Research Papers

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Start date: 2021

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 30
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    COMPOSITION-DIFFERENTIATION OPERATOR ON THE BERGMAN SPACE
    (Pan-American Journal of Mathematics, 2023) K. O. ALOO1; J. O. BONYO2; I. OKELLO1
    We investigate the properties of composition-differentiation operator Dψ on the Bergman space of the unit disk L2 a(D). Specifically, we characterize the properties of the reproducing kernel for the derivatives of the Bergman space functions. Moreover, we determine the adjoint properties of Dψ whenever ψ is self analytic map of the unit disk D.
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    Structural Characteristics and Conduct of Sweet Potato Market in Rachuonyo Region, Kenya: Perception of Sweet Potato Farmers and Traders
    (East African Journal of Business and Economics, 2023-07-31) Dr. Alphonce Juma Odondo, PhD1*
    Myriad studies have been conducted on commodity markets in different parts of the world. However, such studies have yielded inconsistent results on various facets of market structure and market conduct, implying that each market may have its distinctive characteristics which impact on its performance. In SubSaharan Africa, the growth of sweet potato industry is hindered by lack of information on sweet potato market structural characteristics. Kenya’s sweet potato industry is facing a similar challenge. This scenario calls for a baseline survey on the sweet potato market structural characteristics and conduct as a basis for subsequent robust studies on the possible nexus between the market structure, conduct and performance of the industry. The study adopted a descriptive survey design based on interpretivism research paradigm. A sample size of 384 farmers, 166 retailers and 55 wholesalers were taken. Pretested questionnaires were used to gather perception of the respondents on various parameters based on a fivepoint Likert scale. The views were then summarized in terms of means scores. It was established that the sweet potato market was imperfect since there were notable elements of potato differentiation and barriers to entry into the market. Such barriers included competition from other traders and uncertainties in the demand for sweet potato. The situation was exacerbated by lack of suitable storage facilities given the perishable nature of the commodity. High market concentration was noted at the wholesale level, a likely indicator of price collusion and exploitation by the few large sellers that dominated the market. In this regard, there is need to enhance value addition activities that can enable the market players especially the farmers to be more competitive within the supply chain. Efforts should also be made to eliminate the identified market barriers.
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    INFLUENCE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION ON RETENTION OF TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION SECRETARIAT STAFF IN BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA
    (2021) Esther Tawarar; Dr. Sylvia C. Sirai, PhD; Dr.Victor Lusala Aliata, PhD
    Purpose: Employee retention has been a key source of competitive advantage as well as achievement of business goals and objectives. Employee turnover can have a detrimental influence on the implementation of business strategies and eventually lead to productivity reduction. The secretariat staff labour turnover at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has for years increased and this has affected the overall performance at the TSC since qualified employees with experience leave the TSC yearly. For example, in 2018, the recorded turnover of employees was at 20% and the efficiency of TSC fell by 5%. The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of recruitment and selection on retention of Teachers Service Commission secretariat staff in Busia County, Kenya. Methodology: Human Capital and Motivation theories served as the foundation for this study. In this study, a descriptive research design was used. The target population was115 employees working at the TSC in Busia County as secretariat staff. The sample size was 115 according to Slovins, (1980). Findings: The findings revealed that recruitment and selection had a positive significant effect on retention (β=.408, p<.05). The study concluded that HRM practices have a positive influence on employee retention. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The output of the research may be utilized by the Department of HRM practices at the TSC Kenya, by employers, academicians, employees, trade unions, HR practitioners, Ministry of Labour in the formulation of a systematic process of ensuring employee retention at work places. The outcome may also lead to efficient and effective service delivery as well as proper utilization of resources by all the departments at the TSC offices in Kenya.
