Thesis & Dissertations(Doctoral & Master)

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Firm Leadership Style, Innovative Behaviour and Performance of SMES in Kampala District
(Makerere University Business School, 2018-10) Namubiru, Haulah
The purpose of the study was to investigate Firm leadership style, innovative behavior and performance of SMES in Kampala district. The study was guided by the following research objectives: To establish the relationship between the innovative behaviors and performance of SMES, to establish the relationship between firm leadership style behaviors and performance of SMEs and to find out the relationship between the firm leadership, innovative behavior and performance of SMES. A cross sectional and quantitative survey, was used in the selection of 217 SMES from Kampala. Data was collected using questionnaires. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS 17). Results from the finding confirmed that innovative behavior has a significant and positive relationship with performance of SMES, firm leadership has a significant and positive relationship with performance of SMES and Leadership Style and Innovative Behavior accounts for 12.8% (R squared =.128) variance in the performance of SMEs in Kampala. The study therefore recommended that, it is crucial for the SMEs in Kampala District to practice good leadership in their businesses as this will help in motivating their staff to work well and also serve their clients when they are happy, SMEs in Kampala have to be flexible in their operations for example giving time off to staff to think about new better ways of improving their respective activities as this will bring in more innovations in the business and thus improve performance and SMEs also should take into consideration applying new ideas that come on board in their respective businesses as this will help them to be in line with the changing tastes and preferences for the clients.
Effectiveness of agency banking in bank of Africa
(Makerere University Business School, 2020-12-03) Ndyamuhaki, Anita
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Agency Banking in Bank of Africa Uganda Ltd. The research opportunity was that agency banking carries several benefits which include reducing congestion, reducing costs of setting up fully fledged bank branches, allowing customers to have full time access to the banking services in convenient and nearby locations. The objectives were to identify costs associated with agency banking in Bank of Africa, to establish the level of customer growth in Bank of Africa and to establish the benefits of Agency banking to Bank of Africa. The study adopted a cross sectional research design and the use of a quantitative approach as the main means of data collection. A sample of 205 employees was selected using simple random sampling approach. Data was collected from primary sources using a questionnaire. Findings show that the respondents agreed that the introduction of agency banking directly contributed to the customers’ reduction of cost when accessing banking services. Secondly, agent banking has greatly influenced the customer growth in Bank of Africa. It was also found that agency banking has directly contributed to better service delivery due to ease of access. On that basis it was recommended that Bank of Africa should fully adopt the agency banking model given its effect on the bottom line, clear policies and procedures, which are subject to regular (preferably bi-annual) review should be developed, Bank of Africa needs to go all in for agency banking which will attract customers to use its service hence expanding its savings base and loan portfolio, and the bank should consider partnership agreements with agents.
E-procurement, buyer-supplier collaboration and supply chain performance in food and beverage processing companies in Kampala
(Makerere University Business School, 2021-08-03) Augustine, Sserunjogi
Following evidence of poor supply chain performance in food and beverage processing companies in Kampala, this study was initiated to examine the relationship between e- procurement, buyer-supplier collaboration and supply chain performance in food and beverage processing companies in Kampala. The objectives included; to establish the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance, e-procurement and buyer-supplier collaboration, buyer supplier collaboration and supply chain performance and to explore the mediating role of buyer-supplier collaboration in the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance in food and beverage processing companies in Kampala. The study used a cross sectional research design following a quantitative approach. The units of analysis were food and beverage processing companies in Kampala. The units of inquiry were procurement personnel in the procurement/supply chain department from each of the different firms selected The population was 200 food and beverages processing companies in Kampala with a sample size of 132 firms determined basing on Krejcie and Morgan (1970) using simple random sampling to limit bias and ensure representativeness. The study revealed that there was a significant and positive relationship between e- procurement and supply chain performance, there was a significant and positive relationship between e-procurement and buyer supplier collaboration, there was a significant and positive relationship between buyer supplier collaboration and supply chain performance. The regression model indicates that e-procurement and buyer supplier collaboration together predict 55.4% of the variation. The regression model was also found to be well specified, meaning that the model fits the relationship. Of the two variables, buyer- supplier collaboration was the most significant predictor of supply chain performance compared with e-Procurement. Still, buyer-supplier collaboration was revealed to be a significant mediator of the relationship between e-procurement and supply chain performance. The study concludes that harmonizing e-procurement and buyer-supplier collaboration enhances supply chain performance. The research recommends that to improve supply chain performance there is a need for all decisions involving suppliers and buyers at a business to business level must be jointly made, food and beverage companies should bundle together small orders and deliver them as a batch, adequate sharing of non-confidential information between the buyers and sellers to ensure better supply chain performance.
