KWUST RepositoryThe DSpace digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material.http://localhost:2051/xmlui2024-03-29T14:07:57Z2024-03-29T14:07:57ZSERVICE QUALITY IN CONTRACT CATERING SERVICES AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN UNIVERSITIES NAIROBI CITY COUNTY KENYA.Mokua, GilbertDr.Mugambi, Rahab MuthoniDr.Miricho, Moses N.http://localhost:8282/xmlui/handle/123456789/4442024-03-27T10:07:11Z2024-03-02T00:00:00ZSERVICE QUALITY IN CONTRACT CATERING SERVICES AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN UNIVERSITIES NAIROBI CITY COUNTY KENYA.
Mokua, Gilbert; Dr.Mugambi, Rahab Muthoni; Dr.Miricho, Moses N.
The rapid growth and increase in contract catering services in universities in Kenya seek to lower costs and respond to the high level of competition. The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of service quality in contract catering services on customer satisfaction in universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study specifically sought to assess the influence of service quality in contract catering services on customer satisfaction in universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The target population was selected universities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were adopted in selecting the target population of universities. The target population was segmented into two groups based on the category of the university, either public or private university. The sampling technique for management staff respondents was purposive sampling, while the students' respondents were calculated using the Cooper and Schindler formula. The study adopted an interview guide and questionnaire data collection instrument. Data were collected from 276 respondents, with multi-level random sampling of 270 students, of which 224 (63.82%) returned, and 45 contract catering managers, university directors of catering, and procurement managers, of which 33 (73.33%) responded. Expert review was used to pretest the questionnaire before the actual study. The study adopted Cronbach's alpha formula to test the reliability of the instrument, and coefficients ranging from 0.65 to 1 were considered adequate for data analysis. The study collected primary data, which was analyzed through descriptive statistics and inferential analysis about the management and students' views and perceptions. Data were then reported in tables, bar graphs, and percentages, along with verbatim quotes. For inferential statistics, Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the independent variable service quality and the dependent variable customer satisfaction of the study to test the hypotheses. Simple regression results revealed that at a 5% level of significance and 95% level of confidence, the tested variables had p-value confidence levels of 0.000 for service quality, which had a positive statistically significant relationship with customer satisfaction. The study concluded that the management of contract catering services influences customer satisfaction, where the positive independent variable, service quality, enhances customer satisfaction. The study recommends that university management requires further similar studies to be done in other universities and colleges in Kenya with the aim of evaluating the influence of service quality in contract catering services on customer satisfaction in universities. This should aim at establishing if similar challenges in the management of contract catering services are a replica in other institutions worldwide.
2024-03-02T00:00:00ZComparative Study of INGARCH and SARIMA in Modeling and Forecasting Dengue CasesKariuki, Frasiah WambuiWanjoya, Anthony KibiraMalenje, Bonface Miyahttp://localhost:8282/xmlui/handle/123456789/4432024-03-19T12:49:52Z2023-01-01T00:00:00ZComparative Study of INGARCH and SARIMA in Modeling and Forecasting Dengue Cases
Kariuki, Frasiah Wambui; Wanjoya, Anthony Kibira; Malenje, Bonface Miya
A crucial focus of public health surveillance systems is to provide reliable forecasts of epidemiological time series. This work utilized data collected through a national public health surveillance system in Thailand to evaluate and compare the performance of a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average and an Integer generalized autoregressive conditionally heteroscedastic model for modeling and forecasting case occurrence of dengue. The comparison uses weekly reported cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Amnat Charoen province Thailand, from January 1st, 2006, to October 7th, 2017 (612 weeks). The results from the in-sample evaluation using the root mean square error and mean absolute error as well as a visual inspection of predicted values show that the two approaches are adequate tools for use in epidemiological surveillance as there is no significant difference in their forecast accuracy for in-sample performance. The incorporation of the weather variables improves the predictive performance of the models and from the model coefficients the study findings reveal that there is a positive relationship between temperature and rainfall and the occurrence of dengue. Overall, the findings in this study support the usefulness of the two approaches as effective tools practitioners can utilize for monitoring and for providing early warning signals of potential outbreaks of epidemics.
