Journal of Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences

Naming Power: Political Nicknames, Connotative Meaning and Democratic Discourse in Kenya

2026-07-01T10:24:57+00:00

In contexts where formal political institutions are distrusted and mainstream media is perceived as captured, citizens frequently turn to informal linguistic practices to assert democratic voice. Kenya offers a particularly compelling case: on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, the coinage and viral circulation of political nicknames has become a primary medium through which ordinary Kenyans evaluate, satirize, and contest the behavior of their leaders. Yet despite the obvious social salience of this practice, it has attracted negligible scholarly attention. This article addresses that gap through a qualitative analysis of nicknames assigned to seventeen prominent Kenyan politicians, examined using Leech's (1981) Associative Theory of Meaning, with connotative meaning as the principal analytical category. Data were generated through focused group discussions with third-year linguistics students at Kirinyaga University, researcher introspection grounded in lived political experience, and systematic analysis of digital media sources. Three thematic functions emerge from the corpus: political identity construction and populist branding, satirical dissent and accountability discourse, and cultural and ethnic identity consolidation. The analysis establishes that Kenyan political nicknames are dynamic, contested, and semantically sophisticated they encode evaluative stances, mobilize cultural intertexts, and participate in power relations between citizens and leaders. Beyond their local significance, these naming practices illuminate broader questions about informal political communication, language and democracy, and citizen agency in digitally mediated public spheres. The article contributes to onomastics, African sociolinguistics, political communication studies, and the emerging field of digital political discourse.

Determinants, Implementation Dynamics, and Operational Impacts of Hospitality-Related Public Policies

2026-05-06T13:53:00+00:00

The hospitality industry is highly sensitive to economic, technological, and regulatory changes, yet the factors shaping policy formulation, implementation, and operational outcomes remain underexplored, particularly in emerging contexts such as Uganda. This narrative review synthesised literature from hospitality management, public administration, tourism governance, and policy studies, incorporating international perspectives and evidence from developing economies, guided by Stakeholder Theory and Institutional Theory, from 76 sources, including 56 journal articles, 16 reports, and 4 books. The review focused on three main thematic areas. First, the determinants of hospitality-related public policies involve government agencies, industry associations, communities, and market forces. Second, policies impact hospitality business operations through compliance requirements, performance outcomes, and service delivery. Third, the dynamics of policy implementation are influenced by power relations, institutional capacity, formal and informal rules. The findings reveal that hospitality policies are primarily driven by a nexus of technological advancements, macroeconomic stability, consumer protection standards, and the lobbying power of industry associations. Operationally, well-aligned policies enhance service efficiency and market competitiveness; however, the study identifies a significant implementation gap characterized by institutional decoupling, where formal regulations are often bypassed by informal hybrid governance arrangements. This is particularly evident in resource-constrained environments where weak institutional capacity and power imbalances between large and small-scale operators dictate policy outcomes. The review proposes an Adaptive Hospitality Policy Model, emphasizing a continuous feedback loop between regulators and stakeholders to ensure that policies remain context-sensitive and operationally feasible. The study concludes that sustainable sector development in Uganda and similar emerging economies depends on transitioning from top-down regulatory mandates to inclusive, stakeholder-driven governance frameworks that prioritize digital competence and institutional transparency. Recommendations include strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and aligning regulations with industry dynamics to improve policy effectiveness.

Team Learning as a Predictor of Employee Retention in Star-Rated Hotels: Evidence from Nairobi County, Kenya

2026-08-07T06:40:04+00:00

This study examined the influence of team learning on employee retention in star-rated hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya. Guided by the pragmatic paradigm, the study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The target population comprised 1,291 employees and eight human resource managers from eight selected hotels. A sample of 295 employees was selected using stratified and simple random sampling. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling. The findings showed that team learning had a negative but statistically non-significant effect on employee retention; therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted. Although employees shared lessons and opinions, weaknesses remained in role clarity, inclusion and authority to adapt team goals. The study concludes that team learning alone does not significantly predict employee retention, as its benefits depend on how it is organized and experienced. Hotel managers should promote inclusive, action-oriented learning that clarifies roles, encourages participation and ensures follow-up on agreed actions. The study demonstrates that team learning is an enabling organizational capability whose retention benefits may occur through other organizational and psychological mechanisms.