An evaluation of customer retention strategies at UAP old mutual insurance
(Makerere University Business School, 2021-10-20) Bisikwa, Brenda, Koloto
This dissertation focused on an evaluation of the customer retention strategies at UAP Old Mutual basing on the three main objectives that included; examining the customer retention strategies used at UAP Old Mutual Insurance, examining the challenges that UAP Old Mutual faces in retaining their customers and suggesting ways of improving customer retention at UAP Old Mutual Insurance. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design particularly evaluating the customer retention strategies at UAP Old Mutual Insurance taking an employee perspective. In addition to this, the study used both quantitative and qualitative design to arrive at the study conclusions. The population of the study included 400 employees of UAP Old Mutual Insurance (The Human Resource annual report 2019) and they will be chosen from the departments of Sales and Marketing, Business Development (includes top management-decision makers) and the Customer Care department. The study concludes that UAP Old Mutual has several Customer Retention Strategies in place and these included Improving Perceived Value of the Brand which they do through several public awareness, branding and advertising. The firm also continuously improves its services through offering quality services and products, application of standards and measuring their performance to ensure consistence in what they do. In addition, UAP Old Mutual ensures customer satisfaction, continuously gathers customer feedback and provides flexible ways to customers while using their products and services. Furthermore, the anticipated challenges that may hamper the retention of customers at UAP seem not to be very strong since respondents were not sure of these as challenges to the firm. This meant that UAP should continuously strengthen and increase its visibility to customers especially through increasing trust of the brand among customers, increase the usage of Information Communication Technology by customers, manage customer expectations and stand out among the competitors. The study also found out that for UAP Old Mutual to strengthen and increase its customer retention rates, the firm should build a strong reputation of trustworthiness among its customers, focus on establishing a customer care culture in the organization through recruiting customer centric employees, continuous training and of the employees and creation of standards and procedures that are customer oriented.
Bricolage, Social Networking, Entrepreneurial Competence and Growth of Social Enterprises in Kampala District
(Makerere University Business School, 2021-12-23) Karagwa, Dorothy
The study was aimed at examining the relationship that exists between bricolage, social networking, entrepreneurial competence and growth of social enterprises. The study was guided by the following research objectives; to establish the relationship between bricolage and growth of social enterprises among Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Kampala district, to establish the relationship between social networking and growth of social enterprises among Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Kampala district and to establish the relationship between entrepreneurial competences and growth of social enterprises among Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Kampala district. A sample of 234 was selected from 558 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) operating in Kampala district using the rotary procedure of simple random sampling. A sample of 222 CBOs responded giving a response rate of 95.68%. A cross sectional research design was adopted which involved descriptive, correlation and regression approaches. The findings indicated the following correlations: that there is a significant positive (r=.228** , p< .05) followed by bricolage (Beta = .108, P < .01) and lastly social networking has minimal contribution (Beta = .026, P < .05) The researcher therefore, recommends that; grants should be provided to strengthen the ability or capacity of social entrepreneurs engaging in innovation to help them run their social enterprises successfully, social enterprises should establish strategic partnerships with other organizations to gain access to new markets which could serve as potential distribution channels for their goods or services, they should also engage in training and capacity building to help their teams develop skills such as higher levels of proactive behavior in terms of strategic planning, opportunity seeking enabling growth of social enterprises.
Entrepreneurial Growth of Micro-Enterprises During the COVID-19 Lockdowns.
(2023) Amongin, Juliet
The purpose of the study was to examine entrepreneurial growth of micro enterprises during the Covid 19 Lockdowns with Soroti City as a case study. The researcher used a cross sectional survey alongside the mixed research design. This involved integrating the quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures in the study and conclusions were done after the data collection. Data was collected in the month of November 2022. The sample size was 346 micro enterprises and the selection was done by convenient sampling within Soroti City. Out of the 346 interviews, only 276 were considered, putting the response rate to 80%. Personal interviews using structured and semi-structured interview guide to collect quantitative data and qualitative data respectively. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS and while content analysis was done for qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed a significant and positive relationship between access to capital and entrepreneurial growth of Soroti City micro enterprise during the COVID-19 lockdowns (r=.536, P<.01). This implies that access to capital is very substantial to the growth of Soroti City micro enterprises. In addition, there was also a significant and positive relationship between market expansion and entrepreneurial growth of Soroti City micro enterprise during the COVID-19 lockdowns (R=.809, P<.01). Finally, the findings of the study equally revealed that, there was a significant and positive relationship between innovation and entrepreneurial growth of Soroti City micro enterprise during the COVID-19 lockdowns (R=.540, P<.01). The regression results showed that access to capital, market expansion and innovation were significant predictors of entrepreneurial growth during the lockdowns explaining 55.9% variance. From the study, it was recommended that to achieve entrepreneurial growth during the time of business shocks, micro enterprises should build business models to help them survive during business shocks and crises.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support, Ecosystem Accessibility and Productivity of Incubatees in Kampala-Uganda.
