https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/561 2026-07-20T00:02:15Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1993 Goal Setting in Appraisals and Employee Productivity Chepkonga, Marsella.; Mugaa, Lucinda; Wekesa, Argan Goal setting within performance appraisals is an important component of employee performance management. Drawing from Goal-Setting Theory (Locke & Latham, 2019), this study investigated the influence of goal setting during appraisals on employee productivity in Kenya. A descriptive research design was employed, targeting 385 respondents drawn from academic and administrative staff in public universities within the Nairobi metropolitan area, including the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Moi University (satellite campus), and Egerton University (satellite campus). Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis revealed that goal setting had a positive and statistically significant effect on employee productivity, where specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals were linked to increased motivation and improved work outcomes (Mutuku & Njoroge, 2022). The findings underscore the importance of integrating goal setting into performance appraisal systems to enhance employee productivity (Nyaga, 2023). A research article published in The International Journal of Business Management and Technology. 2025-10-10T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1992 Relationship Between Training Needs Assessment and Employee Performance Among the Customer Care Agents at Airtel Limited Call Center Odhiambo, Adeline Achieng’; Gitari, James; Mugaa, Lucinda; Nyambane, Hosea Geteri This study aimed at investigating training needs assessment on employee performance among the customer care agents at Airtel Limited call center. The study employed a quantitative research design and collected data from 200 employees using structured questionnaires. 155 questionnaires were returned and 45 were not returned. The study employed both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics summarized the distribution of scores using measures of central tendency, variability, and distribution. Data collected from participants was coded correctly and analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson correlation and Regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that training needs assessment had a correlation of ) with employee performance, suggesting a strong and significant relationship. In the regression analysis, Training Needs was a significant predictor of Employee Performance, with a standardized coefficient (Beta) of and a p-value of . The study found that conducting a thorough training needs assessment has a positive effect on employee performance. Organizations that properly assess the training needs of their employees are able to provide targeted, relevant training that leads to better job satisfaction, commitment, and performance. It is recommended that Airtel Kenya should continue to invest in comprehensive training needs assessments to ensure that training programs are tailored to address the specific skills gaps and development needs of employees. A research article published in the Stratford Journals. 2025-11-03T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1991 Assessing Climate and Disaster Risk Using Participatory Techniques: Experience from Pastoral Communities of Kenya Othoo, Ouko Calvince. Climate risks are increasingly finding expression in rural poor arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of East Africa with disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable of the communities including women, children, and the elderly. More often, the assessment of climate risk and vulnerability does not put the communities at the center of such investigations, with assessment mostly biased toward modeling among other scientific approaches. There is, however, increasing evidence that communities’ inclusion in climate risk assessment can achieve greater community good not only in articulating their climate-inflicted challenges, and identifying locally led adaptations, but also in building communities’ confidence and sense of ownership of proposed adaptation strategies. This paper presents a synthesis of climate risks facing pastoral communities living in the ASALs of Africa and recommends the use of the innovative PACDR in future community climate risk assessments among ASAL communities in East Africa. Furthermore, the paper presents a case study of a participatory research practice with the Maasai community in Kenya and the key adaptation pathways to climate change identified. A research article published in the Springer journal. 2025-06-05T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1990 Integrating Grey and Green Engineering in Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Assessment: A Case of Kangundo Road Mbengei, Caroline M.; Osano, Simpson.; Othoo, Calvince. This study assesses the climate change resilience of Kangundo Road, Nairobi, using an integrated modelling approach combining hydrological, geotechnical, and thermal analyses within the Fisher Climate Model framework. Historical climate data and future projections under SSP 4.5 and SSP 8.5 scenarios were used to evaluate the influence of precipitation variability, temperature change, and ex-treme events on road performance. Statistical results show rainfall variability (mean 77.761 mm, SD 201.410 mm) as the dominant hazard driver, with αSea level,a rainfall proxy, weighted at 0.9967, compared to αTemperature at 0.0027, reflecting low thermal variability (mean 18.70˚C, SD 0.627˚C). Sensitivity analysis revealed drainage deterioration (R) and hydrological flow (Qflow) as the most critical resil-ience determinants, with their exclusion reducing resilience scores by over 80% and 55%, respectively. Interaction between R and thermal expansion (ΔL) pro-duced non-linear risk escalation, indicating that multi-hazard impacts accelerate vulnerability beyond single-hazard effects. Grey engineering measures, including reinforced culverts, elevated embankments, and thermally resistant pavements,combined with green infrastructure such as bioswales, vegetative buffers, and permeable pavements, offer optimal resilience. The findings emphasize prioritiz-ing drainage and stormwater capacity in adaptation planning, while incorporat-ing thermally adaptive materials for long-term durability. Limitations include re-liance on model-based projections and focus on a single corridor, warranting ex-pansion to multi-route, socio-economic, and governance-integrated resilience assessments. An article published by the scientific research publishing Journal 2025-09-03T00:00:00Z