Strategy Implementation Practices And The Performance Of Higher Education Loans Board In Kenya

ABSTRACT

The study aims at analyzing strategic management practices and performance of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) in Kenya. Due to increase in cost of education and dependency by students on financial assistance from parents, guardians, government and well-wishers, it has become necessary to enhance the performance of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) in order to effectively deliver on its mandate. This study therefore aimed at establishing how commitment of top level management affects performance of HELB; assess how resource allocation by financing partners affect strategic management practices and performance of HELB and assess the role of effective communication on strategic management practices and performance of HELB in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive research design as it allows a complete description of all the items under study. The target population constituted all the 12 head of departments and other 122 middle level managers in all department working at the HELB Headquarters offices at Anniversary Towers. Both primary and secondary data was used in the study. Primary data was collected using questionnaires while secondary data was collected from the recovery reports, published journal on HELB as well as the HELB financial statements. The collected primary data was coded and analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. Quantitative data was analyzed through both descriptive statistics (such as frequencies) and inferential statistics such as ANOVA and multiple linear regressions in order to establish the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The data was presented using bar graphs, pie charts, tables and figures. This study may help the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) management to set their strategic policies. It may also help HELB improve on its weaknesses’ and its strengths to effectively achieve the strategic management practices and performance of the organization as a whole in delivering its mandate as a government institution. The government can use this study on their budget allocation to HELB since most of the Kenyan students pursuing higher education benefit from the loan scheme and they form source of skilled labour in the economy. The study established that commitment of top management, resource management, effective communication and technology influence performance of HELB positive as represented by coefficients 0.737, 0.695 0.196 and 0.480.