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    The Relationship between Relationship Marketing and Brand Loyalty in Mobile Telecom Service Providers: Case of Nairobi County, Kenya
    (Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2023-09) Jessica Atieno Ooko; Dr. Fredrick O. Aila; Dr. Alphonce J. Odondo
    Relationship marketing remains a major predictor of brand loyalty in the telecommunication industry. Regardless of this, mobile telecommunication firms in Kenya are yet to achieve required brand loyalty levels. This is evident given high levels of switching freedom and churn rate levels which rose from 21.20% to 31.45% in Safaricom, while in Airtel, this rose from 4.9% to 6.0% in 2021. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of relationship marketing on brand loyalty in mobile telecommunication service providers in Kenya. The study was hinged relationship marketing theory and descriptive research design. Target population was 124,849 subscribers drawn from four telecoms; Safaricom, Airtel, Telecom and Equitel. Stratified sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of 443 respondents. The primary data for the study was collected using a closed ended survey instrument. The study adopted Cronbach’s metrics of alpha to determine the internal consistency of the instrument while its validity was assessed by supervisors. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Correlation and Regression). The findings indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between relationship marketing and brand loyalty, where relationship marketing explained 60.1% of the variance in mobile telecommunication service providers brand loyalty. The study concludes that relationship marketing has a significant effect on brand loyalty. The telecos management should put more effort on human interactions and activities, enhanced Collaborative Perspective, aligned and empowerment employee and value co-creation behaviors in order to advance relationship marketing
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    Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty
    (THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT, 2023-09) Jessica Atieno Ooko; Dr. Fredrick Onyango Aila; Dr. Alphonse Juma Odondo
    Globally, customer satisfaction remains a major predictor of brand loyalty and customer satisfaction in the telecommunication industry. Regardless of this, mobile telecommunication firms in Kenya are yet to achieve the required brand loyalty levels. This is evident given the high levels of switching freedom and churn rate levels, which rose from 21.20% to 31.45% in Safaricom, while in Airtel, this rose from 4.9% to 6.0% in 2021. Studies on the relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty revealed both positive and negative results. The main purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. The study hinged on the theory of planned behaviour. The research used descriptive research design. The target population was 124,849 subscribers drawn from four telecoms: Safaricom, Airtel, Telecom and Equitel. The stratified sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of 443 respondents. The primary data for the study was collected using a closed-ended survey instrument. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Correlation and Regression). The findings indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, where customer satisfaction explained 50.9% of the variance in mobile telecommunication service providers' brand loyalty. The study concludes that customer satisfaction has a significant effect on brand loyalty. The study recommended that the telecom management should put more effort into service promptness, responsiveness, staff courtesy and customer understanding to enhance brand loyalty in their companies.
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    Exploring the Potential of Immersive Technologies to Enhance Online Learning Experiences and Engagement: A Systematic Literature Review
    (International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 2024-09) Salmon Oliech Owidi* 1; Kelvin K. Omieno2; Joanne Nabwire Lyanda3
    The purpose of this research is to find out how immersive technology can improve online learning and student engagement. The study investigates howimmersive technologies, for example augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can be incorporated into online learning environment using a case study methodology. The paper explores how immersive technologies affect online course satisfaction among learners generally through learning results, and student involvement. By conducting a comprehensive literature review, the paper synthesizes existing knowledge and identifies gaps in the literature. In the systematic review in which exclusion and inclusion criteria was used to identify the suitable articles to be analyzed based on the study questions. The outcome of the study revealed that immersive technologies significantly boost learner engagement, improving the student learning outcomes thereby increasing their overall course satisfaction with online courses. However, it also identifies challenges and gaps in current research, emphasizing the need for further exploration. Recommendations for educators and policymakers include investing in immersive technologies learning tools, providing adequate training, fostering collaboration, and addressing issues of access and affordability. This paper sough to enhance the comprehension of how immersive technologies can be strategically leveraged to revolutionize online learning environments. By exploring the integration of advanced digital tools and techniques, the study uncovered various ways in which virtual and augmented reality can significantly improve the effectiveness and engagement of online learning. Ultimately, the findings provide valuable insights that can guide educators, institutions, and educational technology developers in optimizing online learning environments through the thoughtful application of immersive technology
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    Online Perceived Risk’s Influence on Consumer Purchase Decisions of Households in Nairobi City County, Kenya
    (International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), 2025-07-02) Linsey Wanjiku Waweru1; Stephen Ntuara Kiriinya2; Elyjoy Micheni3; Hellen Kabue4
    The study assessed the influence of online shopping dimensions: convenience, product presentation and perceived risks in regard to the purchase decisions of households in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study also investigated the effect of data security and internet access as the moderating and intervening variables, respectively. The study was based on positivist philosophy and employed both descriptive and explanatory research designs. It was anchored on the Theory of Reasoned Action, Uses and Gratification Theory and Howard-Sheth Model. In determining sample sizes, the study adopted the Roscoe’s rule of thumb. The study further used a mixed sampling design where cluster sampling was applied to come up with the households of the eight (8) constituencies in Nairobi City County. Simple random sampling was also used to select households from the respective clusters. To identify the respondents, purposeful sampling technique was used to pick the household member who most frequently shopped online. The study employed structured questionnaires with both openended and close-ended questions to ensure the researcher’s biasness did not interfere with the data collection process. Descriptive statistics, like cross-tabulations, frequency distributions, means and standard deviations were used to summarize and make sense of the data which described all the variables of the study. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27 was used for data analysis. Inferential statistics were employed to draw conclusions about the entire population by looking only at a sample of the population
