Influence of operational strategies on Financial Performance of saccos In Kenya. A case of Acumen Sacco, Kajiado County

Abstract

Financial performance is a subject largely discussed by economists and financial experts. There is power in understanding the financial performance in a given sector through effective operational strategies. The researcher conducted a study on the influence of operational strategies on financial performance of SACCOS in Kenya, case of acumen Sacco, Kajiado county with study objectives on market penetration, product proposition, customer retention and execution of corporate objectives. The research study examined theories such as institutional perspective theory, agency theory and Taylors‟ motivation theory to validate the finding of the study. The study had a target population of 500 and a sample size of 83. The study engaged descriptive research design and methodology techniques that enhanced data collection procedures and analysis for effective and reliable findings. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire in Acumen Saccos, Kajiado County. The respondents were expected to provide relevant and useful information based on the research questions. It is through such information that informed decisions from the findings were made and recommendations deduced. The data gathered was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Descriptive statistics such as; frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation was conducted. In addition, inferential statistics such as correlation statistics, regression analysis was used to test the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. A pilot study was done at 10% of the respondents to ensure reliability and validity of the findings. The researcher utilized a quantitative approach to analyze data. The output was presented in table form, explained and summarized in percentages, frequencies, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient. Recommendations were made to the stakeholders such as management of saccos, SACCO members, SACCO investors, Government policy makers and future academic researchers to understand the influence of operational strategies on financial performance of saccos in Kenya in order to make informed decisions. Other studies were suggested to be conducted in other counties using different variables in areas of further studies to compare findings. The study revealed that the most significant relationship was between customer retention and financial performance with a coefficient value of 0.992 (at significant level of 0.05). Market penetration showed significant relation with product proposition with a coefficient value of 0.982 (at significant level of 0.05). A significant relationship existed between corporate objectives and market penetration with a coefficient value of 0.824 (at significant level of 0.05). A significant relationship existed between financial performance and market penetration with a coefficient value of 0.898 (at significant level of 0.05). It was noted that the hypothesis on there is no significant relationship between market penetration and financial performance of SACCOS in Kenya was accepted by the respondents at 99.2% at a significant level of 0.05. The hypothesis on there is no significant relationship between product proposition and financial performance of SACCOS in Kenya and there is no significant relationship between the influence of customer retention and financial performance of SACCOS in Kenya was accepted by the respondents at 98.2% at a significant level of 0.05. The hypothesis on there is no significant relationship between corporate objectives and financial performance of SACCOS in Kenya was rejected by the respondents by the respondents at 0.824 at a significant level of 0.05.