done on parliamentary reports, audit reports, and financiers including the World Bank and African Development Bank. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied, with multiple linear regression determining relationships between planning practices and cost overruns. Results showed that scope definition, design planning changes, and funding allocation were significant drivers of cost overrun. The study concludes that strengthening feasibility studies, integrating modern design technologies, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and ensuring predictable funding flows are critical to minimizing budget deviations. The findings would offer actionable insights for policymakers, project managers, development partners, and scholars to improve planning frameworks, emphasizing efficiency, accountability, and sustainable infrastructure development. This underscores the need for well-structured project planning practices that minimize cost overruns and enhance the long-term performance of Kenya’s road infrastructure sector.

PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN KISUMU CITY, KENYA

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN KISUMU CITY, KENYA Rose Wanjiru Mithamo, Patrick Gudda, Robert Kinanga Participation in sustainable solid waste management (SWM) projects is increasingly recognized as a catalyst for youth empowerment in urban Africa. This study examined Participation in Sustainable Solid Waste Management Projects and Its Effects on Youth Empowerment in Kisumu City, Kenya, focusing on how youth involvement in waste collection, disposal, and recycling contributes to social, economic, and innovative empowerment outcomes. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, the study analyzed how youth engagement in waste collection, disposal, and recycling influences empowerment outcomes. A cross-sectional design was adopted, targeting 320 youth, with 175 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, while ordinal regression assessed relationships among variables. Findings revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between youth participation in SWM activities and empowerment outcomes. Waste collection (β = 1.719, p < .05), waste disposal (β = 2.188, p < .05), and recycling (β = 4.625, p < .05) significantly influenced empowerment, accounting for 59.3 percent of its variation. The study concludes that youth participation enhances environmental awareness, leadership, social inclusion, and economic independence. It recommends that policymakers, NGOs, and local governments strengthen youth engagement through capacity building, financial support, and improved waste infrastructure.