IMPACT OF ESTABLISHING BALANCED ORGANIZATIONAL CONTROLS ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Abstract

The phenomenon of private higher education in Kenya emerged and accelerated in the 1990s. Currently there are 36 private universities. Despite this growth, private universities are largely seen as ineffective due to weak leadership practices. Existing research on leadership in private universities has scanty literature relating to effective strategic leadership practices and organizational effectiveness constructs. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the efficacy of establishing balanced organizational controls, as a practice of effective strategic leadership, on organizational effectiveness within private universities in Kenya. The study was anchored by strategic leadership theory and adopted positivism philosophy. The design was quantitative research using a cross-sectional survey. The target population was 1733 management team members of all 36 private universities in Kenya, from which a sample of 325 was drawn. Data was collected using a structured 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 29) software. Pseudo R-square (Nagelkerke R²=0.49) indicated that balanced organizational controls explained 49% of variance in organizational effectiveness. Parameter estimates (ß=2.405, p<0.001) showed that balanced organizational controls had a significant positive effect on organizational effectiveness. The study determined that establishing balanced organizational controls has significant efficacy on organizational effectiveness within private universities in Kenya. Based on this finding it is recommended that leadership of private universities strengthens control mechanisms for better regulation of behaviors and alignment of processes, systems, and organizational action towards achievement of effectiveness. Specifically, feedback controls systems should be reevaluated to develop proper mechanisms to promote a culture of continuous feedback and assessment to identify and address operational inefficiencies as well as enhance employee motivation and commitment to performance objectives.