Impact of Recruitment, Selection and Retention on Health Sector Service Delivery, Nyeri County Kenya

2026-06-11T08:34:28+00:00

Health sector service delivery in Kenya, impact in several ways on the health of the citizens who provide productive labour force in the economy. The impact of recruitment, selection and retention on health sector service delivery is of great concern in the health sector. Several readjustment challenges have been witnessed in health sector service delivery. Health sector, building resilience within human resource is of crucial importance, to navigate challenges ensuring quality health service delivery. The sector requires proactive adaptation focusing on hardness, emotional intelligence and building of strong working relationships. This study undertaken in the context of devolved health system in Kenya focusing on Nyeri County, three sub-county hospitals and one level five referral hospital. The theoretical framework of the study was anchored on Human Capital Theory. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach anchored on the pragmatism paradigm and employed a convergent research design. The target population comprised 916 health workers drawn from three sub-county hospitals and one county referral hospital, from which a sample of 266 respondents was selected. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through structured interviews with hospital directors, superintendents, and departmental heads. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed weaknesses in recruitment, selection, and retention practices, including inadequate staffing, limited training opportunities, low absorption of interns into permanent employment, infrequent internal promotions, and concerns regarding fairness in recruitment processes. Qualitative findings further indicated shortages of specialized personnel, high attrition rates, inadequate opportunities for career development, and centralized recruitment decisions that constrained hospitals' ability to address staffing needs. Regression analysis established a statistically significant positive relationship between recruitment, selection, and retention practices and health sector service delivery (β = 0.576, t = 9.484, p < 0.001). The model explained 32.8% of the variation in service delivery (R² = 0.328), indicating that effective human resource practices substantially influence healthcare service outcomes. The study concluded that strengthening recruitment, selection, and retention practices can significantly improve accessibility, responsiveness, reliability, empathy, and assurance in healthcare service delivery. The study recommends increased recruitment of skilled healthcare personnel, enhanced staff retention strategies, regular training and career development programs, and greater flexibility in human resource management to address staffing gaps and improve service delivery in public health facilities.

Human Capital Efficiency and Firm-Level Labour Productivity: Panel Evidence from Publicly Listed Firms in East Africa

2026-08-03T09:51:29+00:00

Human capital is widely theorized as the foundation of firm-level productivity, yet evidence on how efficiently East African firms convert human capital investment into labour productivity remains scarce. This study examines the effect of human capital efficiency on labour productivity among publicly listed firms in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, drawing on an 11-year panel of audited financial statements (2013–2023). Human capital efficiency was measured using the Modified Value-Added Intellectual Coefficient Model (MVAIC™), while labour productivity was derived from a value-added Cobb–Douglas production function within a Total Factor Productivity approach. Fixed-effects estimation, validated by a Hausman specification test, shows that human capital efficiency is positively and significantly associated with labour productivity (β = 0.028, p < .001), the largest coefficient among the intellectual capital components examined. The result is consistent with Human Capital Theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm in an emerging-market setting, suggesting that workforce capabilities operate as a comparatively immediate lever of productivity where innovation ecosystems remain nascent. The findings support continued investment in training, skills development, and knowledge management, and contribute firm-level evidence to a thin intellectual capital literature on Africa. The paper's design limits, discussed in limitation section, mean the results are best read as a within-firm association rather than a fully identified causal effect.

Tourism Safety and Destination Choice in Nairobi County, Kenya: The Mediating Role of Tourist Behavioral Characteristics