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZUnpacking the Role of Higher Education Institutions in Accelerating Women’s Progressive Education in KenyaOdhong, Emily PHDAchieng O., Cynthiahttp://localhost:8282/xmlui/handle/123456789/4422024-02-19T07:02:38Z2023-12-08T00:00:00ZUnpacking the Role of Higher Education Institutions in Accelerating Women’s Progressive Education in Kenya
Odhong, Emily PHD; Achieng O., Cynthia
Due to unprecedented global challenges, labour market dynamics, and uncertainties,
higher education institutions have no options but to adopt new approaches to enhance adaptability. In Kenya, despite many efforts made to accelerate women's empowerment, only 29 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 are empowered. The universities have a unique capacity and potential to develop skills, foster knowledge, and mobilize educational resources. Hence, accelerating an inclusive socio-economic recovery starts with a solid foundation of human capital which entails: health, education, skills, jobs, and growth to boost progressive education. The significance of the study is to: expand access to progressive quality education for girls and women; inform policies; enhance capacity to upscale women’s holistic learning and most importantly promote resilience and innovativeness among higher education institutions to emerge stronger. The main objective of the study was to analyse the role of higher education institutions in accelerating women’s progressive education in Kenya. The study was anchored on John Dewey's theory and women's empowerment framework, which cuts across and support both dependent and independent variable. The study adopted a mixed-method research design and, a pragmatic and constructive research philosophy. The researcher adopted a triangulation approach in sampling techniques where stratified, purposive, and random sampling techniques were applied. The study sample size comprised 129 - degree students and 26 lecturers. Questionnaires were adopted as the data collection tool. Based on the regression results, the study findings reveal that the R-squared is 0.62, the Adjusted R-squared is 0.61, the F- statistic of 31.94, and a p-value of 0.0000. This implies that the model explains 61% of changes in women’s progressive education. The study concludes that the public-private nexus, blended learning, digitalization, and student retention explain a 61% percent change in women’s progressive education. The study recommends: First, strengthening of public-private nexus through institutional industry linkages, upscaling support through adequate funding of women’s education, and considering Students as Partners in their learning. Second, embracing a blended learning approach to reduce the dropout rate of female students and upscale women empowerment through the integration
of ICT skills training. Third, institutions should commit adequate resources to promote effective
digitalization and improvement in ICT infrastructure that facilitates learning and is user-friendly to lecturers, learners, and administrators. Lastly, promoting students’ retention through mentorship, semester check-ins, workshops, and effective lecturers, to enhance student enrollment and acceleration which increases completion rate and school-to-work transition, and embracing transformative and sustainable leadership.
2023-12-08T00:00:00ZThe Exponential-based Carbon Credit Cap in Carbon Cap-and- Trade MarketsMile, Justus PHD.Mukudi, Fidelishttp://localhost:8282/xmlui/handle/123456789/4412024-02-19T12:59:38Z2024-02-01T00:00:00ZThe Exponential-based Carbon Credit Cap in Carbon Cap-and- Trade Markets
Mile, Justus PHD.; Mukudi, Fidelis
The concept of carbon markets as developed in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol was a good idea whose adoption and implementation by all counties and states would have significantly reduced the rate of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The Carbon markets were proposed to be based on cap-and-trade whose forces of supply and demand would discourage the increase or steady emission of greenhouse gases and force companies to, gradually, revert to the use of clean energy in production. This would promote the net zero carbon emission target. The carbon markets were designed to have a cap whose nature is a specific number for all entities. The number represents the carbon quantity whose regulator would keep reducing until the net zero carbon is achieved. This nature of the cap encourages large emitters of greenhouse gases to shift to other jurisdictions that have soft regulations. It also encourages restructuring into smaller companies whose net emissions could be almost the same or more than before. In this paper, we have proposed an exponential-based cap that would leave little or no room for such market strategies. We have also demonstrated how the proposed cap can be implemented
2024-02-01T00:00:00Z