(2023) Arinda, Albert
The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between Ecosystem dimensions and productivity of incubatees in Kampala-Uganda. This study focused on Entrepreneurial ecosystem support and ecosystem accessibility as independent variables. On the other hand, productivity of incubatees was the dependent variable. The study used a cross sectional research design with a sample size of 123 incubatees from 6 business incubators from within Kampala. revealed a significant and positive relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystem support, Ecosystem accessibility and productivity of incubtees. Regression findings revealed that a combination of entrepreneurial ecosystem support and ecosystem accessibility predicated up to 41.9% (adjusted R square = 0.419) of the observed variance in productivity of incubatees. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial ecosystem support enables incubatees to ably identify and develop new markets with ease. Also, Ecosystem accessibility enables incubatees to adopt new technologies in its new product development initiatives. It was recommended that both internal and external incubation support services should be strengthened. Furthermore, the study recommends that the incubation centers should embark on changing the incubatees attitude and mindset towards networking, knowledge about networks and perceived benefits from the network.
Cognitive Flexibility, Entrepreneurial Innovativeness and Entrepreneurial Action.
(2023) Nabirye, Barbara
Entrepreneurial actions are unearthed during times of turmoil to stimulate business performance. Such actions drive the innovation of new products and services in an organization that awaken demand and keep a firm operational (Furlotti et al., 2019). Since entrepreneurial actions are activities known to be practiced pre start up (innovation) and actual start up, they require the presence of individuals who are flexible in decision-making process in order to keep a firm in a stable state amidst continuous challenges (Giones et al., 2020; Caliskan & Lounsbury, 2022). Entrepreneurial actions enable SMEs to achieve their specified goals as they adapt to the changing environment and reduce the risks that may occur (Sproul et al., 2019). Enhancing entrepreneurial innovativeness and cognitive flexibility among individuals augment the rate of entrepreneurial actions that manifest in organizations (Yinus et al., 2019; Shepherd et al., 2020). In the existence of several scholarly works and the interest of improving entrepreneurial actions in firms, globally issues of SMEs failures are rampant especially during hard times. For example, according to Engidaw (2022), 43% of SMEs worldwide either closed temporarily or permanently because of the hard times as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Gourinchas et al. (2021) in their study about the 17 European countries established that Italy had the highest failure rate of SMEs at 22.6%. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Report (2022) shows that SMEs in different regions and countries were hit differently by the pandemic. In Latin America a total of 2.6 million SMEs either permanently or temporarily closed, in America 1/5 of SMEs closed down temporarily and 1/3 closed permanently, in China 80% of SMEs closed down in 2020, Indonesia 49%, Thailand 71% Philippines 61%, UK 24% in 2020, India 47% and Bangladesh 50% of SMEs closed down. In Ethiopia, around 30% of the SMEs were hit severely and were forced to be closed down. In Uganda, more than 55% of SMEs were harshly hit and forced closed down (Kyeyune, 2022).
Adoption of E-Commerce among Small Scale Traders with Special Attention to Perceived Benefits and E-Commerce Skills.
(2023) Nalwoga, Amina
This study was guided by three main objectives namely, to explore the possible contribution of Perceived benefits in explaining E-commerce adoption, to explore the possible contribution of E-commerce skills in explaining E-commerce adoption, and to explore the interaction effect between Perceived benefits, E-commerce skills and E-commerce adoption. A qualitative approach was employed to collect data from representatives of 14 souvenir shop traders in Kampala. The traders had to have been doing business in the same location for at least three years. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews and was done inductively. The results indicated that both Perceived benefits and E-commerce skills were considered to be instrumental in E-commerce adoption. Other factors that emerged as important included, cost of E-commerce infrastructure, ease of use, testimonials and the level of security. With the above results, the study can be said to have identified some of the success factors that can explain the adoption of E-commerce among souvenir shop owners.
Entrepreneurial Motivation, Innovation and Resilience among Tours and Travel Enterprises in Kampala District
(Makerere University Business School, 2023) Namugenyi, Jamila
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurial motivation, innovation and resilience of tours and travel enterprises in Kampala. This study was a cross-sectional research design along with a quantitative research approach. A sample of 103 tours and travel enterprises was used. Data were obtained from business owners and top manager using questionnaire instrument. Validity of the questionnaire was tested using Content Validity Index, while reliability through pretesting and Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v25) from which frequency tables, correlation and regression analyses were obtained to interpret results. This study found a positive and significant relationship between entrepreneurial motivation and business resilience. The study also established a positive and significant association between innovation and business resilience among tours and travel enterprises. Furthermore, the study found that entrepreneurial motivation and innovation positively and significantly predict business resilience. Moreover, this study ascertained that entrepreneurial motivation is the better predictor of business resilience among tours and travel enterprises in Kampala. The study concludes that motivations or drives which propel entrepreneurial activity are crucial in ensuring business resilience. It further concludes that innovation plays a crucial role in ensuring business resilience. The study recommends tours and travel enterprises engagement in innovation; and entrepreneurship education to stimulate business resilience. This research suggests future researchers to examine relationship between entrepreneurial motivation and business resilience focusing on motivations other than locus of control, risk taking propensity, and achievement oriented; comparative study examining entrepreneurial motivation, innovation and business resilience; and quantitative and qualitative approach examining entrepreneur motivation, innovation and business resilience among tours and travel enterprises in Uganda.

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