2026-05-21T15:07:39+00:00

Destination choice is influenced by attractions, accessibility, and perceived safety. Kenya’s low safety and security score of 3.4 out of 7, reflecting crime, terrorism, and political instability, affects tourist decisions. Nairobi County, as the capital and a major tourism hub, has experienced security incidents, making it perceived as unsafe. Although prior research has established a direct link between perceived safety and destination choice, the intervening mechanisms through which tourist behavioral characteristics operate within this relationship remain theoretically and empirically underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining the mediating role of tourist behavioral characteristics on the relationship between tourism safety and destination choice in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was anchored on perceived risk theory and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Pragmatist research paradigm with concurrent explanatory research design was adopted. The target population was 2,279 tourists and 53 managers in charge of security from fifty-three star rated hotels in Nairobi County. Systematic random sampling and purposive sampling were used to select the respondents. Quantitative data was collected from 340 tourists using questionnaires while qualitative data was collected using interviews from 11 managers. Quantitative data was analyzed using multiple linear regression for hypothesis testing and Process Macro for mediation while qualitative data used content analysis. Findings show that tourism safety strongly influences destination choice (β = 0.465, p < 0.001). Tourists place high value on safety factors such as crime prevention, health protection, and emergency preparedness when selecting destinations. Behavioral characteristics recorded high mean scores but did not significantly mediate the relationship between tourism safety and destination choice (β = 0.0033, 95% CI [-0.0145, 0.0252]). Qualitative results confirmed that tourists prioritize visible safety measures over motivational or attitudinal factors when making travel decisions. The study concludes that tourism safety is a primary determinant of destination choice in Nairobi County, while behavioral characteristics play a limited mediating role. The findings support Perceived Risk Theory and refine the Theory of Planned Behavior in high-risk tourism contexts by showing that safety perceptions can override internal behavioral processes. The study recommends strengthening safety systems, improving tourism infrastructure, enhancing communication of safety information, and improving destination image management to enhance Nairobi’s competitiveness as a tourist destination. This research contributes to knowledge by highlighting that behavioral characteristics do not mediate the relationship between tourism safety destination choice.

Perceptions of Employability Competencies and Industry Preparedness: A Qualitative Study of Hotel Employees in Arusha, Tanzania

2026-07-27T17:39:25+00:00

The hospitality industry increasingly requires employees with technical expertise, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, adaptability, and professional ethics. In Arusha, Tanzania’s major tourism hub, concerns persist regarding whether hospitality graduates possess the competencies needed to meet industry expectations. This study examined hotel employees’ perceptions of employability competencies and industry preparedness among hospitality graduates. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the study adopted a qualitative phenomenological design to explore how employees understand professional competence through workplace experience, reflection, and practical application. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 17 hotel employees and human resource managers purposively selected from Mount Meru Hotel, Gran Meliá Hotel, and Arusha Serena Hotel. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that hospitality graduates possess foundational theoretical knowledge in food and beverage service, housekeeping, and front office operations. However, participants consistently reported deficiencies in practical experience, technological skills related to hotel management systems, communication and complaint-handling abilities, foreign language proficiency, and professional attitudes required for immediate workplace performance. Industry preparedness was perceived not as a condition achieved at graduation but as a continuous process of learning, adaptation, and exposure to real work environments. The study further revealed a significant gap between academic training and industry requirements, which participants attributed to the predominantly theoretical orientation of hospitality training institutions and limited industry exposure during education. Structured internships, workplace-based training, and stronger collaboration between educational institutions and hotels were identified as critical mechanisms for enhancing graduate readiness. The study contributes to employability research by highlighting hotel employees’ perspectives on graduate preparedness and demonstrating the relevance of experiential learning in hospitality workforce development within Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings have implications for curriculum reform, competency-based training, industry–education partnerships, and policy development aimed at improving hospitality employability in Tanzania.

Moderating Effect of Consumer Behavior on the Contribution of Slow Tourism Activities to Sustainable Tourism Outcomes in Baringo County, Kenya

2026-08-14T13:36:13+00:00

The global tourism industry confronts an escalating sustainability crisis characterised by overtourism, economic leakage, and environmental degradation, prompting scholarly interest in slow tourism as an alternative mobility paradigm. While slow tourism activities are theorised to generate superior economic, socio-cultural, and environmental outcomes, the demand-side boundary conditions of this relationship remain under-theorised, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Stakeholder theory, this study examines the moderating effect of consumer behavior on the contribution of slow tourism activities to sustainable tourism outcomes in Baringo County, Kenya. A pragmatic, quantitative-dominant cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 267 tourists across ten sites in Baringo County, Kenya. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that slow tourism activities had a positive and significant direct effect on sustainable tourism outcomes (β = 0.241, p = .001), explaining 31.5% of the variance. The introduction of consumer behaviour as a moderator significantly improved model fit (ΔR² = .054, p < .01), with the interaction term between slow tourism activities and consumer behaviour yielding a positive and significant coefficient (β = 0.265, p = .045). The full model explained 40.9% of the variance in sustainable outcomes. Qualitative data from 12 stakeholders corroborated these mechanisms, revealing that tourists with pro-environmental mindsets converted activity participation into reciprocal co-creation behaviours such as conservation volunteering, local purchasing, and cultural knowledge exchange that amplified sustainability dividends. The findings reject the deterministic assumption that slow tourism supply automatically produces sustainable outcomes, demonstrating instead that the activities–sustainability nexus is contingent on tourist psychological dispositions. For Baringo County, where visitor numbers declined by 66% between 2018 and 2024, the results imply that slow tourism strategies must be paired with market segmentation and interpretive programming that cultivates and attracts environmentally conscious consumers.