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    Comparative Study on Accuracy of Responses by Select AI Tools: ChatGPT and Perplexity AI Visa Vee Human Responses
    (International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 2024-11) *1Salmon Oliech Owidi; 2 Joanne Nabwire Lyanda; 3 Eric W. Wangila
    This study explored questions whose solutions were provided by human experts, ChatGPT, and Perplexity AI. The responses were triangulated in discussions to identify oversights, alternative frames, and biases against human-generated insights. ChatGPT and Perplexity AI were selected due to their popularity, with ChatGPT gaining over 100 million users and Perplexity AI 87 million within a year. Educational specialists submitted questions across various fields, along with their responses, which were subsequently posed to the AI tools. These responses were coded and evaluated by twelve educational specialists and subject matter experts (N = 24) based on scientific accuracy, actionability, and comprehensibility. Descriptive statistics indicated that Human Experts achieved significantly higher mean scores in both Scientific Accuracy (M = 7.42, SD = 0.65) and Actionability (M = 7.25, SD = 0.77) compared to ChatGPT (M = 6.25, SD = 0.71; M = 5.42, SD = 0.99) and Perplexity AI (M = 4.33, SD = 0.79; M = 4.17, SD = 1.06). In terms of Comprehensibility, ChatGPT led with a mean score of 6.58 (SD = 0.99) compared to Human Experts (M = 7.08, SD = 1.24) and Perplexity AI (M = 5.43, SD = 0.55). Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed significant differences across all dimensions (p < 0.001 for Scientific Accuracy and Actionability; p = 0.015 for Comprehensibility). Post-hoc Dunn's tests confirmed that Human Experts outperformed both AI tools, while ChatGPT was significantly more comprehensible than Perplexity AI. These findings highlight the limitations of AI in delivering scientifically accurate and actionable insights due to factors like lack of emotional intelligence and common sense. The study recommends careful evaluation of AI integration in academic and research
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    Towards Integration of AI Driven Predictive Model in identifying At-Risk Students in Online Learning Platforms
    (African Journal of Computing, Data Science and Informatics (AJCDS, 2025-06) 1Dr. Salmon Oliech Owidi; 2Prof. Elyjoy M. Micheni
    The rapid growth of online learning environments presents both opportunities and challenges in student engagement and performance. Predictive modeling using artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool to identify atrisk students and personalize learning experiences. However, the influence ofvarious factors, such as engagement metrics, interventions, and demographicvariables, on student success in online education remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the impact of engagement metrics and targeted interventions, as well as explore the role of demographic variables in predictive modeling within online learning environments. This study employed a simple random sampling method, collecting data from 200 students enrolled in an online learning environment. Data on engagement, interventions, demographic variables, and academic performance were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings highlight the importance of engagement metrics in predicting academic success and the effectiveness of personalized interventions such as feedback and tutoring. Integrating personalized interventions can further support at-risk students, creating a more inclusive and effective educational experience. This study underscores the need for continuous development of AI models to better serve diverse student populations and improve educational outcomes.
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    EFFECT OF PRODUCT DESIGN ON OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SUGAR FIRMS IN KENYA
    (International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, 2023-07) Kunyoria Ogora Joseph1; Albert Washington Ochung Tambo2; Victor Lusala Aliata3
    Product design is a key indicator of a successful operational performance realization and is gaining robust momentum among Sugar Firms as a survival and growth strategy. The Sugar Firms in Kenya contribute approximately 26% directly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an additional 25% indirectly through agro-based and associated industries linkages. However, they have experienced a significant decline of milled sugar production from about 635,700 tonnes in 2015 to 491,100 tonnes in 2018 according to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in 2019. This decline was mainly attributed to the high cost of production stemming from inefficiencies across the value chain from inadequate research and extension leading to the design of production systems that are inefficient. Despite the vast contribution of the Sugar Firms to the economy, this problem ofinefficient production system has not been solved and thus the Sugar Firms performance continues to spiral downward leading to the dissolution of some firms, downscaling of operations etc. Reviewed the studies also, established a weak relationship between product design and operational performance and warrants investigation. It is in this regard that this study purposes to establish the effect of product design on operational performance of Sugar Firms in Kenya. The research was guided by the resource-based view theory and transaction cost theory. A census survey was conducted targeting all 164 managers and assistant managers of Sugar Firms in Kenya. A pilot study was conducted of 14 participants constituting of managers and assistant managers of seven departments in Transmara Sugar Company to test for reliability using Cronbach‘s alpha, with a threshold of 0.70, indicating satisfactory instrument reliability. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient obtained in this study was 0.849. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. A multiple linear regression model was applied to establish the association among explanatory variables in this study. The results established that product design significantly affects operational performance (β =0.742, p=.000), hence, adoption of a one-standard deviation increase in product design yields a significant 0.742 unit increase in operational performance for Sugar Firms. Indicating a positive and significant association between the two variables. Hence, the study offers a products design model that can assist in enhancing operational performanc