Operational Strategies and Performance of Non-Governmental Organizations In Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Past studies suggest that operational strategies are important predictors of performance of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). However, few studies have empirically examined the effect of operational strategies on performance of NGOs. Therefore, this study sought to determine the effect of operational strategies on the performance of NGOs in Nakuru County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the effect of cost priority on the performance of NGOs, to determine the effect of quality priority on the performance of NGOs, to establish the effect of speed delivery on the performance of NGOs, to determine the effect of flexibility on the performance of NGOs and to determine the joint effect of cost priority, quality priority, delivery speed and flexibility on the performance of NGOs in Nakuru County. The study was based on the causal explanatory research design. The study population was 59 NGOs in Nakuru County. A census of 59 chief executive officers was taken as the study participants. Questionnaires were used to collect data. A pilot study was conducted to ensure the reliability of the instrument. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient above 0.7 was obtained and considered acceptable. Data was described by the use of frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. The hypotheses were tested by the use of simple and multiple regression analyses. The study found that cost priority, quality priority, speed delivery and flexibility affected the performance of NGOs in Nakuru County. The study concluded that cost priority, quality priority, speed delivery and flexibility significantly affected the performance of NGOs in Nakuru County. There was also a significant joint effect of cost priority, quality priority, speed delivery and flexibility on the performance of NGOs in Nakuru County. The study recommends that the NGOs in Nakuru County should incorporate diverse operational strategies such as cost priority, quality priority, speed delivery and flexibility in order to enhance their performance. This study was confined to cost priority, cost priority, quality priority, speed delivery and flexibility in relation to the performance of NGOs; therefore, similar studies based on other operational strategies and methodologies should be conducted in the NGOs and other sectors to enhance the generalization of the findings. The policy makers, practitioners and scholars alike are projected to find this inquiry insightful in comprehending the nexus between operational strategies and performance of NGOs in Kenya.