Occupational Safety and Health Regulation as a Determinant of Employee Accountability in Kenya’s Hospitality Industry

2026-07-23T16:12:49+00:00

This study investigates the extent to which compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA, 2007) influences employee accountability within Kenya’s hospitality industry. Grounded in Koppell’s multidimensional framework of accountability and guided by pragmatic and mixed-method research paradigms, the study sought to examine the effect of Occupational Safety and Health Act compliance on Employee Accountability in star-rated hotels in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Drawing on data collected from 215 employees across eight star-rated hotels in Uasin Gishu County, the research employed stratified random sampling and linear regression analysis to assess the relationship between OSH compliance and accountability outcomes. Descriptive statistics revealed partial and inconsistent adherence to OSHA provisions, particularly in training, hazard identification, and provision of safety attire. While regression results showed a modest positive effect, the relationship between OSH compliance and employee accountability was statistically non-significant (β = 0.063, p > 0.05). The study makes a novel contribution by contextualizing OSH regulation within Kenya’s hospitality landscape, highlighting enforcement gaps, informal employment structures, and managerial ambivalence toward safety culture. It recommends strengthening institutional capacity for enforcement, integrating OSH into performance management systems, and tailoring sector-specific guidelines. Future research is encouraged to adopt longitudinal and comparative approaches, explore moderating factors such as leadership and informal labor dynamics, and develop mixed-method models that capture the interplay between regulatory compliance and organizational behavior.

Effect of the Nature of Street Food Vending on Pro-Poor Hospitality: The Moderating Role of Creativity among Vendors in Mombasa City, Kenya

2026-08-10T15:07:45+00:00

Street food vending is a critical component of urban informal economies, yet its potential to drive pro-poor hospitality outcomes in tourism-dependent cities remains under-examined. This study investigated the effect of the nature of street food vending on pro-poor hospitality and tested creativity as a moderating influence among vendors in Mombasa City, Kenya. Anchored in Innovation Diffusion Theory and Informal Sector Theory, the study employed an explanatory correlational research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 363 street food vendors, selected through multi-stage sampling from a target population of 10,364, supplemented by key informant interviews with vendor association leaders and public health officers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, linear regression, and Hayes' PROCESS Model 1; qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Pearson correlation revealed positive and significant associations among all study variables: nature of street food vending and pro-poor hospitality (r = .539, p < .01), creativity and pro-poor hospitality (r = .693, p < .01), and nature of street food vending and creativity (r = .730, p < .01). Regression results indicated that the nature of street food vending significantly predicted pro-poor hospitality (β = .285, p < .001, R² = .540). Creativity significantly moderated this relationship (β = .329, p < .001); conditional effects showed the relationship was non-significant at low creativity (β = .014, p = .829), but significant and progressively stronger at moderate (β = .140, p = .003) and high levels (β = .271, p < .001). Qualitative findings corroborated that strategic location, stable operating environments, hygiene compliance, and digital marketing enhanced service accessibility and inclusion. The study concludes that creativity is a boundary condition that determines whether improved vending practices translate into tangible pro-poor gains. It recommends county-level designation of protected vending zones, creativity-targeted vendor training incubators, and formal integration of street food into Mombasa's tourism value chain. This study offers the first empirical evidence that creativity moderates the street food–pro-poor hospitality nexus within a Kenyan coastal tourism context.

Participatory M&E Design and the Sustainability of Community Development: Empirical Evidence from DHAPP Project in Juba, South Sudan

2026-06-27T09:45:03+00:00

This study examined the relationship between Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) design and sustainability of the DHAPP project in Juba, South Sudan. It was grounded on Stakeholder and Empowerment Theories. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data within a cross-sectional design. A sample of 170 respondents was drawn from 280 beneficiaries and key project personnel using systematic random and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and document review. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression in SPSS, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings show high stakeholder participation in PM&E design (M = 4.26), particularly in target setting, indicator development, selection of data collection tools, and tool validation. Respondents also reported strong sustainability outcomes (M = 4.23), including continued project activities after donor reduction, strong community ownership, and integration of DHAPP services into local systems. However, inferential results indicate a very weak positive relationship between PM&E design and sustainability (r = 0.037, p = 0.644). Regression analysis confirms no statistically significant effect of PM&E design on project sustainability (F = 0.214, p = 0.644; R² = 0.001). This indicates that sustainability outcomes depend more on institutional capacity, financial resources, governance systems, and post-project support structures than on participatory M&E design alone. The study recommends that future interventions strengthen institutional and community capacity, integrate sustainability planning into core project systems and align participatory M&E with resource and governance frameworks that support long-term continuity of project benefits.

Preventive Maintenance and Employee Job Performance in Five Star-Rated Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya

2026-08-06T18:19:45+00:00

Preventive maintenance is an essential management practice in the hospitality industry due to its role in enhancing equipment reliability, operational continuity, and service quality. However, its direct influence on employee job performance remains underexplored, particularly within Kenya's five-star hotel sector. This study examined the effect of preventive maintenance on employee job performance in five-star rated hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Model of Work-Role Performance and Maintenance Management Theory. Guided by the pragmatic research paradigm, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach using a concurrent convergent research design. The target population comprised 3,127 employees and nine maintenance managers drawn from the nine five-star rated hotels in Nairobi City County. A sample of 355 employees was selected through stratified and simple random sampling, while all nine maintenance managers were purposively selected for interviews. Data were collected using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from previous studies and semi-structured interview schedules. The research instruments demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.829 for preventive maintenance and 0.762 for employee job performance. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and simple linear regression, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Regression assumptions were tested prior to analysis, confirming independence of errors (Durbin-Watson = 1.530) and the absence of multicollinearity. The findings indicated that preventive maintenance practices were consistently implemented across the participating hotels, with mean scores ranging from 4.05 to 4.62, while employee job performance recorded high mean scores ranging from 3.73 to 4.47. Correlation analysis revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between preventive maintenance and employee job performance (r = 0.393, p = .001). Regression analysis further established that preventive maintenance significantly predicted employee job performance (B = 0.231, β = 0.230, t = 4.939, p = .001). Qualitative findings converged with the quantitative results, revealing that routine inspections, scheduled servicing, maintenance documentation, and technology-supported maintenance systems enhanced operational stability, reduced equipment failures, improved workplace safety, and enabled employees to perform their duties more efficiently. The study concludes that preventive maintenance significantly enhances employee job performance in five-star rated hotels by improving operational reliability and creating conducive working conditions that support service excellence. The study recommends that hotel managers institutionalise structured preventive maintenance programmes supported by adequate financial resources, digital maintenance management systems, and continuous technical training. It further recommends that the Tourism Regulatory Authority strengthen hotel quality assurance by incorporating preventive maintenance standards into hotel classification and compliance assessments, while the Kenya Bureau of Standards develops sector-specific preventive maintenance guidelines for the hospitality industry.

Effectiveness of Student Guidance and Counseling in addressing Mental Health among University students in Public Universities in Kenya

2026-06-02T14:26:14+00:00

The study examined the effectiveness of student guidance and counseling in addressing mental health among university students in public universities in Kenya. The study was anchored on Person-Centered Theory, which explains psychological well-being as a product of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and supportive helping relationships. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 225 students and 25 university counselors using questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated that 62.22% of students were aware of SG&C services, while 56.21% confirmed that awareness programs were conducted by counselors. Orientation programs (43.12%) served as the main source of information on counseling services. Depression (36.05%) and anxiety (22.96%) were the most prevalent mental health challenges, followed by interpersonal problems (19.63%) and suicidal ideation (12.55%). Only 41.79% of students sought counseling services, although 95.85% of those who accessed services reported receiving effective help and rated the services as useful. Interview findings supported quantitative results, highlighting high effectiveness among engaged students, strong institutional support, but persistent barriers such as stigma, limited staffing, and low help-seeking behavior. The study concludes that SG&C services are effective in improving mental health outcomes among students who access them, though utilization remains relatively low. Strengthening awareness, expanding counseling capacity, and reducing stigma can improve service uptake and mental health outcomes in universities.

Customer Segmentation and Purchase Behavior Analysis Using Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering and Machine Learning Techniques

2026-07-28T17:58:23+00:00

The heterogeneity of consumer behavior in digital marketplaces poses a significant challenge for firms seeking to optimize marketing resource allocation and predictive accuracy. This study proposes and validates a hybrid analytical framework that integrates Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering (HAC) with supervised machine learning techniques to segment customers and predict purchase behavior. Grounded in Machine Learning Theory (MLT) and Computational Learning Theory (COLT), and operationalized through the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM), the research employs a three-stage pipeline: (1) segmentation via HAC using Ward's linkage and Euclidean distance, (2) segment-specific predictive modeling using Choice Model Trees (CMT), Random Forest, Support Vector Machines (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Logistic Regression, and (3) comprehensive evaluation using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and ROC-AUC. Using a dataset of 50,000 customer records with demographic, behavioral, and transactional features, the HAC algorithm identified four distinct segments: High-Frequency Power Users, Price-Sensitive Deal Hunters, Low-Engagement Browsers, and High-Value Efficiency Shoppers. The hybrid segment-specific approach achieved a predictive accuracy of 84.33%, substantially outperforming global modeling benchmarks. The Choice Model Trees further provided interpretable decision rules such as the predictive thresholds of five product views and 200 seconds of browsing time enabling actionable managerial insights. The findings demonstrate that addressing customer heterogeneity through hierarchical segmentation prior to predictive modeling yields significant performance uplifts and enhances the interpretability of machine learning outputs for strategic marketing deployment.

The Moderating Role of Digital Maturity in the Relationship Between Emerging Technologies Adoption and Performance of Five-Star-Rated Hotels in Zanzibar

2026-05-20T17:29:41+00:00

Hotels in developing countries are increasingly adopting emerging technologies, particularly Cloud Computing Technologies (CCT), Big Data and Analytics (BDA), Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR), Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain Technologies (BCT), including artificial intelligence (AI), to improve performance. However, studies remain fewer and more fragmented, and digital maturity is often conceptualized broadly rather than examined as an organizational capability that determines how hotels translate technology adoption into performance. Digital maturity determines how hotels translate emerging technologies into performance outcomes. This study determines the moderating effect of digital maturity on the relationship between the adoption of emerging technologies and performance in five-star-rated hotels in Zanzibar. This study used a quantitative research design to collect data from 392 hotel managers across 56 five-star-rated hotels via a structured questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the moderating effects of digital maturity on the relationship between the adoption of emerging technologies and operational efficiency, financial performance, and employee performance. Digital maturity exerted strong positive direct effects on employee performance (β = 0.904, p < 0.001) and financial performance (β = 0.805, p < 0.001), but a negative direct effect on operational efficiency (β = −0.130, p < 0.01). The moderating effect was significant only for operational efficiency (β = 0.106, p = 0.040), with non-significant moderation for financial performance (β = 0.016, p = 0.771) and employee performance (β = −0.049, p = 0.141). The model explained 83.5% of the variance in employee performance and 64.1% of the variance in financial performance, but only 9.0% of the variance in operational efficiency. This study used a mixed-methods convergent parallel design, with moderation analysis conducted using PLS-SEM to examine operational efficiency, financial performance, and employee performance. The model strongly explained employee performance (R² = 0.835; adjusted R² = 0.833) and substantially explained financial performance (R² = 0.641; adjusted R² = 0.637), but weakly explained operational efficiency (R² = 0.090; adjusted R² = 0.079). Digital maturity significantly moderated only the relationship between adoption of emerging technologies and operational efficiency (β = 0.106, t = 2.052, p = 0.040). Simultaneously, moderation was not significant for financial performance (β = 0.016, p = 0.771) or employee performance (β = -0.049, p = 0.141). The study concluded that digital maturity selectively enhances the operational value of emerging technologies in the hospitality sector. Hotels strengthen alignment across their digital strategies, staff digital competence, leadership support, cybersecurity, and data privacy. The study contributes context-specific evidence from Zanzibar by showing that digital maturity has performance-specific effects and selectively moderates the relationship between emerging technology adoption and hotel performance.

Chief Executive Officer Gender and Sustainability Disclosure: Evidence from Listed Firms in Kenya

2026-07-26T13:18:45+00:00

Sustainability disclosure - the public reporting of a firm’s economic, environmental and social impacts has hardened from a voluntary gesture into a commercial and regulatory imperative, yet in emerging markets its depth and quality remain uneven, and the drivers of substantive rather than symbolic reporting are poorly understood. Because disclosure in weakly enforced settings rests on executive judgement, upper echelons theory directs attention to the characteristics of the executives who exercise it and few characteristics have attracted more governance attention, or produced less settled evidence, than gender. Existing findings are concentrated in developed markets and at board level, leaving the chief executive position itself, where strategic discretion is greatest, largely unexamined in frontier-market settings. This study therefore examines sustainability disclosure among firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) a market in which women held roughly one in ten chief executive positions over the study period and where regulatory pressure for both diversity and disclosure has intensified - testing the effect of CEO gender diversity, operationalised as the proportion of women in the apex executive leadership of the firm, anchored on the chief executive position. Using a balanced panel of 320 firm-year observations drawn from 32 NSE-listed firms over the period 2014-2023, sustainability disclosure is measured through content analysis of annual and sustainability reports against a 38-item economic, environmental and social index scored on a 0-3 quality scale. Hausman-selected fixed-effects regression, estimated in Stata, shows that CEO gender diversity exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on sustainability disclosure (β = 0.064, p = 0.023), robust to the inclusion of firm size, firm age and profitability and to a battery of panel diagnostics. The finding is consistent with gender-socialisation, stakeholder-orientation and institutional accounts in which female representation at the corporate apex strengthens ethical sensitivity, stakeholder responsiveness and receptiveness to isomorphic reporting pressures, and it positions executive gender diversity as a substantive governance resource - not a symbolic gesture - for nomination committees and regulators in emerging markets.

Effect of Knowledge Sharing Partnerships on the Performance of Public Universities in Western Kenya

2026-08-13T11:01:11+00:00

Public universities in Western Kenya operate within resource-constrained environments characterised by inadequate funding, infrastructural deficits, and limited research capacity. While knowledge sharing partnerships have been identified as a potential strategy for enhancing institutional performance, empirical evidence on their effect in peripheral higher education contexts remains limited. Most existing studies have focused on internal knowledge management practices or institutions in Nairobi, leaving a significant gap regarding how formal inter-organisational knowledge sharing partnerships influence holistic university performance in Western Kenya. This study examined the effect of knowledge sharing partnerships on the performance of public universities in Western Kenya. The study was anchored on the Knowledge-Based View (KBV) and Resource-Based Theory (RBT). A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase involved a census survey of 68 senior administrators, academic leaders, and industrial partners from four public universities: Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kibabii University, Kaimosi Friends University, and Alupe University. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with items measured on a five-point Likert scale. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected participants and document analysis of partnership agreements, annual reports, and institutional strategic plans. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression in SPSS Version 26, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase approach. Descriptive statistics revealed strong positive perceptions of knowledge sharing partnerships, with an overall construct mean of 4.36 (SD = 0.62) on a five-point scale. The highest agreement was recorded for the positive impact on overall university performance (M = 4.56, SD = 0.68), while financial performance improvement received the lowest agreement (M = 4.09, SD = 0.91). Simple linear regression analysis showed that knowledge sharing partnerships had a statistically significant positive effect on university performance (β = 0.512, p < .001), explaining 26.2% of the variance in performance (R² = .262, Adjusted R² = .251, F(1, 66) = 27.98, p < .001). The null hypothesis that knowledge sharing partnerships have no significant effect on university performance was rejected. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, revealing that partnerships enhanced research output through joint publications and shared facilities, improved teaching quality through faculty development and curriculum enrichment, and increased institutional visibility. However, participants identified significant challenges including intellectual property disputes, unequal benefit sharing, and power imbalances between partner institutions. Knowledge sharing partnerships significantly enhance the performance of public universities in Western Kenya. The benefits are most pronounced in research productivity, teaching quality, and institutional reputation, while financial gains remain less pronounced. The realisation of these benefits depends on effective governance mechanisms that ensure equitable benefit distribution and intellectual property protection. Universities should establish formal knowledge-sharing frameworks with clear intellectual property and benefit-sharing provisions, invest in digital infrastructure for collaborative research, provide faculty capacity building on partnership ethics and IP management, and pursue comparative research to identify factors that moderate partnership effectiveness.